Matrix Games Forums

Hi guys,

In response to the many requests late last year, I just wanted to let you know that we are very interested in continuing to develop and improve TOAW, including the possibility of a TOAW IV in the future. We've been in contact with Ralph, who we would really like to be the developer going forward as he has been in the past. Ralph is going through some tough times and I think it will be some time before he is ready to start a new project or invest significant development time. Our preference is to give Ralph some time and hope that he will be available in the medium-term, but I know a lot of you are impatient for faster progress. Unfortunately I don't have better news right now than to say that whatever may come, it is not our intention to "retire" TOAW, it's our goal to continue and improve it.

We appreciate very much the work of all members of the TOAD team and the community in helping us improve TOAW to date and we're also interested in your feedback on where we should go with TOAW in the future.

Regards,

- Erik

Thanks for the comprehensive update Erik! Very much appreciated.

Klink, Oberst

ORIGINAL: Oberst_Klink
Thanks for the comprehensive update Erik! Very much appreciated.

I agree with der Oberst!

Good stuff.

I rate Ralph both for his engagement with the end users (i.e. us) and his ability to implement changes effectively, so I'm personally content to wait a bit longer if it means retaining him in the role. It's a long road and getting to the right place is more important than getting there quickly.

Erik, if you read this could you pass my (our?) best wishes onto Ralph with whatever personal difficulties he's experiencing?

ORIGINAL: MarGol

ORIGINAL: Oberst_Klink
Thanks for the comprehensive update Erik! Very much appreciated.

I agree with der Oberst!

I also agree, thanks

ORIGINAL: golden delicious

Good stuff.

I rate Ralph both for his engagement with the end users (i.e. us) and his ability to implement changes effectively, so I'm personally content to wait a bit longer if it means retaining him in the role. It's a long road and getting to the right place is more important than getting there quickly.

Erik, if you read this could you pass my (our?) best wishes onto Ralph with whatever personal difficulties he's experiencing?

Our.

Hoping for the best!

I too agree - further development would not be the same without him.

He's a class-act, very personable, and his insight (coding side) is invaluable. I too vote for getting it 'right' over 'right now'.

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

We appreciate very much the work of all members of the TOAD team and the community in helping us improve TOAW to date and we're also interested in your feedback on where we should go with TOAW in the future.

Regards,

- Erik

This is probably a long shot but would it be possible to release the current build of 3.5 as a public beta? Sounds like Ralph's situation is quite serious. Regardless of whether it can be made a public beta hopefully Ralph can come out the other end in good shape. Most things in life are more important than a game.

ORIGINAL: golden delicious

Good stuff.

I rate Ralph both for his engagement with the end users (i.e. us) and his ability to implement changes effectively, so I'm personally content to wait a bit longer if it means retaining him in the role. It's a long road and getting to the right place is more important than getting there quickly.

Erik, if you read this could you pass my (our?) best wishes onto Ralph with whatever personal difficulties he's experiencing?

Hi. I totally agree with Golden Delicious.

Instead of going for TOAW IV, can we see something of an Expansion? At the moment, it'd be nice to see some bug fixes, balancing and some more Scenarios. It'd be nice to get something that's right around the 25 dollar mark with maybe 12 small/medium sized Scenarios.

Toaw IV = new product = income , I think there will not be any more serious improvements in current version.

Hello Erik,
I do not know what Ralph’s problems are but would you or someone else who is in contact with him let him know that there are a lot of people out here rooting for him. He as an individual is far more important than a game.

I personally lost a child nearing 20 years ago and suffered for a long time until I got help. There are always people round who will take your hand and help if you reach out.

Cheers
Sunray

PS
Erik, put my name down for a copy of TOAW 4 when it comes out in the fullness of time.

Is there anything we can do to help out Ralph?

Best wishes to Ralph, and thank you for the update, Erik. That's the kind of reassurance needed. I've tried other games and nothing compares to TOAW for pure awesome wargaming goodness. Not being able to look forward, at least to the possibility of an immortal TOAW, would be... depressing. Maybe even worse -- our spare time would end up consumed by Warcraft or something.

Maybe we can start a kickstarter for Ralph?

TOAW IV will come out, Raplh promised I can beta-test it. In the mean time, best of luck to him and I hope situation soon improves for him.

Couldn't someone cover for Ralph while things improve for him? The person maybe just get some advice when needed from Ralph whilst working on it?

Just a thought, it will keep things moving though maybe slowly until Ralph is upto coming back full time so to speak.

Otherwise things will stagnate abit and I think it's going to be hard to give a time scale for when he feels upto it. SO at some point a decision will have to be made and I think if someone is covering to some degree it's less pressure on Ralph to get back to it.

ORIGINAL: wodin

Couldn't someone cover for Ralph while things improve for him? The person maybe just get some advice when needed from Ralph whilst working on it?

Just a thought, it will keep things moving though maybe slowly until Ralph is upto coming back full time so to speak.

Otherwise things will stagnate a bit and I think it's going to be hard to give a time scale for when he feels up to it. SO at some point a decision will have to be made and I think if someone is covering to some degree it's less pressure on Ralph to get back to it.

I'd second this. As it is, it's a large enough system to deal with for one person. Where folks are proposing it go in TOAW IV is even more ambitious.

Having someone else on board to sort out a few critical 3.5(?) bug fixes might be useful to all:

1) Ralph has back up, and vice versa for the new person(s)
2) In fixing a few 'show stopper' bugs, the new person(s) will gain familiarity with TOAW, hopefully with pointers from Ralph
3) The 'knowledge base' concerning TOAW code is more 'shared'
4) Ideas can be bounced around intra-programming team
5) There's just less pressure on the one single person, currently Ralph, who, though I don't know, perhaps needs none at all at the moment

I wish Ralph all the best, and hope he's back with us as soon as he's able.

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