Matrix Games Forums

when will it be available for purchase?

I've read that it will be available in "Fall 2003". Hopefully that means September and not December!

Just so you don't think we are ignoring you, most of us are testers and can not comment on this.

Let's just say that it ain't likely to show up in your stocking hanging from the mantelpiece ...

Originally posted by pasternakski
Let's just say that it ain't likely to show up in your stocking hanging from the mantelpiece ...

What makes you say that? Are you privy to insider information? The last date I heard thrown around was September.

Yamamoto

Originally posted by Yamamoto
What makes you say that? Are you privy to insider information? The last date I heard thrown around was September.

Yamamoto

Nope. I'm just making an educated guess based on the amount of time that has gone into development so far, the stage the game is at now, and the number of things that have to be worked out before WITP is a finished product. Beta testing is just about to begin. Kid, Mogami, and others have indicated that many features basic to the design have yet to be created. I'm thinking that the basic engine will take another three months to get up and running in a satisfactory way, that the full range of features will take another two to three months to be incorporated, and that final testing and "polish" of the design for release to gold will take another couple of months. That puts us into December at the earliest. Leave a little wiggle room for stuff that can go wrong, and baby 2004 will long since have taken old man 2003's place before the game ships.

The development page says "winter 2003," which says that I'm probably pretty close to what Matrix/2by3 was estimating six months ago, and I have a sneaking feeling that they now believe themselves to have been a little optimistic.

Personally, I hope it does take that long. I want a polished game, not a rush job that will be finished on the fly through patches and updates. This is a monster undertaking, probably bigger than anything tried for a computer wargame before (it certainly dwarfs UV, which was a big game in its own right).

I love wargaming and unfortunately I can only spend a maximum of 2 hours per day on the PC which includes my wargaming time

I have been playing UV for almost a year and only recently have I discovered the nuances of the game. I expect I would play it for at least another year before I tire of it.

At the same time I will get Korsun Pocket, Airborne Assault, Battlefields! and Combat Leader.

To play them all thoroughly will take more than 2 hours per day. And each one I should anjoy for 1 or 2 years.

So if WITP is delayed another year that’s OK by me. Otherwise I cannot give the game the attention it deserves.

Since this one is a big one and going to take a long time to play, I would prefer to wait until they think it is almost as final as UV is now. Reason being - it was **** frustrating having to start over or play "without the new stuff" in UV once you have sunk enough time to get a campaign past August '42. Just imagine how frustrating it will be in WitP to put enough hours to get to August '42 and then have to start over because of some glaring error.

So take you time. As much as I want the game now, I want it polished more.

I have to (reluctantly) agree that a longer wait for a polished product is for the best. Still, if the game isn't out before 2004 I'm going to report Matrix to Human Rights Watch for flagrantly torturing its customers!:p

If anyone is interested (while waiting for WitP) in modeling (ships and planes....not bodies) check out www.hobbylinc.com
I just got three ships -Prince of Wales, Akagi, and Arizona (1/350, 1/450, 1/350 scale, respectively) in the mail. I guess I have a penchant for ships that met horrible fates. I'm getting the Lusitania next. I did the Yamato (1/350 from Tamiya) a few weeks ago, turned out great. I think it's now (of course) on sale for $38.

As a tester, even if I could tell you it would be just a guess at this point. They are working feverishly on it, but there is a ton of things to be done.

Take your time. I've got 3 UV PBEM games going. (Getting trounced in 2 of them), so no rush.
Get it right so we don't have to do restarts!
(sound of desperate slobering)

I agree with all the other comments. Keep this baby in the oven until it's done.

This will be THE classic computer game of the Pacific War.

Cheers!