ORIGINAL: Froonp
ORIGINAL: cockney
ORIGINAL: SamuraiProgrammer
I also want to state that I would rather it be a complete, solid piece of software than to get it sooner.
As a developer myself, I know that you are more eager to finish the project than anyone on the planet. You also want to see it done right.
Hang in there. Keep up the excellent, dedicated work.
Kudos, Kowtows, and whatever else you can think of.
I, for one, believe in you.
TO MATRIX GAMES:
I can only speak for myself. I expect others will agree with my opinion, but that is their affair. Be that as it may, here is what I think...
Clearly, this is a business project that must show a profit at some point to be considered a success.
Clearly, this is a unique endeavor in that it is a FAITHFUL port of a complex wargame to a computer platform. Having not had the glimpse into the development process (ala Monthly Status Reports) for other games, it would be unfair to compare the professionalism of this project to any others. However, I can say that for the projects I have been involved in (in my 25 years of programming), this is the most organized project I have ever seen the details on. I have no doubts that it will succeed. It may take a little more time, but I believe in it.
I have too many times seen projects fall short of their possibilities due to rushing to meet a deadline. Please do not let that happen here. This project has the chance to be special. It has the prospect of greatness. Please do not pressure Steve to trim features or attention to details to rush it out the door.
However, I realize that business is business and without the economic concerns, many games would not be produced. I do not know what your arrangement with Steve is, nor is it any of my business. I do know that someone may start to feel a financial pinch because of these delays. Either Steve - because he is doing this instead of other lucrative employment - or Matrix Games - because they are paying more and longer than expected before release.
These things are intuitively obvious to any casual observer. The only question is how severe is the pressure to deviate from the 'golden path' that represents the perfect plan (i.e. if financial concerns were of no consequence). At some point these pressures will cause a change in the decision process. I hope this can be avoided.
Before these pressures get to a point where decisions detrimental to the quality of MWIF are being considered, I have a couple of suggestions that might help out. Obviously, these are only suggestions... the decisions are yours.
FIRST
I, for one, am willing to preorder and prepay for a copy of Matrix World In Flames at any time without a firm release date. This would be my way of 'putting my money where my mouth is' to help fund this development. Perhaps others would feel the same way.
SECOND
I recently saw a product released that had a different model for play testing.
Anyone who prepaid for their version was allowed to be a tester. This has benefits and drawbacks, I am sure. It may be a Pandora's Box. But once the copy protection scheme is in place, the danger of piracy is no worse than it would be for post release. This would give you cash flow and give the community a further sense of participation.
For the record, I am not making these suggestions to 'hurry up and get a copy of the game'. It may be months before I can find the time to play it anyway. I have not even submitted my name for playtesting because of that shortness of disposable time. It is an effort to find a way for the community to affirm that we believe that World In Flames is special, that Matrix World In Flames is going to be special, and that anything that will harm that specialness is bad. If, in order for that affirmation to make a difference, it needs to involve the exchange of money, I am willing to participate.
Steve - Hang in there!
Matrix - Hang in there with him!
[&o]
Here here,
I agree with my 100%
if you want my bucks for a pre order I'll be next in the que.
Agreed by me too. You have my support ! [&o]
You know: it is very ironic that I have been thinking exactly the same thing for some time now. But, for some reason, just never bothered to mention the pre-order thing.
I think we need to get something straight here. This is very unique in almost every way. It goes way above and beyond the typical computer game. This is an event. There is a special and unique crowd for this game. Almost everyone here knows of WiF. It is in every sense of the word, a fraternity.
With that being said, the mindset here is also completely different and unique to this game alone. I think I can speak for just about everyone involved here that is going to buy this game: Samuraiprogrammer is right square on the money with his organized thought process in his post.
There seems to be a common thene these days in the General discussion forums about how the risng cost of gas and electricity is putting the sqeeze on our gaming dollar. And people now are taking a completely new approach on how we have to now pick our battles so to speak.
This upcoming game is a different catagory all together. The price for this game no matter what the economy is a total non issue because of the uniqueness of the not only the dame itself but the clientelle involved.
Steve, you do this the right way, and there will be no end to the infinite possibilities for you.
Already people are singing your praises for the non stop work and dedication to a project such as this. This is why everyone seems to be thinking the same thing, and all along the way I have been thinking the same for the entire year. I think you should seriously consider what we are all saying here. We believe in you and your team and want to prove that by prepaying like what seems to be the general consensus here. Only in a game of this magnitude would you get special requests like this. WiF simply put is one of the most ingenous games of all time. To have the ability and the reality of putting it into computer form is something I thought completely out of the question. But here we are. All of us Wiffers waiting oh so patiently because we all know what is at stake here and we all understand how important this project is for all concerned. Just as samaurai said. Hang in there. We totally have your back on this. I hope this helps you when you you feel you have to be pressured about whether it has to be out in December or not. For all of us wiffers. Christmas happens when MWiF is released, not in December. If it happens to be in December, then great, if not, I think you have everyone's support in this manner to make sure it is done right the first time. Thanks for everything Steve. You have no idea how much we appreciate what you are doing.
