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This is an official statement regarding the Stella Polaris project's current status in general and on Apolyton.
During the last few weeks, it has become clear that all the prequisites for continuing the project aren't in place and thus, the work can't continue in any logical manner as there's people missing, little to no work done and little to no effort by many developers to do anything. I have also recently received several accusations, which I denounce as not appropriate and that they have a very bad timing.
The project started well, but the pace has dropped ever since several persons disappeared in the late autumn 2002 and especially as Blake disappeared for a period of over one month. Although the new web services did kick off, but Blake had already at the time disppeared again, and which now inevitably seems to be for good as no one has seen him since January. We have not been able to trace him back as his phone number has not been found or any address. One possibility would be to track him back at the university in Christchurch. However no initiative regarding that has been taken. It is also known that he was very stressed by his studies, so taking that in count and the fact the planning of the coding would have required a great deal of work, I get the equation that he mostly simply quit as too stressed by all the work. Thus much of the ideas, information and dedication was lost, despite I have been blamed for that, which is out of the context. This already preluded the start of an internal rotting of the project as it became unstable and no results were seen. The Alpha 1 version was supposed to be seen by last Christmas, but as Blake disappeared, so disappeared any chance of seeing Alpha 1 by Christmas. Recently the project was at the brink of a collapse as it was clearly visible that very little to nothing was going to happen, except for Vovan's UML diagram. Also Targon become frustrated about the situation as nothing was happening and that he didn't get much of any real work. The last thing he did was to resign from SPDT and to wish us a happy decay and merry tea party. Well, as Sjoerd put it too, it was out of the contents as Targon somewhat admited the day after, but still it marked that we were without any graphics or audio persons. Also Kurilka lost his interest several weeks ago, so both of our Russian friends departed and left an even greater vacuum. My last resort idea was to scale down on the size of the project and by that ease the preasure and the stress which would only harm it. However my second thought gave me the clear picture that there's not much to do as we are lacking people, but despite PR and recruiting efforts, little has been able to be done, the situation could only get worse (i.e. less people left). Also the level of interest had significantly dropped as the intensity of discussions had dropped over sometime and things weren't getting better. Also a hibernation would have been possible, but it's just like a nice way to say that it's dead (just like GGS). The decision to end the project's sufferings and to close the case was almost there, but it was finally fueled by Joeno's shameful comments about me and the project. The game was over and the project had reached it's end as there was not much to speak off as an active and lively project.
I'm very greatful to all colleagues from SPDT that we have at least proven that the concept of turn-based strategy gaming can still be developed and that we have used many months trying to get somewhere with the development of Stella Polaris. Thank you very much for being here and working as a team.
Those who have cowardly left the project without a word and not responded anymore should reconcider their attitude regarding such behavior. I also hope that Blake is still alive and doing well in his life, whatever he's doing. Maybe one day he returns again to Apolyton.
Frozzy, thanks for all your interest, help, support and co-operation, despite your visible work was little compared to some others, but you sure did lately have an impact on the team's spirit, despite the result never was a roaring success.
Vultur, thanks very much for all the awesome work on the Map Builder, despite it did have some weaknesses and it would have required support for sprites and OpenGL. You sure are that mafia guy.
Chaos Theory, you wre often abit absent due to college studies, but you did seem to have plenty of knowledge.
Vovan, what should I say to you then?
You should be handshaken in RL for your efforts to try to get the coding started and the UML work. However the project couldn't have continued with just your input as you may understand. Hopefully Clash of Civilizations will be something for you.
Ace, you're that active ferret who often used all his spare time for the project.
Maybe StP was your life, like NGE is for Kassiopeia. None the less you and Vovan are the persons who had a great attitude and dedication, but it would still have been impossible to continue with only your efforts. I hope we'll stay in touch.
Gateway, your The Exodus and the technology map ideas were brilliant, but they still didn't make the game. However I'm sure the ideas won't go lost with you. BTW, the cat smiley sure is your insignia.
Disparat, your work with the website was absolutely awasome and good.
However it's unfortunate that things went bad and the project failed, so that your work lost it's old value. I hope to see you again soon too, buddy.
DBTS, despite of your imparedness due to your affiliation with the Netherlands (), the work on the Gazette was great. Also many of your ideas were nice.
Michiel, your ideas and postings regarding the different concepts were all nice and added great value to the discussions.
Sjoerd, a voice inside my head screams "Yikes! Yeat another of those Dutch Marsians!", I have to underline your sensibility and your interesting views in the discussions. Hopefully we'll stay in touch.
Mark, your work with the project was indeed great as you shared your views and discussed much.
Closey is still away in Texas and Erix is in the Turkish army until June, so I will talk to them when they come back again, but they also had their roles in the project.
Ehmm... damn, almost forgot our Greek member in this axis of evil.
Keygen, we haven't seen much of any visible work by you as you have been so busy, but I know that you were still very enthusiastic and keen to get to work.
Despite Targon already departed, I hope he will like Clash more as it apparently gives him the work he wants to have,
A few comments to several outsiders...
All those who were registered on Stella Polaris Forums are warmly thanked for the interest they showed.
Dan and Markos, despite you did help much with some publicity and the StP forum, you should understand that I'm a dissatisfied customer and feel ignored by you as you have failed to properly deliver The Column writings in a reasonable time, rather than releasing a redundant text in January that was written in early September. You should have concidered more seriously the offers of help with editing The Column feature. I'm also wondering what happened to the revised edition of the Alt.Civs guide which included StP and would have been useful for PR. And where are the Game Development Teams Civgroups I suggested and did the background work for, 4 months ago? I assume you're too busy creating DG Civgroups and some even more urgent RoN beta tester Civgroup. And Markos, don't come and say I'm rude. If someone is rude, then it's you as you seem to have put very little interest in these small things you have promised to do.
All this could have boosted our visibility on Apolyton. I even recall an affiliation agreement that we would be somehow visible here, but I assume it's not in your interest. Thanks to Solver for showing greater interest towards the project than any other staff member.
What now then?
The Stella Polaris website will be updated with an information page and the paperwork will be done (Disparat, your volunteer report will be filed later today). The StP e-mail accounts will work, but I will contact all holders as soon as I have reached an agreement about them. All material from SPF will be stored and I'm going to talk with Ace about it. As for the StP forum on ACS, it will remain open for now, but later closed and archived like the GGS forum. There are still many issues that need to be solved, but I'll keep all those involved updated as things are sorted out. I myself will move back to clan gaming as a part time Canadian and co-captain, and I assume some will continue with other projects, DGs, civing and their RL lives.
In the end StP turned up to be a "GGS II" and failure, but at least we had fun.
From ashes to ashes, from dust to dust.
During the last few weeks, it has become clear that all the prequisites for continuing the project aren't in place and thus, the work can't continue in any logical manner as there's people missing, little to no work done and little to no effort by many developers to do anything. I have also recently received several accusations, which I denounce as not appropriate and that they have a very bad timing.
The project started well, but the pace has dropped ever since several persons disappeared in the late autumn 2002 and especially as Blake disappeared for a period of over one month. Although the new web services did kick off, but Blake had already at the time disppeared again, and which now inevitably seems to be for good as no one has seen him since January. We have not been able to trace him back as his phone number has not been found or any address. One possibility would be to track him back at the university in Christchurch. However no initiative regarding that has been taken. It is also known that he was very stressed by his studies, so taking that in count and the fact the planning of the coding would have required a great deal of work, I get the equation that he mostly simply quit as too stressed by all the work. Thus much of the ideas, information and dedication was lost, despite I have been blamed for that, which is out of the context. This already preluded the start of an internal rotting of the project as it became unstable and no results were seen. The Alpha 1 version was supposed to be seen by last Christmas, but as Blake disappeared, so disappeared any chance of seeing Alpha 1 by Christmas. Recently the project was at the brink of a collapse as it was clearly visible that very little to nothing was going to happen, except for Vovan's UML diagram. Also Targon become frustrated about the situation as nothing was happening and that he didn't get much of any real work. The last thing he did was to resign from SPDT and to wish us a happy decay and merry tea party. Well, as Sjoerd put it too, it was out of the contents as Targon somewhat admited the day after, but still it marked that we were without any graphics or audio persons. Also Kurilka lost his interest several weeks ago, so both of our Russian friends departed and left an even greater vacuum. My last resort idea was to scale down on the size of the project and by that ease the preasure and the stress which would only harm it. However my second thought gave me the clear picture that there's not much to do as we are lacking people, but despite PR and recruiting efforts, little has been able to be done, the situation could only get worse (i.e. less people left). Also the level of interest had significantly dropped as the intensity of discussions had dropped over sometime and things weren't getting better. Also a hibernation would have been possible, but it's just like a nice way to say that it's dead (just like GGS). The decision to end the project's sufferings and to close the case was almost there, but it was finally fueled by Joeno's shameful comments about me and the project. The game was over and the project had reached it's end as there was not much to speak off as an active and lively project.
I'm very greatful to all colleagues from SPDT that we have at least proven that the concept of turn-based strategy gaming can still be developed and that we have used many months trying to get somewhere with the development of Stella Polaris. Thank you very much for being here and working as a team.
Those who have cowardly left the project without a word and not responded anymore should reconcider their attitude regarding such behavior. I also hope that Blake is still alive and doing well in his life, whatever he's doing. Maybe one day he returns again to Apolyton.Frozzy, thanks for all your interest, help, support and co-operation, despite your visible work was little compared to some others, but you sure did lately have an impact on the team's spirit, despite the result never was a roaring success.
Vultur, thanks very much for all the awesome work on the Map Builder, despite it did have some weaknesses and it would have required support for sprites and OpenGL. You sure are that mafia guy.
Chaos Theory, you wre often abit absent due to college studies, but you did seem to have plenty of knowledge.
Vovan, what should I say to you then?
You should be handshaken in RL for your efforts to try to get the coding started and the UML work. However the project couldn't have continued with just your input as you may understand. Hopefully Clash of Civilizations will be something for you.Ace, you're that active ferret who often used all his spare time for the project.
Maybe StP was your life, like NGE is for Kassiopeia. None the less you and Vovan are the persons who had a great attitude and dedication, but it would still have been impossible to continue with only your efforts. I hope we'll stay in touch. Gateway, your The Exodus and the technology map ideas were brilliant, but they still didn't make the game. However I'm sure the ideas won't go lost with you.
BTW, the cat smiley sure is your insignia. Disparat, your work with the website was absolutely awasome and good.
However it's unfortunate that things went bad and the project failed, so that your work lost it's old value. I hope to see you again soon too, buddy. DBTS, despite of your imparedness due to your affiliation with the Netherlands (
), the work on the Gazette was great. Also many of your ideas were nice.Michiel, your ideas and postings regarding the different concepts were all nice and added great value to the discussions.
Sjoerd, a voice inside my head screams "Yikes! Yeat another of those Dutch Marsians!", I have to underline your sensibility and your interesting views in the discussions. Hopefully we'll stay in touch.
Mark, your work with the project was indeed great as you shared your views and discussed much.
Closey is still away in Texas and Erix is in the Turkish army until June, so I will talk to them when they come back again, but they also had their roles in the project.
Ehmm... damn, almost forgot our Greek member in this axis of evil.
Keygen, we haven't seen much of any visible work by you as you have been so busy, but I know that you were still very enthusiastic and keen to get to work.
Despite Targon already departed, I hope he will like Clash more as it apparently gives him the work he wants to have,
A few comments to several outsiders...
All those who were registered on Stella Polaris Forums are warmly thanked for the interest they showed.
Dan and Markos, despite you did help much with some publicity and the StP forum, you should understand that I'm a dissatisfied customer and feel ignored by you as you have failed to properly deliver The Column writings in a reasonable time, rather than releasing a redundant text in January that was written in early September. You should have concidered more seriously the offers of help with editing The Column feature. I'm also wondering what happened to the revised edition of the Alt.Civs guide which included StP and would have been useful for PR. And where are the Game Development Teams Civgroups I suggested and did the background work for, 4 months ago? I assume you're too busy creating DG Civgroups and some even more urgent RoN beta tester Civgroup. And Markos, don't come and say I'm rude. If someone is rude, then it's you as you seem to have put very little interest in these small things you have promised to do.
All this could have boosted our visibility on Apolyton. I even recall an affiliation agreement that we would be somehow visible here, but I assume it's not in your interest. Thanks to Solver for showing greater interest towards the project than any other staff member. What now then?
The Stella Polaris website will be updated with an information page and the paperwork will be done (Disparat, your volunteer report will be filed later today). The StP e-mail accounts will work, but I will contact all holders as soon as I have reached an agreement about them. All material from SPF will be stored and I'm going to talk with Ace about it. As for the StP forum on ACS, it will remain open for now, but later closed and archived like the GGS forum. There are still many issues that need to be solved, but I'll keep all those involved updated as things are sorted out. I myself will move back to clan gaming as a part time Canadian and co-captain, and I assume some will continue with other projects, DGs, civing and their RL lives.
In the end StP turned up to be a "GGS II" and failure, but at least we had fun.
From ashes to ashes, from dust to dust.
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