December 3 update from Constantine H. on IG MOO3 board

[Grumbold]

Oh yeah if they chopped out MP because it was unworkable they'd get the same flak as Firaxis got with Civ III. If they left it in but it didn't work they'd get the same flak as Firaxis got with Civ III: PtW

"Done when its done" is a frustrating thing to hear, especially after hearing a couple of planned dates, but its better than "broke when you buy it".

Personally I've just lost a week of my life playing Hearts of Iron. The game needs a number of AI improvements and minor bug crunches but despite that that I'm having an awesome time. I think I may just stick to fighting WW II until a nice surprise package containing MoO3 or SimCity4 drops through the letterbox sometime next year. Reading rants about the delays just makes the time go slower

[yoda]

Delays

I have to agree that SP would be nice to have out, but my heart is really looking forward to a new MP game. I fully support delaying the release until all major bugs are squashed!

[Don K Hotay]

Re: Delays

Originally posted by yoda
I have to agree that SP would be nice to have out, but my heart is really looking forward to a new MP game. I fully support delaying the release until all major bugs are squashed!

I suppose I agree as well, but I stongly feel we should be updated very frequently on the status. I've noticed a lot of us fans are students, and that means that putting off updates puts a lot of us in turmoil going into finals. Though my books are open and right next to me, I CANNOT get away from the forums, because I am weak and I've followed this game for too long, and its so close, and problems keep arising, and QS keeps playing with our minds, and I don't know what I'm going to do!

now, leaning over the edge,
Quixote

[Gargantua]

Originally posted by timorange


Did you read any of his posts AT ALL?

I know that you *must* know how complex and deep this game is...do you think that every time the testers get a build it takes only a few hours to find bugs?

Did you read *any* of his statements about how much Infogrames and Quicksilver care about this game and how they don't want people to get to turn 225 and have it crash without a save?

I'm just wondering when all this juvenile whining about grand conspiracies is going to end.

Jeez people, it's JUST A GAME. A GAME!!

No need to scream, I hear very well, and yes I read all those ridiculous threads. I dont think it takes only a few hours to find bugs. But I do think that serious people would at least have estimate on when they will finish. Sure, it can be delayed for a week, two, a month, two months, but a year??? What kind of people are working there? Did they just start learing programing? If they couldnt give approximate dates, there was NO need to post those idiotic announcemnts about release dates. No, they set one date, then another, then one more, and so on. Is this serious? Cant make games, do not produce them. Nobody wants a game with bugs, but in this case it seems they are just not able to fix them or better to say, not able to produce quality product, they feel it and thats the reason of all delays. Hire more beta testers, hire better programers, etc etc. I personaly dont care when moo3 will be released, I dont say hey release now, i want it now with bugs, I just want some definite statements, not idiotic promises based on nothing.

[Don K Hotay]

Yes, PRECISELY!!!

[timorange]

Originally posted by Gargantua


No need to scream, I hear very well, and yes I read all those ridiculous threads. I dont think it takes only a few hours to find bugs. But I do think that serious people would at least have estimate on when they will finish. Sure, it can be delayed for a week, two, a month, two months, but a year??? What kind of people are working there? Did they just start learing programing? If they couldnt give approximate dates, there was NO need to post those idiotic announcemnts about release dates. No, they set one date, then another, then one more, and so on. Is this serious? Cant make games, do not produce them. Nobody wants a game with bugs, but in this case it seems they are just not able to fix them or better to say, not able to produce quality product, they feel it and thats the reason of all delays. Hire more beta testers, hire better programers, etc etc. I personaly dont care when moo3 will be released, I dont say hey release now, i want it now with bugs, I just want some definite statements, not idiotic promises based on nothing.

If you're b#*ching about announcements, you should probably complain to IG. If it's decisions on release dates, again--you should probably complain to IG. QS has almost NOTHING to do with those things and accusing the programmers of doing their jobs poorly because IG makes decisions you don't like is well, misguided to say the least.

Did you stop to think that maybe they've fixed all the bugs but testing this game is a very long and arduous process and it'll take a long time to make sure that no new bugs were introduced?

Do you know what the exact testing process IS for this game?

In fact, do you know at all how games are made and how much money it takes to make something like MOO3?

That's right, yes, just hire more people! Maybe they'll work for free so that you can get your game faster! Maybe IG can just pull some money off the money trees they're growing and hire 100 new testers! How about 80 new programmers? Hey yeah, that's it!

By the way you're spouting off, it seems you know very little about how the game industry works, both at the publishing level and the development level...and it seems you also don't realize why this game has been delayed for as long as it has.

If you don't like the announcements or the decisions being made about the release of the game, don't read the announcements or complain to the people who make them. Wait to make your judgements on the programming once you've played the game.

[Gargantua]

Originally posted by timorange


If you're b#*ching about announcements, you should probably complain to IG. If it's decisions on release dates, again--you should probably complain to IG. QS has almost NOTHING to do with those things and accusing the programmers of doing their jobs poorly because IG makes decisions you don't like is well, misguided to say the least.

Did you stop to think that maybe they've fixed all the bugs but testing this game is a very long and arduous process and it'll take a long time to make sure that no new bugs were introduced?

Do you know what the exact testing process IS for this game?

In fact, do you know at all how games are made and how much money it takes to make something like MOO3?

That's right, yes, just hire more people! Maybe they'll work for free so that you can get your game faster! Maybe IG can just pull some money off the money trees they're growing and hire 100 new testers! How about 80 new programmers? Hey yeah, that's it!

By the way you're spouting off, it seems you know very little about how the game industry works, both at the publishing level and the development level...and it seems you also don't realize why this game has been delayed for as long as it has.

If you don't like the announcements or the decisions being made about the release of the game, don't read the announcements or complain to the people who make them. Wait to make your judgements on the programming once you've played the game.

First of all, no need for offensive language, I am not *****ing, as you intelligently expressed yourself, I am trying to explain my point. But if flame is all you need, then I am out of discussion. BTW,Yes, I have been a beta tester myself, so I have some ideas how it works.
I though shall agree with the last point, we shall wait untill the final release. Something tells me its gonna be buggy as hell, but again, we'll see

[MasterDave]

Getting more testers at least would NOT be a problem for Quicksilver. There are at least 100-200 (more probably) MOOniacs over there who would give their right arm to be in the Beta testing program (myself included). We should be so lucky...


MasterDave

[MarkG]

Getting more testers at least would NOT be a problem for Quicksilver. There are at least 100-200 (more probably) MOOniacs over there

finding people is not the issue. managing the process(legal stuff, mail cds, gather input) is


they could try the smac model though: release a demo, gather bug info, release final fixed version two months later.
but then again, they are closer than 2 months from geting where they want to get...

[Capt Dizle]

I have it from an anonymous source that the hold up is financial. IG is late on a payment to QS and QS says no check, no disk.

Litigation. Liquidation. Bankruptcy. Vaporware.

Welcome to the Bush economy.

[Shnozwangler]

I really hope this financial rumor is not true!?

I can picture the article now...
-IG is pissed @ QS for numerous missed dates.
-when QS missed last date IG hold back a payment to try and inspire QS.
-Recall that the 2nd CD and boxes have been bought and paid for by IG in advance (and let me tell you, no company likes to have capital sunk into materials only to sit on a shelf - most companies live off their liquid capital)
-QS responds by withholding what may finally be a finished product.-
-And Voila! We have a pissing match!

I really hope this is not true.

It may explain the rumor that Rantz was to go on vacation over the Xmas season. QS wants to sweat IG a little so QS strategically floats that one of the lead designers is going away - damn the torpedoes, IG will just have to sit on their capital investment of CDs, boxes and books just a little while longer.
For the life of me i could not previously fathom why Rantz would say he was going on vacation when the game was not released yet. As a lead designer he has some serious accountability and a serious incentive bonus tied to the release of the game - worth far more than a handfull of days in the sun.

Oh well... this is just conjecture at this point.

B.t.w. Just how reliable (on a scale of 1-10) is this source?

IMHO

[MarkG]

Shnozwangler, you are the unfortunate victim of yet noather troll by jimmytrick

jimmy, the next similar post of yours will mean free christmas vacations to mingapulco

[Shnozwangler]

Hmmmm....! thanks for the heads up on jimmytrick... Ill be sure to check then name b4 i put too much into a reply next time.

Rgds.

[Don K Hotay]

Still not gold yet. Well, I'm out of my frenzied state after a good night's sleep. I want to go on to say that we should all respect the fact that the MOO3 team, from actual QS empolyees to the moderators and testers, have been so generous with information over the course of its production (and in actually attempting to make something so great).

And you know, whether this game is good or not, balanced or unbalanced, functioning or disfunctional, we may all have to agree that they have been shooting for something revolutionary. Hopefully thats what three years of dedication produces, a game with new ideas and playing concepts, and maybe even some radical new code and technology.


Quixote

[Asmodean]

Originally posted by MarkG
Shnozwangler, you are the unfortunate victim of yet noather troll by jimmytrick

jimmy, the next similar post of yours will mean free christmas vacations to mingapulco

Honestly, I think he should be banned for this kind of thing. It is not like it is the first time he does it, is it.

Asmodean