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pzgndr -> RE: playable yet? Part II (1/16/2009 2:57:11 PM)
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quote:
to give an avenue for venting fustrations is what I started this thread for
There is already a means for venting frustrations. Its the EiANW Bug Tracker at http://eiamantis.babel.com.au/ The list currently shows 441 "frustrations", most of them already resolved and the rest acknowledged to be resolved. What then is really the point of a thread like this, and the failed thread that preceeded it? When venting transforms into repetitive ranting and progresses into obvious bashing of the game, the developer, and the game company, then that represents immature behavior and there's no excuse for it.
Allow me to be clear. A person's right to complain is not the issue. The validity of any of the complaints is not the issue. I don't disagree with any of the bug reports. I don't disagree that develepment of this game could have been different, could have been better. With regard to Neverman in particular, I agree that classic EiA OOB scenarios should be developed, that TCP/IP play be implemented, and most of the other issues that he has raised be resolved. But, all of these issues have been raised and discussed, and IMHO adequately addressed; i.e., Marshall Ellis and Matrix Games have acknowledged the issues, resolved most of them already, and are committed to fixing the remaining issues. The thing is, it will take time to fix all of those remaining issues and players need to be patient. There is no alternative. Whining and complaining repeatedly with increasing frequency and being more vocal about it each time accomplishes absolutely nothing. That is not "venting"; that is something else entirely and it is uncalled for. And the rest of us do not have to put up with it. I choose not to put up with it. And I will speak up. This is MY venting of frustration. Get used to it.
quote:
this is still an exercise in development and i already have a job. i do not believe in the community effort marketing theory that is espoused by some in this thread. let's pull together and make this game better?
This is another issue. In theory, I agree that game products should be released as perfect products with all possible user-desired features properly implemented, bug-free, and well-documented in a hardcopy color game manual. There should be absolutely no need to patch a game product, ever. Players should be able to immediately jump into a game as complex as EiA, have a whiz-bang tutorial instruct them on how to suck eggs to the nth degree, and be able to play expertly from the get-go. Right. And if one is not doing drugs then one may have much more sober and realistic perspective on the real-world of computer wargames developed by individual programmers for a niche market and not much profit potential at all. This is not World of Warcraft stuff with millions of players and a multi-million dollar development budget to provide all these wonderful features. Perchance to dream, eh?
I looked at one website listing EiA pbem players worldwide. It was about 250 names for what I assume was/is the active die-hard community? I'll assume double that amount for total active community of casual EiA board game players. Throw in other players who have been interested in the classic game which has been out of print and can now buy the computer version. Say 1000. Throw in double that for casual players willing to buy the game to see what it's like. Now we're talking about 2000 sales, total? I have no idea what the actual Matrix sales figures are but let's assume that except for pick up sales out of sheer curiosity that the target community of customers is only 2000. At about $70 each per game, that's only about $140K, which I provide only as an estimate. You may never have engaged in software development or software development contracting, but I have (for example, a $2.8M effort for the Integrated Theater Engagement Model for DoD, and that was back in the early 1990's), and I can assure you that for a $140K development budget (that's like 1 man-year of effort, total) you WILL NOT produce a complex computer wargame product such as EiA meeting the lofty customer expectations I listed above. Unless you are on drugs. Perhaps you have a worthwhile suggestion about how specifically a game like EiA could or should be developed in the future from scratch with a very limited budget?? Hello? Get real.
The harsh reality is that these niche games are developed voluntarily by individual programmers and are as much a hobby project or labor of love as they are a formal business. Whether you like it or not, it IS an exercise in development and does require a certain degree of community effort. If that's not to one's personal liking, one should not buy these niche wargames. But some folks buy them anyway expecting them to be what they are not and then complaining about it. That's just stupid. What we have is a community development effort, a hobby for entertainment, and most of us are grudgingly willing to help nurse this thing along to become a great game. Hopefully to everyone's satisfaction, even Neverman. But it is only going to happen with everyone pulling together and helping to improve the game. Whining and complaining will not change anything or help accelerate the ongoing development towards final completion. Please help out, or just go away.
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