quote:

To prevent the other thread from more hijacking I created this one on the CF subject. Maybe even Matrix´ Staff will notice it that way. What would be fine.

Posted here is the response from Joel Billings (2by3 Games) when I privately asked for the progress of CF. It´s about three and a half months ago...



No, unfortunately we don't have a release date or even an estimated release
date on this project. Gary and I are focused now on our Eastern Front game,
while Mike Wood and Justin Prince (the developer for War Plan Orange) are
working on Carrier Force. If I have any info I'll be sure to post it on the
2by3 website in my developer's journal (although I admit I don't do that
very often). Thanks for your interest.

Joel Billings

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ralf G." <Ralf-Gerhardt@gmx.de>
To: <2by3@2by3games.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 6:57 AM
Subject: Carrier Force


Hello,

since I am a member of the Matrix Games forum I closely track all the things
around CF development (also contributed to the "What would you like to see
in Carrier Force?" thread several times) and I am quite eager to the release
of this new game.
Is there any crude kind of a schedule when Carrier Force is about to be
released? Of course I´m not going to treat any date as certain, it´s just to
have an idea about.

Thank you very much in advance for your response,
Ralf Gerhardt


After all, this does not sound very encouraging...

quote:

I dont think they (being Matrix not 2by3) should neglect UV - all they need to do really is update it with WitP standard patches? No?

quote:

ORIGINAL: Ike99

quote:

I dont think they (being Matrix not 2by3) should neglect UV - all they need to do really is update it with WitP standard patches? No?

This is what I was wanting (And others I think.) The UV given all the WITP features. Not fighting the battles out in a tactical mode.

If you want to do that you can order Fighting Steel for $14.99 from NWS today.

Fighting Steel

quote:

ORIGINAL: Ike99
The thing is this RGIJN. Grigsby and Billings are not the ones working on CF, this is not their project. Neither is WITP AE. they have ¨left the building¨ on these to say. If they were they would be done already.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Ike99
Doubtful they even read the other thread on CF or will read this one unless someone PM them about it.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Ike99




If you want to do that you can order Fighting Steel for $14.99 from NWS today.

Fighting Steel

quote:

ORIGINAL: RGIJN

Matrix staff replied very quickly...:


Hi
Unfortunately we don't get much info on games in development. Your best bet is to check on the forums because the developers monitor them.


[--- UPDATED: 2/12/2009 12:48:15 AM BY AGENT: Daniel Heath ---]


So guys, we´re being monitored from the CF developers crew...!

quote:

Your best bet is to check on the forums because the developers monitor them.

quote:

It is a shame that Hussar Games has decided not to respond to players issues. I think that this is a fine game; however, due to their lack of response, I cannot get my friends interested in buying the game.

Regards,
Mark

quote:

Yes, this is disgraceful. I had left this board for nearly six months now and when I return I still see no answers to basic questions.

That will be my last "Hussar" game.

quote:


Hussar games not only does not respond to issues raised on this forum, they use the same misbegotten supply system in Napoleon in Italy. The game system has potential, but needs improvement. Fool me, once....

quote:

ORIGINAL: RGIJN

Matrix staff replied very quickly...:


Hi
Unfortunately we don't get much info on games in development. Your best bet is to check on the forums because the developers monitor them.


[--- UPDATED: 2/12/2009 12:48:15 AM BY AGENT: Daniel Heath ---]


So guys, we´re being monitored from the CF developers crew...!

quote:

So guys, we´re being monitored from the CF developers crew...!

quote:

So be nice boys, or else you can't play!

quote:

jwilkerson-In WITP we found "disappearing unit" and "teleporting unit" bugs that were related to fragments which had supposedly been deactivated (removed from the map) getting reconnected to actual active units (even ones from the other side), thus causing strange behavior. Did either side have a fragment in that hex recently?

I'm guessing the only way to fix this is for you to go down there and at least pull some fragments out - that still might not bring the whole unit back. If you absolutely want the whole unit back - you may need a "truce" while you go down, pick it up and bring it back to Rabaul.

Ah - is this a MOD? If so looking at the editor files might be worth while. Like any chance there are duplicate units in there??

quote:

ORIGINAL: Ike99

quote:

ORIGINAL: RGIJN

Matrix staff replied very quickly...:


Hi
Unfortunately we don't get much info on games in development. Your best bet is to check on the forums because the developers monitor them.


[--- UPDATED: 2/12/2009 12:48:15 AM BY AGENT: Daniel Heath ---]


So guys, we´re being monitored from the CF developers crew...!

quote:

So guys, we´re being monitored from the CF developers crew...!

No we are not.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Ike99


Carrier force is D-E-A-D or may as well be.
[image]local://upfiles/19240/D332BDB71B6E4E4A8C9DD518EEBFE2ED.jpg[/image]

quote:

I gather that CF is still in the works;

quote:

Vaporware is a term used to describe a software or hardware product that is announced by a developer well in advance of release, but which then fails to emerge after having well exceeded the period of development time that was initially claimed or would normally be expected for the development cycle of a similar product.

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However, most vaporware would not be considered a hoax since the makers have a genuine intention to create their product, even if it ultimately never materializes. Products with unspecified release dates or long development times that outwardly demonstrate regular, verifiable progress in production are not normally labelled vaporware.

The marketing angle to "releasing" vaporware can be two-fold. On one hand the intention is to create the demand for a feature or product which did not previously exist in the market. On the other, the intent is also to judge the public reaction from the "release" and prepare a concrete marketing plan.

In other cases, vaporware may be announced by companies in order to damage the development or marketability of more real products by competitors, sometimes in combination with a campaign of fear, uncertainty and doubt; if customers believe the hype, they may put off purchasing the real product to wait for its vaporous rival to mature.

Many companies announce vaporware in order to prove that their R&D departments are still full of new ideas. One subtle variation of this strategy is to remove a planned feature of a forthcoming product.

Sometimes vaporware is the result of over-optimism, and may actually materialize after a long waiting time (sometimes years).

One of the most infamous pieces of vaporware is Duke Nukem Forever, which was originally scheduled for release in 1997, but is still under development as of February 2009.

Lack of focus

By trying to do everything within a single product, the end result may be one that fails to do anything properly at all. By forgetting the initial purpose of a new software and trying to add more and more features, each individual feature gets less production resources invested.

An added risk to this approach is increased software instability, as rapidly growing software can generate increased amounts of unforeseen bugs, glitches, security holes and other problems that can sometimes go unnoticed for weeks and months. These bugs may indeed never get fixed at all, the patches required to address the issues themselves becoming new vaporware items.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Ike99

It´s a dead project, and if it isn´t we´ll all be dead before it´s released.

quote:

RGIJN-But may be you´re right, and CF is dead longe since.

what a disregard it would be... But still possible in the times we have.

quote:

Mike Wood-Hello...

Carrier Force [UV Deluxe] would offer the player the chance to control land, sea and air forces over a period of weeks or months in the South Pacific.

Carrier Strike would offer the player the chance to play carrier battles lasting several days, across the Pacific, over a period of years, with role playing aspects.

Scale would be 30 miles hex for Carrier Force, 15 mile hex for Carrier Strike. Combat systems and flight operations systems quite similar.

Different objectives and scope.

Bye...

Michael Wood

quote:

Joel Billings-We're hoping for the UV carrier game to be done (probably 9 months to a year later, but that's just a guess)first half of 2007 and the carrier strike game will follow after that .

quote:

I better go and tell my fellow CF Beta Testers that CF is dead because Ike99 said so . . .

Which is a shame, becuase Justin and Mike are working on amazing game.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Ike99

quote:

I better go and tell my fellow CF Beta Testers that CF is dead because Ike99 said so . . .

Which is a shame, becuase Justin and Mike are working on amazing game.

Yes go tell them I said it´s vaporware and you have nothing to show after 2 years and do not even monitor the forums or respond to customer feedback.

We´ll remember that when you come asking for our $50.

quote:

Which is a shame, becuase Justin and Mike are working on amazing game.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Chad Harrison


With the NDA, obviously I may have said too much already, but I just wanted to attempt to be one calming voice here.

Cut them some slack. CF has not been forgotten.

Hope this helps.

Chad

quote:

ORIGINAL: RGIJN

Thanks for posting here chad. But as you can see things have heated up. And IMHO I think it´s not too much to expect at least some little info/update/feedback from Justin (Tankerace) after all what we contributed to his thread and all the announcements made about Carrier Force so far.
That´s everything I call for. But I can´t even remember his last post at all... So don´t wonder if we got to assume it´s a dead project hence.

Or am I wrong?

If not go and tell ´em what´s up here. They could shed some light on it. Of course this is not your business, even more so considering the NDA issue.

quote:

Thanks for understanding RGIJN. I know that the hostile attidude of one is not shared by everyone else here.

quote:


Let me drop Justin a line and see if we can get some information regarding CF in here.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Ike99

Yes, and while your dropping that line ask him where was he in the night carrier bombing debate? The question was asked how CF was going to adress this issue.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Tankerace

The reason CF is not listed under a coming soon and in development forum is mainly because I haven't asked for one yet. The more time Mike, I, or any of the beta testers spend answering questions, then the less time we have to work on the game.

CF, in its current form is actually very stable. I call it "semi-playable" because it is not finished, nor is it anywhere near "ready for release" and it most definately is not finished and ready for beta testing. As a UV style game, it is playable. As what we want for Carrier Force as its own game, we still have a lot of work to go.

Once CF enters the true beta stage, and we have a ballpark release date I will ask for CF forum to be created - but not before then. It has been my experience - namely, War Plan Orange, that as soon as the forum opens the public expects a release anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months from that date. It is not so much a fear of hindering the game's progress, but of stirring up the public over an "imminent" release that is still months away. And then being swamped with "This is Vaporware" "Matrix is Bad" blah blah posts.

I point you to the Guns of August forum. I don't know how many "This is vaporware!" posts I've read in that forum, because that forum was around since it was in Alpha. It was active when I was designing WPO back in late 2004, and the game just came out this month. I don't intend for the same thing to happen here, so I will wait until the game is in Alpha OR until there are so many CF posts in this forum (as was the case with WPO in the WitP forums) that Matrix creates a forum to deal with it of their own accord.

I would be happy to answer any pertinent questions - but keep in mind that as the game is in Alpha stage and things are subject to change, I may or may not comment on everything (this is just a disclaimer basically, lol).

quote:



As producer of Carrier Force, maybe I can answer a few questions. Carrier Force IS under development, and is moving forward. At this stage, as Mike said, it is still in Alpha testing, but is relatively playable right now. No release date is set right now, but I can confirm it is not vaporware.

quote:



Actually I can verify that CF is NOT the only game being produced that doesn't have an in development forum. I can think of two others of the top of my head. I know one is hush hush, dunno about the other.

Again, asking a question won't delay CF. Being deluged might (at least if Mike is answering them all, and that is what HE has told me). Also, with regards to CF testers, we have about 12 actually, almost all of whom post regularly (though I suspect mainly in the WitP forums). Given that the testers have all agreed to respect my wishes regarding Non disclosure, you'll do better just asking me or Mike Wood a question.

Again, I have no problem answering questions. But I do not (again, like with WPO) have a desire to play rumor control.

quote:

With such openly hostile, rude and self-righteous posts, I dont know how you expect anyone to ever reply to you.

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Ike-Doubtful they even read the other thread on CF or will read this one unless someone PM them about it.

quote:

Chad-Let me drop Justin a line and see if we can get some information regarding CF in here.

quote:

ORIGINAL: RGIJN

started the thread, not another war. So I´d recommend to calm down and keep quiet as long as "the developers" develop their response. Meanwhile, we´re just pretty excited to read something new.

But of course it should not take another year to respond!!! Since the weekend is looming, there is plenty of time for them to show up and for us to enjoy playing UV... [8D]