I have to agree with Phil on this one. People have simply waited too long already for Monty and Raceway in particular. It can be a very tempting thing when you see alternative approaches once you've gone a ways down a road as you've done. However, sometimes, it's just better to press on and get the task done. If people have to wait too long for Monty and Raceway, you might very well find yourself in the same situation James North was in. You'll have made the changes and be approaching completion of an absolute masterpiece but people's patience will just fizzle out on you. It was painful enough seeing that happen to James. I wouldn't wish what he went through on my worst enemy. Unless people have walked the walk of a game developer and gotten a visceral grasp on just how much effort it takes to produce a game, their patience is limited. Being somebody who has tried to do this as well as started many other projects, I can truly sympathise with you in your quest to get things absolutely right the first time. Since you took over those two games, you've tried to modify Monty beyond the point where it could still fairly be called that, started work on a free Asteroids game, done who knows how much work on a screenreader, released Final Conflict after losing who knows how much work on a better version, and God know's what else? I can only presume you've found a smidgeon of time for eating, sleeping, breathing, friends and family somewhere along the way. You have to draw the line somewhere and finish what you've started. Otherwise, you'll lose trust in the community and look back on a life of unfinished and therefore unappreciated projects.
I can sympathise well with Tom because my own creative road has been a long and tortured one over the past while. I thought I'd be well into actually programming Fearless Flin by now. However, I can't work up the motivation to take the plunge. Dave's engine handles a lot of the physics and such but it's still pretty complicated to explain your game design to. As a result of this as well as a nasty and prolonged creative slump, I started work on a computer guide for novice blind users. I have an ever-present need to feel that I'm doing something to earn my keep and to actually have a meaningful impact on people. Last Summer, I was able to help quite a few of them up at Lake Joseph and received quite a strong mandate from staff and guests there to work on a guide to truly using a computer for personal life. There are entirely too many people out there with expensive machines which due to their ignorance are nothing more than glorified typewriters and book-readers for no good reason at all. If I can write something which can then be freely distributed to new users that explains what rewards are out there and takes them to the point where they can go online, I'll have lessened the colossal waste of good equipment. I'll have a large section on accessible computer games which I hope will stimulate some growth in the blind gaming community and games market. I hope to have this guide finished by this Summer before I go up to Lake Joseph for a week's vacation. There's another project I've been working on with a developer but I'm not ready to divulge any details on that. I've seen what happens when expectations are raised too early. After my vacation, I intend to make one more final attempt to start making real progress on Fearless Flin. Perhaps, things will have changed in my thinking by then. If I still find it impossible to truly motivate myself to work on it, then I'll turn away from full game creation and find other ways of contributing. I have plenty of game ideas for developers who would want to program them. Also, I have a sound effects library and editor which I still hope to become more proficient at using. I've always been willing to betatest for developers and feel that I have a good grasp on what makes a fun game. Also, as always, I'll be an ambassador for accessible games any chance I get. Michael Feir Creator and former Editor of Audyssey Magazine 1996-2004 E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----- Original Message ----- From: "Phil Vlasak" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Gamers Discussion list" <gamers@audyssey.org> Sent: Friday, January 19, 2007 6:58 AM Subject: Re: [Audyssey] Future USA Games product designs. > Hi Tom, > If people had not pre-ordered the Monty and Raceway games I would suggest > switching to the more powerful language, but I think since this would > delay > release that you should stay with the dot net language for a while. > Once the games are selling, that would be the time to brush up your C and > convert the games to it. > I would love force feedback in Raceway but I would rather be playing > without > it than waiting a long time just to get it. > smiles, > Phil _______________________________________________ Gamers mailing list .. Gamers@audyssey.org To unsubscribe send E-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] You can visit http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org to make any subscription changes via the web.
