Let's think about that for a second. People are still playing Chess. It isn't regarded as silly or lacking in merit and that game's at least twelve centuries old. As blind people, we have yet to experience a truly good sidescroller despite the ease of this genre's translation into accessible format. Instead of finishing up a sidescroller he already had worked on extensively, Tom's engaging in a far more complex project. Something's just wrong with this picture. Only in this community can things like this go on without repercussions. Sidescrollers don't have to lack randomness. They also don't have to be easy. If they were, they wouldn't have been as popular in the sighted gaming world.
And no I can't program my own sidescroller. I would have done that long ago if I had anything like the programming skill required. I'm an English major. My skill is in writing well. One day, I may very well be able to put together a turn-based story-based statistical/random chance resource management game assuming there's a system out there that I can understand well enough to use. Even achieving that will stretch me quite a lot. I'm good at explaining things to people but I can't do that for computers. That's why I'm not making any promises or selling something that isn't ready for sale. Lacking the power to create a good sidescroller myself makes it all the more frustrating when long-held hopes prove to ultimately be false. There's absolutely nothing I can personally do about the situation. Instead of a game rescued from disaster, we have a couple of very bad precedents being set in the accessible games industry. Tom's experience will likely disuade other developers from attempting to bring us accessible versions of classic games. The whole concept of pre-ordering in order to support game creation has also been dealt quite a serious blow here. I'm beginning to seriously wonder whether we've seen the high point of accessible games and the whole industry is on the way down. A lot of up and coming bright spots have disappeared including the man who would have brought us a splendid audio version of Asteroids which is another classic game I would dearly love to play. I can only hope there are some fresh people out there with the skills, sense of responsability and dedication required to keep things interesting. I don't think this community can survive limping along as the odd student decides to do some accessible game or other as a school project. It's great when that happens but they by definition can't put the kind of sustained effort into a game which a fulltime developer or even one doing it as a hobby is able to. Michael Feir Creator and former editor of Audyssey Magazine 1996-2004 Check out my blog at: http://www.blindspots.net/blog.php?user=13 ----- Original Message ----- From: "will lomas" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Gamers Discussion list" <gamers@audyssey.org> Sent: Friday, March 21, 2008 11:32 AM Subject: Re: [Audyssey] What's Ahead For MOTA Beta 2. > but michael side scrollers are too easy, not random and just not worth > the money. if you want a side scroller, can't you program your own? > i agree though we do need more side scrollers but they are old games > we need to be in the 21st century > > On 21 Mar 2008, at 15:29, Michael Feir wrote: > >> This is absolutely the most idiotic situation I hope ever to come >> across in >> accessible gaming history. Instead of giving us a relatively simple >> sidescroller already fairly far along in development, Tom has >> decided to >> give us a completely different game than what many of us have been >> waiting >> for and have purchased. We'll doubtless have to wait a whole lot >> longer for >> this project to finally be fully completed stretching things out >> even longer >> than the years we've already waited. It would be like me going in to >> a store >> and paying for an orange only to find myself carrying a watermelon >> home >> since the clerk didn't feel like getting me an orange. We've waited >> years >> for what showed every sign of being a very good sidescroller game. A >> sidescroller is a very different kind of game than a 3d action >> adventure. I >> can't imagine the controls for such a thing being at all as easy to >> master. >> Nor is the art of navigating at all the same. A sidescroller is a >> far more >> intuitively easy thing to get the hang of. Even computer novices can >> fairly >> quickly grasp the controls. Even a 2d game like Shades of Doom >> reaches a >> point of complexity where I would hesitate to recommend it for >> novices. >> Sidescrollers are such a natural format of game for translating into >> audio. >> Why is it that everyone feels the need to make all these other kinds >> of far >> more complex games while this genre is left so full of unexplored >> potential >> only represented by one very basic game? Why can't somebody just put >> out a >> decent sidescroller? >> >> Doubtless, a lot of gamers will even end up enjoying this creation. >> I'll >> even grant you that I am likely to enjoy it. However, what I've paid >> for, >> waited for, hoped and dreamed for was a well-designed sidescroller. I >> already had to accept the loss of an actual accessible copy of a >> game I've >> wanted to play since childhood. Frankly, I think Tom has been >> looking for a >> reason to basically abandon his rescue attempt of James North's >> excellent >> work for quite a while. I'm not even getting a good sidescroller for >> my >> troubles. This is preposterous! I've been lead to hope that there >> would at >> last be that salvation at the end of the tunnel only to be left >> completely >> hanging out to dry. >> >> Think about what this does to the whole issue of trust in the >> accessible >> gaming community. What's the point of being as transparent as you've >> been if >> at the last minute, you do a 180 degree turn and produce something >> quite >> different than what people paid for? You could have produced the >> sidescroller and then gone off in completely different directions >> with no >> lasting resentment from anybody. I would have accepted the finished >> sidescroller and simply moved on with life. In taking your decision, >> Tom, >> you throw away a lot of the credability all your transparency has >> built up. >> I had very high hopes that you would be the rising star who helped >> to cary >> the accessible gaming industry forward. Shifting gears so >> drastically just >> isn't the right way to build up a confident and loyal customer base >> who will >> trust you enough to place pre-orders. You've certainly lost any >> lingering >> trust I had. Everyone was so quick to basically run James North out >> of town >> for precisely the kind of thing we're seeing again here. I don't >> think I'm >> being unreasonable in wanting something at least a bit similar to >> what I >> paid for and fought hard for. >> Michael Feir >> Creator and former editor of Audyssey Magazine >> 1996-2004 >> Check out my blog at: >> http://www.blindspots.net/blog.php?user=13 >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Thomas Ward" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> To: "Gamers Discussion list" <gamers@audyssey.org> >> Sent: Friday, March 21, 2008 10:54 AM >> Subject: [Audyssey] What's Ahead For MOTA Beta 2. >> >> >>> Hello everyone, >>> Over the passed couple of weeks I have received some inquiries about >>> Mysteries Of the Aztecs Beta 2. I am writing this email in the hope I >>> can answer as many questions at once as well as give all of you >>> gamers >>> an awesome sneak peak into MOTA Beta 2. There is a lot changing under >>> the hood of the new MOTA game engine, and there is a lot of new >>> features >>> coming your way. In addition Mysteries Of the Aztecs is getting an >>> expensive sound upgrade which will make the audio environment sound >>> so >>> much more realistic. >>> First, let us explore the new game story. It is no secret that the >>> Tomb >>> Hunter series is USA Games new line of games similar to the Tomb >>> Raider >>> games produced by Core Design and Edos Interactive. While USA Games >>> is >>> forbidden by copyright law to use the official Tomb Raider trade >>> marks >>> and its leading character, Lara Croft, we hope our Tomb Hunter games >>> will capture the Tomb Raider spirit in all other respects. Our >>> leading >>> character, Angela Summers, is an archaeologist with a variety of Lara >>> Croft style moves such as back flips, jumps, forward and reverse >>> rolls, >>> safety drops, and other skills. In addition Angela is well versed >>> in a >>> variety of fire arms including her trusty 9 Millimeter Browning, 357 >>> Magnum, Shotgun, and the M-16 assault rifle. >>> Our game begins high above the Amazon rain forest as Angela Summers >>> parachutes into the jungle where Dr. Pierre Romo's expedition went >>> missing one year ago. Armed with her trusty 9 Millimeter Browning, >>> two >>> med kits, her laser sight, and an emergency radio she sets off on >>> foot >>> to find the Aztec Temple of death. In the first level Angela must >>> work >>> her way through the jungle on foot picking up gold coins, diamonds, >>> reloads for her Browning, and fend off giant spiders and snakes. >>> Inside the temple proper Angela must avoid several traps including >>> lava >>> pits, spikes, swinging blade traps, pits of fire, and rolling boulder >>> traps. She must also face undead Aztec skeleton warriors armed with >>> bows >>> and spears. Unlike the snakes and spiders the skeleton warriors are >>> much >>> harder to kill with Angela's trusty 9 Millimeter Browning. She must >>> pick >>> up more powerful weapons including a bow and arrow, a 357 Magnum, >>> Shotgun, and M-16 Assault Rifle left behind by Pierre Romo's failed >>> expedition. If she makes it to the end she will face the Aztec King >>> and >>> Queen of death in combat. >>> As stated above one of the major changes in Mysteries of the Aztecs >>> Beta >>> 2 is an all new sound upgrade. I have worked very hard to create or >>> purchase only the highest quality sound effects for Mysteries of the >>> Aztecs Beta 2. For example, Angela's weapons such as the 357 Magnum >>> and >>> Shotgun are pretty true to the actual sound of a Magnum and 12 gage >>> shotgun being fired. I have added in some echo and other special >>> effects >>> to sound as though they are being fired inside a large empty >>> structure >>> such as a tomb or temple. Interesting enough in comparing my shotgun >>> sound to the ones used in the majority of the Tomb Raider games my >>> shotgun sounds are far more realistic and accurate. As someone who >>> thrives on high quality authenticity in my sound effects I think Tomb >>> Hunter is going to be as good as any TR game as far as the Audio >>> environment goes. >>> Taking a look at the new engine there is a lot of changes in game >>> play. >>> I have decided in order to really do Mysteries Of the Aztecs >>> justice I >>> have incorporated the new Genesis 3D technology into the game. >>> Many of these upgrades involves Angela herself. I have been working >>> on >>> adding all sorts of realistic full 3D movement for Angela. When the >>> engine is done Angela will be able to jump, do flips, rolls, turn in >>> place, climb, sidestep, crouch, stand, crawl, swim, etc. While I know >>> many of you were hoping for a side-scroller I really honestly think >>> you >>> will be impressed with the new direction the game has taken. >>> The new and improved 3D Aztec temple will include secret passages, >>> hidden treasure rooms, and a host of new dangers and puzzles to >>> solve. >>> For example, imagine having to climb a rope to a ledge at the top >>> of a >>> room to find a gold key that unlocks the door below. You might have >>> to >>> locate and pull a certain lever which allows a specific Aztec >>> statue to >>> be moved or pushed aside revealing a hidden treasure room behind >>> it. It >>> is these sorts of puzzle elements that draws many sighted gamers to >>> the >>> Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider games. >>> Another aspect is random placement of some treasure and weapons. >>> One of >>> the major complaints I got about Montezuma's Return was nothing was >>> randomized. I have heard your complaints and Beta 2 will have several >>> items appear randomly in rooms. Some items such as gold coins in a >>> hidden room will be static while some gems and weapons will be >>> scattered >>> around the temple randomly. >>> In short I am working hard to make Mysteries Of the Aztecs the best >>> game >>> it can be under the current situation. I feel bad I was not able to >>> complete Montezuma's Return do to copyright issues, but in the end I >>> think what you will get in return is going to be a much more fun, >>> exciting, and better game altogether. >>> >>> >>> --- >>> Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org >>> If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>> You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at >>> http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. >>> All messages are archived and can be searched and read at >>> http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>> If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the >>> list, >>> please send E-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> >> >> --- >> Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org >> If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> . >> You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at >> http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. >> All messages are archived and can be searched and read at >> http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] >> If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of >> the list, >> please send E-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > --- > Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org > If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at > http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. > All messages are archived and can be searched and read at > http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] > If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the > list, > please send E-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. All messages are archived and can be searched and read at http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
