Re: Gold Yet?
 

Actually Malfador notified us that they overnighted the CD to us yesterday. We should recieve it shortly.

Once we have run it through some tests we will be making an announcement, probably tomorrow morning.

------------------
Sarge is coming...

Richard Arnesen
Director of Covert Ops
Shrapnel Games
http://www.shrapnelgames.com

Gold Yet?
 

Any word yet on whether the gold was achieved on October 1/2nd?

Re: Gold Yet?
 

Hmmmm..... I hope no news means that they are busy printing the CD!

Re: Gold Yet?
 

Or manuals.
-MKC

Re: Gold Yet?
 

We went GOLD today! Looks like November 1 will be the release date...



------------------
Tim Brooks
Shrapnel Games

Re: Gold Yet?
 

Thanks for letting us know - I know a lot of fans have been checking the board non-stop since 10/1!!!

Re: Gold Yet?
 

Coolness!

I guess the new demo is on the way soon then, since it was to be based on the official gold code!

Re: Gold Yet?
 

Hooray
Hehe
The path to this point was a hard one, but we made it

Re: Gold Yet?
 

While all progress on the final game is good news there are some issues that I would like to see addressed.

My main gripe has been the (unacceptably) long delay between payment and shipping. Taking pre-orders is one thing but debiting credit cards 2-3 months prior to delivery (mine was debited mid-August) should not be. The best business practice would be to debit when the product is shipped and I would like to see this rule being followed more closely.

Secondly - the demo. Yes, graphically impressive, and yes, a good taste of the game. But that 100-turn limit! This cripples a game with the depth that SE4 has and every time I run the demo, I mentally curse whoever put it in.

However there is a fix for both the above issues. Shrapnel Games could make a modified demo availabe to those people who had purchased Online. This demo would have the 100-turn limit removed (and perhaps a couple of tech limits relaxed too). The .exe file is just under 1.9MB so this should not cause the bandwidth issues that downloading the full 440MB game would.

So far it does seem that people have been fairly patient. Go on, Shrapnel. Give us customers something to drool over and keep us from chewing the carpet until November 1st.

Re: Gold Yet?
 

I'd rather they just come up with the gold-Version demo instead of bothering to develop something special at this late date.

I also think the 100 turn limit is important to get people motivated to buy the game. If you don't set a limit, a lot fewer people would get around to buying the full Version. That's not good for business, and what's bad for the developers is ultimately bad for the gamers!

Re: Gold Yet?
 

That reminds me: has anybody heard anything new (i.e. newer than the info on MM's site) about the upcoming demo release?

[This message has been edited by Psitticine (edited 10 October 2000).]

Re: Gold Yet?
 

New demo should be "soon" whatever that means.

------------------
Seawolf on the prowl

Re: Gold Yet?
 

I EMPHATICALLY agree with Pavlou. My credit card was debited months ago. We were told there would be a new demo Version *just before* the game went gold (see MM's site for this pronouncement, dated 9/22). Now we're told the game went gold a week ago, and still no new demo or ANYTHING. I too loathe and detest the 100-turn limit with a burning passion. The effing game ends just as it starts to get interesting. And I could not agree more that MM/Grapnel should do something more for those of us who have already chumped up our money. I feel that we have been treated rather shabbily up to this point, and I'm emphatically not happy about it. This is NOT the way to get and keep customers.

Re: Gold Yet?
 

Just because I'm bored while I await the game:

When I saw, quite clearly listed, that preordering would mean they take your money NOW, instead of when it ships, I declined to preorder. $5 off is not enough a motivation for me to give money for a product that I may not see for months...

On the other hand, it WAS clearly listed that they would take the money now, and as different as that is from any game I've ever seen, it wasn't hidden.

The 100 turn limit is WICKED annoying, but its better than no demo at all.

At this point, I'd like to see a formal announcement about the Gold status, the ship date, the best way to get the game, where it will be sold, the next demo, etc.

Would be nice for us who have been following this game for a while, but we are used to big huge game companys with big fat budgets too, maybe they just need a little slack...

j/m .02

Re: Gold Yet?
 

Guys,

The demo is as of right now on our server and I have had ZERO time to put up a page or prepare a press release for it (will try to get it out tonight).

As far as the 100 turn limit that is fairly standard for a demo, and it prevents what happenned with SE III, which is tons of folks playing the game to the end and never buying it. Otherwise we are giving the game away for free.

As to the credit card issue. It was very clear that we were charging cards. I apologize for the game taking so long but it was so we can get the best product to you the consumer. If we would have put the game out in the state it was when we first got it I don't think you would have been as happy as you will be with the finished product.

------------------
Sarge is coming...

Richard Arnesen
Director of Covert Ops
Shrapnel Games
http://www.shrapnelgames.com

Re: Gold Yet?
 

I agree with Iron Giant and likewise did not pre-order. I too would like to get a copy of the demo based on gold soon, but I am not surprised that it is not available yet. MM is following the pattern they set long ago with releases and information updates. I personally will not order the game until I get a chance to play a demo based on the gold code. It is the only way to verify a better AI and bug fixes.


Opps, I guess Richard and I were posting at the same time. Thanks for the info Richard. http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/images/icons/icon7.gif

[This message has been edited by General Hawkwing (edited 10 October 2000).]

Re: Gold Yet?
 

You know Richard, telling us the new demo is there but that we can't get it yet might just be the most elaborate form of torture gamefans have ever been subjected to. http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/ima...ons/icon12.gif (j/k)

[This message has been edited by Jubala (edited 10 October 2000).]

Re: Gold Yet?
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR> ... it WAS clearly listed that they would take the money now ... <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yep, I waited until it went gold to pre-order. Just hope I didn't wait too late to make the first shipment ...

Re: Gold Yet?
 

No need to create press release tonight - just create a scenario/mod folder for SEIV (you will need it anyway for shipsets, mods, ec.) and stick the patch in it. Then tomorrow, when somebody has more time, create the full web-page with links, explanations, etc. Hope springs internal - Oh well back to the Darlocks on the impossible setting. . .

Re: Gold Yet?
 

MOO!!

I'd forgotten about the Darlocks! Those were the super-sneaky guys that all the other races hated, right? Personally, I liked playing the cat-people the best, but I don't recall what they were called. Gods, but that's been years. I never played Moo2, only the original MOO.

I wonder what ever happened to Steve Barcia and his sister, they were a very talented team, but MOM was the Last game I heard of them doing. Ahh, and what a tour-de-force that was...

Re: Gold Yet?
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Richard:
The demo is as of right now on our server and I have had ZERO time to put up a page or prepare a press release for it (will try to get it out tonight).
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

D rn! I jus drool d all ov r my key oard an I t ink it short d out! http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/ima...ons/icon12.gif

Re: Gold Yet?
 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Possum:
MOO!!


I wonder what ever happened to Steve Barcia and his sister, they were a very talented team, but MOM was the Last game I heard of them doing. Ahh, and what a tour-de-force that was...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


I just read an article about him....... he is alive and kicking and working for some company - I believe working on console games if memory serves me right. I read that on an "where are they now" type thing about MOO. Maybe gamespot? Or IGN?

[This message has been edited by G-top (edited 11 October 2000).]

[This message has been edited by G-top (edited 11 October 2000).]

Re: Gold Yet?
 

Just a quick update. Seems we have run into some production problems so we won't be able to put the demo up today. As soon either Tim or I get a free second will immediately put it up.

------------------
Sarge is coming...

Richard Arnesen
Director of Covert Ops
Shrapnel Games
http://www.shrapnelgames.com

Re: Gold Yet?
 

My friends, allow me to help assuage the crushing disappointment which we all feel at this sad announcement by offering a free interpretation of what the esteemed Mr Arnesen may possibly mean by "production problems" http://www.shrapnelgames.com/ubb/ima...ons/icon12.gif

**********

SHRAPNEL'S PRODUCTION PROBLEMS,
THE LONG VERSION
"So my partner Tim got his alimony check from his ex-husband yesterday, and we decided to celebrate the game going gold by going out and getting really hammered. Everything was going fine until Tim got in a fight with these really butch transvestites, and I tried to help him out. Anyway, as soon as I'm released from the hospital here, I need to drop by the orthodontist and get fitted for a new plate. After that, I have to go to the police impound yard and get my '57 Caddy out of hock. Next stop is my lawyer's office, then with him down to the county courthouse to file the appeal papers on the extradition order to Tennessee on that charge of statutory. But the good news is that I don't have to sweat being extradited to Alabama for the miscegenation charge, since California doesn't recognize that as a crime. From there we have to go by the jail and bail out good old Tim. I just hope he's sobered up enough to walk by then. By the time we've done all that and dropped my lawyer off back at his office, we figure the day will be pretty much shot, so we thought we'd just drop by the bar and have a few beers. Buy anyway, guys, as SOON as we can, we'll get that new demo out to you, PROMISE!"

******

(A reminder that the above is intended only as a humorous free interpretation, and is not to be interpreted as being in any way an indictment of the integrity, respectability, or moral stature of either Richard Arnesen in particular or Shrapnel Games in general.)

Re: Gold Yet?
 

Um guys when I meant partner I meant business partner..

Geez some people :P

Anyway if things work out I plan on releasing it tonight, seems our new e-commerce service got the final bugs worked out.

------------------
Sarge is coming...

Richard Arnesen
Director of Covert Ops
Shrapnel Games http://www.shrapnelgames.com

[This message has been edited by Richard (edited 11 October 2000).]