[RudyHuxtable]

Ahhh the march of change. I'm not about to liken this to Roman resistance to adopting Jesus as top dog, but I hope it won't take the gaming community 300 years to accept Aaron's departure for Strategy First.

I definitely understand where everyone is coming from. We love our game the way it is. We want Aaron to take what he's learned from the community and build it into SEV. Early indications are that this is already happening. From the list of intended features, I don't plan on getting married because she'll only leave me out of neglect. All the elements for a masterpiece of a 4X game are there. If anyone can make it, Aaron can. He's done it already with SEIV.

But let's try a glass half full approach for a moment:

"Aaron, moving SEV to Strategy First, revolutionizes the way 4X games are created, developed, and received by the general gaming community, and earns for SEV and SEVI a place on the shelf next to Rome: Total War, and Napoleon: Total War. He ends up knighted by the Queen, who has spent countless hours locked in conflict with the EEE and the Xiati. President Bush declares the release date of SEV a national holiday. Aaron creates world peace ala The Wyld Stallyns."

We don't know what input Strategy First is going to have, if any. It's entire possible they know gold when they see it and will give Aaron carte blanche. If not, then just don't buy it since you're sure it's going to be an abysmal failure simply because of its increased distribution or retail ambitions. Someone else will eventually retake the 4X throne if Aaron dethrones himself.

Now, really. Understand I'm a lover of Shrapnel like the rest of you. Interstellar Trader eats up coffee breaks, and my friend wants to burn my computer for the repeated beatings he's taken in Dominions. But for people to already be making judgment calls is a little premature. For all we know this could be the best thing to ever happen to the world. I'm telling you. Singing in the streets of Delhi. Wait and see.