[Baron Munchausen]

Winter starts on December 21st, remember. So most of a given Winter falls in the next year.

The end of 2006 is certainly a more realistic date. But I wonder if they (both MM and SF) can actually exercise that kind of restraint. Everyone from the Mega-Evil Empire itself (Microsoft) on down to the smallest developer has fallen back on the 'release and finish it later with patches' method since the earliest days of the PC industry. Does MM have the cash to just keep developing until it's really ready? Does SF have the patience to allow MM to do this? I doubt it. At the pace its currently going, they would be releasing without several of the major planned features in Feb 2006, just like they did with SE IV (no drones, etc.). That's likely what will happen.