Player controlled battles???

[HJ]

Whoa, a whole lot of anti-critique critiques.... Which can be summed up as "Shuddup, especially if you haven't been here as long as we have, and you're not a buddy of the devs". This is the kind of atmosphere I was refering to as it feels very inflexible and somewhat hostile.

I'm going to address a few issues, and then rest my case.

I am not married to the devs to care where and what they spend their time on. I think they are all mature and intelligent individuals that can judge this for themselves. If someone would address me this way about my work, I'd feel a bit insulted as far as my maturity and intelligence are concerned.

If the issues have been discussed before, fine. I don't have any illusions that people who are against them now weren't against them before as well. Maybe those that advocated the changes before got alienated by this approach, as I am incrasingly starting to feel as well now, so there are nowhere to be found? And this would also imply that nobody can contribute anything further to the discussions, and the people doing that now are simply not intelligent enough to contribute something new which couldn't have been conceived previously by the "wise ones". Again, very unfriendly.

As far as "if it ain't broken, don't fix it". Well, we are talking about a new game here, and not a patch to an existing one. Sure it's based on the Doms I, but the emphasis is on "based". Not all things are the same, and there is room for additions and changes. Who knows, maybe for possible Doms III if not for this incarnation. And the view itself whether something is "broken" or not is subjective, as are all views. It doesn't have to be broken per se for someone to be able to envision something that would be more enjoyable for some.

Lastly, for the "fitting the game into existing templates" argument. Well, you are guilty of exactly the same thing - fitting all future incarnations of Doms into Doms I framework. Sure there is evolution, but that evolution can take different approaches, an I don't see why it shouldn't encompass more of them than simply improving on the existing formula. I'm not saying that you shouldn't get what you want (and that good things shouldn't be retained), but you are saying exactly that - nope, don't implement what others want, even though it doesn't hurt our goodies. To say that there are other games to play if you want those different things would be the same as me telling you "Well, if you liked the concept of Doms I so much, then go and play Doms I, and let's give Doms II a new life". And furthermore, I'm not trying to fit it into existing frameworks: I'm thinking what I would like to see in this particular game within its particular setup. But even if I would be doing something like that, I guess I could also come up with the argument: "It has been proved successful in so many other titles; hence if the concept ain't broken, don't fix it".

The hositilty and resistance to critiques (and I don't mean rude comments, but tactful suggestions) here is very puzzling, and I never had the (mis)fortune to experience it on this level before, despite being a member of many other forums .I have already said this, and I'm going to restate it: Live and let live. I'm not trying to bring down your desires and wishes, so why do you constantly do that to other people is beyond me. It certainly isn't helpful to the growth of the community and the game, the things you deem so dear to your heart.

[ October 24, 2003, 19:17: Message edited by: HJ ]