Game, The: Game Viability

Game Viability

Original Post: I would like to propose a question to the current fanbase (though a lot of you are new and will flame me).

I have been around awhile.
Followed the game ( SB ) since late 1997 when I was in grad school and working at EB.
Like poor Rollinski ( I think that was the guy), I moved and got lost in email services, passwords, usernames, and isps.
Ok, I am over it and am eagerly awaiting open beta (This profile has been around over a year).

ON to my question... I, as a FAN, am concerned.
I am concerned that SB has a little too much BS in it.
I will explain of course.
Hopefully, Vosx or whomever will comment, though I do hope he is polite.

Is SB hype?
Of course, for the masses outside the world divorced from the NDA and helplessly lost between fact and conjecture who can say?

OK, I will lay out the facts as I see them... and I am sure if I make a mistake some uber-dork will gladly point it out.

Loki's facts (as he sees them):

1. game development = 4 years (and I am giving WP at least a year grace here. more like 5 to 5 1/2).

Why is it taking so long?
Be honest.
Are we busy upgrading to meet the standard after five years?
I mean I can't keep abreast of tech changes myself (and I research this stuff).
How are yall keeping up with the tech and working on the game at the same time.
Seems yall are having engine problems to me.
Which leads me to my next question... err fact.

2. WP has promised much in the Lore.
They have promised just as much in confirmed Disciplines, skills, etc etc.
They are dropping like flys ...
Content is being flung to the wind in a massive push to get this thing out.

OK, OK ... I know it is beta and things change.
Some things are practical and others not.
Understandable.
BUT!!! This is a tell-tale omen.
Remember AO, DAoC?
I hope they are not rushing this, but then again after 4+ years?

3. This is gonna hurt a little. OK, big deal, GOD dropped SB...right?
Hrm.. I am not so sure it was such a small deal.

Regardless of that fact, Ubi signed on to publish SB.
Great we have a publisher!! I would like to know why GOD dropped it.
Why drop a game that has a fanbase like this, and after an investment of capital?
Could it be possible that the game looks a mess (in development standards)?
OK, so WP goes to Ubi, and the WP guys show a demo... real quick like.. impressed some suits... poof ok sign em.
OK, cool, we got our game again.

4. Then WP programmers start to submit resignations (I might be off on timeframe here, so I am donning my flamesuit on this).

WTF? I hear of SB programmers spending days upon days at their computers punching the game out, getting it ready, for what? beta? ..... delay ... delay ... dealy.

I understand that these games are mighty complex and require expertise and talent.
I believe WP has this talent and Ubi as well.
Given time, they might create something.
For release, I see the cards stacked against them.
Ubi took this project on at a point in development where "ideas" should have been through a troubleshooting stage.
I'm not talking about beta-testing...
I am talking about the stuff posted on SB's official website long before Ubi took over publishing rights.

Anyway, I truly hope SB proves me wrong.
As a long time fan, however, I am not counting on SB to be a "game for the masses" until a year from now.
Will Ubi wait that long?
Perhaps there will be a "forced release" as per DAoC and AO?

The lack of information (at this stage of where they say they are) is troubling.

I also read a thread where Vosx "vented" at somebody who was a fan.
I understand we all have bad days, but are things starting to unravel here?
That was honestly one of the most unprofessional posts by a PR "TYPE" person I have ever read.

I truly hope WP's original plan for SB is not in jeopardy.

Please tell me I have nothing to fear!!

Long term fan, but concerned,

Loki.

Answer: Wow, those certainly are some interesting facts.

From where I'm sitting, the one part of your post that passes any kind of objective truth test is where you state that they are facts AS LOKI SEES THEM.

I would point you to the origins of the very word "fact."
It has the same root as the word "factory."
In other words, quite literally, facts are things we MAKE.
The conclusions you are drawing here are nothing but your own.

Like it or not, for better or worse, you do not have the full picture of ANY of the events, trends or concepts that you're talking about.
You don't even have a tenth of it.
I don't say this to put you down - trust me, the information gaps are, if anything, more frustrating for us than they are for you guys.
This is the situation we're in, however.
We're dealing with it.
We ask that you trust us, and deal too.

You have nothing to fear.

Like the old man said, Shadowbane is coming.

Believe it... or not.