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Okay I hear this "GG is closing down the master server for good!1" from a battlemode match and I check here... what a surprise, someone is jumping to conclusions.
Okay, here's the skinny. I'll play InstantAction (when I can, seeing as I'm at college) to show some support... but really I just want ThinkTanks to survive. I'd prefer it not be browser based, but if showing support and being active now will mean a chance of me voicing my concerns to a willing/listening parent company later, I will do that.
As far as constructive criticism, Joe, I don't know if there's anything we can address technically (like code, downloads, whatever) as we're not able to examine how the browser version of the game works... but I think the basic cries of "improved framerates", "Mac/Linux compatibility", and "ability to MOD (modify and make maps/shapes/terrains) the game", are all we're pretty much supporting at the moment.
Additionally, thanks to these rumors by Firestorm and wOOt, we'd be grateful if the Master Server would not be used as or considered to be a bargaining chip; and though this may be suited for a later stage of development, I think many of us would like to see a possibility for new gametypes to be brought over such as Rollerball, Capture the Flag, and Survivor (you'd have to talk to Dazzle about Rollerball).
Despite personal preference of disliking the InstantAction format, I want to thank you for still keeping the line of communication open between GG and the ThinkTanks community.
Last edited by Feathers McGraw on Tue Sep 02, 2008 3:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
You changed the game, the IA version isn't as fun to play as the original, plain and simple. It looks prettier, but the gameplay is much different. I'd elaborate, but I'm sure you've already heard it.
Put the original TT up on IA for a month.
Joe, please take no offense but we are pushing the stand alone version as much as possible. If you continue to run the master for it great. We certainly hope you continue running it as we have sent many players to GG to buy the stand alone version through the years and will continue to do so. You may come to the conclusion down the road that there can be a good chunk of change made by selling all of the players that bought the stand alone version a updated version. It won't take much at all to update our version . One good man @ GG and one day or so and TT v 2.1 can be ready. I will certainly buy it again with the updates. I played IA and it is torture. There is a minimum of 300 active players here at ptt2 and over 650 total members . Many would buy the updated version. I would support IA once I see improvements but would never give up the stand alone version completely and hope they run side by side. I think this is the feeling of most of the players here at ptt2. In fact some of the IA TT players were converted over and bought the stand alone version. This would be a win win for GG. Like giving them a taste then selling them the whole dinner.
They bought their tickets, they knew what they were getting into. I say, let 'em crash.
First off I would like to thank Joe for taking the time to educate us as to
GG's priorities and the future of TT
I wish them every success....
This bird can't really give perspective or commentary on the IA version because the few times
I attempted to play it were a total bust - frozen or crashed browsers...
Since then - uh gee quite a while back now - I have lost whatever passwords - usernames
tokens etc. that I had and so in fact I have never actually played IA.
My situation is this - I was not part of the gaming generation
Already an adult when Pong came out, I have not been bitten before or since like I was with
the Original ThinkTanks. (which I bought the same day I played the demo)
I rarely gamed at all before TT and I have not found as satisfying
an experience since. Perhaps it was the combination of simple controls - clear objectives,
random gameplay and the addictive interaction of the human element.
Or perhaps its an intangible metaphysical experience than can never be adequately explained
because any discussion of said experience just robs the magic...........I dunno
To me any 20 dollar game that gave my 20,000 hours of enjoyment is a jewel
and even if the Master goes down, I will still smile fondly when I remember all the
good folks I met and battled with these last 5 years
As Squiddy always says
Cheers and Beers Mates
Rooster
I appreciate the communication Joe.
Unfortunately I have not been able to get on and play the IA version to form my own opinion as I am a Mac player.
I continue to get emails enticing me on, but when I go I continue to get the "sorry we don't support your platform yet" messages.
Can leagues be organized on the browser based IA format (such as PSL and TBML)?
This is sort of the highest level of the game and would be critical to a significant migration.
Or would that be a potential , down the road, if more resources are put there option?
As a general disclaimer, most of my post will be bunches of what other people said. With my own comments included, of course (for simplicity's sake, I'll include a note now. When I say "they" I mean most of this community here, including me).
Joe, it is good that you are keeping communication alive with this community. To me, it shows that, despite your high-and-mighty business scheme, you do at least somewhat care about this game and, more importantly, this community. As Rooster so accurately put it, this game, TT (the stand-alone), has something to it that makes it stand out. It has, for lack of a better term, magic in it. Now I'm no expert, but I doubt many fps games like TT keep such a hard-core group for as long as it has with as little as it was given.
Therefore, logically to me (and you it seems), you want to transfer these hard-core people to your new project. But you don't get something for nothing. Yes, you've promised to make upgrades to TT IA if more people play it. That's all good and dandy, and it is, as you've pointed out in the past, what has been asked for over the years. But what you're missing is what the hard-core group really wants, what they don't say.
Feathers got a good list of what they did say and is important. Less lag is a given. Mac/Linux capability is a must to draw some of the best modders/scripters/players of this community (before shooting this down, read on). The ability to mod... now this gets about as close as I've seen it stated. Quite simply, what these guys want is... what they're used to. Think about it. In general, we all hate change. You're asking them to change from something they know to something they view, and rightly so at this point, as inferior. Less maps, more lag, no mac or linux capabilities... Not a good selling line to these guys.
My solution is fairly simple. You must combine the two, as Fish mentioned. First, devote some resources to Mac/Linux. This will help you out, not because of more direct sales, but, if you follow something like what I'm about to outline, it will bring in more indirect sales. Then, you should incorporate some of our current Mods (ie Roo, Dazzle, MonkeeMan, and the rest of the best). Lastly, let some of our best modders (the aforementioned list) and scripters (Dazzle, Art Crazy, Warfare) help you guys out on new mods/scripts and incorporating existing mods and scripts.
I know you have a whole host of reasons against this. I see it this way: These guys have been doing these services for TT stand-alone for years, just for love of the game. Ask them, and I'm sure at least a few would be willing to help you guys out. Also, and you can take this to your company meetings, it'll save you money in the end. After all, this would mean less resources and time your team has to spend on TT IA, if you follow "the plan" the whole way through.
My parting thoughts for you. I'm not criticizing the ability of your team, nor your business scheme. However, the above will help both you and us. You're helped out because it saves your team time and money making mods and scripts we may already have (albeit it would need to be adapted (by some of our scripters may hap) an made all shiny with new graphics). This draws in more sales. It helps us by giving us what we really want: Updates to the game, but not at the cost of losing the old. Think about it, if you would.
@W00t and Fire: You guys aren't helping by clogging the lines of communication with distrust.
@CB: I don't think we have to worry about the master server. He's already said they'll leave it up indefinitely, since it costs them nearly nothing. Besides, he can't have missed our IP Joiner script, which would bypass the master server is need be (the thread for it is, after all, stickied at the top of the general forums page), an thus making such blackmail useless.
"Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination." - Lots of people, nowadays.
Jed, why are you here? You no longer play the game, and your just plain annoying with your biographical responses to a game your no longer involved in. Are you Bi-polar or just Bi? Please go away no one likes you and we all hope you disappear soon.
Watching Dazzle pwn Rogue to be endlessly pissy since 4/1/2008
