For the first time in like .. forever - I have a free weekend. Why can't this be out now? Would be perfect.
Because they are just waiting for my vacation that will happen... well, I guess it won't happen this year
[/spoiler]
Seriously though, this can't be out now because it's not ready yet.
It's because they are in the same alternative-time-reality that Blizzard lives in. ;-)
I don't want this to become E.A.
I value quality over vain impatience of 'short dead lines'. I want Adventure Y to be as best as it can be and I don't want a rush job based on impatience. Beam Dog will most likely only get one shot at this project and I want to to the best it can be, so take a hike to E.A. if you feel that they are too slow. Quality takes time and patience is a virtue my friend.
[Spoiler]Just wait a little while longer and it will be out, hey maybe when it comes out you will have a free week end? One should never underestimate the future. Take care and hold on a bit longer, if it came out now I am assured that you would say it is 'crap'. Although hey that is what doing a good job is for, making the best experience you can offer; not the quickest one.[/Spoiler]
For the first time in like .. forever - I have a free weekend. Why can't this be out now? Would be perfect.
Because they are just waiting for my vacation that will happen... well, I guess it won't happen this year
[/spoiler]
Seriously though, this can't be out now because it's not ready yet.
It's because they are in the same alternative-time-reality that Blizzard lives in. ;-)
I don't want this to become E.A.
I value quality over vain impatience of 'short dead lines'. I want Adventure Y to be as best as it can be and I don't want a rush job based on impatience. Beam Dog will most likely only get one shot at this project and I want to to the best it can be, so take a hike to E.A. if you feel that they are too slow. Quality takes time and patience is a virtue my friend.
[Spoiler]Just wait a little while longer and it will be out, hey maybe when it comes out you will have a free week end? One should never underestimate the future. Take care and hold on a bit longer, if it came out now I am assured that you would say it is 'crap'. Although hey that is what doing a good job is for, making the best experience you can offer; not the quickest one.[/Spoiler]
It's a balancing act for sure. We want the best game we can make at the absolute top quality. But at the same time, we don't want to make people wait forever. The longer we tweak, polish, test, and refine, the easier it is to fall into a perfectionist state of mind where nothing is ever good enough.
I hate arbitrary deadlines, especially from people who don't know the realities of a situation. Licensors shouldn't be setting hard deadlines for no reason. But at the same time...well, we need money. We need to sell products to pay the employees and keep the company running. Games can't take forever to produce or we'd run out of capital. That's a business reality. Every time we say, "we need another month to do this properly" that's a month of salaries, rent, electricity, and insurance with no revenue coming in and fans getting more anxious.
So we're working as hard/fast as we can to make the game as great as it can be without stretching ourselves too far or focusing on relatively unimportant improvements. Believe me, we are so looking forward to actually putting the game in the fans' hands.
(This is just my observations as a business person and a writer, not some sort of official Beamdog stance.)
As someone with a background in 'practical work' rather than stuff like software engineering, deadlines make sense, to an extent. In my landscaping experience, you always have to add a significant fudge-factor, every time you dig there is a substantial chance of something going wrong, IE massive tree roots, an old cement foundation, etc. Even weather can make things take MUCH longer. In my manufacturing experience, deadlines make MUCH more sense, as long as they are set realisticly; tools break down, new workers make mistakes, and so you still need a fudge factor. However, you can pretty easily estimate how long such a job will take if things go well; welding a given weld takes a pretty precise amount of timemif its being done correctly, machining has pretty tight controls on metal removeal rates, etc. You can't speed most stuff up unless you find a new, faster way to do it, so a deadline makes sense.
When dealing with something involving art, deadlines seem REALLY precarious. Deadlines are a poor fit for creative projects, brought over from traditional businesses where they actually make sense. This is why sane professors give students a fair bit of time for papers; you probably can write a 10 page paper in one horribly long night, but you usually will have better output if you take your time, and allow for hearty editing, revision, and re-revision as needed. Even the immortal Dostoevsky wrote some awful work, usually when he was very tight for money (...gambling usually does that). You can't sanely set a hard deadline for a creative work, yet without deadlines you can't do business. So, there is the awkward modern balance, wherein we have soft deadlines, that some people take too seriously. I'd rather see a decent game that misses a deadline or two, but with the caveat that most games too long in development end up a jumbled mess.
@Amber_Scott Ah business, tis' better to work at something you love with the risk of ends not meeting than it is to spirit crushingly grind all of your life away at something you hate with ends met.. Although life is.. 'cruel' at times so it is good remember what your breaking points are and set your path accordingly. Remember that you don't get many second chances in life so make them count towards something you love rather than hate..
Did you ever hear of the Tale of the old donkey and the post? Well I goes like this:[Spoiler] One night two donkeys were born in the same season and o the same farm. They grew up together and knew only of bliss and dreams of endless green pastures. When their last night came upon them when they were ready to be sold off for labour the next morning, the younger donkey said to the older donkey, "I am going to run away from being sold", the older donkey said, "But how will you eat, how will you feed your family when you have no certain way of surviving? It is much more safe to take one risk with a new master than it is to take risks every day". So later that night the younger donkey broke the lock off the barn and broke through the farmer's fence and tried his luck in the forest. The next day the older donkey was sold to a stranger who tied his reins to a post and fed him and made sure he had all he could drink; but he could not run free.
The younger donkey was free but he was very hungry, and had little food after a week. He wanted to go back to his old life of certainty and safety but he knew he would not be free if he gave himself up. When winter came the younger donkey was frail and weak but he still clung on to life. The older donkey was fat and plump and sired many children of which he would never see. When spring came the young weak donkey regained his strength and braved the forest once more. The now fat and round older donkey knew no such freedom but he kept dreaming of those distant green pastures of his childhood fantasy's with the younger donkey.
The seasons passed and the young donkey grew strong, fit and robust, full of spirit and lust of life free from the shackled of slavery and free to live in green pastures of which he dreamed. One day the now mighty wild donkey went to find his older friend in the farm he was sold to. He braved the forest once more and found his friend on the other side, still attached to his post; fat and plump but with no pastures of vibrant green and flowers in the air.
The brash donkey waited until night fell and with a might leap, he leapt over the fence and ripped the reins of his friend free from his post. But the older donkey did not move. The older donkey just gave an empty stare to his forgotten friend. The younger donkey said to his old friend "Come quickly we can leap over the fence and be free, I know where to find the green pastures, they are not dreams come quickly before the farmer wakes!".. But he was met no such enthusiasm... The older donkey simply kept repeating over and over with a blank stare "But how will you eat, how will you feed your family when you have no certain way of surviving? It is much more safe to take one risk with a new master than it is to take risks every day".. The younger donkey filled with rage gave a mighty kick and broke the post of his friend and screamed at him with all his might "You Must Run Free, Come With Me Now!". The older donkey stayed in place and repeated his same line, again and again to this strange and unfamiliar donkey who had broken his familiar post and older donkey knew no spirit. The younger donkey with streams tears in his eyes fled the scene and eventually sired strong children of his own in meadows of vibrant green and in the thick smell of blooming flowers; he was free.
One last time he when he was old and knew his last days were upon him, younger donkey went slowly down to his old fiend, though the same forest and came upon the farm. He gazed from a distance and saw his alien friend still standing in the same spot with his reins hanging loose, the fence now rotten and decrepit, the farmer out of town and with a zombie expression on the older donkeys plump face, mind and spirit lost repeating the same lines over and over to thin air "But how will you eat, how will you feed your family when you have no certain way of surviving? It is much more safe to take one risk with a new master than it is to take risks every day". The younger donkey stricken with old age now suddenly knew that his old friend had died long, long ago, upon the very night when he escaped from the barn, all those distant and fading years so long ago; but he just didn't know it.[/Spoiler] TL;DR: Regretful elders say take risks to live a life that you love, because if do managed to succeed you can die a fulfilled person rather than like them. Sad but true, strike the iron when it is hot and don't fear the burns; live life on your terms. Control your destiny.
I do love what I do. I've been working as an rpg writer for over ten years now and it just gets better every year. But I also love, you know. Eating and things.
@Amber_Scott Yeah I agree, although I know how it feels to be hungry, very cold and alone.. Be yourself and never sell your dreams, it is better to be hungry with only fountain water and spirit in your belly than than to struggle in silence with no hope and being full with.. money. Anyway I wrote you story above when I just had to. It is called the Tale of the old donkey and the post. I hope you enjoy it, I tried my best to make it worth the time to read it.
Did you hear the other story about the two donkeys?
It was pretty similar... the older donkey is purchased by a cruel master and worked to death after a few years. The other donkey? He was eaten by a wolf the 2nd night. Moral of the story? Life isn't always pretty, especially if you aren't starting out ahead.
Ever hear the story of the two guys that wanted to make a ton of money off poker without working? One was an optimist, the other a pessimist. The first did well for a few years, but he died broke. The other opened a casino. Fin.
We may be straying off topic here. I appreciate the perspective of doing what you love and the perspective of survival and I'm sure we all strike a balance in life.
"Dragonspear Castle... Priests of Tempus erected a shrine within the castle walls to keep a lid on Dragonspear's monstrous emigrants..."
It would be excellent to have the Priest of Tempus kit from IWDEE in the Adventure Y (and subsequently in both BG EEs) and separate dialogues in the Castle and under it if your charname is the Priest of Tempus.
Comments
I value quality over vain impatience of 'short dead lines'. I want Adventure Y to be as best as it can be and I don't want a rush job based on impatience. Beam Dog will most likely only get one shot at this project and I want to to the best it can be, so take a hike to E.A. if you feel that they are too slow. Quality takes time and patience is a virtue my friend.
[Spoiler]Just wait a little while longer and it will be out, hey maybe when it comes out you will have a free week end? One should never underestimate the future. Take care and hold on a bit longer, if it came out now I am assured that you would say it is 'crap'. Although hey that is what doing a good job is for, making the best experience you can offer; not the quickest one.[/Spoiler]
This coyness, lady, were no crime.
I hate arbitrary deadlines, especially from people who don't know the realities of a situation. Licensors shouldn't be setting hard deadlines for no reason. But at the same time...well, we need money. We need to sell products to pay the employees and keep the company running. Games can't take forever to produce or we'd run out of capital. That's a business reality. Every time we say, "we need another month to do this properly" that's a month of salaries, rent, electricity, and insurance with no revenue coming in and fans getting more anxious.
So we're working as hard/fast as we can to make the game as great as it can be without stretching ourselves too far or focusing on relatively unimportant improvements. Believe me, we are so looking forward to actually putting the game in the fans' hands.
(This is just my observations as a business person and a writer, not some sort of official Beamdog stance.)
When dealing with something involving art, deadlines seem REALLY precarious. Deadlines are a poor fit for creative projects, brought over from traditional businesses where they actually make sense. This is why sane professors give students a fair bit of time for papers; you probably can write a 10 page paper in one horribly long night, but you usually will have better output if you take your time, and allow for hearty editing, revision, and re-revision as needed. Even the immortal Dostoevsky wrote some awful work, usually when he was very tight for money (...gambling usually does that). You can't sanely set a hard deadline for a creative work, yet without deadlines you can't do business. So, there is the awkward modern balance, wherein we have soft deadlines, that some people take too seriously. I'd rather see a decent game that misses a deadline or two, but with the caveat that most games too long in development end up a jumbled mess.
Sure. You did.
Just kidding XD
Did you ever hear of the Tale of the old donkey and the post? Well I goes like this:[Spoiler] One night two donkeys were born in the same season and o the same farm. They grew up together and knew only of bliss and dreams of endless green pastures. When their last night came upon them when they were ready to be sold off for labour the next morning, the younger donkey said to the older donkey, "I am going to run away from being sold", the older donkey said, "But how will you eat, how will you feed your family when you have no certain way of surviving? It is much more safe to take one risk with a new master than it is to take risks every day". So later that night the younger donkey broke the lock off the barn and broke through the farmer's fence and tried his luck in the forest. The next day the older donkey was sold to a stranger who tied his reins to a post and fed him and made sure he had all he could drink; but he could not run free.
The younger donkey was free but he was very hungry, and had little food after a week. He wanted to go back to his old life of certainty and safety but he knew he would not be free if he gave himself up. When winter came the younger donkey was frail and weak but he still clung on to life. The older donkey was fat and plump and sired many children of which he would never see. When spring came the young weak donkey regained his strength and braved the forest once more. The now fat and round older donkey knew no such freedom but he kept dreaming of those distant green pastures of his childhood fantasy's with the younger donkey.
The seasons passed and the young donkey grew strong, fit and robust, full of spirit and lust of life free from the shackled of slavery and free to live in green pastures of which he dreamed. One day the now mighty wild donkey went to find his older friend in the farm he was sold to. He braved the forest once more and found his friend on the other side, still attached to his post; fat and plump but with no pastures of vibrant green and flowers in the air.
The brash donkey waited until night fell and with a might leap, he leapt over the fence and ripped the reins of his friend free from his post. But the older donkey did not move. The older donkey just gave an empty stare to his forgotten friend. The younger donkey said to his old friend "Come quickly we can leap over the fence and be free, I know where to find the green pastures, they are not dreams come quickly before the farmer wakes!".. But he was met no such enthusiasm... The older donkey simply kept repeating over and over with a blank stare "But how will you eat, how will you feed your family when you have no certain way of surviving? It is much more safe to take one risk with a new master than it is to take risks every day".. The younger donkey filled with rage gave a mighty kick and broke the post of his friend and screamed at him with all his might "You Must Run Free, Come With Me Now!". The older donkey stayed in place and repeated his same line, again and again to this strange and unfamiliar donkey who had broken his familiar post and older donkey knew no spirit. The younger donkey with streams tears in his eyes fled the scene and eventually sired strong children of his own in meadows of vibrant green and in the thick smell of blooming flowers; he was free.
One last time he when he was old and knew his last days were upon him, younger donkey went slowly down to his old fiend, though the same forest and came upon the farm. He gazed from a distance and saw his alien friend still standing in the same spot with his reins hanging loose, the fence now rotten and decrepit, the farmer out of town and with a zombie expression on the older donkeys plump face, mind and spirit lost repeating the same lines over and over to thin air "But how will you eat, how will you feed your family when you have no certain way of surviving? It is much more safe to take one risk with a new master than it is to take risks every day". The younger donkey stricken with old age now suddenly knew that his old friend had died long, long ago, upon the very night when he escaped from the barn, all those distant and fading years so long ago; but he just didn't know it.[/Spoiler]
TL;DR: Regretful elders say take risks to live a life that you love, because if do managed to succeed you can die a fulfilled person rather than like them. Sad but true, strike the iron when it is hot and don't fear the burns; live life on your terms. Control your destiny.
It was pretty similar... the older donkey is purchased by a cruel master and worked to death after a few years. The other donkey? He was eaten by a wolf the 2nd night. Moral of the story? Life isn't always pretty, especially if you aren't starting out ahead.
Ever hear the story of the two guys that wanted to make a ton of money off poker without working? One was an optimist, the other a pessimist. The first did well for a few years, but he died broke. The other opened a casino. Fin.
...
I'm going for "Eeeeerrrrp" or if a pirate gazebo "Aaaah! Me hinges"
...
Plus probably, one of the few times you want your voice acting to be wooden...
All the new voice acting on taking damage sound.
The oafs and aks of different voices and everyone trying to figure out who they belong to
Give us that as the anouncement and we'll all be happy
"Dragonspear Castle... Priests of Tempus erected a shrine within the castle walls to keep a lid on Dragonspear's monstrous emigrants..."
It would be excellent to have the Priest of Tempus kit from IWDEE in the Adventure Y (and subsequently in both BG EEs) and separate dialogues in the Castle and under it if your charname is the Priest of Tempus.
Also:
People, go and watch http://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/41603/behind-the-scenes-documentary-about-adventure-y. You simply don't want to miss it.
Hopefully things go well
This monster is even more frightening than the gazebo thing we all saw in Cuv's screenshots.