Subject:  "Infiltration 2.9 status and news" |
Author:
sublime-by-proxy
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Date Posted: 07:29:33 06/25/03 Wed
[this post is copied on just about every clan forum - thought y'all might like to see it]
First of all, I realize that this is probably long overdue, but I still feel it's needed. I just wanted to give everyone here a status update on Infiltration 2.9 as well as explain some other things about the development, time taken, and a few other things.
As of this writing, we have finally gotten every map at what we consider a gold status. That means, unless we find something wrong during testing, the maps are in the same state as they will be for the release. Given the complexity, size, and architecture of some of these maps, the level of polish and detail in them is nothing short of amazing. The fit and finish of these maps with respect to gameplay, design, and attention to detail is on par or better than 95% of the games I've seen out there. All of this has taken place while Beppo has cranked out update after update, fixing the remaining issues as well as making some final gameplay tweaks with respect to balance. At this point we have one or two small issues left to fix. Due to changes in the way the weapon pickup code works you can now open doors from 1-2 meters away. This will be fixed soon. We should be building RC3 this week or weekend, depending on a small issue or two. After the RC is built, we'll test every aspect of it, from installers to maps to gameplay, making any other tweaks or adjustments as needed. However, we've taken every step we can take to ensure that we've done everything we can to have this be the final release candidate so hopefully those tweaks will be either minimal or non-existent. That's where we stand as of this minute.
For the development process as a whole, yes, it's taken quite a bit longer than we anticipated. Longer than anyone has anticipated. While I could make excuses that you wouldn't believe until I'm blue in the face, I'll simply tell the truth instead. We took longer than we planned. The reasons for this are ones you may or may not believe and most likely nothing I say will change your mind on that. We do this in our spare time, working on it through our vacations, lunch breaks, and away from those we love. There is a saying in software development called the 90-90 rule: The first 90% of a system takes 90% of the time. The last 10% takes the other 90% of the time. That has been the case here as well, I'm afraid. The groundwork was laid out pretty well during that first 90%, making us honestly think we were near release at any given moment. This has continued through the remaining 90% of the time. We never misled anyone, including ourselves, about the state of Infiltration 2.9, as we honestly felt release was imminent at any moment. I know that many of you are thinking, "What makes now any different? How do you know that you're really close this time and that 'soon' isn't just a running joke anymore?". The honest answer is that we don't. However, I feel so strongly about it this time that I am reaching out to you now, coming into your worlds, and telling you that it's close. This is not a publicity stunt as I'm sure there will be backlash to this post saying, "Too little, too late." but I want you guys to know where we're coming from and where we stand.
For the lack of news, I'm afraid part of that is my fault. I continued the beta logs as long as I could, but my own personal time got cut down to so little, between Infiltration and work, that I had to make a choice. So, rather than cut back on the time I spent on Infiltration 2.9 itself, I cut back on the time I spent communicating with the community. I wish that I had been able to continue it, but even those 15-20 minutes I spent on the updates started to add up to be too much time away from my friends, family, and life. I will try to post small bits of news when time permits, but I can't promise that they will be frequent or lengthy, just that I will try to get them done as much as I can.
In closing, all that I ask is that you give 2.9 a try when it comes out. Many of us have worked very hard on it and it's something that I am personally very proud of. We hope you like it.
[originally from ...]
Michael 'sublime' Lawson
Infiltration Beta Team Leader.
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