Question for the developers

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Daveebee

Charter Member
I have a question. Will it be possible for further information as to the release of Phase 3 and how it is going to proceed. I,of course realise that I have been on the pre-order list for a relatively short time compared with some of the longer standing members.
 
Yep, I'd like to know too. I remember pre-ordering, but after the great forum crash of 2008 I'm not 100% sure I've been 'captured'. Paranoid? Perhaps. What would Ozzy say?

Anyone got news?
 
You pre-ordered on the OFF website. This old boy is the OFF Forum, part of SOH, two different animals.

Plus if you think-back to your pre-order, it was simply to record the number of interested parties, and their location. And it was FREE

So do keep your shirt on :ernae:
 
My shirt, as you say, is on. I said in my post that I requested my details be included on the pre-order list and that I would receive an acknowledgement by e-mail. Unfortunately I didn't. The breakdown of the forum a few weeks ago means that I can't be sure that my name ever went on it. This is an opinion that I've seen before on this forum.
 
Well, there are but two ways to look at the situation:

OPTOMISTICALY . . The Email response was never generated by a person shackeled to the wall in Polovski's basement. It was done by a business program, said program might respond immediately ( doubtful )
At the end of the business day, 2 days, 3 days, a week.
It couldn't handle the load, and so was sacked
No time to alter the website
The Developers have their attentions focused on Phase 3, and little else

PESSAMISTICALY . . I've been left off the list, it's all a plot
The sky is falling

You my friend, are a captive audience . . . CHOOSE :ernae:
 
I accept that the developers have their eyes on the ball,no problems with that. It's just that with not receiving a confirmation of inclusion on the pre-order list (however it would be sent) and knowing that there was a major problem with the information on the forum,I feel justified in making an enquiry. My question was,and still is, that as the release is now, as they(the developers) have said the 'Main Page' for at least a couple of months that Off3 is 'Almost ready' . Have they finalised the method of distribution?
 
Not trying to be deliberately nasty. Merely playing the Devil's Advocate.

What are YOU going to do about it, if in fact they are in a quandry about the final method of distribution

What Method would YOU suggest, to spur on the release date?

It has been said, that a Smith & Wesson beats four Kings in Poker.

Right Now . . you've just got a handfull of cards :ernae:
 
Davee, your question was/is valid, but don't worry too much about an answer. I think that very soon now there will be a release. And i wouldn't worry too much about an acknowledgement of order. Once the release is made , the devs whole attention will be given to distribution and then you can find out.
I have always intended to buy P3, but not being a pre-order guy, I haven't pre ordered. I will order soon after release. I don't think that will mean i have to wait months before they press a disc for me. I think they've got it cranked up to produce the discs in reasonably quick order.

Getting exciting, ain't it? :)
 
I dont think it is gonna take more than one month for everyone to get their copy. Its not that hard to burn DVDs. If each burn lasts 10 minutes (with placing the disc in case ejecting/inserting the disc etc.) then you got about 55 discs in 10 hours. And I dont think that WM is gonna burn the whole world's DVDs! The guys of OBD in Europe will burn the discs for Europeans, the Yankees for the other Yankees the guys Down Under etc for the guys Down Under.. so lets say that we have 5 people burning then in one day we will have about 330 copies...
Still worried? :costumes:
The development is the hard part :isadizzy:. Trust me. I know a little Java and it is very exhausting work :censored:.
 
PATIENCE. A minor form of despair disguised as a virtue.

Ambrose Bierce 1842-1914, American Author, Editor, Journalist, ''The Devil's Dictionary''


Note that he called it a "minor" form of despair...:costumes:
 
I think you have a great point, Daveebee and one which I've hit upon in various threads. P3 has been hyped since last February. At that time, they were "getting close," and they needed to collect pre-order information from us. Now, just a few weeks ago, I saw a post from a developer stating that they were almost (again, that wonderful word designed especially for developers) finished with the beta testing and would have to turn their attention to the distribution issues. I guess my question would be "what have you been doing all this time if you're just now getting to this question? So, I think the question is fair, but I see none of the developers have been forthright in answering it.

I am sure now I'll get the usual angry storm of protest, or repeated cries for patience, when all we want is information and we do not mean any disrespect to the developers or their work.
 
Yes we have finalised a method. No we aren't ready to discuss it yet as the detail has to be agreed, signed, small print etc etc. Also we can't go ahead until P3 really is finally complete.

When we know you will know immediately.

The pre orders DOES have an autoreply. Some people will get that stopped by spam filters maybe,but it does send a mail out.

No I can't reply to the many people who email the pre-orders address.

Spending time in the forums answering more questions just means we are not working on OFF. Your choice :)

It has cost you nothing except an email so far so nothing lost.

What have we been doing? Check out the features list.

We have told everyone all along what we are doing and what stage we are at. We are currently many many versions into testing (we have to test EVERYTHING) and then fixing issues that come up, which means another test version, is released and installed, and then we have to check what we fixed.. and even adding new features along the way. That might give you a taste of the enormous amount of work.

I am not gong to try to explain how hard this is to do in our "spare" time or the incredible amount of time it takes to do things (one example..editing 40 of files manually (all different) , then testing, in sim, then adjusting, then repeat 10 times, 3am passes...

We have 12 sims in 1 the front line changes so 1 change to an airfield that might also switch sides as the lines move is 12 changes (each one lengthy process).

When we started we thought 3 phases with a few aircraft - would take a year or so. We were out by about 4 years, you do the maths.

There is no way we can give a date until it's done. When no issues are reported (and they are getting to be minor issues now).. then it's done. If we spend 6 hours in an evening working on something, it doesn't leave much time to do distribution, but still we have worked on it.

We thought we'd be ready mid year, well we weren't. We aren't pretending to work, we are working, every evening and weekend.. oh and we have families too. Until you open the can-o-worms you have no idea what's coming.

All you have to do is hang in there and play P2, I know that's tough but not a lot to ask ;)
 
None gets angry, they only point out Fact. We are consumers, the only power we have, is to threaten to take your business elsewhere. Well in this case, there is no elsewhere

They had a Deadline for the introduction of Phase 2. It was a disaster best forgotten.
Have you ever searched and searched for a Rail Road Yard to no avail ?

Tracks, Tracks . . . We don't need no stinking Tracks.

RR Yards were added at the last minute.

Had to meet the Deadline

SOON :costumes::costumes::costumes:
 
CaptainScott said:
I guess my question would be "what have you been doing all this time if you're just now getting to this question? So, I think the question is fair, but I see none of the developers have been forthright in answering it.

I am sure now I'll get the usual angry storm of protest, or repeated cries for patience, when all we want is information and we do not mean any disrespect to the developers or their work.
Click to expand...

Not angry Captain, but it's been put in perspective, as Pol has done.
There has been a lot of information.
Now, compare the feedback these guys have given us to that from KOTS , or ROF as is now known - a sim with 2 or so flyable planes and maybe a mission builder !
However, the amount of stuff we are about to get is light years more than ROF- which will be at least next year, sometime.

IMHO, when we get this phase 3, it will be a significant leap in combat flight simming, as was RB3d, IL2 and F4.

You count how many WOW posts there will be when chaps are flying it.!!
 
Hi Pol,Thanks for your reply, I ,off course have every intention of converting my interest that I have declared into a purchase.
 
All I have to add to this is that Im happier than a pig in s:censored:t! I've been hoping for something like this for a long long time, through the days of RB, RB2, RB3D, DoA, and FC. I got an Auto Response from the pre-order adress. As for distribution Im happy any way they can get this to us, keep perfecting the game and worry about payment and distribution when its complete. You cant cross a bridge you havn't come to yet.

Guess Im just a happy camper that will do whatever it takes to get my grubby paws on this amazing feat of historical and technological genious.

:ernae: -Rooster
 
I have already converted my interest and have pre-ordered a copy. If the option were available, I would have already PAID you for it on pre-order. You've got me as a customer, to be sure.

I'll shut up now, as I've received the anticipated response (i.e., don't ask), and wait for the release of P3 like everyone else.
 
Polovski said:
All you have to do is hang in there and play P2, I know that's tough but not a lot to ask ;)
Click to expand...


Yep,

The *^*&#ing game will be released when it's released. Why do you guys think Oleg got pissed OFF to the point where he more or less stopped even communicating with people on the UBIzoo forums??? Nevermind the hinderance of his having to waste valuable time providing an entire play-by-play of the development advancements on a minute-by-minute basis...after a while, it just becomes downright annoying to hear the same rhetorical questions over and over and over and over and.....you get the picture, right?

Yep,

There are some questions as to how the distribution logistics are falling into place. Regardless, it would only make sense that the developers are as eager to release and distribute the bloody thing as we are to be able to enjoy it. Sooooooo.....why don't we all just leave them alone for a bit and let them get to it??


Cheers,

Parky
 
The way I look at it is that the enthusiastic and very helpful developers/beta testers of OFF3, are doing their very best to ensure that we do not get the thing I hate with newly released PC games/sims.

Namely the day that the games/sim is released or maybe a week later a patch is posted on the developers website, to fix a problem that should have been sorted before the games/sim was released, but due to the publishers clamouring for money and the fact that the game/sim has already over run its predicted release schedule by 3 months and the publiishers are getting desperate for a return on their investment.

This leads to the buying public getting disenchanted with the publisher and if any sequels are released the public are wary of them as well.

I am unable to comment on phase 1 as I have never played it, but if anyone wants to see what the original version of phase 2 was like I suggest that you install it without the patches and play it for a week or so.

I personally prefer it fully patched and while I realise that phase 3 will have updates in the future (from what has been said by Pol and others) I hope that this only needs to entail additional fronts and aircraft as opposed to any major updates that should have been in the original phase 3.

By the way I am just as impatient as the rest of you for phase 3 to be released BUT I would prefer to wait a few months longer and get a complete bug free add on for CFS3.

Members of the OFF3 team note I am not having a swipe at you here, I think you are doing a great job and I know you will maintain the high standards that you have set for yourselves, and which we on this forum have come to expect from you, in other words keep upp the good work

Thanks
Rugbyfan1972
 
We are talking about 15GB of data here! They sure need lots of testing! And hell this statement here sure made me optimistic:
Polovski said:
There is no way we can give a date until it's done. When no issues are reported (and they are getting to be minor issues now).. then it's done.
Click to expand...
It's getting close...
 
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