Is there a 1.3 Beta Release 2 being worked on??

[Arcane]

I nomitate the above post for post of the year.

[WhiteDove]

Why thank you, you are most kind!



-James

[MowerMan]

Well I payed my dues to this game also, and I have always appreciated everyone's efforts with both BZ1 and BZ2.

Truth is the truth though.  At times, Nathan made it sound like he was responsible for the whole game design, and nobody should dare even enter in any contary opinion to his.

I understand why many people don't like flying, and I understand why many people do.  It is not my opinion that the mere presence of the ability to fly limits any strategies, mathmatically or otherwise.  It is my opinion that someone using cheap tactics can indeed accomplish a loss of viable strategies.  As a rule, I did not fly in games, even though I was always quite capable (I can do more damage on the ground).

Buring the 1.3 BETA process, when this issue first came up, I voiced the opinion that flying could be rendered pretty much useless by improving the abilities of defensive units (closer convergance for GT's, turrets that can shoot straight up).  If flying was to be limited, then it should be an option that was defaulted on (flying limited by default).  Flying could have been easily limited too, by simply having a "auto-leveling slider".  If you cannot get the craft perpendicular to the planet surface, then you cannot fly for extended periods of time.  That stupid thrust damage is simply over the top.  Nobody would ever design a craft that way.  Damage should be dealt ou by the players themselves, and I know that is the original intent of the game designers (at least it was at the time).  Not by the ground, or buildings, and certainly not by your own trusters.  I won't even get into the service truck issue.

I too have spent thousands of hours in the development of this game (all the way back to the existance of only 6 single player missions).  When ever a patch was being worked on I've only had the patched version of the game running on my system.  I completed the single player campaign over 25 times.  Not to mention that I am a designer with a physics degree (so it's Clarkson and not MIT, still a good school) that has been into strategy gaming since the late 70's (Avalon Hill Bookshelf Games), and even the earliest computer strategy games (Chris Crawford's 1942: The Eastern Front).

For simply stating an opinion, I've been called a lamer, cheater, and even lair by members of this community, with that notion championed by Nathan (oh yeah, and spit on).  I am none of those things.  Nobody will meet a more honest person than me.  So of course to be dismissed out of hand, and have such aspersions cast against me is really gonna piss me off.  Especially when I've been one of the biggest supporters of BZ/BZ2 since before the release of BZ1.  For cryin out loud, my ex-wife throws the time I spent on BZ as one of the reasons for kicking me to the curb.

I did not reduce Nathan as a "hired hand", I meerly popinted out that he is not the all encompassing god of BZland.

[Spacecomber]

Hi Ken, since you've stopped by, I'd like to add my note of appreciation for what you and Nathan have been up to with the patch.  For me, the changes that have been made have helped keep this game interesting.  It's easy to tell that the game rests on a much more solid coding foundation, now.  

Although not a programmer, by any means, I think I can appreciate a little how much squashing bugs shades into virtually re-writing the game code.  Once the process starts, there's no telling exactly how it will turn out, about all that you can be sure of is that it isn't going to be the same.  

In any case, I look forward to seeing whatever else the two of you come up with down the road, should you guys find the time and energy to take this up again.

[BZ FeebleEffort]

yeah...yeah..yeah...(said..matter-of-factly)


Good to see you ole' Kenny-boy...But remember, I still go that Idea for the "BZ 2-ified SW-BF" in my head....So. if it shows up in that lil-old project of yours someday..I want the kudos.

And I will stand up for Mower here...He is a Damned honest bloke...a bit on the ugly-side..but damned honest in his sorta St-Bernardish kinda way...

And yes..I still think I owe him the next rounds of Beers.

[Bull Dog]

Hey MowerMan, how can you expect Ken to not to flame you/spit on you if you are doing the same back to him. Vise-versa if true also.  I see a bunch of little vicious "tit for tat" circles going around.  He is mean to me so I will me mean to him.  Personally I am getting sick of seeing people call each other names, spitting, ect, ect, ect.  A bit of diplomacy or if you can't swallow that then beat it.  

I like the 1.3 patch alot becuase of of the fact that it is better all the way around once you get used to it.  Exploiting a bug in a game is cheating to me bacause it follows my definition of cheating.

"Cheating is taking advantage of a bug/exploit/hack that you use to beat you non cheating oppoent and win.

My thanks to GSH/Ken Miller on working on this patch.

[Jwk the Hemp Monkey]

So you are essentially saying exactly what Mower man is. GSH fired the first shots, not the communuity, but thats blurred to oblivion now. I just want to get 1.3 out as quickly as possiable, as good as possiable and as MODDABLE as possiable, so that if people want flying etc etc, they can stick it in and others can Chose to download the mod *with* flying, or its closest equivlent within 1.3. I agree that 1.3 should not have flying as its default value. I personally hate flying, thing is, the OPTION to put some effort in and *make* it there (though odfs and alternative recs in mods etc) should exist. Other wise 1.3 isnt a patch, its a rewrite.

[Stone]

I think the short-and-dirty version of the message that's trying to be gotten across here is that if GSH stops firing the first shots, then things will be a lot cooler around here...

[Fishbone]

what part of "let it go" didnt you guys understand?