ETA?

First of all, let me say that I completely understand the EB team's policy of not telling us when the game's going to be done. There's no way they can be expected to be accurate and it would create a lot of unneeded stress for them to get it done at the appointed time. However, it would be nice if they'd give us SOME kind of ETA for it. It could even be as basic as just telling us what season of what year it currently looks like it will be done by. It'd be perfectly easy to just add a disclaimer that they aren't by any means certain, and if they did create an ETA, it would satiate the "are we there yet?" crowd. Just a suggestion from someone who is eagerly awaiting this great new project. -M

I think the ETA is just to far off to say anything. I mean you've seen how many previews have been released. Not many. Which means we will have at least 20 more faction previews before the game is out, and if you consider it will be good if they came every month, it will be at least two years till the first release imho... The Gaza campaign may come much sooner though

they are waiting for alexander to return from the ether so they can present it to him .. and that he might then travel back and simulate conquering the "known world" ,courtesy of SEGA and CA...

or sometime this decade?

Originally Posted by anubis88

I think the ETA is just to far off to say anything. I mean you've seen how many previews have been released. Not many. Which means we will have at least 20 more faction previews before the game is out, and if you consider it will be good if they came every month, it will be at least two years till the first release imho... The Gaza campaign may come much sooner though

What makes you think that we would preview all the factions before release, or that all the factions would be in the first release? It wasn't what happened with EB.

Originally Posted by bobbin

What makes you think that we would preview all the factions before release, or that all the factions would be in the first release? I wasn't what happened with EB.

Hm... Interesting... Didn't think of that. I just took that for granted. I think i started playing EB once all the current factions were in, so i didn't know that.
It's incouriging though, what you said just now. However, thinking everything you have in mind to do, just what you announced already, it seems EB II is the most massive project of any TW mod ever, so i would guess it will take quite some time to make it playable.

I for one am not in a rush to see EB II released, since to play it i will have to buy a new PC, and franky i don't have the money right now:)
So take your time :D

Actually a playable Beta is done, we just feel like keeping it to ourselves.

Short version: Volunteer work is always irregular, so you can´t expect any ETA.
Long version: The people who work on the EB team do it in their free time, which by definition is the time you have left after doing your obligations. Sometimes you are willing to spend your free time working on a mod for a game, other times you prefer to do something else with your time (like passing time with your family). You can´t expect the EB team to spend every bit of free time they have working on the mod, so in the end advance is irregular and development time depends on how much of their free time each modder is putting into working on the mod. To this add that modding is a very time consuming hobby, and you get the idea why mods take so long to do.

So please, the least we can do is to let the team to work at their pace and don´t insist in asking over and over again "when it´s ready?" but instead if you have so much free time as to being "bored" waiting for EB, you could ask yourself "how can i help?". There are several projects like the faces project, or the film project, whose intent is just that, to offer something people can help without being team members. If you can´t helpt with that, you can always donate for server maintenance, every bit helps. Or if you don´t want or can´t do anything of that, then at least you could just don´t make a new thread asking when it´s done, which gives 1 extra minute of time free for the EB team to work on the mod instead of answering your post.

Originally Posted by oudysseos

Actually a playable Beta is done, we just feel like keeping it to ourselves.

What is it with you Oudysseos and giving out information that makes me all excited? Personally I think we are in a win win situation, the sooner it arrives the sooner we can play it, the longer it takes the better it will be when it does come, nobody loses. Personally i would rather wait longer.

Remember it's April 1 this day, maybe what the team tells us today day is to be taken with a pinch of salt.

Originally Posted by Bucefalo

Short version: Volunteer work is always irregular, so you can´t expect any ETA.
Long version: The people who work on the EB team do it in their free time, which by definition is the time you have left after doing your obligations. Sometimes you are willing to spend your free time working on a mod for a game, other times you prefer to do something else with your time (like passing time with your family). You can´t expect the EB team to spend every bit of free time they have working on the mod, so in the end advance is irregular and development time depends on how much of their free time each modder is putting into working on the mod. To this add that modding is a very time consuming hobby, and you get the idea why mods take so long to do.

So please, the least we can do is to let the team to work at their pace and don´t insist in asking over and over again "when it´s ready?" but instead if you have so much free time as to being "bored" waiting for EB, you could ask yourself "how can i help?". There are several projects like the faces project, or the film project, whose intent is just that, to offer something people can help without being team members. If you can´t helpt with that, you can always donate for server maintenance, every bit helps. Or if you don´t want or can´t do anything of that, then at least you could just don´t make a new thread asking when it´s done, which gives 1 extra minute of time free for the EB team to work on the mod instead of answering your post.

Without words.

Originally Posted by anubis88

I think the ETA is just to far off to say anything. I mean you've seen how many previews have been released. Not many. Which means we will have at least 20 more faction previews before the game is out, and if you consider it will be good if they came every month, it will be at least two years till the first release imho... The Gaza campaign may come much sooner though

Two year seems a bit much. I'd say wait half a year - then notice how the team will need another half - and buy a new notebook in that time. While no-one can say how long it's going to take, you can just check the previews/twitter and see what has been more or less done and what hasn't. At this moment, I think we can assume a broad range of barbarian, North-African and some hellenistic units have been done or are near completion. On the field of steppe, arabian, roman or punic units/buildings, very few material has been released... which indicates imho alot of work still has to be done on these cultures. I wouldn't expect to be anywhere near the completion of EB2 so long as we haven't seen much more of these cultures, either in previews or at least in twitter-indications.

In the meantime, I've got a good reason not to buy a new notebook. Thanks for that EB-team,

Andy

Originally Posted by Andy1984

In the meantime, I've got a good reason not to buy a new notebook. Thanks for that EB-team,

Andy

Didn't anybody tell you? EB 2 is for the Wii.

These threads pop up all the time, there was one last week, now there is this one...

Suggestion(s)

1) Ludens lock them as soon as he notices. That will stop the "begging for sweets". We are not a bunch of children, show some patience and restraint.

2) at certain time intervals (with CWiF it is every month), someone from the team takes half an hour to do an update here.


Everybody is happy. Or everybody is equally discontent, either way, the begging for sweets stops.

Originally Posted by oudysseos

Actually a playable Beta is done, we just feel like keeping it to ourselves.

well, it was shared with me.

I hate April. You're a very twisted and sadistic person, oudysseos.

personally i think this could be done before 2011. i am constantly astounded how much work is finished but hasnt been shared. i really hope thats not giving too much away...

You should put in the rules, next to no Lorica Segmentata threads, no ETA threads, Be PACIENT! It will be done, when it's done

Btw, I know that oudysseus will find it ironic that i'm telling someone else to be pacient, well, just FWY i've learned to restrain myself

~Jirisys (gtg, cya! aghhhhh!)

I think people misunderstood the purpose of this thread. I wasn't asking the EB team to give a release date - I've been here for a year and a half, I've read the FAQ multiple times, I know they aren't going to do that. I was merely suggesting that a guesstimate could be a solution to all the "when's it going to be done" threads. If the EB team doesn't think that will work, ok, no harm in making a suggestion. As for helping out in the project, I'd be happy to, although I don't have any programming experience, so I'm not sure how much help I'd be. On the plus side, I am a classics major, so I'm sure I could be of help on the researching end, if you need it. I'll leave that up to the EB team about whether or not they could use my help. -M

Originally Posted by Mulceber

I think people misunderstood the purpose of this thread. I wasn't asking the EB team to give a release date - I've been here for a year and a half, I've read the FAQ multiple times, I know they aren't going to do that. I was merely suggesting that a guesstimate could be a solution to all the "when's it going to be done" threads. If the EB team doesn't think that will work, ok, no harm in making a suggestion. As for helping out in the project, I'd be happy to, although I don't have any programming experience, so I'm not sure how much help I'd be. On the plus side, I am a classics major, so I'm sure I could be of help on the researching end, if you need it. I'll leave that up to the EB team about whether or not they could use my help. -M

I know that, but people need to learn that a mod is a different thing to do that a game, more if it isn't coming from an enterprise, because as bucefalo said, volunteer work is always irregular, if you want to help, there's the help required thread stickied, and they have told a lot of times that an ETA or a release date is not possible to give, because of the irregularity of volunteer work

~Jirisys (i want an ETA too, but, i can wait until the EB team posts it)

The longer the wait, the better, in my opinion. Far better to have a stable first release in the far future than a buggy, incomplete build rushed out in half-a-year.

Very true - as a fan of Knights of the Old Republic (the sequel was extremely rushed) I can definitely agree that a late good release is much better than a bad early release. -M

Originally Posted by Mulceber

Very true - as a fan of Knights of the Old Republic (the sequel was extremely rushed) I can definitely agree that a late good release is much better than a bad early release. -M

i doubt its going to be any better with the 3rd release. last i heard they were making it an mmorpg

Originally Posted by Mulceber

Very true - as a fan of Knights of the Old Republic (the sequel was extremely rushed) I can definitely agree that a late good release is much better than a bad early release. -M

The sequel wasn't made by the Bioware, but the Obsidian Entertainment, so the games were developed by two different teams. Also Lucasarts forced the Obsidian to release the second one unfinished.

Originally Posted by Huene

i doubt its going to be any better with the 3rd release. last i heard they were making it an mmorpg

The MMORPG is called The Old Republic, and it won't be the third episode of the KOTOR series, but a seperate game, as I know.

On topic: I wonder how much I will play with EB2 when it comes out... ;o

Bioware = Baldur's Gate, Tales of the Sword Coast, Shadows of Amn & Throne of Bhaal. Did they ever make anything else? They did, but the BG Saga was definetaly their best achievement so far though Planescape was revolutionary in its own way.

Need I say I am a BG fan and have played it for 7 years now?

Very OT, and with the thread so derailed I think I will refrain from posting more in it and ask again for my suggestion to be carried out.

Originally Posted by Macilrille

Bioware = Baldur's Gate, Tales of the Sword Coast, Shadows of Amn & Throne of Bhaal. Did they ever make anything else? They did, but the BG Saga was definetaly their best achievement so far though Planescape was revolutionary in its own way.

Need I say I am a BG fan and have played it for 7 years now?

Very OT, and with the thread so derailed I think I will refrain from posting more in it and ask again for my suggestion to be carried out.

Anything else? Mass Effect 1 & 2, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 1, Dragon Age: Origins and Awakening, Jade Empire, NeverWinter Nights 1 and the expansions. :p

Sorry for the OT

Originally Posted by Apázlinemjó

The MMORPG is called The Old Republic, and it won't be the third episode of the KOTOR series, but a seperate game, as I know.

the old republic is suppost to be #3,4,5,6,7 and 8. it was in some gamer magizine

I'm no EB development team member, just someone who used to play EB campaigns and multiplayer battles. I'm no futurist either, mind you, but since this whole guesstimate business is a vague and ambiguous one, I'll give my two cents. From my following of EB, observing various previews, and so on and so forth, I'll have to guesstimate that the well-done version of EB, say the equivalent of EB 1.2 for EBII, something that isn't a first release but a well-ironed one, will be in existence sometime in mid to late 2012, if not early 2013. NOTE: This would not be a first release or an RC, but a finalized version. Also note that by this time software and hardware has improved so far as to make games like EB (on a technical basis) obsolete.

There is a tendency amongst enthusiastic fans to interpret even a guestimate as a good indication, and start calculating when they can expect alpha's, beta's, etc. Furthermore, on what basis should they guess? Bucefalo got it right: the amount of hours put into EB2 vary wildly over the weeks, so the team can not even begin to calculate how much time they need to finish. This and other factors contribute to the "guestimate" being nothing more than a wild guess.

Lastly, the majority of ETA threads (this thread being an honourable exception) seem to be made by people who did not read the FAQ or do a forum search, so I am not sure a guestimate thread would help. More likely it would simply be filled with requests for updates and more detailed status-reports.

A locked sticky with the title "EB II will be released on this date", but containing the text "When it's done" would probably get rid of most of those threads.