Game News Cyclopean Canceled

[CrimsonAngel]

It is to bad it sounded like a interesting project, but it is the nature of game making that sometimes things do not pan out.

To bad i was looking forward to go insane.

Any way back to our regular hate.
Bioware what a bunch of faggots am i right or am i right.

 

[Forest Dweller]

Well okay. But it didn't seem quite like that based on what he said. Specifically he mentioned not being able to finish it in five years as a deciding factor.

Five years is a long time. How many people would want to be involved with a project for over 5 years?

So...are you saying that he won't be willing to get back on it even if you guys come on board once AOD is done? Because by then it will definitely end up being more than five years.

That's not what I'm saying at all.

If that's the case, it would certainly make a lot of people feel better if he made another post saying the game was not "cancelled" but "on hold." Would definitely put my mind at rest.

 

[Twinfalls]

Vince has got a relentless, driving ambition to see AoD completed

The struggle of the artist with integrity* is a bit similar to the struggle of the politician with integrity. You have to work your ass off, you won't get paid much at all compared to the commercial alternatives you could seek, and if you get any press at all, it's most probably glib, sneering attacks. As a general rule politicians with integrity campaign for policy which is either not popular, or is popular but meets a barrage of media smears and misinformation. Cf artists either getting ignored in the press or getting sneering, dismissive reviews that treat complexity and craftsmanship as 'lame' and no fun.

*NB not the 99% of visual 'artists' out there in galleries who are poseur fuckwits leeching off a grant culture

 

[GuideBot]

That is not dead which can eternal... too soon?

It's a shame to see this project put on hold, to phrase it optimistically. I was definitely looking forward to the setting, especially as I was too terrified to ever escape the first chase sequence in Dark Corners of the Earth.

It is difficult to make an indie game when you are not an artist or especially a programmer. VD has been lucky with AoD that he has found such un-flaky team members, as he has said.

I hope that Scott goes on to work on another less ambitious project until this one can be given the attention it deserves. Something with more of the base work done already like Game Maker or Unity as has already been suggested, that will let him get a mockup or tech demo going to attract some team members, or just something simple enough that he can complete it himself.

 

[Jaesun]

I hope that Scott goes on to work on another less ambitious project

No. It is a brilliant concept and needs to be fully embraced and developed. period.

 

[thesheeep]

I was pretty excited about it.
Mainly because I simply didn't know that he was more or less the only person working on it

 

[entertainer]

lazy fucks cant finish games they started

 

[Davaris]

It sounds to me that all he needs is a programmer and artists to implement it, while he goes off and works on new projects. If that is the case, there is no need to cancel anything, just put a call out for a team.

IMO, Lovecraft is an opportunity that is just waiting to be done right as a computer game, so I don't see why people wouldn't be interested.

 

[ghostdog]

That's too bad, I was looking forward to it.

 

[Korgan]

What I've got is basically a ton of writing and nothing else.

Could make a decent text adventure out of that.

This. Do it! IF has a small but high-quality fanbase. A lot of contemporary IF has a very high standard. Excellent genre, really.

I was thinking the same thing. Couldn't Scott just give all of it to another team so it would be made into *something*?

 

[Pussycat669]

That's too bad to hear. The PC backgrounds really got me intrigued.

 

[Vault Dweller]

If that's the case, it would certainly make a lot of people feel better if he made another post saying the game was not "cancelled" but "on hold." Would definitely put my mind at rest.

Is there a difference?

 

[Davaris]

If you can't have the game, at least you can have the book.

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/5198

 

[Archibald]

If that's the case, it would certainly make a lot of people feel better if he made another post saying the game was not "cancelled" but "on hold." Would definitely put my mind at rest.

Is there a difference?

Gives a bit more to talk about for us

 

[JarlFrank]

Personally I think that he just went mad from designing a Cthulhu game and just needs a little rest to regain his sanity.

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

I'm starting to admire Vogel more and more. We need more developers that actually release their games and do it in less than two years from starting working on them.

 

[Naked Ninja]

Agreed.

Though, in fairness, Vogel developer his first game while at varsity (and having free time, oh how I wish I'd used those years more wisely) and iterated from there. A lot easier to make another title when you're using mature tools.

 

[hanssolo]

I'm starting to admire Vogel more and more. We need more developers that release the same games every two years

I agree.

 

[screeg]

It warms the empty chamber where once within me a human organ beat to read how much people liked what little of Cyclopean was revealed. In fact, I never suspected such a bunch of soft-hearted pussies hung out over here.

Regarding "canceling" or "putting on hold", I remember all the way back in the late 90's coming across indie game sites, sites that hadn't been updated in years, promising that the project was suffering a temporary delay, but Don't worry! Once I get a team together this game WILL get finished.

Before I even got into game development, I promised myself I would never ever do that. The project really is canceled. The content that is done hasn't been deleted, the concepts haven't been erased from my mind by brain fever. Maybe it will be revisited in future, maybe it won't, but I'm not going to string everyone along. What kind of a dick would I be then?

 

[Azrael the cat]

lazy fucks cant finish games they started

Yep. Were you successful at getting him to send you the source code? I'm assuming you're taking over the project from here. Good thing too - I'm glad to see the game in the hands of someone who knows what they're doing enough to realise that the inability of an indie developer to create a full-fledged crpg is a matter of laziness.

How long do you think you'll need to get it completed?


Re: the topic in general. It's an indie project. Get used to it. An indie crpg better than Vogels' happens very very very rarely. Vogel is a miracle-worker to be able to create the stuff he has at the rate he has. I find it amusing that the folks trashing his recycling of engines/materials (and his critics generally) are always the folks who have never attempted to create an indie crpg in their life, yet somehow are certain that indies will suddenly save the day, all with good graphics, AAA polish, balanced and complex combat, professional writing and huge C+C-infested gameworlds.

I'm not getting into the argument as to whether KotC or Prelude beats Geneforge 4-5 or not. That's beside the point. Games like prelude or G4/G5 are always going to be incredibly rare gems amongst the indie community, with the 'typical' indie game being vapourware, and most of those that remain being vastly outshined by the games just mentioned.

Credit ought to go where credit is due. Crpgs are tougher to make than wargames. A solo-developer or small indie team creating an entire crpg that is worth playing is an INCREDIBLE achievement. Making one that beats the AAA titles - even the crappy AAA titles - is simply mindblowing. I don't know whether Scars or AoD will end up being in the ballpark of later Vogel games, but even if they are simply mildly playable to kill a few hours, that's a titanic achievement that deserves some respect.

 

[Davaris]

yet somehow are certain that indies will suddenly save the day, all with good graphics, AAA polish, balanced and complex combat, professional writing and huge C+C-infested gameworlds.
.

That's never going to happen on an Indie project. At best they can be good at one thing, but not at all of those things.

As for Vogel, the man is a machine. Even with a completed engine and working full time, it would require enormous discipline to make an area per day, until your game is done. Most people even if they work hard, give in to perfectionism.

 

[Elwro]

Maybe it will be revisited in future, maybe it won't, but I'm not going to string everyone along. What kind of a dick would I be then?

 

[Forest Dweller]

If that's the case, it would certainly make a lot of people feel better if he made another post saying the game was not "cancelled" but "on hold." Would definitely put my mind at rest.

Is there a difference?

Of course there is, what kind of a retarded question is that? "On hold" means just that, it will be revisted at a later time; while "cancelled" means it's never coming back. All the difference in the world.

Regarding "canceling" or "putting on hold", I remember all the way back in the late 90's coming across indie game sites, sites that hadn't been updated in years, promising that the project was suffering a temporary delay, but Don't worry! Once I get a team together this game WILL get finished.

The difference there is that in those instances whether the guy actually gets a team is up in the air, whereas in your case Vince has already promised his team when AOD is done. So it's not the same thing at all. You're guaranteed a team eventually, so saying it's on hold wouldn't be stringing anyone along. Provided you can jump back into it when the time comes.

The only issue here is your will to see it through, or not.

 

[mondblut]

Because it's that easy, right?

Yes, when you're willing to invest into your pet project.

OTOH, when it comes to "hai guys, why don't you code for some years for free and you model for some years for free and I'll be Lead Designer with lotsa ideas", a wise man laughs and walks out. Modders are such modders, indeed.

Btw, Vogel works alone.

I am pretty sure he outsources art. Either way, if he did 20 fucking games in 15 years all by himself, or, say, two swedish teachers in their spare time as a hobby did the three Dominions games, yet someone else "needs a team" (and quite obviously an unpaid one, otherwise he wouldn't have problem having one), the latter should have been written off as a joke on day one.

 

[Naked Ninja]

The world needs more people who talk about things they know nothing about, glad to see the Codex is doing its part.