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Hi everyone,
Well, I'm pretty clumsy with words, but I couldn't let this pass without trying to express my feelings on the matter.. so please forgive the awkwardness of this message.
I personally find it very rewarding when I can contribute to a project that brings pleasure to a lot of people. We had a great team working on B5, and we deeply felt that we were creating something that gamers would love. But when Sierra canceled our project and kicked us to the curb, we were devastated.
At that time, the support we had from this community was tremendous. Knowing that so many others were outraged at the cancellation and passionate about what we were doing - it made all the difference. Even if it never resulted in the game being finished, it was still a tremendous help for us when we needed it the most. I will always be grateful to everyone here for that.
And I also want to extend a special thanks to Rick for his years of work to try to bring this game into being. I don't understand where he got all his energy and dedication from, but I really appreciate the extraordinary lengths he went through.
- Dan
Well, I'm pretty clumsy with words, but I couldn't let this pass without trying to express my feelings on the matter.. so please forgive the awkwardness of this message.
I personally find it very rewarding when I can contribute to a project that brings pleasure to a lot of people. We had a great team working on B5, and we deeply felt that we were creating something that gamers would love. But when Sierra canceled our project and kicked us to the curb, we were devastated.
At that time, the support we had from this community was tremendous. Knowing that so many others were outraged at the cancellation and passionate about what we were doing - it made all the difference. Even if it never resulted in the game being finished, it was still a tremendous help for us when we needed it the most. I will always be grateful to everyone here for that.
And I also want to extend a special thanks to Rick for his years of work to try to bring this game into being. I don't understand where he got all his energy and dedication from, but I really appreciate the extraordinary lengths he went through.
- Dan
Comments
The decision was easy once I met everyone--The whole ItF crew was so tightly knit; The word team was really a misnomer--it was the ItF development [i]family[/i].
I still remember the Sunday we were talking about the muiltithreading aspect of the game-- when it all came together-- and I realized, for the very first time, that this was a project like no other, even without the B5 element.
The real shame here is that so many developers are now only starting to touch upon some of the technical and design-related aspects that ITF was going to have; so if I have one regret, it's that you, Marc, Randy and the others won't get credit for being the first (even though you were).
I don't regret a moment of time I spent on this--I'm far the richer, because from it I gained a pool of close friends--friends I care deeply for, and repect very much.
-Rick
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[i]"...In the end it would hold because what is built endures. And what is loved endures.
And Babylon 5...Babylon 5 endures."[/i] -- Delenn in the Babylon 5 episode [i]Rising Star[/i]
When I think about game development in general, I'd use the ItF team (in its many iterations) as a textbook case for how it SHOULD be done (interference from the suits notwithstanding, of course. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img] ).
Thanks for the kind words, Dan. Great to hear from you.
Just out of curiosity, where did you guys get Rick from? [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]
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Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
The Balance provides. The Balance protects.
"Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
[This message has been edited by Biggles (edited 06-18-2001).]
From the tales i have heard of the ItF team, i only can say that i hope to have a family life as (i can't find the word.. the direct translation from the german word erfuellt would me fullfilled or something like that, but i don't know if that's something you could say in english too) great as your work in the ItF team was. Your work might never see the light of our CD-Rom drives, but it has, by everything that we believe in, changed all our lives to the better.
we can only thank you (being everyone of the original ItF Team, everyone at S14S and the FirstOnes staff) for your efforts, and may Valen be with you [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/wink.gif[/img]
RubberEagle
I have never before seen such a dedicated group of individuals, but as I look around (well, so to speak) now, I see people who are so intensely focused, committed, and generally persistant that I can be nothing less that overjoyed. No matter the situation, we have held together. This is just another test. While the game was our primary, unifying force, we have gone further than the it and have become a strong, stable community. We have our ups and our downs, but we have triumphed against avdersity and come out very well. I can say very little more now, other that I am just so proud to be here and to have been a part of this group [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img] Thanks, Guys! (and the one or two girls here [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img])
[img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/wink.gif[/img]
And Dan, it was especially a pleasure to work together with you on the same project after so many years from the time I first met you before Sierra!
Boy does life take directions you never thought you'd go eh?
[img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/biggrin.gif[/img]
Onwards my friends, we have yet another exciting road ahead.......
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'The future is all around us' G'kar
'I have no surviving enemies! None what so ever!' Galen
Visit my B5 site at: [url="http://babylon5.acmecity.com/alliance/110"]http://babylon5.acmecity.com/alliance/110[/url]
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Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
The Balance provides. The Balance protects.
"Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
I was trying to get a job at Sierra, and had mentioned the place to him. He got a job there, and it took me 2 years before I went to work there.
Towards the end, we worked on the same project. That was cool...
The dude is an A#1 programmer, Microsoft is lucky to have him!
[img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/biggrin.gif[/img]
That was in May; I was working at YE by August...
I second Jack; Microsoft's game division is lucky to have Dan. (He's already heard this) I'd work for him again anytime on any project.
Three cheers for PDF! [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/biggrin.gif[/img]
[img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/shad.gif[/img]
[b]I was trying to get a job at Sierra[/b][/quote]
Hindsight's 20/20, huh? [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]
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Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
The Balance provides. The Balance protects.
"Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
Yes, I've known Jack longer than anyone else at Sierra. This was back in oh, 1988? The little tiny company I was working for was going under, and I hooked up to the local BBS community (this was before the internet was available outside of academic circles).
At that time, Jack was running a BBS with his amiga.
Boy, thinking about this again, I realize that I miss living there in Oakhurst, with everyone I knew there. Oh, well. Maybe I'll be able to meet up with a few of you guys when I come up there this summer.
- Dan
How's life as a dad going? Enjoying the twins?
I remember the days of the BBS's. The reason I like this place so much is it is so similar (if a bit larger, faster and prettier). I used to spend an hour a day playing LORD2 on one BBS. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]
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Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
The Balance provides. The Balance protects.
"Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
Thank you for the whole of you for attempting to make what would have been a great game. The developers of this project were closer than what I've seen in many games since.
Special thanks to David, Marc, Stuart, John, Dan, Jeff, and anyone else that I'm forgetting for showing me around that day three years ago (can't belive it's been that long). It saddens me to think that out of all the people on this board which has remained so utterly dedicated to this game, I am one of the select few to have played it. Special thanks to Dan which let me play the game on his computer, Jeff for hanging around, and Stuart for showing me not only some awesome eyecandy, but some of the models as well. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img] John, thanks for the run down of the AI stuff, which was really insightful. Marc, your design stuff was sweet. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img] David G., if you still read this stuff, thanks for the posters, magnets, mousepads, and watch. Dan, thanks for the other watch. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]
To the fans, thanks for remaining with us all these years. It's unbelievable the kind of crowd that we have here. Others have said tons on this topic...their words reflect mine as well.
Rick and the rest of your squad...thank you for the attempt. Much props to you. I remember fondly of the phone conversations we had three years ago.
I remember talk of all these Sierra promo goodies which were stuck in a warehouse when this game was cancled three years ago. I wonder what happened to all that?
[This message has been edited by Grinner (edited 06-21-2001).]
Fatherhood = great, but I can't describe it. I am certain that some of the great emotional satisfaction is instinctive; but I don't care. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/wink.gif[/img]
Fatherhood is, however, murder upon your free time and hobbies. I haven't sat down a played a computer game for 4.5 months (and I have a big backlog: finish Thief2 & then do NOLF, SysShock2, EliteForce)
RTIS: The simulations have acquired closed loop feedback control for cranial position and orientation placement. Early roll-over locomotin is imminent. (i.e. they can hold their heads up on their own and roll over.) Please remember that although they are almost 5 months, they arrived 6 weeks early.
Started solid food about a month ago. Sleeping 10pm - 5am (a HUGE improvement).
I too miss Oakhurst; even Theresa talks about the good times we had there. Like any job, people grumbled; but I am pretty sure that I would still be there if the studio was. (Heck, T & I even talked about my going to CodeMasters... but that was before their big layoff.)
No 20/20 hindsight or regrets for me. I wish things had turned out different, but that is all.
Well, I do have one regret; Jack and I were supposed to go camping up in the mountains... but I was never there for a Summertime in the Sierras.
Wish you could be here John...
[img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/wink.gif[/img]
[quote]Originally posted by Biggles:
[b]You mean his advanced baby simulations? [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/biggrin.gif[/img]
I remember the days of the BBS's. The reason I like this place so much is it is so similar (if a bit larger, faster and prettier). I used to spend an hour a day playing LORD2 on one BBS. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]
[/b][/quote]
LORD 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ah the good old days of BBS access, before I got the net
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Omega X
AKA Evil Kosh everywhere else
'This journey has ended, another begins... Time to rest.'
- Lorien, Sleeping In Light
[url="http://welcome.to/b5"]Babylon 5 Command & Control[/url]
[This message has been edited by Omega X (edited 06-22-2001).]
Are you referring to the poster, watches and mouse pads that they sold at cost last year? Or was there more promotional material that we never saw?
I would love to get my hands on another couple of posters and watches.
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Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
The Balance provides. The Balance protects.
"Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
I'm just glad to have been part of something special. It's quite possible that the game could never have fully lived up to the expectations of the firstones crew. Maybe it's right that B5:ITF remains the stuff of legends.
After all, Sheridan was never buried, he went to the rim.
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possibly futile, but very human.
[img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/biggrin.gif[/img]
B5:Itf not meet the expectations of FirstOnes???
Who do you think we were asking for the feature lists from?
[img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/wink.gif[/img]
[b]There probably was, and I doubt they got rid of all the stuff they had.
I would love to get my hands on another couple of posters and watches.
[/b][/quote]
Yeah I would too. My order for the poster failed to go through that time, and it was too late when I found out to re-order, they were all gone. Sob!. Nobody willing to sell their nice uncreased IFT poster?
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'The future is all around us' G'kar
'I have no surviving enemies! None what so ever!' Galen
Visit my B5 site at: [url="http://babylon5.acmecity.com/alliance/110"]http://babylon5.acmecity.com/alliance/110[/url]
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Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
The Balance provides. The Balance protects.
"Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
[b]I managed to get one of each, but that was all.
[/b][/quote]
Lucky sod! Wanna sell the spair one? heeee!
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'The future is all around us' G'kar
'I have no surviving enemies! None what so ever!' Galen
Visit my B5 site at: [url="http://babylon5.acmecity.com/alliance/110"]http://babylon5.acmecity.com/alliance/110[/url]
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Never eat anything bigger than your own head.
The Balance provides. The Balance protects.
"Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
[b]I don't have a spare one. One of each means single.
[/b][/quote]
me apologise... me not speak/read english very well... me been here very short time. No me not related to Zathras....
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'The future is all around us' G'kar
'I have no surviving enemies! None what so ever!' Galen
Visit my B5 site at: [url="http://babylon5.acmecity.com/alliance/110"]http://babylon5.acmecity.com/alliance/110[/url]