Most recent KS update

[Tridus]

Didn't make it to the forum, so here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/arcengames/ai-war-ii/posts/1731960

What actually got my attention was mostly in the comments:

If we were to pursue a relaunch around that period, Keith would have had to move on to fulltime work outside of Arcen, and Blue and myself would be fully invested in something other than AI War in order to make our own ends meet.
We'd still be a company, but it would be the end of any 2017 AI War 2 most likely, and quite possibly push it out years more or indefinitely.

If it's just me working by myself on design and code, honestly I don't think I have the stamina for something the size and complexity of AI War 2. I mean, if there's no time pressure I could brute force it, but I don't think I'd enjoy myself and there would probably be more interesting (to me in terms of how I spend my working hours) way to make ends meet.

That's not to say that I'm not looking forward to working on AI War 2, because I definitely am, but there's a certain area of technical challenges that I'm most mentally invested in these days, and unit balance and simulation efficiency for a game this scale are not among them. I'm just really into making the GPU do tricks these days, and seeing what can be streamlined on the user experience side of things, and pushing physics and lighting and other things of that nature.

I kinda just... don't even know what to say to that. So I'll just quote my best friend, when he saw it: "...so he doesn't want to do game design; he wants to do engine and UI/UX."

[Cinth]

so he doesn't want to do game design

Since that's making an inference, I'm going to make one of my own. 

That's not at all what he said there.  There's a level of tedium in refining and constantly optimizing that he isn't really interested in working on.  I can personally attest to the tedium, as that's the kind of work that I've been doing for Arcen.  Keeping a game like AI War balanced in some fashion has got to be tiring in a lot of different ways.

But to come out and say Chris doesn't want to do game design, is wildly inaccurate.  The current design for AI War 2 is mostly his (with community input).  There's Reverse AI War that was floated around some time ago.  He still has input with the volunteers working on SR. 

[Tridus]

so he doesn't want to do game design

Since that's making an inference, I'm going to make one of my own. 

That's not at all what he said there.  There's a level of tedium in refining and constantly optimizing that he isn't really interested in working on.  I can personally attest to the tedium, as that's the kind of work that I've been doing for Arcen.  Keeping a game like AI War balanced in some fashion has got to be tiring in a lot of different ways.

But to come out and say Chris doesn't want to do game design, is wildly inaccurate.  The current design for AI War 2 is mostly his (with community input).  There's Reverse AI War that was floated around some time ago.  He still has input with the volunteers working on SR.

That stuff is also a pretty huge part of game design. Refining, optimizing, and unit balancing is how you get a fun game rather than just having something that's playable. Going on your own kickstarter and saying "I'm not mentally invested in things like unit balance" in a bloody strategy game is effectively shooting yourself in the face.

[Cinth]

That stuff is also a pretty huge part of game design. Refining, optimizing, and unit balancing is how you get a fun game rather than just having something that's playable. Going on your own kickstarter and saying "I'm not mentally invested in things like unit balance" in a bloody strategy game is effectively shooting yourself in the face.

And it's already known that Keith is the driving force behind that half of the game. 

I'd argue the other point, but I don't think it would go anywhere (already agree to disagree there).  I don't see maintenance on a game as being design.

[Dominus Arbitrationis]

That stuff is also a pretty huge part of game design. Refining, optimizing, and unit balancing is how you get a fun game rather than just having something that's playable. Going on your own kickstarter and saying "I'm not mentally invested in things like unit balance" in a bloody strategy game is effectively shooting yourself in the face.

I think the biggest thing here is that Arcen has multiple people. Chris is now, effectively, the Engine/UI/UX guy. Keith does a lot of the balance coding. If it was just a team of one, I'd say he was shooting himself in the face, but with multiple people, I think its totally fine to say "This is my role, and I don't like to do this other stuff" even if that's a majority of the game. After all, he did say Keith was taking over the reins for the vast majority of the game. If Keith were to come out and be like "Yeah, I'm not interested in it either", then it would be suicide. As is, its honest and works due to division of labor.

[chemical_art]

so he doesn't want to do game design

Since that's making an inference, I'm going to make one of my own. 

That's not at all what he said there.  There's a level of tedium in refining and constantly optimizing that he isn't really interested in working on.  I can personally attest to the tedium, as that's the kind of work that I've been doing for Arcen.  Keeping a game like AI War balanced in some fashion has got to be tiring in a lot of different ways.

But to come out and say Chris doesn't want to do game design, is wildly inaccurate.  The current design for AI War 2 is mostly his (with community input).  There's Reverse AI War that was floated around some time ago.  He still has input with the volunteers working on SR.

That stuff is also a pretty huge part of game design. Refining, optimizing, and unit balancing is how you get a fun game rather than just having something that's playable. Going on your own kickstarter and saying "I'm not mentally invested in things like unit balance" in a bloody strategy game is effectively shooting yourself in the face.

Knowing that Keith is going, as savage as it sounds, will end my interest in Arcen games in general. As it is their newer games lack the the refinement that is key for a great, rather then good, game. I adore Chris in many ways, but his continuing desire to make new, rather then improve, is a pony I will not follow any longer. I have many horses who want attention and they are all more well fed.

Good luck, but you will lack my support.

[Cinth]

Knowing that Keith is going

I think you're missing context as to where that comment comes from. 

Context:

I know you guys are anxious to get back to work and damn do I want a new ai war game to play but I think a relaunch would be better suited toward the end of fiscal quarter 1 of 2017 after people have recovered from the burdens of family obligation.

[chemical_art]

Knowing that Keith is going

I think you're missing context as to where that comment comes from. 

Context:

I know you guys are anxious to get back to work and damn do I want a new ai war game to play but I think a relaunch would be better suited toward the end of fiscal quarter 1 of 2017 after people have recovered from the burdens of family obligation.

Is he going, or is he not? The context is irrelevant. Keith for me is the silent workhorse. When is given a good goal he works well. When he is set to fix what is a structural problem I doubt.

If Keith leaves for another project, no matter the circumstances, I doubt how a project can succeed.

[Tridus]

That stuff is also a pretty huge part of game design. Refining, optimizing, and unit balancing is how you get a fun game rather than just having something that's playable. Going on your own kickstarter and saying "I'm not mentally invested in things like unit balance" in a bloody strategy game is effectively shooting yourself in the face.

I think the biggest thing here is that Arcen has multiple people. Chris is now, effectively, the Engine/UI/UX guy. Keith does a lot of the balance coding. If it was just a team of one, I'd say he was shooting himself in the face, but with multiple people, I think its totally fine to say "This is my role, and I don't like to do this other stuff" even if that's a majority of the game. After all, he did say Keith was taking over the reins for the vast majority of the game. If Keith were to come out and be like "Yeah, I'm not interested in it either", then it would be suicide. As is, its honest and works due to division of labor.

So... why wasn't that the case before? It's not like there's suddenly *more* people, so emphasizing the seperation makes sense. I mean, how was it going to work before, that it's suddenly necessary to change it? Was Chris going to be doing all the stuff he apparently doesn't want to do? If not, who was? If it's the same arrangement it was before, why talk it up like it's some exciting new thing? There wasn't going to be division of labor with $300,000, but there is with $50,000?

Of course, this makes it clear the actual "make the gameplay work" part of the game is on Keith. If he changes jobs, the game doesn't sell well enough to keep him past release, or god forbid, gets injured, the other person who can do it just said he doesn't want to because he isn't interested in annoying things like balance patches. Talk about promoting faith in the long term support.

I've seen KS campaigns that were just timed wrong, designed poorly, and had bad luck. I've never seen one where the creator seems so intent on creating the impression that he'd rather be doing something else. It's utterly baffling.

[Logorouge]

Is he going, or is he not? The context is irrelevant.

If nothing major happened since the KS update, Chris is stepping back from being the main man on AI War II and Keith is taking over the leading role for that game. So he's not leaving.

[Cinth]

Is he going, or is he not? The context is irrelevant.

No, he isn't.  Keith is at helm for AI War 2 for the relaunch.  That has been the thing going now for while.  Chris was responding to someone suggesting launching the KS after the holidays end and that was the scenario that was laid out.  Context in this case is everything.

@Tridus: I was looking forward to working on AI War 2 but I don't envy Keith's job at all.  Especially when it comes to game balance.  Hell, I even have that level of input with Starward Rogue and I stay well away form it.  AI War is exponentially larger and more complex.  We all have our roles, and while I could do balance, I won't volunteer to do it.

[chemical_art]

This whole thread shows how important it is to lead the forum front while leading threads. Reading a bit more I realize Keith will lead the KS2 message. But....that whole message is corrupted, for there is no official source. I will be humble and say I was not right. But...still.

Just like I love Keith and think no project can succeed without him, his lack of forum action (lately) hurts communication so much.

I first joined this forum because Keith responded to me in an hour. Keith has fallen out of forum contact now. If I were to start on this forum, the lack of contact would have not grown me to develop here.

[Cinth]

I can't argue the sentiment. 

there is no official source

Tridus linked the KS update that says again that Keith is leading AI War 2.  That's pretty official to me

[Misery]

To be honest, I kinda think that Chris needs to be a bit more careful about his wording and such.  I mean, he made it apparent a long while ago that he's not all that much really wanting to do strategy games at this point, having burned out on the genre a bit.... but he said that HERE.  It's one thing to say stuff like that on a forum... it's a whole other matter when you're saying it in a place like KS.  Even if that is in the comments section rather than as a part of the main post.   I'm all for transparency and whatnot, but that particular bit way up there is a bit past that.

That being said, I absolutely understand the whole "tedium" thing.  I cant work on something whatsoever when I'm in the state of mind where I'm bored of it at the time.  I dont know how major developers deal with it, completely forced to work on such-and-such project for huge amounts of time wether they're burned out or not.

[kasnavada]

I would have thought people would discuss the projected features rather than this.