Fine fine, let me say this. Suppose I post pictures of what I have done on RTS 2.1... What happens next? Then you say, but it's not ingame. Then I put it ingame. Then you say, it's not textured. Then I texture it. Then you say it's not playable. Then I make it playable. Then you say I'll never release it. Then I post an alpha. Then you say it's not balanced. Then I balance it. Then you enjoy it and tell me to make more units.
That's pretty much the way it goes. GEM is currently stalled at the playable stage. I can't prove that to anyone because I'm still lacking proper fighter AI due to nobody wanting to put a switch on an otherwise-useless tag. No matter what I do, you will one-up me and say "but then you haven't done this". So why the heck should I even bother posting pictures when all it will do is move things to the next stage of "it'll never happen"? I can't be bothered doing things anymore just for the sake of a public that won't acknowledge progress has been made because they don't have it in their hands at that very moment.
I stopped working on GEM because I'm waiting for engine changes which I have faith will eventually be made when a developer has the time.
I stopped working on AA for two reasons: 1) BA has a year head-start on keeping up with engine changes, 2) I've made changes that probably aren't TA-ish enough because I'm tired of working within the confines of the TA universe, 3) As a result of those changes, people won't play it. I've had conversations with dozens of people here and other places who were players of AA. The changes are too weird and they would rather see them in a brand-new mod. For now, AA is dead as far as Spring's concerned. I've come to terms with that and I'll just be wasting my time if I continue working on it when there are better things.
I've stopped working on AW:Spring because in my absence another team has started working on the same thing, so I'm not going to be an asshole and steal their thunder. RTS 2.1 is the only thing I'm concerned about right now and I'm not posting another damn thing about it until I've got a playable build.
My work isn't vaporware, I'm applying all the things I've learned to new and better things that are free from license issues. TA, Star Wars, Advance Wars, and even Imperium Galactica (GEM) are all licensed properties that could be taken away from us at the drop of a hat. New things like E&E, Nanoblobs, and the others that have been developed this last year since I got my job, those are what people should be rallying behind, not something that is going to fail. It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when.
What do you think Lucasarts is going to think when they release their next Star Wars RTS and people on their forums say, "Come play this game instead, it's way better". Then they realize, yeah in fact it is better and it's stealing our sales . Or what happens when Atari/Infogrames inevitably whores out another valuable franchise and makes a TA sequel, to which people say, "It's not as good as BA, get it here"?
Spring moving away from the "TA" name is a good first step but the fact remains, you're illegally distributing copyrighted content with every release. You've made a token "not illegal" release that perhaps 3 people have downloaded, and you've put a clause in your ToS that says, "oh and don't play this free game unless you own this other game from 1997 that's almost impossible to buy for less than $30", but that's legally worthless. It's a joke around the community now more than anything, "Oh and don't download unless you've got TA lol". I've actually asked people, do you own TA, and they say, "Total Annihilation? What's that?"
So please explain to me why I should be getting on a sinking ship, wasting my now very limited time on something that'll inevitably be taken away from us? Why should I work on a TA mod when it's only a matter of time before someone tells the Spring developers, "quit including this copyrighted content", and then I have to decide whether I too want to break the law? Why should I work on an Advance Wars mod when it's being worked on by someone else?
I'm working on original content that can't be taken away from us instead. So sue me. I don't post here on a daily basis anymore because I work during the week, maybe other developers have the time to post during the week despite working, but I don't.
Just post a picture and stop whining about it. Some people here legitimately care, others just don't want to keep getting jerked around by you. The majority of us have better things to do than waste time trolling you.
Don't wanna, and certainly not tonight. I haven't even got Spring on this computer. And just because I'm conceeding the mod to someone else, doesn't mean I want to give away ideas, either. If I was making a super-epic Gundam mod, you can bet Smoth wouldn't go out of his way to give away his ideas. It's not that unreasonable, many of the ideas are transferable to other projects and I would like to have at least one or two unused tricks up my sleeve.
Besides, I'm sure their work is better than mine, it's not like it was a finished product, I'm only one person. There would've been at least another month of work to do assuming I was unemployed... the texturing's still only partial (about 30%, but I have UVs and partial textures for the rest).
So what am I going to do, book my vacation just so I can show off a finished mod I'm never going to release? Come on.
It's not like I'm some unknown who came and posted, "hey i'm making a mod i'll let you know when it's done", G/E/M is playable (not enjoyable due to fighter handling tbh). AA was the top mod for over a year before I got employed and gave it up. I'm not completely helpless.
It's not like this isn't embarassing to me. I realize I've raised expectations and then let everyone down lately. If my schedule was different I'd still be glad to contribute everywhere I can and make fun games for people to play, but I can't keep up with so many projects anymore.
It's one or the other, I've got to pick one goal and run with it. Do I raise hell and kick some ass with a new version of AA? Well, no, because BA is almost certainly a better product than I could ever turn out nowadays. There's more people working on it and they're now much more familiar with the engine than I am. They've got me beat.
Do I work on GEM? No, I can't even start balancing it until fighters work as they should (and the code is already in place, I just need it to be set up properly), and I'm now realizing there are other engines better suited, I'm not adding anything else to that because I don't want to raise any more expectations.
Should I work on Advance Wars? Someone else started working on it in my absence, and who can blame them, I first announced the project like 2 years ago and then went silent until I had something good to show. They will most certainly deliver a better product than I ever could given my time restrictions.
So, there's one thing left, the project I've always wanted to start but have never been in a position to, a completely new license. No copyright risks, nothing that can be taken away at a moment's notice when I or you get a C&D on cavedog content. I'm working on it. Things will come up, I will most certainly disappoint in one way or another, but I'll finish it.
This isn't drama, and I don't need anyone telling me what I'm capable of and what I'll do or not do. I'm getting nothing out of this but experience. There's no elitism, there's no egotism, I want to make something we can all enjoy together. If you're not here to have fun, what are you here for?
Here is a picture of my kitty wrapped in a liquor bottle thing:
She was not amused.
Don't worry, she was OK.
Here are some deer behind my house:
Here is a surprised Captain Picard:
