Status of TSL

[TribeHasSpoken]

True, but if you set a goal for yourself and set a date to have that goal done by then it is more likely to get accomplished.  Imagine, you going to school or work and nothing has a date of completion then nothing or very little would ever get done.

Correct, but we'd never announce such a date publicly in case we don't make it.

[racx_00]

If you were paying for an education that will help you get a career in the upcoming years of your life, and you were also working on a fan game. Would you put more effort into your education or the game?

I mean sure, the team wants the game completed, but they also need to think about their own needs.

[koko_99_2001]

I'm glad several people understood what I meant. As for GunHoMac's comment...I do not have a laptop. I want one, but at the house we have a desktop. The two laptops in the house are my parents for work use, so I wouldn't use them. And while I would love to have a laptop, I have school loans and soon a car loan to pay back...thus those debts are more important than getting a laptop.

And, considering the fact that for the last two years, I have lived 5 hours away from my family and saw them maybe twice to three times a semester, I do want to spend time with them before I move out permanently. And, another example: I was at the computer yesterday and received a phone call from a co-worker asking me to work for her today.

These are just examples, saying there ARE things outside keeping me from being on the forum as often as I'd like...and thus, if I was working on the actual creation of the game, it would be tougher to get things done. Not saying I WOULDN'T, as I would try my hardest to work on it, but if my parents say "let's go out to eat" (as they did last night to celebrate my birthday) or "let's go to the store to get the clothing you need" (as we will do today, before I go into work), I'm not going to say "no, sorry, I'm working." I would definitely do what I could to spend time with them.

But, I understand that not everyone has the same type of relationship with their families.

[Petra Rocks]

Ok, I think there may have been a slight misunderstanding of the spirit of my comments. I am not trying to say that if team members just wanted TSL a little more it would all magically happen. I did not think that, as a debate point, Cat's examples were quite perfect, but I have no doubt she and the rest of the team are quite capable of deciding how much time she can spend on TSL without my help. icaurs is making more sense than any our over-long winded posts, and this thread is totally OT now anyway. Nobody with an ounce of sense is asking the team to sacrifice school, life and family to this. So I suspect arguing over the finer points of our cases that they should not will turn out to be a waste of time.

[Yonkey]

I think people forget that TSL is something the team works on in their free time.  Not everyone has the same amount or even a large amount, and as stated before, people have many other priorities that rank higher which cut into their development time.  If everyone were able to work full-time on this game, it would be a completely different story and we'd be able to estimate a release date fairly easily.  But the reality is that everyone is either working full-time or in school, thus making it very difficult to predict when the game will be complete.

We are getting closer and closer each day, but we're still not at a point where we can announce the release date with 100% confidence.

[GunHoMac]

Admist the debate of status, I've learned that Cat doesn't have a laptop, likes to spend time with her family, and has extended her desires to those of the development team.  Like I said, if you really want to get something done...you'll find a way to get it done.

I'm sure Delling will use this as an opportunity to express his ever-so-vast literary knowledge to divulge a convoluted, misguided, and pointless argument about the nature of trees...and how they affect the time-space continuum further impeding upon development habits of humans hence forth they extrapolate their orante abilities to ponder the intricacies of run-on sentences; therefore enabling their desires to relinquish coding time for the sake of fabricated livelihood.

The point is, you can write any sentence with lots of complex wording to show everyone how great your degree in literature is, but when you finally type that "period"...you haven't made a strong point about anything.  People do what they want...people who don't set goals and aimlessly do things for fun, aren't doing them to accomplish anything.  You can talk about getting paid, family, computers exploding (you missed the point to make an exaggerated non-point about life), but at the end of the day...you did what you wanted to do.

The game will be done when it's done, unfortunately, that's not how people with drive and determination really think.  Go ahead hyperbole boy...sprial-off with that as you will...no one will get your point anyway.

[Deloria]

I'm sure Delling will use this as an opportunity to express his ever-so-vast literary knowledge to divulge a convoluted, misguided, and pointless argument about the nature of trees...and how they affect the time-space continuum further impeding upon development habits of humans hence forth they extrapolate their orante abilities to ponder the intricacies of run-on sentences; therefore enabling their desires to relinquish coding time for the sake of fabricated livelihood.

That was in extremely poor taste.

[Petra Rocks]

Countdown to thread's locking, 3...2...1

Seriously, calm down Mac. Yes, if the team was 'determined' enough and willing to make any sacrifice, including giving up all free time, family and collage the game would get done faster. I think none here will deny that. They don't want to do that, rightly IMHO, and simply wanting it to happen and being 'determined' will not make time to get things done appear out of thin air.

[Delling]

Yes, if the team was 'determined' enough and willing to make any sacrifice, including giving up all free time, family and collage the game would get done faster. I think none here will deny that. They don't want to do that, rightly IMHO, and simply wanting it to happen and being 'determined' will not make time to get things done appear out of thin air.

...which is essentially all I said from the start... All I did was to match Mac's hyperbole for another.

The point is, you can write any sentence with lots of complex wording to show everyone how great your degree in literature is, but when you finally type that "period"...you haven't made a strong point about anything.

I shall make but two points: the degree I'm getting is in physics and I have used no vocabulary that exceeds a high school level.

[dew7]

I think people forget that TSL is something the team works on in their free time.  Not everyone has the same amount or even a large amount, and as stated before, people have many other priorities that rank higher which cut into their development time.  If everyone were able to work full-time on this game, it would be a completely different story and we'd be able to estimate a release date fairly easily.  But the reality is that everyone is either working full-time or in school, thus making it very difficult to predict when the game will be complete.

We are getting closer and closer each day, but we're still not at a point where we can announce the release date with 100% confidence.

Any idea yet when you will be able to state a release date?

[robertk2]

I see both sides of this.  I understand that the team is all a group of volunteers.  And think, how amazing is that?! Look what a bunch of volunteers have created! Its not easy giving up time that could just as easily be spent relaxing or working.

But from a fan stand point, we are all waiting for this game.  I used to check this site almost everyday to see if any updates or developments were being made.  Recently its been every two weeks or more.  Even though the team is scared of making and breaking a release deadline, I think it would give us--as fans-- some hope.  While you guys are busy giving up free time to work on a project that many of you might be tiring of, we see a stagnant web page with few updates and even fewer indications that the game is still being worked on.

I think that more focus should be spent releasing screen shots, previews, or even a demo from another part of the game.  While I understand that any time spent on the website is time not spent on the game, what's a game when no one who cares is around anymore to play it?

Thank to the team, though, for all the effort that they've given.  I'm sure if I was told to give up more free time so a bunch of us free-loaders could get a video game, I'd have a few choice words.      Thanks team

[GunHoMac]

All I did was to match Mac's hyperbole for another....I have used no vocabulary that exceeds a high school level.

I'm sure most people understood your intent of matching hyperbole to itself...I'm just not sure why.  You should be making a point about the development, release dates, etc...not a display of your ability to do what I've already done.  The language you used was indeed high school level...but when you've clearly scanned a thesaurus to replace commonplace words just for the sake of sounding more intelligent...it comes across as convoluted and sloppy.  Just make your point, don't sensationalize an expected ability to write a thesus introduction.  It's a game forum, not 11th grade English.

Anyway, my point is not to say the team sucks, or is deliberately slacking to piss all the fans off...that would be lame and counter-productive.  It's just in my opinion that people who don't get things done generally have lots of time for excuses, but no time for the effort.  If you get to that point, and it's something you're doing voluntarily, just stop.  There's no reason to develop a game that you've lost interest in, or the will to produce in your spare time...it starts to become an unwelcomed chore.  If you don't enjoy going to work anymore...quit and find another job.  If you've grown tired of creating TSL...make something you'll enjoy completing.  Now, if you're doing work, but nothing is being updated...then that's just the flaw of the Web/PR update person.  In that case, just find someone who's willing to do it.

Anyway I state it, it all comes down to...you do what you really want to do.  If you don't want to do it, eventually you won't.  I'll still be here waiting for the game to complete, and it really doesn't bother me how long it takes...I've got plenty other games to play.  I can just see how and why people feel impatient about this game.

[PirateKingChris]

dew, I don't think asking for one repeatedly is going to get you a release date. They're not giving one. I, for one, don't have a problem with that.

[racx_00]

GunHoMac, no personal attacks. Sure, attack the team but don't treat fans like crap.

[dew7]

dew, I don't think asking for one repeatedly is going to get you a release date. They're not giving one. I, for one, don't have a problem with that.

I was just hoping Neil would tell us at least when he would give us a release date but I really am starting to lose confidence in the team.  I hope they will eventually release the game.

[Deloria]

All I did was to match Mac's hyperbole for another....I have used no vocabulary that exceeds a high school level.

I'm sure most people understood your intent of matching hyperbole to itself...I'm just not sure why.  You should be making a point about the development, release dates, etc...not a display of your ability to do what I've already done.  The language you used was indeed high school level...but when you've clearly scanned a thesaurus to replace commonplace words just for the sake of sounding more intelligent...it comes across as convoluted and sloppy.  Just make your point, don't sensationalize an expected ability to write a thesus introduction.  It's a game forum, not 11th grade English.

How then, can you speak of counter-productivity when by your flaming you merely make the mods do more work?

With as much respect as I can possibly muster for you, the English of many forumers doubtless exceeds your own ability in the language as you've already proven by misspelling 'thesis,' which I assume can only be what you meant. Just stop flaming Delling for his nearly-unsurpassable English skills, that's nothing short of pathetic.

[NemelChelovek]

I was really, really happy when this game got un-canceled and I found out it was going to actually happen again. This was over a year ago. In that time, we (the people who want to play it) have seen, game-wise a demo we were soon told was already out of date and two new screenshots. We've gotten very sporadic journal updates about progress, the most recent of which told us only that the developers have lives and that the team is really awesome. When someone asks if the team could release updates on progress, new screenshots, or some small tidbit, the only response I've seen is that the team all have personal lives and that we can't expect them to drop everything to please us. This approach has all but killed my interest in the project, and whenever I think about the project it's in a "what-might-have-been" way. I thought I was the only one, but looking around I'm starting to see there are more people who feel the same way.

I'm not trying to insult anyone. All I'm saying is that it doesn't make much sense for a company, even one not working for money, to advertise a product and then tell interested potential consumers to be more considerate of the staff's needs when they ask to know more about said product. If the public stays as in the dark as it has been about The Silver Lining, eventually there won't be much of a public willing to ask about it.

[koko_99_2001]

But from a fan stand point, we are all waiting for this game.  I used to check this site almost everyday to see if any updates or developments were being made.  Recently its been every two weeks or more.  Even though the team is scared of making and breaking a release deadline, I think it would give us--as fans-- some hope.  While you guys are busy giving up free time to work on a project that many of you might be tiring of, we see a stagnant web page with few updates and even fewer indications that the game is still being worked on.

I think that more focus should be spent releasing screen shots, previews, or even a demo from another part of the game.  While I understand that any time spent on the website is time not spent on the game, what's a game when no one who cares is around anymore to play it?

Thank to the team, though, for all the effort that they've given.  I'm sure if I was told to give up more free time so a bunch of us free-loaders could get a video game, I'd have a few choice words.      Thanks team

Just a little piece of info, in case you didn't know about it, we do have a newsletter you can sign up for, so you will be notified when there are updates Of course, you can come by and stick around the forum and meet some new friends. We're a great bunch, I think

As for the release of screenshots...well, all I can say is you might want to start participating in the contests we are holding (last month was a Book Title contest, this month is a Smiley Contest). There are prizes involved, and I'm sure the three winners from last month's contest will say they liked the prize

dew, I don't think asking for one repeatedly is going to get you a release date. They're not giving one. I, for one, don't have a problem with that.

I was just hoping Neil would tell us at least when he would give us a release date but I really am starting to lose confidence in the team.  I hope they will eventually release the game.

Dew, by asking repeatedly for a release date is NOT going to get you one...especially several times in different threads. In fact, instead of getting us to come up with a release date, it is annoying. When there is a release date that we are confident about, we will let the fans know.

[robertk2]

As for the release of screenshots...well, all I can say is you might want to start participating in the contests we are holding (last month was a Book Title contest, this month is a Smiley Contest). There are prizes involved, and I'm sure the three winners from last month's contest will say they liked the prize

I'm sure those THREE people who won loved their prizes. I hope that THREE people enjoy the game too.   

I'm not trying to be a jerk.  I just think some more updates are in order.  Not  one big update, but regular updates that keep us coming back to keep checking out whats new.  But this discussion has gone on way to long, I've got better things to do.  I'm sure I'll enjoy the game if/whenver it comes out.

PS: I think all the back talk that comes from moderators/team members whenever release dates are inquired about is dumb. You guys wanna put your selfs out like a quasi-"professional" group? Then expect professional standards from the community. If you wanna be seen like an amature group of volunteers, that's fine, we'll expect an amature product.  See how it goes?

[cygnus]

i started following this game from the start,
and i think that it will get done for sure and i think they even know when because it's been a long time since the demo it should be clear by now

but we don't deserve to get an idea for some reason, saying incase we don't deliver isnt a proper reason