Dynaverse.net
Taldrenites => General Starfleet Command Forum => Topic started by: DIFJosh on September 06, 2006, 04:45:01 pm
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When I was browsing the internet, I found this little ditty on Star trek Gamers(front page). Seems our old friend Erik Bethke who has been developing and producing games for over 12 years. During this time, he has worked up the ranks of several game studios to becoming the CEO of Taldren, Inc. in California. Having successfully produced the Starfleet Command series, he decided to move to Korea where he opened Taldren Korea to move into online game development. He is currently the CEO & Founder of GoPets, Ltd. and is residing in Seoul.
A little brief history below but the question on my mind is Taldren dead or alive
2004 ~ Present GoPets Ltd. / CEO 2003 ~ 2004 Taldren Korea / CEO 1999 ~ 2003 Taldren Ltd. / CEO 1998 ~ 1999 Interplay / Senior Group Producer 1997 ~ 1998 Interna Systems, Ltd. / Software Engineer 1995 ~ 1996 Dreamer’s Guild / Software Engineer 1993 ~ 1996 Jet Propulsion Laboratory / Space Science Team Major Productions : I have No Mouth and I Must Scream (1995, The Dreamer’s Guild),
Star Trek: Starfleet Command 1 (1999, Interplay)
Star Trek; Starfleet Command 2 (2000, Interplay)
Orion Pirates (2001, Interplay)
Star Trek; Starfleet Command 3(2002 Activision)
Books Published : Game Development and Production (2002),
Frontline of Game Production (2005)
http://www.gopetslive.com/en/main/about_ceo.html
Your Heard it here first from your SFC Community Angel
DIFJosh
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Dead.....but the game lives on... ;)
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Man it's hard to believe we're coming up on seven years since the original SFC was released!
And speaking of ex-Taldrenites, check out Scott Bruno's site for some great reads: http://www.ispeedonthe405.com/
dave
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Ken Yeast is still around.. he's working over at http://www.sevenstudios.com/ I'm doing an interview with him for startrekmodding.com should be later this week or early next.
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Taldren passed the torch to D.Net as the OFFICIAL site of the SFC series, as you can see here:
http://www.taldren.com/closed.html
Regards,
Frey
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I am amazed that the Taldren site is still up, or does the D.net team keep it up?
D.net has done a great job keeping things up and going, especially with the re-release/messed up Serial numbers thingy.
:woot:
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Ken Yeast is still around.. he's working over at [url]http://www.sevenstudios.com/[/url] I'm doing an interview with him for startrekmodding.com should be later this week or early next.
Yeah?..tell him to get ahold of us once and a damn while ;D
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lol it only took a month or more to return my email ::)
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I am amazed that the Taldren site is still up, or does the D.net team keep it up?
D.net has done a great job keeping things up and going, especially with the re-release/messed up Serial numbers thingy.
:woot:
www.taldren.com Is dead now....
jd
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When I was browsing the internet, I found this little ditty on Star trek Gamers(front page). Seems our old friend Erik Bethke who has been developing and producing games for over 12 years. During this time, he has worked up the ranks of several game studios to becoming the CEO of Taldren, Inc. in California. Having successfully produced the Starfleet Command series, he decided to move to Korea where he opened Taldren Korea to move into online game development. He is currently the CEO & Founder of GoPets, Ltd. and is residing in Seoul.
A little brief history below but the question on my mind is Taldren dead or alive
2004 ~ Present GoPets Ltd. / CEO 2003 ~ 2004 Taldren Korea / CEO 1999 ~ 2003 Taldren Ltd. / CEO 1998 ~ 1999 Interplay / Senior Group Producer 1997 ~ 1998 Interna Systems, Ltd. / Software Engineer 1995 ~ 1996 Dreamer’s Guild / Software Engineer 1993 ~ 1996 Jet Propulsion Laboratory / Space Science Team Major Productions : I have No Mouth and I Must Scream (1995, The Dreamer’s Guild),
Star Trek: Starfleet Command 1 (1999, Interplay)
Star Trek; Starfleet Command 2 (2000, Interplay)
Orion Pirates (2001, Interplay)
Star Trek; Starfleet Command 3(2002 Activision)
Books Published : Game Development and Production (2002),
Frontline of Game Production (2005)
[url]http://www.gopetslive.com/en/main/about_ceo.html[/url]
Your Heard it here first from your SFC Community Angel
DIFJosh
Taldren dead
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Star - The spirit of Taldren is kept alive here by the good folks at D.Net. It will never be 'dead' as you say. That comes across as rather cold.
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Star - The spirit of Taldren is kept alive here by the good folks at D.Net. It will never be 'dead' as you say. That comes across as rather cold.
Nah...one must accept change...
We dont pretend to be Taldren...But what was born there...lives on...
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It's not over until the fat Klingon sings.
Well, it's been over for Taldren for years now. But not for its creations, and certainly not for you folks!
Oh, and for the record I'm still alive and still at Shiny.
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It's not over until the fat Klingon sings.
Well, it's been over for Taldren for years now. But not for its creations, and certainly not for you folks!
Oh, and for the record I'm still alive and still at Shiny.
Still speeding? That what I want to know Scott. ;D
Stephen
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Hell yes. I take a toll road to and from work every day, and the way I see it is if I'm spending 4 bucks each way then I'm buying the right to drive as fast as I want.
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All hail Captain Krumb!
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He's not dead!
Actually I'm feeling bettah...
<waves>
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He's not dead!
Actually I'm feeling bettah...
<waves>
*smacks Krenn in head with board*
Right then....now you can take him...
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I speed on the normal freeway. :P
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He's not dead!
Actually I'm feeling bettah...
<waves>
Krenn! Still alive, my old friend...
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And for a trip down memory lane, i give you he cafepress Taldren page which is still up for some reason. LOL
http://www.cafepress.com/cp/store.aspx?s=taldren
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Oh?...I wonder if there is any stuff left??
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Lol - geez, I'm tempted to find out! My Taldren T got pretty much mangled during a late-night stop in Billings some years back. I always liked that shirt
dave
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hmm... That Taldren Wall clock looks pretty nice... was actually planning on getting a big digital clock for the computer room, one that told temperature and other cool stuff, but maybe the Taldren clock is the way to go... :-\
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If these guys from taldren are still around, maybe they should do the right thing and allow you guys to publicly display a code key fix. They screwed up, and they ought to do the right thing and enable people to play the games they made and sold to distributors. They've got their money. Do the right thing. Let the people play!
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Eh?....we DO have a fix for the CD keys....there is a whole subforum for requesting a new key...one of the requirements is some kind of proof that you actually OWN the game vs a pirated version...
If you have a copy of EAW or OP and a non functional key (which many games were sold with)...we CAN help you out...
We have the directory servers....we have the source code for the server kit......what we lack...is the game source..
And if we ever do get it....all we will do with it is to continue to support the game....we cannot or will not try and make a new game out of it... ;)
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Well folks I have just recently done a major move. Tulsa to Memphis. Now a little more easterly than I have been in quite a while.
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If anyone of you actually tried to get some of that Taldren merchandise, let me know how it turns out. Not that I'd get any but it would be funny to hear that they are still making stuff for them.
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Well, it says it's in stock... I'll try getting a coaster...
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Wow it's been two years since I came back to the game. When I came back I started an excel spreadsheet cause I knew it would probably be my "last" run...in that time I've fought 1700 battles online, 1v1, 2v2, 3v3 and at times other combos when we were short handed likke 2v1, 3v1, 2v3 etc...
So in my mind the game lives on but we are strapped. It appears as if the Icemen who have inherited the rights to the game want to make a kids game...for money. But SFC appears to be a game made by grown up kids that made money...and it worked.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starfleet_Command_(game)
The success of Starfleet Command was a surprise to Interplay, and as a result, [[1][Erik Bethke]] formed Taldren, Inc. together with 9 members of the original Starfleet Command team to create the rest of the series.
To this day Starfleet Command is one of the longest running serials of trek games, considered a mini franchise with a franchise as Starfleet Command was followed by three sequels, Starfleet Command II: Empires at War, Starfleet Command: Orion Pirates, and Starfleet Command III.
So welcome to a bit of gaming history. The iimitations that come out seem to be made by people with no background or imagination for the art of gaming...they're adults making games for kids to make money. Their products may strip graphics or bits and pieces of this game but they are all too dumbed down (their idea of what a kid is... DUMB ... "look mommy it went BOOOOM!") and never enough subgames and tactics to give the gameplay that elusive feeling of endless possibilities. (For proof go look at the success of Morrowind and it's competitor Neverwinter Nights).
One would think that Bethesda, the maker of Morrowind would have done better. That was my one hope for Legacy really... but even Bethesda has been criticized by their fans lately for "dumbing down" Oblivion...although that game is still pretty good. I sense they ran into the same icemen Bethke ran into when he made SFCIII.
Marketing is supposed to be some kind of science. They pay people six figure salaries to "predict" how things will go. If you ask me its all voodoo still and luck. I remember the day I bought SFC1 at COMP USA... I was watching some kid with a black box in his hand. He seemed enthralled so asked him what he had there.
"Wow this game is really cool, over 400 ships and 6 races". His mom was standing right there looking at him with that kind of quizzical smile mom's get. He was 12 years old.
So let the old men of Paramount (haha their probably not that much older than me anymore) keep trying to fleece a few bucks from their parents, this is one grown up kid that knows better.
Not in this life baby. They are better off investing their dough in the stock market. Why don't they do just that instead of blocking off all the great games that might have been made, had it not been for them.
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ANyway not to end on a negative note...
I want to publicly thank Josh for his support of the game and all his volunteer staff at CUGS. I know he occassionally puts up with crap from some of the more anal players but its always good to see Josh online.
There are lots of "points of light" that keep this game going and I can think iof three big ones...
Josh & CUGS
Frey & XC
and Chris Jones and his following of modders and players
anyway thanks fellas...
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One would think that Bethesda, the maker of Morrowind would have done better. That was my one hope for Legacy really... but even Bethesda has been criticized by their fans lately for "dumbing down" Oblivion...although that game is still pretty good. I sense they ran into the same icemen Bethke ran into when he made SFCIII.
I sense that getting any further involved in this discussion is a mistake, but then again what do I care. I have a couple of things to say about that paragraph.
First, Activision had just about zero input on the game mechanics. The design was generated internally, mostly by Josh and myself. Activision had major input on the storyline, but at no time were they raining down mandates upon us about how the game would work. The extent of their involvement with game mechanics was that we had to present our plans to them in order to prove we had a plan. Standard publisher stuff. As I recall, they liked it and approved it with zero problems. It was the story they fought over, long and hard.
Second, let me explain something about Bethke and SFC3. The only reason he went to Activision and pursued that deal is because no one wanted to give him money for Black9. No one got it, no one believed in it, no one thought it was worth their money. Microsoft hit the nail on the head... they said Taldren didn't have the experience or know-how to make that game. They could tell that much from the staffing plan and the impossible mission it presented.
By this time people were already on reduced salaries and the bonuses from our contracts were cut. The company was out of cash and there was no more money to be squeezed from the employees. So in order to make Black9 he went to Activision and convinced them to do SFC3 with us. The money and time that gave Taldren was used to push forward on Black9 until he jedi mind-tricked Majesco into picking up the game.
To be clear, team members, including myself, were diverted from SFC3 to develop B9. I wan't even on the project when it shipped. In fact, I think only Dave and Ken might have been on it full-time at that point. Josh had already been fired for daring not to be a yes-man, and Brad was also let go fo some bullsh*t reason... two people with influence, who were listened to, who weren't drinking the Black9 Kool Aid.
So please dispense with whatever illusions you have about that guy being your champion against the evil publishers, waving a shield with the Starfleet Command symbol on it. Ok? He didn't give a flying f*ck about SFC3 except that it gave him a way to waste people and money on his pet project. Ironically, of the two games the only one that had a shot in hell of saving the company, if all its resources had been put behind it, was the one he treated like a vehicle.
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Wow.
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ANyway not to end on a negative note...
I want to publicly thank Josh for his support of the game and all his volunteer staff at CUGS. I know he occassionally puts up with crap from some of the more anal players but its always good to see Josh online.
There are lots of "points of light" that keep this game going and I can think iof three big ones...
Josh & CUGS
Frey & XC
and Chris Jones and his following of modders and players
anyway thanks fellas...
You're Welcome - from #1 and myself.. :D
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Wow, that certainly puts a different perspective on things.
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I was actually looking forward to B9.
It seemed like an interesting concept.
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Finally, the truth is out.
Thank you Scott.
Regards,
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Finally, the truth is out.
Thank you Scott.
Regards,
Agreed... I will admit I had LONG suspected this as SFC3 sure seemed to be lacking compared to earlier Taldren works. Plus the Black9 thing seemed to come out of NOWHERE when they announced it. It is a real shame as if the SFC3 money had been used solely on it... I kind of wonder what the end result would have been!
Well I am sorry you got screwed Scott... very sorry... For what it is worth, I really appreciate your honesty in giving something I think this community deserved for a long time. A bunch of answers.
GE-Raven
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Finally, the truth is out.
Thank you Scott.
Regards,
LOL...yeah...SFC3 is HIS fault...*snicker*
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Might be my fault.. ;D
http://www.universeatwar.org/cjones/bethke.shtml
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Chris!! I used to love you... but now I have to hate you!!!
It's all Chris's Fault!!!!
Runs screaming from the room!!!
Just Kiddin Chris!!! lol
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Thanks for the Heads Up Scott, truth is important ya know.
Next SFC convention (whenever whereever) you (and David and the other unsung heroes) should stop on by, let us shake your hand and hand you a beverage of choice in appreciation of the long hard path you were on to get into our sweaty hands, the community, our favorite diversion.
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Thanks for the Heads Up Scott, truth is important ya know.
Next SFC convention (whenever whereever) you (and David and the other unsung heroes) should stop on by, let us shake your hand and hand you a beverage of choice in appreciation of the long hard path you were on to get into our sweaty hands, the community, our favorite diversion.
We should really try to do a get together in the coming year. Someplace centralized, we've been talking about this in the Admin forums for a while.
Hummmmm, the annual fundraiser is coming up... maybe we could collect and put the funds towards a con of our own ....
:o
Opinions? Anyone interested if we set it up several months in advance?
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Yeah Frey run with it....I would REALLY love to attend any gathering of the Faithful....
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Dallas is as central as you can get, IMHO ;D
Frey would need to find a conference room or larger to have it.
Just my 0.02 pfg
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Thanks for the Heads Up Scott, truth is important ya know.
Next SFC convention (whenever whereever) you (and David and the other unsung heroes) should stop on by, let us shake your hand and hand you a beverage of choice in appreciation of the long hard path you were on to get into our sweaty hands, the community, our favorite diversion.
We should really try to do a get together in the coming year. Someplace centralized, we've been talking about this in the Admin forums for a while.
Hummmmm, the annual fundraiser is coming up... maybe we could collect and put the funds towards a con of our own ....
:o
Opinions? Anyone interested if we set it up several months in advance?
intriguing
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Thanks for the Heads Up Scott, truth is important ya know.
Next SFC convention (whenever whereever) you (and David and the other unsung heroes) should stop on by, let us shake your hand and hand you a beverage of choice in appreciation of the long hard path you were on to get into our sweaty hands, the community, our favorite diversion.
We should really try to do a get together in the coming year. Someplace centralized, we've been talking about this in the Admin forums for a while.
Hummmmm, the annual fundraiser is coming up... maybe we could collect and put the funds towards a con of our own ....
:o
Opinions? Anyone interested if we set it up several months in advance?
You know I'm up for it Bro. Just let me know when , where, and what I can do too help.
Stephen
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Upstate NY hahaha!
I'd be interested, if close enough.
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Western Mass is not that far from you Chris !!
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Midwesterners!
(Standing on toidy-toid an' toid)
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Midwesterners!
(Standing on toidy-toid an' toid)
You know E_Look, you have the free invitation out here, at Casa, Del Stephens.
The old guys, Scott and Dave, also have a free pass, anyday, anytime. It's the only thing I can do to honor them.
Stephen
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One would think that Bethesda, the maker of Morrowind would have done better. That was my one hope for Legacy really... but even Bethesda has been criticized by their fans lately for "dumbing down" Oblivion...although that game is still pretty good. I sense they ran into the same icemen Bethke ran into when he made SFCIII.
I sense that getting any further involved in this discussion is a mistake, but then again what do I care. I have a couple of things to say about that paragraph.
First, Activision had just about zero input on the game mechanics. The design was generated internally, mostly by Josh and myself. Activision had major input on the storyline, but at no time were they raining down mandates upon us about how the game would work. The extent of their involvement with game mechanics was that we had to present our plans to them in order to prove we had a plan. Standard publisher stuff. As I recall, they liked it and approved it with zero problems. It was the story they fought over, long and hard.
Second, let me explain something about Bethke and SFC3. The only reason he went to Activision and pursued that deal is because no one wanted to give him money for Black9. No one got it, no one believed in it, no one thought it was worth their money. Microsoft hit the nail on the head... they said Taldren didn't have the experience or know-how to make that game. They could tell that much from the staffing plan and the impossible mission it presented.
By this time people were already on reduced salaries and the bonuses from our contracts were cut. The company was out of cash and there was no more money to be squeezed from the employees. So in order to make Black9 he went to Activision and convinced them to do SFC3 with us. The money and time that gave Taldren was used to push forward on Black9 until he jedi mind-tricked Majesco into picking up the game.
To be clear, team members, including myself, were diverted from SFC3 to develop B9. I wan't even on the project when it shipped. In fact, I think only Dave and Ken might have been on it full-time at that point. Josh had already been fired for daring not to be a yes-man, and Brad was also let go fo some bullsh*t reason... two people with influence, who were listened to, who weren't drinking the Black9 Kool Aid.
So please dispense with whatever illusions you have about that guy being your champion against the evil publishers, waving a shield with the Starfleet Command symbol on it. Ok? He didn't give a flying f*ck about SFC3 except that it gave him a way to waste people and money on his pet project. Ironically, of the two games the only one that had a shot in hell of saving the company, if all its resources had been put behind it, was the one he treated like a vehicle.
Have you ever thought about "Getting The Band Back Together" and doing it again?
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Have you ever thought about "Getting The Band Back Together" and doing it again?
Oh Lord no. OK, let me rephrase that. I get the urge to do some pet project or other all the time. Lately I've been thinking it would be neat to take Source and turn it into some kind of space combat thing... maybe even a BSG thing. But after 8 or 10 hours a day of coding a game, the last thing I want to do when I get home is code some other game. I have all kinds of goodies at home I can work with, up to and including console dev kits; I just lack the will.
About the other stuff... don't feel bad for me. I was at Shiny within a couple/three weeks of Taldren's demise and making twice as much to boot. So while Taldren technically got away with 10 or 11 K that belonged to me, it can also blow me.
On SFC3, yeah, if you didn't like the design Crim you can blame me and Josh :-) Of course if we'd had a full team to work on the thing full time instead of a token crew at the end... ah, who knows where it might have gone? We had some mighty fine plans.
A get-together sounds like it could be fun. Also sounds like a logistical nightmare though... have you folks done this before?
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Have you ever thought about "Getting The Band Back Together" and doing it again?
Oh Lord no. OK, let me rephrase that. I get the urge to do some pet project or other all the time. Lately I've been thinking it would be neat to take Source and turn it into some kind of space combat thing... maybe even a BSG thing. But after 8 or 10 hours a day of coding a game, the last thing I want to do when I get home is code some other game. I have all kinds of goodies at home I can work with, up to and including console dev kits; I just lack the will.
About the other stuff... don't feel bad for me. I was at Shiny within a couple/three weeks of Taldren's demise and making twice as much to boot. So while Taldren technically got away with 10 or 11 K that belonged to me, it can also blow me.
On SFC3, yeah, if you didn't like the design Crim you can blame me and Josh :-) Of course if we'd had a full team to work on the thing full time instead of a token crew at the end... ah, who knows where it might have gone? We had some mighty fine plans.
A get-together sounds like it could be fun. Also sounds like a logistical nightmare though... have you folks done this before?
I've tried, god knows I've tried.
The first time, I had one of the script writters John something fly out, and had one guy from Shawnee show up (Icehawk).
The next time was a few years later, and I had alot of the mods show up. Frey, StormBringer, and Sethan, complete with families, and snakebite kits, on my birthday a few years back.
I know alot of the East coasters have met each other at various bars , where I suspect, J'inn owns.
Too be honest, on the logistics, I have always sugested, Let's do a four part approach. East coast, Central, West Coast, and Canada. (Hey can't forget our Canadian friends up there.)
As far as the game, wasn't there a game suggested by your Fellow Taldrenites, that Involved France surrendering? Something about Cheese, and Magic Photons? ;)
Stephen
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Heck, I'd be interested in a game where the single goal was to make France surrender as quickly as possible. I mean, just think about how many times you could win the game in a day. :rolleyes: Do we still have the post chronicling the development of that game? Wasn't it Space Navy Command, or something like that?
It's interesting to have some confirmation that it wasn't (as I've always said) the big bad ATVI that came in and submarined SFC3.
You know, I remember there were several guys near where I live, (stoneyface and his compatriot among them) and I never got up there to hang with them. Don't even know if they are still there or not. Only a couple of hour drive but just couldn't manage it (although my car at the time would have been hard pressed to make that tip. Finally smelled like mold and gas with too many things falling off if it and malfuncioning before I sprung for a new one. Yipee, for new cars that allow you to actually leave your neighborhood without a tow truck. lol).
As long as you're not forgetting Canada, perhaps you should throw in a European or Foreign category. At times it seemed like most of my hard core Romulans were from somewhere other than the America's.
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You speak wise Emerald.
I think Stoney is up in Iowa now, and I've been trying to get him to visit for years now.
Dang, that car story is funny. oh well, peeps hee have my number , so anytime you want to get together and all that.
Stephen