Statement from the DTU Team
Meghan Jenks (Interplay)
This isn't going to make a lot of people happy, but here are the
answers to some of the questions about DTU's future.
ObDisclaimer: Please remember that although I will save the responses
to this post, as I do all posts related to our games, I am the
messenger in this case and don't have a lot of influence over
decisions made in development.
So here it is, straight from the DTU team's collective mouth:
1) Will there be a another patch?
Yes. We've been rather silent regarding this and for that, we
apologize. We're trying to spend our time researching the information
you guys have sent us regarding the bugs you're finding. We would
rather deliver substantial patches rather than do multiple small
patches.
2) Why do you use the Descent 1 engine instead of using the Descent 2
engine?
When the programmers first began work on Descent to Undermountain,
Descent 2 did not exist. Descent 1 was the only version of Descent
available to the development team. By the time Descent 2 was released
into the market, Descent to Undermountain was too far in its
development stage for the game to be restarted using the Descent 2
game engine. In hind site, developing a new engine specifically made
to suit the needs of an RPG would have been much better.
3) Will you be adding Multiplayer support to this game in the future?
No. Descent to Undermountain is a single player game only. Early in
the development stage of the game, the development team had planned to
add multiplayer support. Major hurdles came up which would of delayed
the project even longer if we decided to proceed with network support.
So it was removed so the development team could concentrate on getting
Descent to Undermountain done. There are no plans to add multiplayer
support to this game in the future.
4) Will you be adding 3D support to this game?
At present time, there are no plans to add 3D support to this game.
Because of the work that would be required to rewrite the games
programming, it is not likely that 3D support will be added. However,
as with all of our games, it is always possible that this might be
added in the future. If this changes, it will be posted on our
website.
- The DTU Team
John M Clancy
Meghan Jenks (Interplay) wrote:
>
> This isn't going to make a lot of people happy, but here are the
> answers to some of the questions about DTU's future.
>
> ObDisclaimer: Please remember that although I will save the responses
> to this post, as I do all posts related to our games, I am the
> messenger in this case and don't have a lot of influence over
> decisions made in development.
>
> So here it is, straight from the DTU team's collective mouth:
>
> 1) Will there be a another patch?
>
> Yes. We've been rather silent regarding this and for that, we
> apologize. We're trying to spend our time researching the information
> you guys have sent us regarding the bugs you're finding. We would
> rather deliver substantial patches rather than do multiple small
> patches.
Bad idea. Fix the major problems immediately. The longer you wait the
more players will toss the game, the more bad press you will get, the
more future customers you will lose.
> 2) Why do you use the Descent 1 engine instead of using the Descent 2
> engine?
>
> When the programmers first began work on Descent to Undermountain,
> Descent 2 did not exist. Descent 1 was the only version of Descent
> available to the development team. By the time Descent 2 was released
> into the market, Descent to Undermountain was too far in its
> development stage for the game to be restarted using the Descent 2
> game engine. In hind site, developing a new engine specifically made
> to suit the needs of an RPG would have been much better.
>
> 3) Will you be adding Multiplayer support to this game in the future?
>
> No. Descent to Undermountain is a single player game only. Early in
> the development stage of the game, the development team had planned to
> add multiplayer support. Major hurdles came up which would of delayed
> the project even longer if we decided to proceed with network support.
> So it was removed so the development team could concentrate on getting
> Descent to Undermountain done. There are no plans to add multiplayer
> support to this game in the future.
Too bad. You just cut out alot of your market.
> 4) Will you be adding 3D support to this game?
>
> At present time, there are no plans to add 3D support to this game.
> Because of the work that would be required to rewrite the games
> programming, it is not likely that 3D support will be added. However,
> as with all of our games, it is always possible that this might be
> added in the future. If this changes, it will be posted on our
> website.
>- The DTU Team
Talk to Andy at 3DFX he did the patch for Descent2 and it didn't
seem to take him that long. He could probably use alot of the same
code from Descent 2. The Descent 1 engine is not that much different
than the descent2 engine. I'm sure that 3DFX will give you
all the help you need. After all, the more games that work for
their voodoo cards the better.
You know I would have bought the game if I had not read how many
people really hated this game. Being full of bugs, poor graphics
and no multi-player support.
Ever since I first heard of this project I was very excited.
Being a fan of AD&D, the Forgotten Realms, Descent, CRPGs, and
multi-player games this seemed like a title written for me.
Too bad, I was very disappointed.
In retrospect I think it would have been better to continue
development of the game rather than releasing it unfinished.
What's worse than a vaporware game? An unplayable released
game.
Add 3DFX support, add multiplayer support, fix the bugs
and you have a customer. Until then I'll watch the grapevine
and wait for Baldur's Gate.
Bottom line is you did alot of work on this game why toss
it now? If this were as good as Fallout you could be making
the sequel for a guaranteed customer base as the fallout team
is doing now, rather than catching all this flak.
--
John M Clancy aka MeleKahn aka Poison
"The whole world is crazy, except for you and me,
and I'm not too sure about you."
Fred Quattrone
Meghan,
Thanks for finding out info on this game and letting us know what is going
on even if the news is not that great. Right now I will settle for a patch.
Fred Quattrone
Phil Trevorrow
Meghan Jenks (Interplay) wrote:
> 4) Will you be adding 3D support to this game?
>
> At present time, there are no plans to add 3D support to this game.
> Because of the work that would be required to rewrite the games
> programming, it is not likely that 3D support will be added. However,
> as with all of our games, it is always possible that this might be
> added in the future. If this changes, it will be posted on our
> website.
I'm sure the folks at 3dfx would be happy to help you patch it for 3d.
It's in their best interest to get as many games using their product as
possible. I doubt it wold be that difficult since the 3d patch for
Descent 2 didn't take long.
I eagerly awaited this game since I heard about it but waited to read
the posts before running out and buying it. I'm glad I did. I will wait
for the 3d patch before I buy this game. Multiplayer doesn't matter to
me but decent graphics do.
mieu
O
>4) Will you be adding 3D support to this game?
>
>At present time, there are no plans to add 3D support to this game.
>Because of the work that would be required to rewrite the games
>programming, it is not likely that 3D support will be added. However,
>as with all of our games, it is always possible that this might be
>added in the future. If this changes, it will be posted on our
>website.
>
The above statement losses my money. As the game has not surfaced over
here in England yet, i suspect that without the support of at least
D3D minimum then a lot of gamers over here will not buy it when it
does. They maybe able to recoup the lost sales in the U.S. by making
the game graphically better and bug free on a U.K. release.
Thank you, bye,bye
MIEU DRAGON.
/>
/< "What news Corwin?
0@00\\\\\[]}UDIC}====================-
\< Thy lie shall have
\> brought thee low".
Mark Asher
mi...@virgin.net (mieu) wrote:
>O
>>4) Will you be adding 3D support to this game?
>>
>>At present time, there are no plans to add 3D support to this game.
>>Because of the work that would be required to rewrite the games
>>programming, it is not likely that 3D support will be added. However,
>>as with all of our games, it is always possible that this might be
>>added in the future. If this changes, it will be posted on our
>>website.
>>
>>- The DTU Team
>
>The above statement losses my money. As the game has not surfaced over
>here in England yet, i suspect that without the support of at least
>D3D minimum then a lot of gamers over here will not buy it when it
>does. They maybe able to recoup the lost sales in the U.S. by making
>the game graphically better and bug free on a U.K. release.
>Thank you, bye,bye
At the very least, Interplay should put out a demo so people can try
before buying. That would be a small step of good faith on their part.
They are coming off a recent quarter where they had their highest
revenues in history. Surely they can squeeze out a couple of thousand
dollars to pay someone to take a week and chop a demo out of the game.
It's actually pretty rare these days for a game to not have a demo.
Mark Asher
Kay-Yut Chen
>At the very least, Interplay should put out a demo so people can try
>before buying. That would be a small step of good faith on their part.
>They are coming off a recent quarter where they had their highest
>revenues in history. Surely they can squeeze out a couple of thousand
>dollars to pay someone to take a week and chop a demo out of the game.
>
>
>It's actually pretty rare these days for a game to not have a demo.
>
>Mark Asher
Actually they have put out a demo some time ago. It was ugly,
difficult to control and crashed on my system.
I am glad I did not buy this piece of crap.
Kay-Yut
Georgethe4
Previously,
>Actually they have put out a demo some time ago. It was ugly,
>difficult to control and crashed on my system.
Just like the real game. :-)
Cool, cool
George IV