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The Escapist: The Rise and Fall of Troika


Morgoth

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The writer probably hasn't played either Arcanum or ToEE. He keeps saying what great reviews they got, although I don't exactly recall that either. Especially not ToEE.

 

Not exactly an unbiased article. Man, did he even try and contact the different publishers to see if they would like to answer to the allegations the Troika guys made. I usually like The Escapist, but this article was pretty poorly written had had flamboyant fanboyism written all over it.

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Interesting read, it doesn't bring anything new, but it sums it all up nicely: They would want to return to make great games, but not as company owners.

 

And Anderson leaving gaming all together and started selling real estate? hahah :D

"Some men see things as they are and say why?"
"I dream things that never were and say why not?"
- George Bernard Shaw

"Hope in reality is the worst of all evils because it prolongs the torments of man."
- Friedrich Nietzsche

 

"The amount of energy necessary to refute bull**** is an order of magnitude bigger than to produce it."

- Some guy 

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The writer probably hasn't played either Arcanum or ToEE. He keeps saying what great reviews they got, although I don't exactly recall that either. Especially not ToEE.

 

Not exactly an unbiased article. Man, did he even try and contact the different publishers to see if they would like to answer to the allegations the Troika guys made. I usually like The Escapist, but this article was pretty poorly written had had flamboyant fanboyism written all over it.

 

Unless the article is written by The Economist, one should expect som level of fanboyism when reading about Troika.

"Some men see things as they are and say why?"
"I dream things that never were and say why not?"
- George Bernard Shaw

"Hope in reality is the worst of all evils because it prolongs the torments of man."
- Friedrich Nietzsche

 

"The amount of energy necessary to refute bull**** is an order of magnitude bigger than to produce it."

- Some guy 

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Working bloody had is inevitable if you are planning to run a business based on anything other than ripping people off. Anyone tells you different is either ripping you off, or being ripped off.

 

I have to say, though, that while I agree it would have been good to get rejoinders from the publishers, I doubt they would be very illuminating. On the other hand it sounds very plausible that the pubs let them down, based on my own experience. It is the chief hazard of any strategic business alliance that big partners just don't care. If you want them to you have to essentially abduct one or two of their bigwigs, bring them with you to your end of things, and make them go native. They have to be inspired as if they are junior and slightly dense members of your own staff.

 

In particular I think it is nonsensical to blame Troika for bringing out novel design rich games beyond time budgets. If you cram your games with cool stuff it is almost inevitable that it will over-run initial estimates. It ridiculous for the pubs to expect really great novel games to be churned out like cheeseburgers.

 

On the other hand, how in the name of sweet horned Feth does a game wipe your hard drive?

"It wasn't lies. It was just... bull****"."

             -Elwood Blues

 

tarna's dead; processing... complete. Disappointed by Universe. RIP Hades/Sand/etc. Here's hoping your next alt has a harp.

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Interesting, I knew nothing about them working that kinda crunch time...

Everyone does. Sooner or later.

 

Everyone crunches, heck I've had to crunch, but not like they were at trokia, as in constant crunch time throughout a project... THATS INSANE! Not that I'm opposed to doing it, it's part of the industry, but still it does open your eyes as to how and why things went badly for Trokia, you can't work at that pace and not make mistakes.

Edited by @\NightandtheShape/@

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"I'm a programmer at a games company... REET GOOD!" - Me

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I never actually went through the whole crunch time experience. Not at the university nor at my current job. It is something I wouldn't mind experiencing at least once.

Murphy's Law of Computer Gaming: The listed minimum specifications written on the box by the publisher are not the minimum specifications of the game set by the developer.

 

@\NightandtheShape/@ - "Because you're a bizzare strange deranged human?"

Walsingham- "Sand - always rushing around, stirring up apathy."

Joseph Bulock - "Another headache, courtesy of Sand"

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Everyone crunches, heck I've had to crunch, but not like they were at trokia, as in constant crunch time throughout a project... THATS INSANE! Not that I'm opposed to doing it, it's part of the industry, but still it does open your eyes as to how and why things went badly for Trokia, you can't work at that pace and not make mistakes.

It was the reason Troika collapsed. Just look at EA, constant crunch time and it is still alive and well!

 

I never actually went through the whole crunch time experience.  Not at the university nor at my current job.

I envy you for once.

 

It is something I wouldn't mind experiencing at least once.

It is like saying "I wouldn't mind experiencing my genitalia being put in the blender". :)

It is the last thing you would want to experience.

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Why? Getting the adrenaline pumping, the dendrites burning, heighten emotion and fanfare, sounds almost euphoric. Going through crunch time once and a while is a good thing I would think. Keeps one on his or her toes. However, constantly being in crunch time mode for months and months at a time definitely sounds like something no one should experience.

 

Being an overnight clerk at a convenience store in a section of town that is only busy during the day is very boring and lethargic. I would welcome a little excitement like I got last year.

Edited by Sand

Murphy's Law of Computer Gaming: The listed minimum specifications written on the box by the publisher are not the minimum specifications of the game set by the developer.

 

@\NightandtheShape/@ - "Because you're a bizzare strange deranged human?"

Walsingham- "Sand - always rushing around, stirring up apathy."

Joseph Bulock - "Another headache, courtesy of Sand"

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It was the reason Troika collapsed. Just look at EA, constant crunch time and it is still alive and well!

 

Ahhh but EA eats up young talent and spits it out. It works for them because after it's destroyed the will of a person to even be involved in the games creation experience, it spits them out and they get a nice new young ignorant talented individual to take there place. Rinse and repeat.

 

I wouldn't work for EA, unless I had no other options, I'd sooner go back to working as a lighting engineer or in supermarkets.

RS_Silvestri_01.jpg

 

"I'm a programmer at a games company... REET GOOD!" - Me

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That is one of the reasons why I don't support EA. I refuse to buy their games.

Murphy's Law of Computer Gaming: The listed minimum specifications written on the box by the publisher are not the minimum specifications of the game set by the developer.

 

@\NightandtheShape/@ - "Because you're a bizzare strange deranged human?"

Walsingham- "Sand - always rushing around, stirring up apathy."

Joseph Bulock - "Another headache, courtesy of Sand"

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Why?  Getting the adrenaline pumping, the dendrites burning, heighten emotion and fanfare, sounds almost euphoric.  Going through crunch time once and a while is a good thing I would think.  Keeps one on his or her toes.  However, constantly being in crunch time mode for months and months at a time definitely sounds like something no one should experience.

 

Being an overnight clerk at a convenience store in a section of town that is only busy during the day is very boring and lethargic.  I would welcome a little excitement like I got last year.

 

Crunch time really is awful, it's the one thing a person should dread, the caffine intake is so high that health issues can become apparent.

 

Cliffy B and MCA always spring to my mind when I think of the potential dangers of crunch time, MCA once commented that the docter expected his heart to explode, and Cliffy B had an extremely high heart rate while working on GoW.

 

CRUNCH, I can do, I'm very good at it I like what I achieve when I crunch, but I will say this, it is not healthy, and it's a hazard of the games industry.

RS_Silvestri_01.jpg

 

"I'm a programmer at a games company... REET GOOD!" - Me

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That is why it should happen rarely.

Murphy's Law of Computer Gaming: The listed minimum specifications written on the box by the publisher are not the minimum specifications of the game set by the developer.

 

@\NightandtheShape/@ - "Because you're a bizzare strange deranged human?"

Walsingham- "Sand - always rushing around, stirring up apathy."

Joseph Bulock - "Another headache, courtesy of Sand"

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Why?  Getting the adrenaline pumping, the dendrites burning, heighten emotion and fanfare, sounds almost euphoric.  Going through crunch time once and a while is a good thing I would think.  Keeps one on his or her toes.  However, constantly being in crunch time mode for months and months at a time definitely sounds like something no one should experience.

 

Being an overnight clerk at a convenience store in a section of town that is only busy during the day is very boring and lethargic.  I would welcome a little excitement like I got last year.

I, on the other hand, have strikingly different associations with crunch time: emotional and physical fatigue, caffeine intoxication, stress, unanswered mail, microsleep, losing focus, instant messenger beeps at 4am, rotten takeaway boxes, meeting the dawn, eye strain, back pain, wrist pain, headache, f***ed up circadian rhythms, gaps in social life, roaches in week old pizza boxes, more caffeine, more stress, more bugs.

 

So, no, I'd rather not have a crunch time in the nearest... lifetime, I guess. :)

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That is one of the reasons why I don't support EA.  I refuse to buy their games.

 

Only EA software I ever buy is the battlefield series that DiCE have worked upon, should EA somehow remove DiCE from the equation I would stop buying Battlefield titles.

EA recently bought DiCE out, I believe, and with that in mind I will be eyeing DiCE on the next title they release.

RS_Silvestri_01.jpg

 

"I'm a programmer at a games company... REET GOOD!" - Me

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Why?  Getting the adrenaline pumping, the dendrites burning, heighten emotion and fanfare, sounds almost euphoric.  Going through crunch time once and a while is a good thing I would think.  Keeps one on his or her toes.  However, constantly being in crunch time mode for months and months at a time definitely sounds like something no one should experience.

 

Being an overnight clerk at a convenience store in a section of town that is only busy during the day is very boring and lethargic.  I would welcome a little excitement like I got last year.

I, on the other hand, have strikingly different associations with crunch time: emotional and physical fatigue, caffeine intoxication, stress, unanswered mail, microsleep, losing focus, instant messenger beeps at 4am, rotten takeaway boxes, meeting the dawn, eye strain, back pain, wrist pain, headache, f***ed up circadian rhythms, gaps in social life, roaches in week old pizza boxes, more caffeine, more stress, more bugs.

 

So, no, I'd rather not have a crunch time in the nearest... lifetime, I guess. :)

 

Sometimes I struggle with breathing properly after a crunch as hours of being sat at a desk has caused me to slouch slightly. Very unplesant.

 

As for all the other things you mentioned they're all true and I've experienced them all... Except the roaches.

RS_Silvestri_01.jpg

 

"I'm a programmer at a games company... REET GOOD!" - Me

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Only EA software I ever buy is the battlefield series that DiCE have worked upon, should EA somehow remove DiCE from the equation I would stop buying Battlefield titles.

EA recently bought DiCE out, I believe, and with that in mind I will be eyeing DiCE on the next title they release.

 

Then DiCE is dead. Every company that EA buys out EA kills. Bullfrog, Westwood, Origin... Just to name a few.

Murphy's Law of Computer Gaming: The listed minimum specifications written on the box by the publisher are not the minimum specifications of the game set by the developer.

 

@\NightandtheShape/@ - "Because you're a bizzare strange deranged human?"

Walsingham- "Sand - always rushing around, stirring up apathy."

Joseph Bulock - "Another headache, courtesy of Sand"

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Only EA software I ever buy is the battlefield series that DiCE have worked upon, should EA somehow remove DiCE from the equation I would stop buying Battlefield titles.

EA recently bought DiCE out, I believe, and with that in mind I will be eyeing DiCE on the next title they release.

 

Then DiCE is dead. Every company that EA buys out EA kills. Bullfrog, Westwood, Origin... Just to name a few.

 

Probably, what scares me is that EA continues to get fat and release totally pointless fifa titles year in, year out... And the moronic football fan still buys the slightly improved version of a crap game. *SIGH*

 

EA SUCKS!

Edited by @\NightandtheShape/@

RS_Silvestri_01.jpg

 

"I'm a programmer at a games company... REET GOOD!" - Me

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*cues Volourn to enter thread*

Murphy's Law of Computer Gaming: The listed minimum specifications written on the box by the publisher are not the minimum specifications of the game set by the developer.

 

@\NightandtheShape/@ - "Because you're a bizzare strange deranged human?"

Walsingham- "Sand - always rushing around, stirring up apathy."

Joseph Bulock - "Another headache, courtesy of Sand"

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Just wait for Volourn to enlighten you that EA is actually the most awesome company ever, r00fles!

 

Well with all my intelligence mustered and the many hours of study I have experienced, and dedicated to the mastery of Vologic, I'm still fairly certain I will be unable to comprehend Vologic and thus must continue with my life in a kind of ignorant haze of unenlightend delight.

RS_Silvestri_01.jpg

 

"I'm a programmer at a games company... REET GOOD!" - Me

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