Definitely not - sorry, it wasn't my intention. However I was responding to what David seemed to be writing: that using a single example of where community involvement was asked for didn't work, and that that example justified not opening the system more to the community since noone would be interested.
I may be doing David and A-sharp a disservice, but it feels that the subtext is: we created a fantastic game, spent lots of time and energy doing it, sold it, it was recognised as a new style and good and fun, and it has languished despite our best efforts. The first I don't dispute, although I would say that there are some good (and bad) reasons why games often cost many millions to develop. That KoDP didn't (I presume) and yet is so good to play is more indicative of a group of fanatics doing it than a business (not necessarily a bad thing at all!).
As to the 'sold it' part, I would be very surprised, but happy, if the development costs had been recouped. If they haven't, I'd guess it was partly because of poor capitalisation, lack of advertising, and the market for the game as designed. Classic business decisions. Hopefully it did recoup costs.
It's the last part - languishing despite best efforts (my words of course) - that I am addressing. I think, given the time the game has been out, best efforts could now possibly include open-sourcing. I'm a long way from the action, but it appear that the only way this game won't simply die slowly, as it is, is to create and involve the existing KoDP community into morphing it into something new and different. Those who don't care about new, who enjoy playing it as it is, can continue.
> And just because this list is quiet for months at a time, I don't feel
> that it's "not much of a community to speak of any more." Every time
> someone does ask a question or make a comment, we seem to get into a
> good discussion. Is a community less of a community because its members
> aren't chatting away all the time?
Simply - yes. Call it something else, but not community. One of the hallmarks of community is regularity.
It is quite instructive to see the number of posts/mth since the group started: http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/KingOfDragonPass/
I'm also amazed that I joined in the first month - Jan 2000 - eek!
> I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm still *playing* KoDP. I
> play it a lot. And that's the important thing. Talking to other people
> about KoDP, while fun, is secondary. So, at least for me, would be
> looking at KoDP's code. In fact, I'd probably choose not to look at its
> code, except perhaps to see if there are any scenes I've never
> experienced. I like playing the game.
> Not editing the game, not porting the game, not remaking the game. Just
> playing it.
And that's the great part of diversity. I do the same in other places. I'd just say don't stand in that way of those who may like to take another path. The nice part of your path is that noone needs to do anything for you or about it to keep it going: there are no new or ongoing fees to pay for KoDP, nothing else you need other than the odd afficiando for a Q&A every 6 months, or anything to stop you continuing even if a new game is created.
Ro
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