[Hendricks266]

Someone more veteran than myself would be best equipped to explain what "fnord" is. see: Error 40Fnord, The Fnord Board, etc.

[Lunick]

Oh, I didn't realise it was a reference to THAT 3D Realms thing

[TerminX]

Fnord veteran here--fnord is fnord.

[Kathy]

Can someone give me a quick version on why this material wasn't properly released to public before Duke and SW changed hands?

[Lunick]

Didn't Shadow Warrior change hands before this prototype stuff was announced?

[Micky C]

Kathy, on 07 July 2016 - 05:55 PM, said:

Can someone give me a quick version on why this material wasn't properly released to public before Duke and SW changed hands?

It's probably the case that 3DR didn't anticipate that they'd lose the franchise, or were otherwise so busy dealing with it and the aftermath that it simply dropped off as a priority. As for them getting things done quickly... well... have they ever actually released a game on schedule?

[Hendricks266]

Kathy, on 07 July 2016 - 05:55 PM, said:

Can someone give me a quick version on why this material wasn't properly released to public before Duke and SW changed hands?

Fox, on 26 January 2015 - 01:01 PM, said:

Frederik Schreiber, on 26 January 2015 - 08:39 AM, said:

Hendricks, you jumped a bit prematurely on this. As I've mentioned countless times. You need to consult us (3DR) before sharing any of these assets.

This cannot happen again, as we are spending a lot of resources in preparing great articles, never-before-seen behind the scenes images, screenshots, etc. from the history of the 3DR games and legacy.
I know it's tempting, but it's better to do it right, than do it rushed (Trust us. We know.)

Despite this, 3D Realms couldn't divert any attention from more important matters to move forward in a more substantial way. First the relaunch and the Anthology, then Bombshell.

All of us have the same hope and desire to move forward with the content that we are allowed to. Unfortunately the opportunity of using the momentum of the relaunch to start up a new Apogee Legacy series is mostly behind us. However, I know that 3D Realms has plans for the future.

As I've mentioned, I'm sure there are more backups and developer drives than the initial batch Fred sent us. Some builds still have protections that I have not been able to defeat. We want to keep working on this.

[Kathy]

And it's been already two years. Can't say I agree with how they're handling it. Also, am I right that all Duke related stuff is off bounds since latest agreement with Gearbox?

Lunick, on 07 July 2016 - 06:15 PM, said:

Didn't Shadow Warrior change hands before this prototype stuff was announced?

In recent news Shadow Warrior IP transfer was mentioned alongside SW2 announcement. So possibly it was sold later than 2014.

[HMNuke93]

TerminX, on 30 June 2016 - 08:23 PM, said:

This was hidden in this thread, but I don't think anybody ever found it.

I would kill to get my hands on the art assets of the betas. Ehhhhh it will never happen.

[DNSkill]

I think all the material will be released someday. Knowing that it all at least exists and isn't going anywhere, it would be unlikely that it'll never find its way on the internet somehow.

And honestly i have no problem waiting, because knowing that at least a good sum of the material is in good hands, I know that they like it and want it out just as much as everyone else.

[HMNuke93]

gerolf, on 08 July 2016 - 02:55 PM, said:

I think all the material will be released someday. Knowing that it all at least exists and isn't going anywhere, it would be unlikely that it'll never find its way on the internet somehow.

And honestly i have no problem waiting, because knowing that at least a good sum of the material is in good hands, I know that they like it and want it out just as much as everyone else.

*crosses fingers*

[TerminX]

gerolf, on 08 July 2016 - 02:55 PM, said:

I think all the material will be released someday. Knowing that it all at least exists and isn't going anywhere, it would be unlikely that it'll never find its way on the internet somehow.

And honestly i have no problem waiting, because knowing that at least a good sum of the material is in good hands, I know that they like it and want it out just as much as everyone else.

It's almost a shame that they didn't pick people who were less conscious of data security than Evan and I are.

[Kathy]

People like Bryan?

[Robman]

Don't pat yourself on the back too hard there Richie
And yes it is a shame, lol. The games are ancient, every bit of juicy content should already have been released.

It really is a great injustice to hardcore fans having the sweet temptation of alpha/beta material.
You can't really do anything with it except analyze it and perhaps use some assets in something free so, what's the big deal?
New mods and stuff add to the attraction to the brand and name, there's really nothing to lose here.
The owners would at the very least gain a small bump in online sales.

Has nobody asked the current owners of this stuff to release it? Atleast the Duke3d and Sw stuff..

Spoiler

It would be a real shame if a download link just appeared somewhere
Yes.. a shame indeed.

[TerminX]

Anything released has to be gone over very, very carefully. There are plenty of cases where assets are used temporarily without permission from the copyright holder, instances where personal information is written into game files as an easy way of accessing it while working, etc. There's even one case we've found where an old list of personal phone numbers has two numbers listed for one guy--one's his home phone with his wife and the other is that of his mistress. I think at one point I even saw somebody's SSN somewhere. It's definitely not something that could ever just be thrown in a zip and uploaded for public consumption.

[Robman]

I know, I just had to post my annual rant about it, it's a tradition now.

Do you guys have a good amount you've sifted through and cleaned up or... gave up?

[TerminX]

I have reviewed the majority of the material, but can't say I've cleaned any of it up. I know where the problem areas lie and obviously know how to correct them, but it's pointless to do the work if I can't legally upload it or even show it to anyone.

[icecoldduke]

TerminX, on 08 July 2016 - 03:55 PM, said:

I think at one point I even saw somebody's SSN somewhere.

I wonder who thought that was a good idea :/.

[Hendricks266]

I don't remember if I've posted about this but I was going to develop a program that could do diffs of art, maps, etc if plans solidified. Delta, the Beta comparer.

[Robman]

On your site, I thought you made a program that did that with the SW .90 beta vs 1.2 art differences... and probably Duke3d betas also..

[TerminX]

icecoldduke, on 08 July 2016 - 06:13 PM, said:

I wonder who thought that was a good idea :/.

Did you know that they used to put your SSN on your driver's license? It was used as the driver's license number. There are probably people here on this forum even who remember their first driver's license having their SSN on it. Scary shit.

[AgentScotty]

Looking through my old driver's licenses, my 1994 license was the last to have the SSN on it, and my 1998 license was the first one without it.

[Micky C]

Kathy, on 08 July 2016 - 12:44 AM, said:

Also, am I right that all Duke related stuff is off bounds since latest agreement with Gearbox?

I think Kathy asked a good question. By the looks of all the activity in this thread it seems like wheels are in motion for the beta material to be released after all. Is this actually the case? And if so, how is it still happening now that Gearbox owns everything?

[Kathy]

Judging from answers the process of going through betas has stopped.

[CatNapDreams]

TerminX, on 08 July 2016 - 07:03 PM, said:

Did you know that they used to put your SSN on your driver's license? It was used as the driver's license number. There are probably people here on this forum even who remember their first driver's license having their SSN on it. Scary shit.

All of my drivers licenses up to my last two used my social security number. Very common. Such abuse wasn't much of an issue when I was younger. The world seems very corrupt compared to 10 years ago.

CatNapDreams

[TerminX]

CatNapDreams, on 09 July 2016 - 05:53 AM, said:

All of my drivers licenses up to my last two used my social security number. Very common. Such abuse wasn't much of an issue when I was younger. The world seems very corrupt compared to 10 years ago.

I don't think the world has become more corrupt as time has passed; the availability of information about said corruption has merely increased.

Regarding the beta stuff, there are currently no plans or considerations of plans to release anything. If anything happens it will be through Evan and I working in conjunction with Gearbox.

[MusicallyInspired]

As far as Duke stuff is concerned. Does that mean Shadow Warrior stuff is less likely? Are you in contact with Devolver at all?

[TerminX]

For us to be in contact with Devolver I'd probably have to pretend I was sorry for a page or so of harsh criticism I sent them concerning quality concerns with the initial release of Megaton Edition, and the business practices that allow products to be released in such a state. Maybe Evan would have better luck with that one!

[Robman]

Atleast finish going through the Duke and Sw stuff and get it ready for release, getting ahold of the betas yourself and then not having to finish the job is very much like getting your cake and eating it too.
(while the rest of the cake wanters at the party starve)

Contact whoever has the Sw ip and ask for the ability to release the betas. You would hopefully get far less resistance from them than say.. gbx.

Spoiler

As for corruption and crime, there was less of it back 50 years ago due to the immigration being a higher percentage of Northern Europeans, that tap got turned off and another faucet cranked wide open.
But that's a topic for a different thread.

[CatNapDreams]

TerminX, on 09 July 2016 - 10:16 AM, said:

I don't think the world has become more corrupt as time has passed; the availability of information about said corruption has merely increased.

For context, a quick example (one of dozens of which my view is based) When I was younger it wasn't uncommon to bring firearms to school as long as you left them in the office, and no one ever heard of a school shooting. I see that as a degradation of the people, but I guess even that could be viewed different ways.

TerminX said:

Regarding the beta stuff, there are currently no plans or considerations of plans to release anything. If anything happens it will be through Evan and I working in conjunction with Gearbox.

Conjunction as in they would allow it, or conjunction as in GearBox would need to be involved in a way that allows them financial gain? Or can you say?

CatNapDreams