Subject:      Re: Marathon 2 for win95 lets modem play!
From:         jack@radionics.com (Jack Miller)
Date:         1996/08/06
Message-ID:   <jack-0608961009030001@jackmac.radionics.com>
References:   <durkin-3107962349120001@nntp7.mindspring.com> 
<320102C6.44E9@cyberus.ca> <320297B2.7243@concentric.net> 
<eilersm-0308962301420001@news.arizona.edu> 
<tuncer-0408960158540001@tuncer.bungie.com>
Organization: RSA
Newsgroups:   alt.games.marathon
[Fewer Headers]


In article <tuncer-0408960158540001@tuncer.bungie.com>, tuncer@bungie.com
(Tuncer Deniz) wrote:

> Well, here's the deal on the modem play with Marathon 2 Win95. Because we
> used Direct X with M2 Win95 we got modem-to-modem play for free. Our
> programmer did very little specific to modems to make it work. On the
> other hand, one of our programmers spent weeks trying to get
> modem-to-modem to work under the Marathon networking code. The bottom line
> is that it doesn't work. But that doesn't mean we have given up on
> modem-to-modem for Marathon Mac. We're working with Apple to add this
> feature to Sprockets.
> 
> If it happens, it happens. Believe me, we're trying....
> 
> Tuncer

Tuncer, I hope you realize how much of a slap in the face this is to Mac
gamers.  I agree it would be silly not to have PC modem support since it
didn't take much work to put it in, but you guys HAVE to see that:

1)  Advertising Marathon as working with ARA, then
2)  Releasing Marathon with no ARA support (in a box that still claims it
is included, I might add), then
3)  Making Marathon work with ARA, but at speeds completely unplayable, then
4)  Releasing Marathon 2 also with no modem support (probably the MOST
REQUESTED FEATURE), then
5)  Never releasing a Marathon 2 update that WOULD allow modem play, then
6)  Not performing some act of good faith like providing a free/subsidized
license for Netlink Remote that would at least allow head-to-head (though
what I really want is ARA), then
7)  Announcing a port to Windows 95, the taunts of whose users we Mac
gamers must endure on an unending basis (when our only real retort was "At
least we have Marathon and Bungie, you losers!"), then
8)  Releasing a demo of the Windows 95 port that supports modem play

is MORE THAN A LITTLE GALLING.  I realize that most of this happened
before you signed on with Bungie, I'm not flaming you personally or even
Bungie in general; but I certainly would like to say that this hurts.  And
though Bungie is a collective Godlike Entity (TM) among Mac gamers, it
can't be a good thing to upset your customers like this.  There's a limit
to how much ABUSE (plug plug) people will take.

Yeah, yeah, of course I'll be buying Infinity, and Abuse, and just about
anything else you guys can crank out.  But maybe some others are going to
see this as the definitive (and hopefully completely inaccurate) sign that
Bungie is back-burnering the relatively small Mac market to rake in the
dough from the PC side of things.  Moving from Mac-first-Mac-only to just
Mac-first (Heck, not even that if you count Abuse, which I don't since YOU
didn't release it for the PC) was a faith-testing step; if you lose
Mac-first too, well...  Let's just say Uncle Guy wouldn't be happy.  ;-) 
(BTW, you should at LEAST link to the Evangelist page!)

On a final note; even if a Modem Sprocket gets added (Hey, push for an ARA
Sprocket, too, wouldja?  I want to be able to join in our 8-player
netgames from a 280c when I'm on the road...  Though Sprockets is PPC
only, right, so that doesn't help me anyway... hrm.) tomorrow, it would be
many many months before Mac gamers got to see any benefit of it from
Bungie.  Being largely ignorant of the Mac game development landscape, I
have to ask:  Is this really the best course you can take to bring modem
play to the Marathon universe?  Meaning, will nothing but a Sprocket bring
useable modem play to Marathoners?  And what about 68Kers?  Or is this
just lip service?

Thanx for listening.  Don't let any of this prevent you from finishing
Infinity by tomorrow, I want to buy it at the Expo.  ;-)

xxx halloween jack xxx