What an adventure guys!
Reality beats fiction. Let me tell you that Magna Mundi development history is richer, more suspenseful and more thrilling than any plot one could read in a novel. And the good part is that it is still being written! And the best part is that, as in Magna Mundi gameplay, total victory for all parties can still be snatched from the jaws of defeat, in an eleventh hour final bid!
Of course any story, fictional or real, should not be left going on just for the sake of it or it becomes stale. Thus, the Gold Master now.
Edit: Getting technical, what Ubik refers to as a Gold Master (GM) is a Release Candidate. It turns into a Gold Master when it passes testing on Paradox's end. We have high hopes it will, maybe with some minor adjustments.
When the GM passes a release date is set, accoring to the art of setting release dates (competition, other matters of timing).
/Mattias Lilja, Executive Producer Paradox Interactive.
As for me, I never went into this quest because of a pot of gold. Gold per se is not a strong motivator for me. It was really for the sake of the quest of designing a game, managing a colourful and extensive set of personalities and learning with people so much more intelligent than me in so many ways, all this while paving the way to develop another title after this one. At this point in time, I am happy to say all my objectives were achieved. I don’t know what the end of Magna Mundi will be as I only hold part of the cards, but you can rest assured I have had the time of my life playing THE GAME of making the game, no matter what happens from now on regarding it!
I am going to be upfront with you: Magna Mundi is at this stage finished but not polished. Optimally, it will need two more months of work for everything to be dandy for a release but certainly a one month development time will iron out most of the troubles.
In all fairness it must be said that Paradox recently presented me with two scenarios: Gold Master now or for Q3, seven or so months ahead. So, it must be said this time I was not rushed to make this decision. It is mine and mine only. I alone answer for it.
As stated before, it was a matter of avoiding the stale feeling I written above. It was also a way to end the “Golden Unicorn Syndrome”. The “Golden Unicorn Syndrome” happens when creative, dedicated and talented developers merrily continue to add features, scripts, plots and code optimizations in a hunt for the perfect [INSERT WHAT YOU WANT HERE] but oblivious that practical matters have a saying in everything. That’s where uncreative, pragmatic and untalented party spoilers like me blow the horn, rally the troops and signal the hunt is over, the boars caught were a great prize already and better to savour their roasted meat than continue starving while chasing the elusive golden unicorn!
Finally, there’s also the issue of attrition. As all of you are strategy gamers, you are very familiar with the concept. Standing in the desert of the forums for seven more months while being on the wrong - and unfair! - end of the pot shots flying is not my cup of tea. Given the chance, I prefer the greener pastures of a future game project to the barren deserts of the past.
So, how cool - which curiously rhymes with fool! – is that the fans of the game are being warned by the lead developer the game is not polished, while the fo... cool guy still hopes many preorders are going to happen? I don’t know how cool is that, but at least it’s honest and respectful for our fans and future customers. And I can point out for the team’s legendary dedication to tell about our future commitment regarding post release support in terms of patches and new content for Magna Mundi. Yes, if all the players play the cards right, the plan is to provide a strong support for the game for years to come and turn Magna Mundi into a cult game for this very specific niche market.
Finally, while savouring the Gold Master moment, let me compliment a few people more not mentioned in the manual. My parents first and foremost for the opportunities they always provided and the example they set for me to follow – beat yourself, don’t look to the side; never throw the first stone but have an avalanche ready to throw back to the aggressor; gold should always be a consequence, happiness should be the cause; the real important things in life don’t have a price...
Also I’d like to thank the professionals that placed in my hand some powerful cards just in case and also the seal of approval conferred regarding moral and ethics. Thanks very much guys! Another cappuccino?
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Swedish Steel!
. Now we know you had to choose between going gold now or in Q3 and out of those options I prefer now too even if it's not polished yet. When the time comes, I would like to be notified which patch is the last of the ''polish'' patches so I can start real games without feeling like my progress has been faulty and I need to start over the day some patch comes. Meanwhile I can use these 2 months to get smacked around by the AI and oaths of not reloading, trying countries I've never played before 
