No DM client shipping with NWN2

Gimlor · Post by **Gimlor** » Thu May 18, 2006 1:41 pm

This on the Vault today.

So, this week we're going to try and load you up with information to help clear the air and set the record straight on a few things. The first being the DM Client. The DM client will not ship with the game in the box. We looked at a number of different scenarios and the best one that the team decided upon is to release the DM Client in full as a download the same day of the release. So while it will not ship in the box it will come out with the game. That's the official word as of today.

Marijn · Post by **Marijn** » Thu May 18, 2006 1:47 pm

Gimlor wrote:This on the Vault today.

So, this week we're going to try and load you up with information to help clear the air and set the record straight on a few things. The first being the DM Client. The DM client will not ship with the game in the box. We looked at a number of different scenarios and the best one that the team decided upon is to release the DM Client in full as a download the same day of the release. So while it will not ship in the box it will come out with the game. That's the official word as of today.

is it me or is this just strange? why not include it with the game straight away? lack of time or money?

Alphonse · Post by **Alphonse** » Thu May 18, 2006 1:50 pm

Marijn wrote:
Gimlor wrote:This on the Vault today.

So, this week we're going to try and load you up with information to help clear the air and set the record straight on a few things. The first being the DM Client. The DM client will not ship with the game in the box. We looked at a number of different scenarios and the best one that the team decided upon is to release the DM Client in full as a download the same day of the release. So while it will not ship in the box it will come out with the game. That's the official word as of today.
is it me or is this just strange? why not include it with the game straight away? lack of time or money?

because there will be a period between the game going to the publishers, and the day of release. They can work solely on the DM client at that point

DanishPastry · Post by **DanishPastry** » Thu May 18, 2006 1:58 pm

Marijn wrote:is it me or is this just strange? why not include it with the game straight away? lack of time or money?

*points to the reply above* AND lack of money and thus lack of time...

dougnoel · Post by **dougnoel** » Thu May 18, 2006 2:21 pm

DanishPastry wrote:
Marijn wrote:is it me or is this just strange? why not include it with the game straight away? lack of time or money?
*points to the reply above* AND lack of money and thus lack of time...

A reduction in features does not necessarily translate into a lack of money. Adding people to a project does not make things go faster. Each person added takes at least a month to train on the project, which requires one of your existing developers to spend the same amount of time training them. Then it can take up to 6 months for a person to become a fully productive member of a team. May+June+July+August+September = 4-1/2 months.

They've told us they're going to give us the DM client on the ship date. Good enough for me. This also indicates their willingness to support the game IMO, as it's been pointed out that the number of DM client users is a drop in the bucket compared to the number of people who will (hopefully) buy this game.

DanishPastry · Post by **DanishPastry** » Thu May 18, 2006 3:05 pm

Dougnoel, what I meant but failed to state clearly was that they are likely in need of money right now to pay off the creditors etc. etc. So postponing a release to have the DM Client ship with the game in the box was not a viable option.

frogmella · Post by **frogmella** » Thu May 18, 2006 3:12 pm

Marijn wrote:
Gimlor wrote:This on the Vault today.

So, this week we're going to try and load you up with information to help clear the air and set the record straight on a few things. The first being the DM Client. The DM client will not ship with the game in the box. We looked at a number of different scenarios and the best one that the team decided upon is to release the DM Client in full as a download the same day of the release. So while it will not ship in the box it will come out with the game. That's the official word as of today.
is it me or is this just strange? why not include it with the game straight away? lack of time or money?

Could also be due to the cost and difficulty of distributing the DM Client to the packages and lack of time for the so-called 'localisation' matters of translation to various languages.

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Thu May 18, 2006 3:22 pm

Also, you have to think of how much time it takes to produce and package the actual disks and manuals. How many copies will they ship on the release date a million, two, three? I'd have to think that kind of project takes a few weeks if not months.

dougnoel · Post by **dougnoel** » Thu May 18, 2006 3:35 pm

You will see the announcement of the game going gold. This means that the version they are shipping with has been put on a CD (or DVD) and shipped to the publisher. It also means that the manual and box art is done, but usally the software is the last thing to be finished. The publisher will take the gold master and make copies, which will be dumped in boxes with manuals and shipped to stores prior to the release date. Generally games go gold about a month before their release date.

bolo · Post by **bolo** » Thu May 18, 2006 3:38 pm

Bah, I'm too damn slow. what Doug said