Plan for Melv May
by Melv May · 02/26/2005 (5:19 am) · 23 comments
Whoa, T2D has been released. Let me just say that again, T2D has been released. No, that just doesn't sound quite right at all!
Well, I have to admit it, T2D is now an official GG product and independant of what happens, it's a huge and wonderful step for me. Imagine if you will; it's the middle of the night (2.30 am) and you're waiting for the product page to go live; you've got several people like Dan MacDonald and Josh Williams 'with you' on YM, emails from friends coming in asking if it's up yet and then blam! You've got a product up on the GG page and people are already purchasing it left, right and center without any big announcement! OMG! You're crazy tired from lack of sleep, too much screen-time, poor eating and worse, you're full of cherry-coke just to keep you awake for a few more minutes. *burp*
T2D has been so long coming and it's been hard work but it has been fun in a kind of sick and twisted way. I've no idea where I heard it before but someone once said that the first 90% of the product is the easy bit, it's the last 90% that's hard. The math doesn't work there but I now know what it means and so does my family. And coming sharply back to reality, T2D isn't a finished product, it's just got started. I know that most things that people will initially ask for will be completely satisfied over the next few months.
So many sacrifices, now comes the time of pride but also guilt of spending so much time in the middle of T2D coding alongside Josh Williams when I could've spent the time with the wife and young baby. The great thing about working with Josh was that we could work alongside even though there's alot of ocean and land between us. Remote collaboration is normally really hard but this partnership just worked and worked well. Had to find the time to say Sarah, I love you and you've been so damn cool letting me spend so much quality time being sad in my computer room, thank you so much.
I fear that if I type much more I'll get too gushy and sickly and make everyone feel rather ill, assuming it's not already too late, so I'll cut this short.
I'd just like to thank everyone who's already gone out and used their hard-earned money to play with T2D and all those that are about to. Thanks for your support and I'm sure we'll be chatting soon on the forums. :) The thing is, with all the excitement, and this is kinda' embarrasing to admit, well err .... we kinda' forgot to organise getting me access to the T2D forums! How funny is that? I'm about to purchase T2D so that I can get access which is even funnier! I'll be there on the forums soon people, sorry if you think I'm ignoring you. :)
Oh, that's so embarrasing! Why did I admit it?
Anyway, I think a nice way to sum this up is that my life over the last eight-months has been getting this...
... into this ...
Enjoy T2D everyone. It's only going to get better over the next few months.
- Melv.
EDIT: Just added that Pat has saved me by giving me access to the forums. ;)
Well, I have to admit it, T2D is now an official GG product and independant of what happens, it's a huge and wonderful step for me. Imagine if you will; it's the middle of the night (2.30 am) and you're waiting for the product page to go live; you've got several people like Dan MacDonald and Josh Williams 'with you' on YM, emails from friends coming in asking if it's up yet and then blam! You've got a product up on the GG page and people are already purchasing it left, right and center without any big announcement! OMG! You're crazy tired from lack of sleep, too much screen-time, poor eating and worse, you're full of cherry-coke just to keep you awake for a few more minutes. *burp*
T2D has been so long coming and it's been hard work but it has been fun in a kind of sick and twisted way. I've no idea where I heard it before but someone once said that the first 90% of the product is the easy bit, it's the last 90% that's hard. The math doesn't work there but I now know what it means and so does my family. And coming sharply back to reality, T2D isn't a finished product, it's just got started. I know that most things that people will initially ask for will be completely satisfied over the next few months.
So many sacrifices, now comes the time of pride but also guilt of spending so much time in the middle of T2D coding alongside Josh Williams when I could've spent the time with the wife and young baby. The great thing about working with Josh was that we could work alongside even though there's alot of ocean and land between us. Remote collaboration is normally really hard but this partnership just worked and worked well. Had to find the time to say Sarah, I love you and you've been so damn cool letting me spend so much quality time being sad in my computer room, thank you so much.
I fear that if I type much more I'll get too gushy and sickly and make everyone feel rather ill, assuming it's not already too late, so I'll cut this short.
I'd just like to thank everyone who's already gone out and used their hard-earned money to play with T2D and all those that are about to. Thanks for your support and I'm sure we'll be chatting soon on the forums. :) The thing is, with all the excitement, and this is kinda' embarrasing to admit, well err .... we kinda' forgot to organise getting me access to the T2D forums! How funny is that? I'm about to purchase T2D so that I can get access which is even funnier! I'll be there on the forums soon people, sorry if you think I'm ignoring you. :)
Oh, that's so embarrasing! Why did I admit it?
Anyway, I think a nice way to sum this up is that my life over the last eight-months has been getting this...
... into this ...Enjoy T2D everyone. It's only going to get better over the next few months.
- Melv.
EDIT: Just added that Pat has saved me by giving me access to the forums. ;)
About the author
#2
So Josh, we can do that super-secret project now right? *hush, someone may be listening*
- Melv.
02/26/2005 (5:37 am)
@Josh: So all we need to do now is turn Labrats pong into a multiplayer pong and we're sorted. :)So Josh, we can do that super-secret project now right? *hush, someone may be listening*
- Melv.
#3
02/26/2005 (6:05 am)
Holy nuts, guys. Holy nuts. Congrats and mega huge thumbs up to both. :) 
#4
02/26/2005 (6:40 am)
Nice work Melv, Josh, and team - this is just plain awesome. I know that we will be using T2D in upcoming projects and look forward to it!
#5
Already a milestone product for GG really guys. You can just feel it.
Phil.
02/26/2005 (7:12 am)
Congratulations to both you AND Josh!!!Already a milestone product for GG really guys. You can just feel it.
Phil.
#7
02/26/2005 (8:51 am)
Congratz Melv. I can tell you have worked your ass off. Go out and celebrate with your family.
#8
One aspect of T2D that I'm inspired by is all about family. So many young people (mostly boys 10-16) want to learn to make games and over the last 3 years I've had 1,000s of dads (moms, grandparents, etc) ask me if there is anyway that Torque could be of help with their kids intense desire to learn to make games.
Well we all know that we seen some amazing 11-15 year olds do cool stuff with TGE, but until now I've haven't had the response I'd like to give about creating a fun family and young learner accessible projects using Torque - today I can almost taste how close we are to having something that will help bridge this need.
Thanks again, your fierce commitment to see this project through, I believe, will be a great thing for many, but families especially.
02/26/2005 (9:51 am)
Melv - I know the sacrifices you've made have been huge with a new baby and really an amazing wife. One aspect of T2D that I'm inspired by is all about family. So many young people (mostly boys 10-16) want to learn to make games and over the last 3 years I've had 1,000s of dads (moms, grandparents, etc) ask me if there is anyway that Torque could be of help with their kids intense desire to learn to make games.
Well we all know that we seen some amazing 11-15 year olds do cool stuff with TGE, but until now I've haven't had the response I'd like to give about creating a fun family and young learner accessible projects using Torque - today I can almost taste how close we are to having something that will help bridge this need.
Thanks again, your fierce commitment to see this project through, I believe, will be a great thing for many, but families especially.
#9
Thank you SO MUCH for your hard work, everyone. I was excited for the community when TSE was released because I knew it would slow the "DOOM 3 VS TORGUE? LIEK WTF!!!!" topics. With the release of T2D, I'm excited for me (and the community).
02/26/2005 (9:53 am)
Congrats! I picked it up as soon as I saw it was up! It would have to be released on a busy weekend! I'll just have to make time.Thank you SO MUCH for your hard work, everyone. I was excited for the community when TSE was released because I knew it would slow the "DOOM 3 VS TORGUE? LIEK WTF!!!!" topics. With the release of T2D, I'm excited for me (and the community).
#10
02/26/2005 (10:18 am)
Great job Melv! Truly an amazing project that I'm sure nearly everyone will buy! I know I'll be purchasing it and putting it to good use!
#11
02/26/2005 (10:33 am)
Congrats to all involved!! Now let's see who can get the first commercial release out there using T2D. ;)
#12
02/26/2005 (11:35 am)
amazing to see t2d progress over time. awesome before and after screens! t2d will set the world on fire! will be a while before I get a t2d game in development (planning one for my 4th title, and my 1st isn't even gold yet!) but wanted to buy t2d right away to show my support. amazing stuff. you and josh must be on cloud 9 right now with feeling the value of what you've given the world!
#13
02/26/2005 (11:56 am)
Congrats again. Very impressive work. 
#14
One question...Bitmap Fonts?
I'm trying to create a big colourful score at the top of the screen. Any suggestions?
02/26/2005 (12:36 pm)
@MelvOne question...Bitmap Fonts?
I'm trying to create a big colourful score at the top of the screen. Any suggestions?
#16
no T2D for me yet.
02/26/2005 (2:58 pm)
Oh yeah! Very spiffy!!!!! Any idea when the source will be available for Mac and Linux? I bought T2D but, 
#17
02/26/2005 (3:13 pm)
I love Torque 2D.... *guess the biggest compliment I could give is giving a little one - considering the rest of my time is being spent on T2D !!*
#18
02/26/2005 (6:50 pm)
Awesome job on T2D Melv and Josh. It's super-dope. 
#19
Still looking forward to your other great future resources :)) You know the ones a certain 3D board game with cool resources attached to it that I believe rivals your T2D accomplishments.
02/26/2005 (7:20 pm)
Grats to your accomplishments Man!!Still looking forward to your other great future resources :)) You know the ones a certain 3D board game with cool resources attached to it that I believe rivals your T2D accomplishments.
#20
02/26/2005 (8:58 pm)
Peter, do a font sheet with fixed character size fonts, load it as an image map datablock with those sizes slicing it up, draw the text using sprites.
Torque Owner Josh Williams
Default Studio Name
And... CONGRATS!!!!!!!!! We did it!!! :) It's been tons of work, but man... been fun. Hard to believe it can actually be fun "working" this much. Looking back, what a great ride it's been.
Can't wait to do more! Let's get this puppy out of EA real quick.
Gotta say thanks again to Pat (you rock!), Jeff (really, Jeff and Melv deserve the credit for T2D), Alex, Jay, Benjamin, Rick and Ben. And Craig Fortune, Nauris, Matt Mitman, you guys rock. Anthony Rosenbaum, Dan MacDonald, Craig Ball, Dave Myers, Labrat, Phil, thanks for helping to test!