T2Di Blog
by Craig Fortune · in iTorque 2D · 10/22/2009 (4:05 pm) · 13 replies
I'll keep this short and sweet: Torque 2D for iPhone blog... where is it? This is beyond a joke now.
I think everyone here feels ignored and somewhat abused in the treatment we have been getting as T2Di customers. The anti T2Di feelings I hear from other developers (both here and in other places) are growing in strength and number... you need rectify the situation here or you're going to have people walking out left right and center and off to Unity etc.
So, what gives? Don't reply with delaying tactics - give us solid information.
I think everyone here feels ignored and somewhat abused in the treatment we have been getting as T2Di customers. The anti T2Di feelings I hear from other developers (both here and in other places) are growing in strength and number... you need rectify the situation here or you're going to have people walking out left right and center and off to Unity etc.
So, what gives? Don't reply with delaying tactics - give us solid information.
#2
2. I'm in IRC, as mperry. Send me a message and you will get immediate response.
10/22/2009 (5:15 pm)
1. Messaging Brett about the blog now2. I'm in IRC, as mperry. Send me a message and you will get immediate response.
#3
10/22/2009 (6:03 pm)
@Craig: You're not being ignored. It's just a bandwidth issue. Things are particularly busy for the Torque team right now as most of the office is planning the move to Las Vegas for next month. It's not an excuse, it's just context. I hope you'll continue to be patient. I'm working on the blog today and hopefully will have it done for you guys tomorrow. 
#5
We are starting to hear bits and pieces now, and that's just a month after a lonely beta binary was tossed in our direction - no news, no details - and only until after I made a big stink in the last thread, calling it "official abandonment." If you guys can update your home page as often as you do and hang out in the IRC channel all day, I'm sure you can throw up a simple blog entry that doesn't need to be edited and proofread 30 times and passed through 10 different hands. IT'S. A. BLOG.
If you didn't hear it in their IRC channel, they've supposedly hired a good team (consisting of how many people, I don't know) to revamp the iTGB engine, and rebrand it as Torque 2D for iPhone. But, if that's the case, it may be some time before we actually see an official release, or at least another beta release.
Add to the previous news that you were at a game conference, so you were too busy to inform us of any progress reports. Now, the latest news is that you're preparing to move - next month, no less - so you'll be all tied up again. The prognosis is not encouraging.
I've asked for a refund not once, but twice over the course of the year. I didn't even touch upon the false advertising that still remains on the product page. But GarageGames' argument now is that if an iTGB game as allegedly good as Elven Chronicles can be released with the current (or previous) engine, it's considered a viable engine.
The only problem that I have with that is the level of intricate programming skills that was required in order to make it work: he might have started with the core engine, tweaked and ripped it apart, used C++ for everything, while others had the impression that the editor and engine - as it is - plus writing everything in TorqueScript would be the end-all to coming up with a smooth-looking and stable game. It's not.
If they still can't grant me a refund, even a partial one, I'm going to officially chalk it up to be a $750 loss. A lot of people are complaining about unexpected crashes and slow load times in my first game, and my sales have not yet paid for the cost of the engine and the time invested to develop the game on it.
If GG wants to keep my hard-earned $750, they might want to know that people have been asking me what SDK/GDKs they can develop on to make a good game, and I have no choice but to steer them toward an alternative engine. Good news, like a good engine, is sometimes kept under wraps, but bad news spreads fast. I'm not being vindictive - just honest.
10/23/2009 (1:36 pm)
Perhaps, maybe just for our curiosity, or more likely because we at least deserve it at this stage, I still would like to know who the individual or team was behind iTGB, as well as in GarageGames, as a whole, who are somehow tied to iTGB. I'd like to see the infrastructure (red tape, if you will) so I can try to figure out why things take so long as they do when it comes to releases, fixes, and status updates.We are starting to hear bits and pieces now, and that's just a month after a lonely beta binary was tossed in our direction - no news, no details - and only until after I made a big stink in the last thread, calling it "official abandonment." If you guys can update your home page as often as you do and hang out in the IRC channel all day, I'm sure you can throw up a simple blog entry that doesn't need to be edited and proofread 30 times and passed through 10 different hands. IT'S. A. BLOG.
If you didn't hear it in their IRC channel, they've supposedly hired a good team (consisting of how many people, I don't know) to revamp the iTGB engine, and rebrand it as Torque 2D for iPhone. But, if that's the case, it may be some time before we actually see an official release, or at least another beta release.
Add to the previous news that you were at a game conference, so you were too busy to inform us of any progress reports. Now, the latest news is that you're preparing to move - next month, no less - so you'll be all tied up again. The prognosis is not encouraging.
I've asked for a refund not once, but twice over the course of the year. I didn't even touch upon the false advertising that still remains on the product page. But GarageGames' argument now is that if an iTGB game as allegedly good as Elven Chronicles can be released with the current (or previous) engine, it's considered a viable engine.
The only problem that I have with that is the level of intricate programming skills that was required in order to make it work: he might have started with the core engine, tweaked and ripped it apart, used C++ for everything, while others had the impression that the editor and engine - as it is - plus writing everything in TorqueScript would be the end-all to coming up with a smooth-looking and stable game. It's not.
If they still can't grant me a refund, even a partial one, I'm going to officially chalk it up to be a $750 loss. A lot of people are complaining about unexpected crashes and slow load times in my first game, and my sales have not yet paid for the cost of the engine and the time invested to develop the game on it.
If GG wants to keep my hard-earned $750, they might want to know that people have been asking me what SDK/GDKs they can develop on to make a good game, and I have no choice but to steer them toward an alternative engine. Good news, like a good engine, is sometimes kept under wraps, but bad news spreads fast. I'm not being vindictive - just honest.
#6
10/23/2009 (2:58 pm)
Just a confirmation that this blog is coming today...gawd...so overhyped now...it's just overdue communication to you guys. Hopefully it's most of what you're looking for, and some pleasant surprises. Thanks again for your patience. 
#7
10/23/2009 (3:56 pm)
Good to hear, thanks Brett. 
#8
10/23/2009 (5:44 pm)
Thanks, Brett. Eager to hear what's next.
#10
01/02/2010 (4:22 pm)
@BeyondtheTech, any news on the refund for itgb? I recently purchased and immediately wanted to return it. It is borderline awful and definitely falsely advertised. There's really no defense for having to pay for broken software. Anyway, please let me know if you had luck. I haven't heard back yet, likely because it's the weekend and GG unusually has no customer support phone number (or I just can't find it).
#11
T2D iPhone is getting another update in a few days. I've contacted LUMA and we are checking the build now to make sure no other show stopper bugs are present. The new build has an improved interface, new documentation, a new build process, updated demos (new code), and is more stable than the past versions. It should be a lot easier to organize your assets and execute faster.
01/02/2010 (4:24 pm)
@Chris - Others Seem To be Doing Well With ItT2D iPhone is getting another update in a few days. I've contacted LUMA and we are checking the build now to make sure no other show stopper bugs are present. The new build has an improved interface, new documentation, a new build process, updated demos (new code), and is more stable than the past versions. It should be a lot easier to organize your assets and execute faster.
Torque Owner Johnny Vo
I'd be happy if they just integrated all the great fixes from the community into iTGB. But do it now please. I thought we were getting itgb 1.3 final not be stuck in beta forever.
Brett, Michael, Deborah... can you guys tell us anything?