| +Shine@MPlus> Welcome to the Zone.com Theater Chat Room, everyone. Thanks for taking some time out of your busy schedules to participate in this event. Joshua Howard is the brains behind the game that we all know and love, Ants. When I mentioned to him that folks in Ants had a whole variety of questions, he was glad to do a chat with everyone. It gives us great pleasure to welcome Joshua Howard to the chat this evening.
Welcome Joshua, how are you tonight?
joshuah@zone> Doing well. Good to be here.
+Shine@MPlus> To get everyone warmed up, could you give a little background on Ants. What was your inspiration for this and how did it come to be part of Zone.com?
joshuah@zone> As some of you know, Ants is now several years old. It was at first a game for the Spike's World Online Game Magazine. Spike's World went the way of so many Internet sites, but Ants remained. I was working at the MSN Gaming Zone and worked to have Ants moved from its old home to its new home - on the Zone. Then, as things sometimes happen - I ended up leaving the Zone to work elsewhere. Fast forward now several years... The MSN Gaming Zone asked that I come back - so here I am, working on Zone.com again.
Ants was supposed to be a fun little light-hearted game - never did we expect it to last so long, and get such a following. I'm proud of the game, and even more proud of the dedication of its players.
+Shine@MPlus> it's a great game, and yes, the players are quite wonderful! So now what's in store for Ants? (then we'll open it up to folks)
joshuah@zone> That’s been the big question now for sometime, as I understand it. As some folks may know, I've spent time off and on in the Ants Lobby over the past few weeks, listening to what folks have been saying. Zone.com is in tough spot. It’s hard to justify putting a lot of effort into Ants, but I also don't want to see it whither further.
So - here I am. Trying to do my day job on Zone.com, while also keeping an eye out for what we can do with Ants. What does the future hold? I don't know, but I'm working hard to figure it out. As I said once in an Ants lobby, I won't make any promises I can't keep, I promise!
+Shine@MPlus> well, thanks for that Joshua. I'm sure many folks have a lot of questions for you now. With that, let's open it up to folks. EnM1Tyz, welcome, what's on your mind?
EnM1Tyz> hi…Why are we all basically here? What do you think would have happened if you didn’t abandon the game when you left Zone.com? And how popular do you think it could have remained to this day if you had simply added a patch update to allow players to compete through IGL ladder, for example? This game was 10xs what it is now, or ever will be without a patch.
joshuah@zone> Yes, the game has seen much higher traffic in the past. And with a commitment to fix it, it could still have high populations.
EnM1Tyz> ok
joshuah@zone> The Zone has to place its efforts behind the games that have the biggest impact – and, like it or not, Ants is not [one of those games] to the millions of folks who come to the Zone every month.
EnM1Tyz> Why are you stating that hypothetically and not objectively?
joshuah@zone> Any effort to touch the code has been considered too costly - and still is. I see no future where Zone.com will invest resources to 'fix' Ants.
EnM1Tyz> well because Zone.com is mostly for cd rom games ?
joshuah@zone> Zone.com is mostly about casual games for casual players - Ants was made for another era. It’s a legacy game the Zone has agreed to keep around - the Zone is under no obligation to keep it up though.
EnM1Tyz> ok
joshuah@zone > I'm looking for options that keep Ants up while also allowing Ants to begin to get 'fixed'. We'll see what happens - I just got back to the Zone, and have a lot to do.
+Shine@MPlus> thanks for the question EnM1Tyz. FCouples, what would you like to ask joshua?
FCouples> Hi josh! I was curious to know about what Zone.com has planned with Ants. We, the community, have developed our own lobby system and can move Ants within hours. Do you plan to let us go our own way, or do you plan to help us fix the game as well as the bugs throughout the game and Zone's lobbies? The reason the population has decreased as it has is because of MSN and neglect.
joshuah@zone > Let me speak first as a management from the Zone, then as the designer for Ants. Zone.com has no obligation to you - the Ants community, and neither do you, the community, have any obligation to the Zone.com.
FCouples> I as well as many others have done as much as we can to keep this community alive, but we can only go so far without a little help from MSN, or moving away from MSN if we have to. Such things include the "speed hack", which practically cut the community in half. That could have been prevented or fixed very quickly with a little help. We were never given the map editor/maker as well, so I, myself, made a Map Maker for Ants called "Ants Map Wizard". It has done us no good to stay on Zone.com as long as we have as well, all the flooding and hacks in the lobby has only hurt us even more.
We were told we could have the code to Ants quite a while ago, yet we never got it. It seems as if at times you are buying time. We are prepared to move ASAP and we will if we have to. So, what do you plan to do? (done)
joshuah@zone > I'd be sad if you left the Zone, but if the Zone doesn't meet your needs I don't blame you for leaving. About the code thing, well meaning folks spoke too soon about things that proved much harder to do then they thought. I will not make that mistake. When I have a definitive word about taking Ants into shared source I will tell you.
FCouples> ok, so does MSN plan to help us at all as of now?
joshuah@zone > I'm being given a certain amount of latitude in coming up with options for the Ants community. I can't right now make any promises, other then that I am actively engaged in creative problem solving.
+Shine@MPlus> great info thanks, joshua. _NuKe_nL_, what's on your mind?
_NuKe_nL_> I'm not sure about just how long ago it was, but there was a rumor going around about a second version of Ants called Ants 2. I was wondering whether or not there was any truth to that rumor and if so, are there still any plans for a 2nd version of Ants? Also, I remember when Ants had at least 300 people on at a time. Yes the game is a little outdated, but I believe that the main reason for this is the lack of advertising by the Zone for ants. When I came to Ants, I would have never found it if it had not been listed on the main zone.msn.com page. I believe that Ants can still have up to 300 people with a little advertising/help from the Zone.
joshuah@zone > There was never, as far as I am aware, an official (Microsoft version, in other words) Ants 2. There are currently no plans for an Ants 2, though it’s not a complete impossibility. I agree that we seem to have buried Ants on the Zone. It’s hard to argue to get better placement for it when it has such small populations - even if the small populations are because it doesn't have better placement. I hope to make improvements over time.
_NuKe_nL_> that’s all – ty
+Shine@MPlus> thanks for the question _Nuke_nL_. _PA_Coll_ what would you like to ask joshua?
_PA_Coll_> sup joshua, first of all, I’m drunk as a... u know i been playin’ this game for along.. long time. Its funny these days, Ants got its own "slang", ants has become people’s life, and its all thanks to you. How does that feel? I can't even imagine! Second, I remember when you said "I won't make any promises I can't keep, I promise!" To me, well I think it’s time for you to at least make one promise – don’t leave us again!
joshuah@zone > I am constantly awed by the intensity of the Ants players. Any game designer would be very happy to have touched people this way.
_PA_Coll_> Oh, and one more thing, look at the people here to day. I see people that I haven’t seen in a year or two in this room right now. That’s respect man, they respect you. So you better not leave us. See, there’s still hope.
joshuah@zone> When I started on Ants my first child was an infant, now she is old enough she plays it herself. This blows me away. I have hired people into Microsoft who tell me they played Ants when it first came out - while they were in grade school. This also blows me away. Can I promise I won't ever leave?
_PA_Coll_> I hope so
joshuah@zone > No - I can't make the promise. But, I will make the most of my time here.
+Shine@MPlus> Yes, we all love having joshua here, and like he said, you guys are just as amazing :-) X4_ACID, what's on your mind?
X4_ACiD> Hey Josh, what's up man long time no see. I don’t know if you remember me or not. I was here last time when you hosted a chat, and were giving away all the prizes and stuff. You’re like the Man to me. I’ve been around Ants ever since Spikes World and I will continue to be around until Ants is dead. All I wanted to know is do u plan on upgrading Ants at all in the near future to try and bring new players and form a whole new Ants community and hopefully more people to join? Also how come you changed how you talk now? Now you used to say done after every sentence?
joshuah@zone > I don't expect to upgrade Ants, but I do hope with other things going on to get more people into the game. Now I say Roger - but the chat system filters it out. ROGER. (usually) ROGER! Just kidding ;-)
X4_ACiD> well that’s all I got for ya man Thanks for your time done. ;p and keep it up
joshuah@zone > Perhaps for the next chat I will have some more stuff to give away…
X4_ACiD> i worship ya man, you are my god! All hail the great josh!
+Shine@MPlus> thanks for the question X4_ACID. Timbo, what's up?
Timbo> Some people live and die in Ants. Ants is their entire life, they've even made up some of their own slang. How does it make you feel that you've stole so many years of so many people childhood?
joshuah@zone > Like a proud game designer. The best games steal your life, or so it seems.
Timbo> uh huh.
joshuah@zone > But it’s your life - so what you do with the game is your call, not mine
+Shine@MPlus> Thanks Joshua. _TD_Sweets, what's up?
_TD_Sweets> Hi Josh, I was wondering what do *YOU* yourself want for Ants and what do you plan to do for it?
joshuah@zone > What do I want? What do I WANT?
_TD_Sweets> yeah
joshuah@zone > WHAT do I want? What DO I want? Geesh…
_TD_Sweets> What do you want to see happen to it and how long will the 'expected changes' take?
joshuah@zone > I'm a fan of either taking Ants to the next level, or killing it. Nothing is sadder to me then seeing something die a slow death.
_TD_Sweets> if nothing changes that what’s going to happen
joshuah@zone > If I can't find a way to breathe new life into the game I may end up recommending we finally (after all these years) pull it down.
_TD_Sweets> !!! Can’t we go on our own with it?
joshuah@zone > Keep in mind, the last set of folks who hinted about what was in the works got their butt's kicked by you guys for not moving fast enough.
_TD_Sweets> if we had the codes etc, we could keep it alive. And what exactly is the 'next level'?
joshuah@zone > An ideal world, as I see it, is something like this…Ants goes shared source (finally) and the community drives the game to be whatever they want it to be. But - ideal is not today's reality. And today's reality is what I am working with.
_TD_Sweets> elaborate please
joshuah@zone > Either we find a way to make that happen or I take the game down. Either way Ants is taken to the 'next level'.
_TD_Sweets> I wouldn’t call taking the game down a 'next level.'
joshuah@zone > (Okay so satire is not my strong suit…)
+Shine@MPlus> Thanks for the candor, Joshua. I'm sure everyone here appreciates it. _2M_LiquidBlue, what's up?
_2M_LiquidBlue> I wanna tell you that you game is the only I've really liked since I learned the net 4years ago. I’m about to retire because my life continues so, thank you! You rule! Ants have relieved my tension at boring times. Are you rich? You make money? Can we make something so that Ants survive for the next generation? I wanna tell you that I’m the best in Ants so you should be glad to meet me. You can ask anyone. Anyways the legend is leaving so the next legend would be my when will I show you my skills learned? And nuke the Ants 2 was a starcraft map made by someone else. They call me Lune
joshuah@zone > Keep playing the game and Ants will survive, its gone this far hasn't it?
_2M_LiquidBlue> yeah. Wanna play me smurfing? I’ll be waiting to Win.
+Shine@MPlus> Thanks. Luckiestdevil3, what would you like to ask joshua?
LuckiestDevil3> Hi there Mr. Howard, thanks again for coming.. I can still remember back in the days when i would give anything to have a chance to speak with you, hehe that was back when i used played this game. It's still a very ap
joshuah@zone > Very…?
+Shine@MPlus> hmmm, looks like they froze up or something. i'll move you down for now. Phen, what's up?
PheNoMeNaL> Hello, I was just wondering why is it so difficult to update ants? You said it would be costly, but according to Forbes magazine Microsoft is one of the wealthiest companies
joshuah@zone > Like any business, Microsoft invests in the things that have the best return.
PheNoMeNaL> how much could it possibly be? But Zone.com is mostly free games. Can’t they just get more advertisers?
joshuah@zone > Ants, to put it politely, is wee tiny drop of a spec of a mite of a flea in the vast Microsoft world.
PheNoMeNaL> so its chump change. They can dish it out.
joshuah@zone > If there were 200,000 Ants players it would be different. If there were 10,000 people a night playing, it would be different.
PheNoMeNaL> well Microsoft does not invest the time or money into Ants to seek that many players.
joshuah@zone> In my day job I must decide how to spend our time - and even as the designer for Ants - I can't say that investing in Ants is the right business decision. I wish sometimes it were otherwise.
+Shine@MPlus> thanks for that info joshua, I'm sure that helped clear up a lot of questions for folks. _The_Gory_, what's up?
_The_GoRy_> Ok. I have three questions. Hello, I want to know if their any secret moves or any secret type of stuff in your maps especially treasure or islands. Are their any secret moves at all that you'd developed into the game that we've yet to figure?
+Shine@MPlus> Could you condense it into one? There are a lot of folks waiting, thanks.
joshuah@zone > There is nothing in the game, that I am aware of, that people haven't figured out yet.
_The_GoRy_> okay
_The_GoRy_> Joshuah, you think you could help with the Coms Version of the Server like editing Ants making it more efficient. (Speeders and Cheaters and Laggers)? The main maker of this server Is ComAnt. Or making a patch for speeding? BTW i played since 1997 =)
joshuah@zone > I would gladly answer whatever questions I could, if that would help. But keep in mind - I'm the game designer, I didn't write the code.
+Shine@MPlus> thanks gory. ToTh3max, what's up?
ToTh3Max> Ok, first of all thank you for making this wonderful game. Ok, now why are you fighting us? It seems that everything we ask is a no, or denied. And what is with the candy in the corner? (I’m _XS_SouL_ for those of you confused)
joshuah@zone > If I wanted to fight you I wouldn't have done the chat, nor would I be working on other options.
+Shine@MPlus> easy there max...he's here typing.
ToTh3Max> Well, I’m sorry for being “aggressive.”
joshuah@zone > But if you are fed up with it, then so be it - I understand.
ToTh3Max> Many Anters, including myself would like to see a change. Is this a yes or no to changes that will occur?
joshuah@zone > Hear me now:
ToTh3Max> ok ?
joshuah@zone > I will take Ants down, if we can't fine a way to resolve these issues.
ToTh3Max> Wait, do not under any circumstances take this game down. It is the one and only game I play.
joshuah@zone > I'm not giving up yet, but neither can I make any promises.
+Shine@MPlus> Thanks, joshua. Percepti0n, what's up?
Percepti0n_eL> Howdy…Day after day, month after month, year by year, Ants has always been one of my favorite free multiplayer game. In fact, it was favored by hundreds of people, so many that Ants used to be full 20+ hours a day. Now, you claim you'd be sad if we left the Zone, so why haven't you done anything about it before 80% already left. You see, the fact of the matter is, the Zone, and yourself left Ants hanging with cheats and many other things wrong, thus why Ants has been experiencing a population decrease. If only we didn't get left behind like, we're not important, the population would probably still be the same. The population lately seems to be increasing very slowly ever since they found out that you are back, and here it comes, it seems to me you are going to let us down, once again. My question is, if you really do want to help like you claim, why not give the code away and let it be moved/fixed? You say it costs money, but several people offered to volunteer for it. It shouldn't cost, considering YOU are the developer of Ants, so you should be able to do it yourself, for "FREE". (Done)
joshuah@zone > Yes - in many ways the Zone left Ants. But I don't own Ants, Microsoft does.
Percepti0n_eL> Well…It seems to me, that every time there is a chat, you dodge our questions…
joshuah@zone > That I have been given a chance to make a difference is very exciting, but it’s because Microsoft has given me that chance. I don't think you want me to make pretty promises I can't keep, so I'm telling you like it is.
Percepti0n_eL> You come up with these excuses, never leaving us with an obvious hint. Many of us have been let down. In fact, my brother died from playing the game 24/7 , not eating or drinking anything.
+Shine@MPlus> ComAnt, welcome.
ComAnt> Hi, I have been with Ants and the Zone for about six years now as well as others here have been. I see no progress and I unfortunately doubt there will be any from the way it seems. We currently have two Lobby projects one based on Microsoft .NET Framework (C++) (that’s mine, +ComAnt) and another with Java (that’s +Jason_Cook). We are really tired of these chats. I saw your previous comment about shared source. Can you expand on that please? (its very vague) and second if your going to "kill" Ants might as well let some of us take a shot a fixing it. I know we can do it! Also, Microsoft never spent any money on Ants!! As far as I can remember we rarely had any spotlight tournaments. I can assure you if this game was worked on it would reach far beyond Age of Empires or other games. This game is addicting (as you said yourself you known players that played at their younger years) and all it needs is a graphics makeover and bug fixes. Finally, who in Microsoft can I speak to with regard to the ownage and source of Ants?
joshuah@zone > You can speak to me.
ComAnt> well how bout the other questions?
joshuah@zone > I will not make any promises I can't keep.
ComAnt> so basically its the same thing you said before?
joshuah@zone > I am continuing to pursue Shared Source. When I have a better idea of when that might happen I will tell you.
ComAnt> can u give us a time estimate? It’s hard enough waiting so long.
joshuah@zone > That its taken so long is not something I can make better, I just have to try the best I can to make it happen for myself.
ComAnt> well good luck. Thank you
joshuah@zone > I do want to acknowledge the effort that ComAnt, and many others, have put into Ants - its a huge reason why I am making an effort to see what I can do. You - the Ants community - is why I'm spending my time on this. (Even if you are a bit impatient, sometimes rude, and often unintelligible in your chat)
+Shine@MPlus> yes, thanks joshua. We know you're trying. And your dedication is clear in these repeated chats PuP_Team, what's on your mind?
PuPTeam> YO JOSHUAH wuts ups? aight i got 2 questions for u 1.Why doesn’t none of the ants creators come and play? Will the limit for the game rooms that only allow 4 people be raised up to like 6 so others can play?
joshuah@zone > I haven't spoke to most of the old Ants team in years. I have spoken to the then lead developer - he has another job that keeps him busy, and checks in on Ants every once in a while. (But he does so without letting you know - based on what happens to me when I join the lobby.) About the 4 players…
PuPTeam> so why don’t you ever come play with us?
joshuah@zone > We would have to rewrite huge chunks of the game to have it be 6 players, so I don't expect that to happen.
joshuah@zone > I play - just never with my @zone, so you don't know it’s me
+Shine@MPlus> thanks for the question, PuP_Team. jason_cook, welcome. what's on your mind?
Jason_Cook> (quite a long Q here, one sec). As you are aware, the Ants population has dived quite heavily from nearly 450 in April 2000 to under 100 today... and it's mainly that high still due to the work of the community to try and fix things. We had a consultation the other day trying to come up with a list of serious issues/worries, which we produced here:
http://gameraddiction.com/ants/future/SecurityFlawsMarch2004.asp
If, as you say, you’re not willing to devote any Dev time to fixing the Ants-specific problems, and fixes to the rest are at such a ridiculously slow rate that they are left for years to be fixed, or if they are – then broken in days - how do you expect things to improve while staying on Zone.com? Surely by your past comments you’re implying as things are now, Ants will be binned sooner or later because you’re not willing to fix the Ants-specific problems, and the zone.com-specific ones are not being fixed either, so the population is all but going to fall? So are you willing to suggest any other viable options apart from the community "AntsDev" move (http://gameraddiction.com/ants/future/ ) - that is, staying on Zone.com?
joshuah@zone > The Zone seems to go dormant sometimes, which usually means we are working on the 'next big thing'.
Jason_Cook> even when some of the bugs listed go back as far as 1999,2000,2001?
joshuah@zone > Sometimes the next big thing turns out to not be such a big hit, sometimes it does.
Jason_Cook> do you see them actually planning to fix *any* (even Zone.com-based, not Ants-based) things? Or is really the move now the only viable alternate to being "binned" as you say?
joshuah@zone > I want to focus my team's efforts on building new systems, new games, etc. and replacing what we have - but that’s a huge project that will take sometime to complete. I appreciate what you are saying. I can't believe the Zone is still on the same tech it was on when I first joined up.
Jason_Cook> we can't either, given how badly some of it is falling apart
joshuah@zone > That being said, its a huge effort to rebuild the tech/games. But that’s what I came back to the Zone for, and when it’s ready, and released, I expect you will love the new Zone.
Jason_Cook> any timeframe there? The "big update" in October was nothing more than a chat window and yet another web layout (will leave it there after that comment, so others can go )
joshuah@zone > The next 'big update' will make a bigger splash.
Jason_Cook> I'll believe it when I see it, thank you. No other questions or comments.
joshuah@zone > But when we are ready to preview it you will see what we have in mind - until then I will keep my mouth shut.
+Shine@MPlus> thanks for the questions/comments, Jason. Before we get to gravy, in the interests of time, the queue is closed after _godiva.
+Shine@MPlus> gravy, you're up.
_PA_DrunkGravy_> Alright, I’ve got a couple of short questions, one is since the speed hack is easily accessed and can be found simply by going to a geocities site by zoned, why don’t you take the authority of taking down the site, or getting the program and making a patch in the lobby that boots people with speed hack open, it isn’t that complicated, as you make it sound.
joshuah@zone > I've played hours and hours of games in the past few months, and never once did I get speed hacked. People seem to complain a lot more about this problem then perhaps they should - yes it was an issue before, but nowadays I'm hard pressed to see how it impacts the day to day playing of the game.
_PA_DrunkGravy_> and why don’t you simply work something out with Com, you can see that the guy is trying to help Ants and computing isn’t the easiest thing as you probably know. I would like to see some serious help from you
joshuah@zone > The best way to help Com, Godiva, etc. is to get them the source code - but until I have something definitive to tell you I won't make any promises.
+Shine@MPlus> thanks gravy. g, what would you like to ask joshua?
the_G_in_Game> hey Joshua - thanks for taking time to be here tonight...did you design the game FOR MS or did you design it and then MS bought it? Also, do you OWN the rights to ANTS - and have the FINAL say in Ants future or is it up to others at MS? Also, putting just a little money into Ants and promoting it may very well show an increase in players - I think it would be a good idea to throw some $$ into ANTS and take it 1 step at a time rather than waiting for the "BIG fix" (BIG $$). I bet you $50 each improvement would result in more gamers - and you would be able to see pay offs (more players) at each interval/improvement.(done)
joshuah@zone > I was an employee at Microsoft when I designed the game - so Microsoft owns it.
+Shine@MPlus> kaba, what's up?
Mr_KaBa_> josh, if it was yours to give away would you sign over the rights to ants to the ants community? Why is MSN such a bish about fixing ants? And do you need Windows NT to put food in a map with the ants’ editor? Why is your answer to everything that you won’t make any promises? I see that as a way to give a partial answer without looking like you know absolutely nothing about Ants; and how can com talk to you about buying the source if you don’t have the authority to sell it? I mean with it being Microsoft’s and all wouldn’t he have to talk to somebody important? Why would you have your team work on something that might not be a big hit, when you know a game like Ants even updated to 3d graphics and maybe more players or whatever WILL be a big hit, i think your a fake josh. Are there any other tools that we don't already have? For example a tool for the Chd file? Since this format is suppose to be an adobe font file format? How come there are certain built in security and anti cheat checksums that were never put into action? For example one being the Map version in each map? BTW if you don't know who i am just ask around. I would be 1 of the 2 guys who broke the map codes. And if you played a new map in Ants. Chances are I designed it or helped.
joshuah@zone > Then you my thanks! All along I wanted to release the map editor - but we never got the chance. In one fell swoop all of those issues are taken care of if you have access to the source. Apply here all my comments about shared source... etc. etc. We've actually done some brainstorming about what an Ants 2 would be like - its still being thought about, but nothing has yet to really excited us.
+Shine@MPlus> ty kaba and the last question goes to godiva...what would you like to ask about Ants that Joshua could answer for you?
_Godiva> Hi all, I would like to give my turn to amino if I may .. thank you both for hosting the chat today
+Shine@MPlus> ok... amino, you have the floor
aMiNo_oL> I'd like to say Thank you to Godiva, it's much appreciated.
Hi Josh, my name is Fernando. I’ve been eager to meet you since my tenure as an Ant player. You’re not what as I expected but that perhaps that’s due to my preconceived notions from childhood. Many of the people here today are asking you about Ants and how to restore it to it’s once “greatness”. I feel that the negative attitudes of those and those that are not have contributed to ants down fall. This can’t be changed; Ant’s people are aggressive by nature. I do however want to know something, something about you the man who was created ants. What inspired you to create Ants? I mean it’s not every day that someone makes a decision to create a game, especially one that’s characters are “ants”. I doubt you intended nor dreamed that your creation would make such a profound affect on people, but it did. Some people would not acknowledge this, but I’m perhaps the greatest Ant player to live. You would think I know all there is to know about ants but I can’t help but I think there is some underlying secretes in this game. Can you fill me in? Tell me the tricks that only the creator would know. In addition, I’m curious to know, as the designer of Ants shouldn’t your skill exceed any of ours or have you the teacher become the student? Forgive me if I’ve rambled off topic, but to be honest, for a person who articulates their fondness for the game, I do not see you playing with the rest of us. It is admirable that you’re here however I question the reason. I would’ve love to seen you play and maybe I’d know how to truly have fun in ants. Your replies to previous user questions seem less than sincere and to me that in itself makes me want to quit, even though I left long ago. You’re a true enigma and as now part of “management” you’ve become even more ambiguous.
joshuah@zone > So many things, let me begin...I play Ants, but not with my @zone, so you will never know it’s me. I am not very good at Ants any more.
aMiNo_oL> Also, what's with the candy in the corner of trez.
joshuah@zone > I was very good for about 1 month, but after that I regularly got my butt kicked. Oh well. I'm not that good at any of the many games I have published or been part of the design team for.
aMiNo_oL> What about the secrets of ants? There must be something that we don't know
joshuah@zone > I'm sorry if I seem less then sincere. That I am here, and not doing something else, should in part show you that I still care.
aMiNo_oL> and…
joshuah@zone > At the end of the day if you are satisfied with what I can do then so be it - I know I will have done my best.
joshuah@zone > The secrets? Of Ants? The secret to Ants is … is…
aMiNo_oL> yes, you designed the game
joshuah@zone > is... Give me a break. It’s a freak'in game. I had a great time designing it, and a great time developing it. But it’s just a game.
aMiNo_oL> There are tricks, Anters have discovered, I'm sure it's not by change they were there.
joshuah@zone > A secret is this - all Ants are created equal, even if the Anters seem to think otherwise.
aMiNo_oL> are your Martin Luther King Jr. now? You won't get the Nobel prize from me.
joshuah@zone > The code of the bomb ant's attack is the very same code for the thief ants attack…
aMiNo_oL> You’re being ambiguous and avoiding my questions. I asked what inspired you to create Ants. Who creates a game "about" ants? Do you have an affinity for things with antlers?
joshuah@zone >I wanted a game that was 'started at the point when Warcraft got fun', that was also kid appropriate. Ants whacking each other seemed funny, so that’s what I went with.
aMiNo_oL> ahh interesting
joshuah@zone > Instead of taking a long time to build up, then have a big fight, why not start the game at the fight?
aMiNo_oL> Why doesn't ants have a built in ladder program like zone chess?
joshuah@zone > Powerups are cool - so instead of a complicated tech tree use Powerups to create different kinds of ants. A ladder would have been cool - so would have been a DiplomAnt, BalloonAnt.
aMiNo_oL> You’re talking to me like I’m an infant. Are you even Josh? I expected much more from the creator…
joshuah@zone > And an underground for the ant mounds. Nonetheless we shipped what we could, and it turns out it wasn't too bad in the end.
joshuah@zone > None of you are infants. Neither am I. I appreciate your candor. I appreciate your frustrations. I will do what I can. We will talk again.
+Shine@MPlus> thanks for that closing set of questions there aMiNo_oL, and thank you joshua. Unfortunately, we're at the end of the chat. Sorry for not getting to everyone. Thanks again for your time, and thanks to everyone for the wonderful questions. Have a great night! | |
