DrJ

RPS did a great job on the article. In the end I think Paul is just a very deluded mentally ill person. He had a good thing going, but his actions destroyed it all. I can only feel sorry for him for not realizing that his actions would have an adverse reaction. At this moment I think the "announcement" in January will not happen. A LSL game without Al's support is just not going to happen. 
 
I'm hoping for a new Josh IP game! I'd back that in a heartbeat!!! 

I like the double-click-to-run mechanic myself -- the Blade Runner game used this especially effectively where repeated clicking made the character run faster. I also really like the double-click-on-exit to change rooms mechanic, too.
 
But some games, I feel, also took it too far: in Torin's Passage, you could right-click anywhere on the screen to instantly teleport there. And after a while you start getting lazy and just zip all over the screens instead of leisurely exploring the game world. And in Beneath A Steel Sky, turning up the game speed also increased the speed of everything around you, not just the main character's walking speed. Those are, I think, some of the pitfalls to watch out for.

It's been awhile since I wrote something here.
 
Here's my take.. I'd be okay with a split down the middle for SpaceVenture. What happened to Double Fine is rather annoying. They went far above & beyond their goal and still ran into financial issues. Granted - they were aiming for a smaller project initially but gosh - you cant make 1 full adventure game with 3.3 million dollars (or 2.9 if you take the 400k in rewards they had to send out)? Having seen other projects and somewhat having been involved in some - it's difficult to make a quality game with a small budget and not exceed it. So sign me up!

It's been awhile since I wrote something here.
 
Here's my take.. I'd be okay with a split down the middle for SpaceVenture. What happened to Double Fine is rather annoying. They went far above & beyond their goal and still ran into financial issues. Granted - they were aiming for a smaller project initially but gosh - you cant make 1 full adventure game with 3.3 million dollars (or 2.9 if you take the 400k in rewards they had to send out)? Having seen other projects and somewhat having been involved in some - it's difficult to make a quality game with a small budget and not exceed it. So sign me up!

RPS did a great job on the article. In the end I think Paul is just a very deluded mentally ill person. He had a good thing going, but his actions destroyed it all. I can only feel sorry for him for not realizing that his actions would have an adverse reaction. At this moment I think the "announcement" in January will not happen. A LSL game without Al's support is just not going to happen. 
 
I'm hoping for a new Josh IP game! I'd back that in a heartbeat!!! 

RPS did a great job on the article. In the end I think Paul is just a very deluded mentally ill person. He had a good thing going, but his actions destroyed it all. I can only feel sorry for him for not realizing that his actions would have an adverse reaction. At this moment I think the "announcement" in January will not happen. A LSL game without Al's support is just not going to happen. 
 
I'm hoping for a new Josh IP game! I'd back that in a heartbeat!!! 

RPS did a great job on the article. In the end I think Paul is just a very deluded mentally ill person. He had a good thing going, but his actions destroyed it all. I can only feel sorry for him for not realizing that his actions would have an adverse reaction. At this moment I think the "announcement" in January will not happen. A LSL game without Al's support is just not going to happen. 
 
I'm hoping for a new Josh IP game! I'd back that in a heartbeat!!! 

Surely, this aPAULing behaviour can't be AlLowed!
 
(Sorry, had to go there as well)

I heard from the horse's ass himself that the 250K units was how many keys he gave out to retailers. I have absolutely no idea on the number actually sold.
 
On a related note, I'm glad to have cut ties with him when I did. As Spikey said, Polyester Paul is death by association. I wouldn't care less if he was vindictive enough to pull my testing credits. I still want my star kept intact, though. I paid good money for it. I know Jeroen sent Al an e-mail and I plan on doing one myself. He needs to "break the chain" and pull free himself. I've got way too much respect for the ol' guy to see anything happen to his good name.

It really isn't about feeling screwed over, it's sad the way Paul reacted to all of this, but I'm still happy I was involved with everyone else during this project. It's more about the adventure game community being 1 big front (as everyone showed over the last week). We all gathered behind the SV project as we couldnt sit back and let someone tarnish the hard work they are putting into this. As everyone has stated before, we will block any attempt coming from Mr Trowe for another adventure game. So if we are all trying to bring this genre back and are this big front, it cant hurt to contact CodeMasters to let them know how we all feel, regardless if you're a SQ/PQ/KQ/GK/QfG or Larry fan. I think we all want this genre to succeed in this gaming market. That's the main reason I stopped my involvement with Replay Games. I didnt want to sit by and let someone hurt the community.
 
I guess what I'm saying is that together we can make a stand. Just like we all did when Paul posted on KS. Lets at least contact CodeMasters to let them know how we as an adventure game community feel about Paul's involvement. It's not about Larry, it's about adventure games in general.

It really isn't about feeling screwed over, it's sad the way Paul reacted to all of this, but I'm still happy I was involved with everyone else during this project. It's more about the adventure game community being 1 big front (as everyone showed over the last week). We all gathered behind the SV project as we couldnt sit back and let someone tarnish the hard work they are putting into this. As everyone has stated before, we will block any attempt coming from Mr Trowe for another adventure game. So if we are all trying to bring this genre back and are this big front, it cant hurt to contact CodeMasters to let them know how we all feel, regardless if you're a SQ/PQ/KQ/GK/QfG or Larry fan. I think we all want this genre to succeed in this gaming market. That's the main reason I stopped my involvement with Replay Games. I didnt want to sit by and let someone hurt the community.
 
I guess what I'm saying is that together we can make a stand. Just like we all did when Paul posted on KS. Lets at least contact CodeMasters to let them know how we as an adventure game community feel about Paul's involvement. It's not about Larry, it's about adventure games in general.

In regards to Josh - I have truly enjoyed working with him. He's an amazing guy, very talented. I'm not speaking to his status with Replay as I feel this is something he needs to share if he feels the need to. At this point as stated by others, it seems most of the reputation of Replay is in shambles and a lot of people left. Other people involved (Al, Britton) are more than likely not happy with the state of affairs.
 
And while it's great that all this information is being shared & gathered here on this board, I do agree with Quirk & bootyboi that it would be important to speak out to CodeMasters so that they are aware of that's going on.
 

Last thing anyone would need is the license to go to someone that lost all support & respect of the adventure game community as it would totally kill the franchise from being revived. Even if you are not a big Larry fan, it would be a bad sign for the adventure game genre.

It really isn't about feeling screwed over, it's sad the way Paul reacted to all of this, but I'm still happy I was involved with everyone else during this project. It's more about the adventure game community being 1 big front (as everyone showed over the last week). We all gathered behind the SV project as we couldnt sit back and let someone tarnish the hard work they are putting into this. As everyone has stated before, we will block any attempt coming from Mr Trowe for another adventure game. So if we are all trying to bring this genre back and are this big front, it cant hurt to contact CodeMasters to let them know how we all feel, regardless if you're a SQ/PQ/KQ/GK/QfG or Larry fan. I think we all want this genre to succeed in this gaming market. That's the main reason I stopped my involvement with Replay Games. I didnt want to sit by and let someone hurt the community.
 
I guess what I'm saying is that together we can make a stand. Just like we all did when Paul posted on KS. Lets at least contact CodeMasters to let them know how we as an adventure game community feel about Paul's involvement. It's not about Larry, it's about adventure games in general.

It really isn't about feeling screwed over, it's sad the way Paul reacted to all of this, but I'm still happy I was involved with everyone else during this project. It's more about the adventure game community being 1 big front (as everyone showed over the last week). We all gathered behind the SV project as we couldnt sit back and let someone tarnish the hard work they are putting into this. As everyone has stated before, we will block any attempt coming from Mr Trowe for another adventure game. So if we are all trying to bring this genre back and are this big front, it cant hurt to contact CodeMasters to let them know how we all feel, regardless if you're a SQ/PQ/KQ/GK/QfG or Larry fan. I think we all want this genre to succeed in this gaming market. That's the main reason I stopped my involvement with Replay Games. I didnt want to sit by and let someone hurt the community.
 
I guess what I'm saying is that together we can make a stand. Just like we all did when Paul posted on KS. Lets at least contact CodeMasters to let them know how we as an adventure game community feel about Paul's involvement. It's not about Larry, it's about adventure games in general.

I think DrJ was saying the exact opposite of that, aside from our appreciation for designers like Josh, Al, Scott, et al. We all love those guys and I'm glad to see that expressed here, but I'm not sure everyone understands the position Paul is in.
 
Paul DOES NOT own the rights to Leisure Suit Larry. The only reason he was able to do a Larry game was because he knows people. Paul has passion, there's no doubt about that, but he's made it clear he cannot handle the amount of power he was given. This isn't just a slip up, it's a personality trait. We would be doing the franchise and the people who worked hard on this game (designers, developers, volunteers like myself, even Kickstarters) a disservice to give Paul the opportunity to be put in the same position twice. We've fought way too hard to bring this games back and to give up now, waiting and hoping that the next Kickstarter to be a success, would be a damn shame.
 
That said, I urge everyone to contact the powers that be: Codemasters. Be polite, but be sure to let them know where the real problem lies. If they don't want to do another Larry because of disappointing sales, that's their business and I don't fault them for that. But it's entirely possible they don't know Paul has alienated the entire community and the franchise would be better off in more caring hands.
 
Like it or not, we're a small community. When one adventure game dies, it has negative impact everywhere. SpaceVenture, Space Quest, and other IP's are certainly no exception.

In regards to Josh - I have truly enjoyed working with him. He's an amazing guy, very talented. I'm not speaking to his status with Replay as I feel this is something he needs to share if he feels the need to. At this point as stated by others, it seems most of the reputation of Replay is in shambles and a lot of people left. Other people involved (Al, Britton) are more than likely not happy with the state of affairs.
 
And while it's great that all this information is being shared & gathered here on this board, I do agree with Quirk & bootyboi that it would be important to speak out to CodeMasters so that they are aware of that's going on.
 

Last thing anyone would need is the license to go to someone that lost all support & respect of the adventure game community as it would totally kill the franchise from being revived. Even if you are not a big Larry fan, it would be a bad sign for the adventure game genre.

In regards to Josh - I have truly enjoyed working with him. He's an amazing guy, very talented. I'm not speaking to his status with Replay as I feel this is something he needs to share if he feels the need to. At this point as stated by others, it seems most of the reputation of Replay is in shambles and a lot of people left. Other people involved (Al, Britton) are more than likely not happy with the state of affairs.
 
And while it's great that all this information is being shared & gathered here on this board, I do agree with Quirk & bootyboi that it would be important to speak out to CodeMasters so that they are aware of that's going on.
 

Last thing anyone would need is the license to go to someone that lost all support & respect of the adventure game community as it would totally kill the franchise from being revived. Even if you are not a big Larry fan, it would be a bad sign for the adventure game genre.

In regards to Josh - I have truly enjoyed working with him. He's an amazing guy, very talented. I'm not speaking to his status with Replay as I feel this is something he needs to share if he feels the need to. At this point as stated by others, it seems most of the reputation of Replay is in shambles and a lot of people left. Other people involved (Al, Britton) are more than likely not happy with the state of affairs.
 
And while it's great that all this information is being shared & gathered here on this board, I do agree with Quirk & bootyboi that it would be important to speak out to CodeMasters so that they are aware of that's going on.
 

Last thing anyone would need is the license to go to someone that lost all support & respect of the adventure game community as it would totally kill the franchise from being revived. Even if you are not a big Larry fan, it would be a bad sign for the adventure game genre.

Hello everybody,
 
Thank you for all the support. After reading Paul's comment on KS, I was done.
After him banning and deleting ALL the posts that Serena created on the forum, I'm even more done.
 
I've been active in the community for a long time (started all on the QuestStudios forum - hence this nickname). When the Sierra revival started with Leisure Suit Larry, I just couldn't sit by and not try to get involved. I've been grateful to be able to help out and provide my professional help to this project. I still stand behind all the work I've done and I'm happy to have helped bring this game to market. Josh Mandel is an awesome guy and I would work for him or ANYONE at N-Fusion Studios in a heartbeat! All such talented people that have such a great heart for the gaming industry.
 
I know more than I would say on here (I like to remain taking the high road) - but I just want to thank everyone for supporting us (Serena, Irish, Tom & myself) for speaking out against something we believe in. The adventure game community is a tight community and I am proud to be part of it. If anything, this experience has taught me a lot and I'm very grateful for all the people I got to know through this.
 
Thanks everyone.
 
Jeroen
aka Dutchmagic

Couldnt say it better myself. As I said before - out of everything, I'm grateful to have had this experience and gotten to know great people in this community more & more (you know who you are :)). It's sad that this all is being destroyed by 1 person.
 
I do think what Quirk above here is saying would be interesting to try.

I honestly dont care about the amount of money I spent on LSLR, it's more of the tactics that were involved that now diminish this entire experience. I'm still happy with LSLR just not with the person running the show..
But I'm glad we're able to discuss this in a civil non nudity manner ;-)

Couldnt say it better myself. As I said before - out of everything, I'm grateful to have had this experience and gotten to know great people in this community more & more (you know who you are :)). It's sad that this all is being destroyed by 1 person.
 
I do think what Quirk above here is saying would be interesting to try.

I thought I would speak up on this topic. I think we all love Larry and need to take action. I believe there is a difference between "Taking the high ground" and all sitting around watching one man poison a water well we are all trying to drink from. We can do just as much harm by not taking action. We are the power here, not Paul. We are the consumers, we are the customers and we have the money. Let us use the tools we have.
 
My suggestions.
1. Email Al and let him know how you feel about Paul. Let him know we still support him but not with Paul. On his website his email is listed as webmail@allowe.com
2. Email codemasters. The game must not be selling well which is why Paul is acting like this. Email the highest person you can get ahold of there. They also have listed custservice@codemasters.com . I also think tweeting to them, so its more in the public eye, is also beneficial. https://twitter.com/codemasters
 
We have to make it very clear to them that we want more Larry games with Al, but not with Paul. Don't let Al get painted with the same brush. These are all normal channels with which WE can also express our opinion. Take the 5 minutes it would take to write an email. It might just save Larry.

I will say it again and I can not stress it enough, you have no idea how fun Josh Mandel made it for us, getting to chat with him during late night phone conferences, seeing things others didn't and seeing your ideas and suggestions put in the game talked about or ignored was a genuine blast. Josh made it worth it I know the others will agree.

What I find truly bizarre is that anyone involved in a tech company of any kind is so freakin' clueless about social media and community relations. This is exactly how NOT to do it. Almost to the point of parody.