9/26/99 - Latest News
Getting Organized
Berendir @ 10:10 am EST
Well it looks to be a slow news day, and this looks interesting enough. Andos posted this on the MEdev board.
I can see on this board a lot of people doing some great work in doing what they can to help salvage MEO and other aims. Well done.
However I really think that at this point we should take stock of where we are, what we want to achieve and how we should try to achieve it.
We need to stay focussed as a group if we want to have any impact on the situation.
I propose the following courses of action.
1/ That we formulate a statement as Development Board regulars and potential customers. This statement should be formulated by someone like Spiritwolf, Elenduil or someone else who can put their words together clearly and concisely. This statement should be posted to the board and everyone who wishes to should post their affirmation. The names of all the people who supported it should then be added to the Statement and that Statement should be put in the board's Hall of Fame and News Archive so that when the new team come along, we have a firm footing. The Statement with a covering note should also be sent to all gaming magazines. A person should be nominated to do this and chase them up.
2/ We need to understand what it is we want to achieve. Getting the original Dev Team back won't happen as they don't want to work for Sierra even if asked to come back. They are gone. So we want to achieve precisely what? That the game include the various ideas that the Dev Team intended. Let's list those things out, in order of importance so we know what we are fighting for. Who can do that best? (Volunteers please!)
3/ Bearing in mind the above point, I think any efforts by individuals involving letter-writing campaigns or websites should be co-ordinated. Would anyone putting together a site, please respond here with their URLs so we can look at what is being done and co-ordinate. I think that we should ask Valen to put up a Links page under the Features Section, or a section itself called "Save MEO" which details our Statement and related links.
What do you think? Ideas please!
Heres a picture supplied by Andos on the post, its free for anyone to use in support of MEO if they choose.
9/25/99 - Latest News
Poll Questions
Christian @ 10:32 pm EST
OK, so it seems most people would like their datajack stuck behind their ear! tell William Gibson... someone please.
Time for a new poll, what do you think we should ask? mail me. I duno, I should frag your asses for having no taste, everyone knows data jacks should go in the temple!.... ye gads brain! sheish!
Tons of Middle Earth Games
Berendir @ 10:36 am EST
There's a good site devoted to displaying numerous past games based on Middle Earth. Most probobly aren't worth looking into, but there are probobly some fun games to be found in here if you have the time.
Check out the page Here and email me if you find a game worth pointing out.
9/24/99 - Latest News
Sketches for The Trilogy
Berendir @ 10:05 pm EST
Theres some new sketch work at The Trilogy and it looks good.
Wynn, from The Trilogy, had this to say about the sketches on the Gaming message boards:
Dear Tolkien fans.
As you know on the development page, there are different sketches of characters.
Hobbits as we know, looked somewhat young, and Mina tryed to capture a the basic look of Frodo, Sam, Pippin and Aragorn.
Though yes, we agree they were older.. those pics are only concept art, therefore making them un-officially used.
Many of them at the time, are younger pics of the companions, though I believe they do resort back to Tolkiens works, also by the fact of other artists works and there similiar additions to 'Young Hobbits'.
In conclusion, most certainly we will be staying real to the books and of course the characters will look there proper age.
Head on over to the site and give it a look, especially if you haven't been there before. There's also some jobs availiable working on the Trilogy, so go check it out.
More News on MEO
Berendir @ 5:06 pm EST
Well this isn't really news, however it is an interesting editorial which you can read in full at MGON. Heres a piece of the editorial:
Currently the fan base is in the throes of agony over Sierra’s latest decision, which unless you missed it, was to disband the current development team then redesign the game. While this obviously will set back the timetable for release, it also seemed to destroy something even more important. It is called imagination. According to the grape vine (I won’t mention names because it would not be in their best interest) the ideas presented by the current developers were just too radical! That’s right, it seems that the current developers went so far out on a limb Sierra just had no choice but to cut them loose. Well, to be fair Sierra has not officially commented on the direction the new dev team will focus on, but everything indicates the latest incarnation (this will be Sierra’s third attempt) will try to target the perceived mainstream. So, instead of looking for new and innovative product, we will most likely be looking at the Ultima Online 2 killer.
A Middle Earth Chess Set
Berendir @ 4:44 pm EST
Theres a great Chess board availiable made by the Danbury Mint.
The pieces are silver-plated and each is set with a sparkling crystal. The handsome wooden board includes a box that lets you store each piece in its own lined compartment.
If your interested in this, go Here to visit the site.
Getting The Axe
Berendir @ 4:13 pm EST
The Dev team that was layed off of MEO created a spoof page on the events that recently occurred.
In 1999 an epic battle between good and evil was fought! A number of powerful magical items were created by the gods and used in the battle. On a foggy night a party of fearless game developers stole into the encampment of the gods, and one by one, stole the items and hid them in a nameless vault beneath the earth. When the gods awoke they were furious! They tortured the game developers for months, but they had taken an oath of silence, and no-one spilled the beans! In their wrath the gods declared that the developers must die, and the layoff began!
Check it out Here
9/23/99 - Latest News
Greetings everyone!
Berendir @ 10:27 pm EST
I'm here to help keep the site up to date on all the news on varies Middle Earth related games. Please email me with any ideas on the Gaming Havens, and I'll definitely look into it.
Now that Orcs revenge of the ancient is gone, and MEO has seemingly been all but destroyed, we'll be looking into other Middle Earth games, and things to do to make the Gaming Havens a fun place to visit.
Oh my, I don't even know what to say about what has happened, it comes as a shock to say the least. I don't even know what else to say, i'm frankly speechless. I will keep you posted on any updates in here.
On another note, thank you to those that answered my plea for help, if i havn't gotten back to you yet i will.
I wish all the best to the people who have been working with Sierra.
9/19/99 - Latest News
Are you sick of waithing for Middle-earth online to come out?
Christian @ 11:08 pm EST
Berendir sourced this interesting tidbit from mevault, Daniel James is a member of the MEO team.
Patience Is A Virtue
Like so many other things in life, a great deal of patience isnecessary
when following the development of a game. In response to recentcriticism
from readers, Daniel James had this to say.
Of course we care. There just isn't a lot we can say right now. I'mreally
sorry. If it's frustrating, you might be best advised to take abreather.
Come back later. I have no desire to frustrate anyone.
We've strenuously avoided making timing promises, and I don't thinkthat
making them now would be wise.
As for understanding the Tolkien fan, you forget that the team areTolkien
fans, too. If we fail to deliver a good game based on Tolkien'sMiddle-earth
then you can feel betrayed, and we will too (by ourselves, perhaps).
Sit tight, be calm, and be aware that you are appreciated. If we couldshow
our appreciation more, then we would. But anticipation - yours and ours-
doesn't bring us closer to fruition. And it can make the waitingharder.
I've been personally working towards the goal of Middle-earth for over4
years (1.x at Sierra, 2.x previously in my startup). I know aboutwaiting.salut,
Daniel
9/18/99 - Latest News
Live chat with Orcs
Christian @ 9:00 pm EST
Really Christian? Yup, and I missed it as I am busy with school at the moment... frag! Fortunatly I was able to read the log of this chat.
Good times I say again! It is all good! Oh yeah, and did I mention earlier that you can sign up for a closed beta test now! What about that heh :) Oh yeah, and did I mention that theonering.net will be running a competition, and if you win, you will be gaurenteed a place in the beta!
9/12/99 - Latest News
Platus
Christian @ 6:43 am EST
As you guys have probably seen, there is a log of the last platus interview here.
The platus site is also looking nice, I saw some nice landscape shots in the graphics section this evening :)
Do you want to be a part of the closed beta that is testing Orc's - Revenge of the Ancient?
They are taking applications for beta testers now! Good times huh!!! Actually... hmmm I duno if I should post this, you might apply and take my beta testing spot... hmmmm....
To find out about the beta, go to orcs.net and check out the forum, sign up for it, and post your feedback! Contained in the forum is the link to the beta test application form or go straight here. :)
good times
\ /