JS> the best place to showcase new technology is a
 JS> |1st-person shooter.
 JS> Boy, do you have a *LOT* to learn.  :)
  I do?  Well, what games other than 1st-person ones in the PC realm have 
been technology showcases?  And I'm not talking hardware showcases, I'm 
talking engine showcases.  Games like Wipeout XL (and, yes, Colony Wars) have 
been excuses for a particular system or a PC videocard; something like Quake 
or Quake II, and of course Prey, is an engine showcase.
  Besides, where's 3D Realms' high-tech racer or space combat sim?
  Oh, and on the side, this is probably one of the few times when you've 
written in a happier tone.  Usually, you sound a bit stern.  Of course, I 
haven't done much to engender the former...
 JS> Here's the bottom line.  We will make what we like to play and what
 JS> *WE THINK IS FUN*.  Period.  Nothing more.  No "But..", nothing.
  Of course, that IS the ultimate goal.  However, I'm not sure if you 
achieved that completely with Shadow Warrior.  Some of the levels were, well, 
a tad on the dull side.  There were some creative ones, of course, but SW 
didn't quite hit that Duke 3D "wow!" level.  Not that it would have really 
been possible, since a lot has happened since that fateful winter of 1996 
(isn't it about two years since the shareware release of Duke?).  By the time 
the full Shadow Warrior had arrived, we had Quake, two mission packs for it, 
and Hexen II.  I'm not saying that those are all superior to Shadow Warrior 
(in terms of plain fun, I prefer SW over Hexen II; I don't have the mission 
packs), but there's that definite "been there, done that" feel.
  I'm also fairly certain that Duke Nukem Forever and Prey will succeed, if 
just because they each have a unique factor driving them.  DNF... well, it's 
Duke.  That alone brings a lot to the table, just in terms of sheer gameplay 
and fun.  Prey should be interesting not just because of portal technology, 
but because of the gameplay enhancements it's supposed to be decidedly 
"fresher" than even Quake II. 
      
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