I dont know how often you hear it, or whether it even maters to you, but Thank You.
For all the hard work, time spent, stubborness and dedication. You are a genius and the games you create are without peer.
I picked up on 3000ad with Universal Combat, a game that drew me in then spat me out, confused and fearful. Time after time I revisted this mind boggling masterpiece until it all finally clicked. (no small part due to brilliantly written, informative and entertaining tutorials)
I have never played any other game that has matched or exceeded my experience in the original Universal Combat (bar it’s subsequent updates), indeed, it raised my own standards so significantly it has become very difficult to gain any satisfaction from modern, franchised, lowest common-denominator, based games.

Since then, I grew older and games had less of a place in my life, but infrequently I would revisit your website and forums to catch up and sample your latest creations and their incarnations. Without the time to completely immerse myself in them, I could only enjoy them for small periods at a time, but I would smile, secure in the knowledge you were still doing what you do best.

Never stop. Never pull any punches. Never compromise.
Keep making games that you want to play, because I and many others want to play them too, they are the only games of their kind.

Eagerly awaiting GCO since the days there was mearly one huge forum post about it on the old-style boards, and will continue to wait and try my best to support your releases on the journey towards it as this, if you push on with it (I am literally praying you do), will be THE game. I would literally retire and get some sort of intravienous drip style sustainance system to play GCO.

Well, I’m off to try out two new games.
Thanks again.

p.s: Dont let them get you down ever. The ones who matter already know the answers are in the body of text they are purposedly replying to whilst asking their questions.

I must clear that i understand your vision behind your games ,since the 3000ad days you gave your best trying to do something that nobody ever dared doing and that accounts for something.Sadly there always were some shortcomings that kept that vision from fully realising.And that is the reason i am here and i hope you take in consideration my questions…

1) Why there are NO fully 3d animated cockpits for vechicles with full physics based camera viewpoints attached to the body of the character that drives the vechicle ? 2d like cockpits make the game look dated.I don’t think they are very difficult to implemend…

Also why there are no fully animated characters while in 1st/3d person ? Nowdays almost every single game has more complex animations while in 1st or 3rs person view (For example try fear 1/2 or far cry 2,crysis,mirrors edge etc..I know its a lot of work but it can make in the end all the difference.

2) Why the terrain is so flat ? ” I know it is supposed to be in desert ” but even in desert there are sanddunes and variances in elevation…In the game the terrain is completely flat….I can understand it may need a lot of reworking on the engine but i believe its something really important because in the end even if you render the whole planet if it looks so flat it will be very boring for the players…even the most hardcore ones…

3) And my third question has to do with the emptyness of the world…You once said you have licensed
speed tree.That was a great decision but why you don’t use it ?If you want to give players a lush and interesting environment to play you must fully incorporate speed tree and before releasing the game.I know it may hit the frame rates but i believe with a well incorporated Lod system it can be done with minimal sacrifice on the performance of the game….I mean look at Arma 2 for example..I know its just a fraction of AAW scale but still it manages to render huge details environments and running perfectly…

My final thoughts are that you can always improve on a game but first impressions are what make or break a game…And for this is very important to add the features i am speaking about like the full 3d cockpits and characters animations/speed tree and elevation changes on the world…

You keep telling that this is a hardcore game.I agree with you but that does not mean hardcore gamers do not like eye candy and detailed living breathing environments….

I sincerely want this game to succeed to show people how complex and grand scaled games can be.That the reason i believe the above improvements are so important…

Also in my opinion the mission scripting should have some work done(you know with some better voice over,some detailed character animations and cut scenes etc..

i hope you have the time replying on this..