Category Talk to Simutronics (34)
Topic GM Announcements (5)
Message The Fifth Province (176)
By DR-JOVAH@PLAY.NET
On Feb 12, 2001 at 22:26

While most announcements like this would typically come directly from Solomon, I have asked his permission to convey it myself because many of you know me as the GM in charge of coordinating the development of the fifth province, or P5.

After months of discussion that included everyone from Zoha and Solomon to my fellow Senior GameMasters, as well as many (if not most) GMs on all teams, we have decided to move the P5 deadline back by at least a year. This will allow all of us to concentrate on development priorities such as enhancing our current provinces so that they can begin to fulfill more of the vision we (both GMs and players) have held for them.

Speaking only for myself, this has been an extremely difficult decision, and I have very much appreciated the patience and understanding I've gotten from Zoha and Solomon as I talked things through with them. I've lost a lot of sleep over it, to be honest, but I'm also certain that it is the right decision. Maybe I'm too much of a perfectionist, but I simply cannot move forward with coordinating P5 at the expense of development priorities that are more compelling.

Some excellent work has already gone into P5, but an entirely new province needs so much. It needs to bring with it a rich history and culture, new geography and creatures, new mysteries to discover, and a set of new features for players that leave them challenged and excited. I don't want to settle for anything less than that. Nor do I want to see our current provinces fail to live up to their potential. And we all know that some of them do need attention in order to allow them to rise to their full glory.

P5 is NOT being eliminated as a development priority. I'm personally working on a couple of features and large areas for P5 that I very much look forward to bringing into the game; one area in particular qualifies as some of the most exciting work I've done so far, and I'm not going to let it go! Some of my fellow GMs who have also been working on P5 will arrange to have me flayed if their hard work doesn't go live <g>.

I know some of you will be glad to hear that we'll be focusing on our current provinces for awhile. But I also know that some of you will be disappointed in this decision, and that's the part that hurts. I can only say that in making it, we are trying to maintain a commitment to doing justice to this wonderful gameworld, and to all of you who make it come alive.

It's you - with your suggestions and complaints and feedback and passion for this world we've created together - that keep me wanting to produce the best development work that I can. When P5 finally is released, I hope you'll see that reflected. In the meantime, I thank you for reading this far, and for your understanding and support if you can give it.

Jovah D'Hiri
Senior Game Developer
DragonRealms Product Development Team