Breldur, my new age

[Jonnee]

I will definitly not release a pre-version of my age.
Right now it's just a collection of landscapes, interior design and sound. There aren't any puzzles included, there is no background story, there is nothing to do for the explorers than walking through the age. So it doesn't make any sense to release this "face of an age" at this point of time, because you wouldn't feel it!
But I can see the end of writing Breldur coming closer in the near future...

So... What about Cyan's sound samples? Are we still allowed to use them too?

[boblishman]

yes ... they gave permission to use their sounds (using links to them) ... but not to distribute them in any release

(though it's doubtful if anyone from Cyan gives a damn anyway ... they seem to have abandoned Uru altogether)

[Egon]

While I appreciate your point, Carl, there remains the uncomfortable fact that Writers sometimes drop off the face of the internet with projects half-done. As a compromise, may I suggest sending copies of drafts to a trusted friend, to be released if you're not heard from for some prearranged length of time?

This.

While I'm rather sure that Breldur will be realesd sooner or leter, since Jonnee is relativly active on this forum, yet this idea of uplading age to UAM with a note "Don't publish it. Sending it just in case I will be missing" is quite appiling (sort of backoup "just in case"?).

[N. Sigismund]

It does beat dropping off the face of the earth.

I'm of the opposing school - I released my first "public" release of Llantern because I wanted to get feedback on a lot of the basics, despite it being very very very incomplete.

[tangara]

I do not agree. You seem to think that an age belongs to the community from the moment when it is shared on the forum but I think that it continue to belong to his author and that we do not have any right on it apart to visit it and to say of what we think of it.
The problem differs when several persons are implied as with [SHOWCASE] GOW-AGE but in the case of Jonnee, I do not see what allows you to think that you would have any right on Breldur if Jonnee decided to drop.

I'm of the opposing school - I released my first "public" release of Llantern because I wanted to get feedback on a lot of the basics, despite it being very very very incomplete.

And this is your right, as that of Jonnee is to wait that his work is satisfactory enough to its own opinion...

[Carl Palmner]

Wow, I had no idea Pavitra and I would spark a debate! Pav, we should hang out (and disagree) more often!

I should clarify my position by stating that I don't mean to apply this opinion to every Age created. I wouldn't consider my words as a call for policy but rather an opinion on this particular Age. In the case of an Age like Llantern I think it was a smart move to do the early release, for a couple of reasons, one of which is that you wanted feedback and I think you got some good advice--I remember reading a few tips people gave in the relevant thread and after exploring Llantern myself, I agree with them (excellent Age, btw, I look forward to its progress). When and if I ever publish an Age, it will probably be in a similar manner as Llantern--a piece at a time. There is, however, a difference between this and an Age like Breldur.

Breldur is a big undertaking. From the screenshots, video and descriptions in this thread it looks like something that will rival Cyan's work in quality. Add to this the fact that Jonnee is the creator of such popular, high-quality works as Jo'nae and Jo'nae Hood (the latter of which is, in my opinion, indistinguishable in quality from a Cyan Age), and what we've got here are VERY high expectations. Lots of people are, like me, anticipating Breldur with as much excitement and with as high expectations as we had during MOUL for Cyan Ages. After all the hype, all the talk on this thread, all the beautiful screenshots, hints of backstory and buzz among explorers about it, it seems to make the most sense to have it all come to a grand climax with the release of a complete, fully playable and explorable Breldur. At this point, a "small piece" of the Age, or a puzzle-less, story-less version--or ANYTHING obviously incomplete, for that matter--might seem nice at first, but would detract from the eventual full release of the Age. I don't mean any disrespect to other Ages...but I think Breldur is going to be better than anything we've yet seen done by a fan, and I'd rather have it hit us suddenly, with the full experience, rather than in bits and pieces.

Now I've probably scared Jonnee by pointing out the expecations . Nevertheless, the expectations are there, and I think Jonnee is making the right choice in waiting to publish until he's done.

As for passing on the Age to someone else in case he vanishes...eh, I guess I don't see a problem with that, but it's not as important to me as it is to other people. Jonnee's already proved his dedication. I think we'll see Breldur eventually, and when we do, it will be awesome.

EDIT: Please don't misunderstand my words regarding Llantern and other similar Ages. Llantern is a good Age. But with Ages, as with all art, there are good works and there are great works. The Da Vinci Code is a good book--but Les Miserables is a GREAT book. Breldur is the "Les Miserables" of Ages.

[Pavitra]

I don't wear a seat belt because I expect to get into a crash. I just wear it in case.

I never meant to impugn Jonnee's dedication. It's just that sometimes, as we say on the internet, real life happens. People get fired or hired or married, they move across the country, stuff happens. Yahvo forbid, people die. Or hard drives do. I feel better knowing that contingency plans exist.

[kaelisebonrai]

An Ages is only great if someone gets to visit it.

An age that is often seen in screenshots, but is never actually visited is worthless.

There is another thing to consider, as well - An age with no one to visit it, however grand, is also worthless, and I'm not sure if you all have noticed.. this community is dwindling.

[Chuckles58]

I do not think Breldur is worthless, just because it has not been released. The screenshots show great promise, not only for Breldur itself, but for other ages to be built by an increasing number of very skilled age builders.

I can and will wait.

[Robert The Rebuilder]

I can and will wait.

Me too! Let's see more fantastic pictures and less discussion about release dates.