For all those who missed it, including myself, the logs are posted on the UL forums at the link below:

http://www.underlight.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24227

Here's probably the major snippets we've been waiting to hear to answer lots of questions, and my comments about them:

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<Lyra-Xenus> I wish I had nothing but good news about Reclamation, but the truth is we've hit some big snags, we'll get straighto the facts. On the up side, the alpha client is about 98% finished, the gameplay is awesome, the graphics engine looks better than pretty much anything out there, and we've made a lot of upgrades to what was already a great network engine.

<Lyra-Xenus> On the down side, recently we have have lost several key members of the Reclamation development team, and as such progress has ground nearly to a halt, and future development is in trouble. There is still a dedicated group working hard on development, but without significantly more resources dedicated to the project than we have now,

<Lyra-Xenus> , we can not give with any confidence any kind of estimated release date. And, by a cruel twist of fate, we don't quite have enough finished to put together a great looking fully interactive demo, which we need to attract financing.

<Lyra-Xenus> So, the circumstance is that we will likely not be able to finish the game sufficiently to release it or shop it around until we have either a partnership, an investor, or some additional dedicated and experienced volunteer team members to come in and kick start development.

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Client is 98% finished, gameplay is awesome, and a good looking graphics engine. They're damned close. What's that leave, level building on the most part? Might answer for why there's no new screenshots and all, but this is just my thought.

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<Lyra-Canis> MikeF asks: How much money are you looking for as far as investors for Rec or in getting things to the next step?
<Lyra-Xenus> 100k would get us alpha, maybe early beta; 250 would be a lot more comfortable
<Lyra-Xenus> alternatively, a partnership with another team could help us finish rec and get it released
<Lyra-Canis> Are there any other questions about ANYTHING. The floor is open.
<Lyra-Xenus> there's a lot we could do with less money, but it probably wouldn't be enough to finish rec alone

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That is a LOT of money.

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<Lyra-Canis> Crilath asks: What is the "next step" for Reclamation?
<Lyra-Xenus> finishing a demo-able alpha client
<Lyra-Xenus> we need to refine the animation system, fix some movement issues, and add support for items
<Lyra-Xenus> but, those capable of doing those things are no longer with us

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Hope some of you folks got knowhow in software engineering. If they could use an internetwork engineer, that is my field in computing. It kind of looks like we're stuck guys. :/ I'm kind of wondering how gameplay would be awesome though, without items in the game? I suppose some of the arts work.

Just a suggestion if Lyra folk are listening. Not sure if this ever happened before with a computer game, let alone a mmorpg at all, but have you ever thought about open source? Maybe creating Reclamation as a project on SourceForge? Look at the success of Linux and Firefox, just for the two most popular examples. I think when funds are low and talented help is needed on a very inspirational, well thought out project, open source IS the way to go. Then make any money generated from subscriptions go towards the servers and such, and towards key folks whom have come forward on the project.

It's a shame, but oh well. I have pointed them towards the IGDA resource to maybe get them going, but yes, looks like they're a bit stuck indeed.

I'd play underlight if I could make the game work, but it crashes, quite often, in fact. The graphics and game play are now only comparable to most free, open source games, and they expect money for it. It's unfortunate that they can't incorporate a lot of what they had planned for Rec into the current game, but I'm not sure it's possible.

At any rate, I'll keep an eye here and maybe figure out how to play UL again...any rp is better than none and I'll take it where I can find it!

The problem is not a lot of people have that much time to devote to volunteering, which sucks sometimes.

here is an idea i put on the UL forum but i am also putting here.

I don't know if this idea was juggled around or if someone else mentionned it before...

Why don't you offer a program for students studying in graphic design? Lyra could become partners with such college's where the student 1 would gain valuable experience and could put Reclamation on their resume!

Think about it this is a chance of a lifetime for them, and imagine having a whole class of students working with the lyra team? my guess the game would move along very fast and woudln't cost much since they are starting out and not everyone gets a golden chance to get concrete experience like this.

Hope you like the idea i mean whats the worst that could happen? the college saying no? And you wouldn't know until you ask.

Patrick
AKA Joshua Mandrake

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*siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh*

The idea of student labour is not at all new.

It's also fairly well known that the method has been in practice for some time and many past members of the various teams have come from the player base once they entered that portion of their schooling.

As for getting whole classes of students involved in the game and its development, it's fantasy. University internships simply do not function like that. The very idea that an entire class would willingly all sign on to the project is an occurance that rivals only a star falling to Earth and crashing into your living room in its miniscule possibility.

It would also seem odd that a project at any stage that had a truly viable chance at success would not have to depend on "slave labour" to succeed. And when you are asking people to work for free and dedicate the most solid portion of their waking existences to it without a guarantee of anything accept maybe, free play time, that is what the labour becomes.

my college has a manditory senior project for undergraduates.  and a strict "Pay-no-Credit, Credit-no-Pay" policy.

If Lyra were to set up internship opportunities through the school, they would have CS majors competing for spots to work on the game.  And, pay isn't necessary at all since the kids need the credit to graduate.  We don't mind tho, because the project looks damn good on a resume.

so its not slave labor as you so lovingly put it.  students love opportunities like this.

If students are so inclined to love a project like this then I have to ask why the Reclamation team as a whole has suffered so. A good number of them were students, and the team itself has admittedly suffered grevious losses.

Far be it for me to say but I do believe even students wish to spend their time investment on something that is going to be successful. And it would appear that what the project is meeting with now is anything but success.

Evidence provided in recent times seems to indicate that students do not in fact love opportunities like this, though you claim differently.

I will state that the practice of enlisting students is not in fact a new idea. Though you, and the original poster may be ignorant of Lyra's policies regarding this. But it has been common knowledge for at least 4 to 5 years, that several students have been a part of requisite teams.

Furthermore, I will continue to refer to the practice as slave labour until such a time as the working enviroment becomes a bit less tumultuous.

were they getting paid? Probably, which makes it a job, regardless of whether or not they were full/part time students. And they would have had classes at the same time, which makes for an unpleasant work environment. The system I am talking about, work for credit hours, means they wouldn't have had any classes, and would have been filling a degree requirement that looks good to.

Either way they were being compensated ie NOT SLAVES. I don't know if you've ever even been to college, let alone studied a technical subject, but you are obviously out of touch. Students are low level ie entry level. We need jobs whereever we can to build up resumes. You don't become a SOE or Square Enix Exec Programmer with a BS and no experience.

"Slave Labor" is a ludicrous example and you said it because you like to flame. Someone was just trying to think of a cheap and effective labor source, and you just wanted to be negative. You don't understand the nature of student jobs, nor do you understand the history of slavery (or else you wouldn't make light of it).

Actually I understand both concepts, those being student work and slavery.

And no the term I used was not used as you want to see it, in fact I have described quite clearly why I selected the terminology that I have.

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were they getting paid? Probably, which makes it a job, regardless of whether or not they were full/part time students.

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Actually this is not the case. Those familiar with the management enviroment of Lyra Studios can attest to the fact that unless something has changed very recenly, even the managing directior is not paid for his or her services.

You would argue that because they are going to recieve credit in one form or another for their work bytheir school that my labeling of their contribution as slave labour is an egregious mockery of a trying time in history. Instead I say that you are inherantly unable to understand the concepts of analogy and metaphor.

And if you wish to believe that having the sort of experience the teams are currently having is an entirely positive one, then you are of course encouraged to hold fast to your belief.

In conclusion I will turn us back to the idea put forth by the original poster. Using scholastic appeal to attract a workforce is not something new to Reclamation.

I believe progress has been slowed quite a lot recently, yes.