No, he's not quite that good Kev 
Well Gentlemen, I have been reading the debate with great interest. Highlights for me have been:
- The chap who dubbed it "Autotragic". (He was referring I think to the situation rather than to the programming)
- The chap who pointed out the fact that the original announcement in "News from Brie" (Brie stinks dunnit? Oh well doing my best here. Just kidding Brie lovers.) was a very bad case of spin. Spin unfortunately is a virulent British disease at the moment, the government are terminally infected by it, and it penetrates all levels of society. However, it has to be said that sales spin has probably been around since Eve first got Adam to mow the lawns. The spin was followed in true Blair style, by what came across by more spin - the unfortunate remark about only three people being unhappy and lots being happy including comments off list. (Remember when I was getting black balled for daring to have a go at Brie? There were lots of folk "of list" who loved that too. Who are these shy little elves who send praise so secretly?) I'm not suggesting that Clint consciously intended spin in either instance, but it did come across very badly.
There are three aspects which stand out for me. The first two are relatively minor, and have I feel, rather concealed the main issue.
- 1 (relatively minor) The LINUTS, the (dirty) Mac brigade and last but not least the poor chap who is so virophobic that he will not download a macro even from his best friend, feel excluded and consigned to the ranks of an overtaxed underclass. I like these guys! Their popping up on the list to complain about their (largely self-inflicted) problems is a perennial event, which I welcome like the spring. I love it when they take their bitter and twisted snipes at Microsoft and "Uncle Bill". I should be very sorry to see them go off in a huff. Actually though chaps, I'm guessing that in a year of so it'll go to 4.50 for all of us. The bad news will be that it'll be a price rise, but it'll be good news really, because you chaps will not be charged any extra AND doubly good news, you'll not feel excluded any more
- 2 (relatively minor) Dithery dithery. First we get told there's going to be a price rise, but not for Autotragic and EEOWCH! users. Then we get told that the price rise will be 29th April, causing panic among those having problems with Autotragic, and those like myself not lucky enough to own a copy of Uncle Bill's Excel, and still waiting wide eyed for the release of EEOWCH! Then we get told that the price rise will not happen until the release of EEOWCH!... probably... Each time some annoying Irving calls in, who can't be bothered to read the whole discussion, and so asks the question again, Clint answers him patiently, but I'm never quite sure if the price will be held, or the price will be held probably. Seems to me that the boyos need to sit down and have a meeting (fair trade coffee only please) and make some firm decision on it. Seems to me that they should have done this before the original announcement in Brie. And finally, call me a cynic if you will (no?), it seems to me that if EEOWCH! and its anonymous programmer has no firm release schedule, then there is a fair chance that playtesting and bug fixing could take a fair while, and possibly a very long while.
- 3 (in case any of you are still with me). Here is the point: You are being charged the same, 3.90 per turn, when Mepbm Games, are introducing a system which will save them a significant amount of time and therefore money. Now a number of chaps have spoken to say how irrelevant this is, I suggest that such individuals are over paid. It is very easy to be complacent about the cost of things when you do not have to watch the pennies. Some chaps were overcome with charitable feeling for the Mepbm wage slaves. Certainly 5-10K does, or rather would, constitute sweat shop pay. But you're missing the point - nobody forces them to work there. Indeed, many of them have received a university education. I have the deepest respect for any graduate who goes to work in a cake shop or on the milk round, for the benefit of his soul. I once moved to a much lower paid job for which I was considered grossly over-qualified, and it was one of the best things I ever did. BUT such people have CHOSEN not to pursue jobs which require graduate skills, jobs which they know do not receive graduate remuneration.
Some have spoken to say how cheap MEPMB is, so what does it matter if the LINUTS have to pay 60p more and the rest of us pay the same while less work is done on our behalf? It matters because with an automated system coming in, we might have expected a substantial price CUT. Does MEPBM offer good value for money? Beware, beware the simplistic question my friend. It's the one asked in the silly polls, and you can prove anything in a poll. If you look at the entertainment value you can get out of a turn, it can be immense. But does it come from the clumsily produced turn sheet, the flawed game system and the fine quality reproduced graphics? It comes from the interaction with the other players on your team. If value for money is assessed only in terms of entertainment value, then I should be paying a tenner a turn for game 80, and getting subsidised to play one other (number concealed to protect the guilty).
Let's assess value for money then in terms of work paid for. I find it hard to believe that it can take an inputter much more than 10 or 15 minutes to input my orders. After that it's a couple of clicks, and Uncle Bill's babies take care of the rest. Sure, there's overheads, the license, and the very occasional error notification or manual edit, but I still find it very hard to accept that 3.90 is a good price for the pdf which is actually generated. Perhaps if you only play one game, you don't notice it. If you play 5 or more games, and do not have an executive income, then it mounts up very quickly. It's by this criteria that I personally do not believe that an Mepbm turn is good value for money. Why then do I play? I suppose I gamble, that the high price will yield a higher entertainment value. But I'm often left feeling that I've allowed myself to be slightly ripped off - you think I harp on about the credit card surcharge for UK players? That's really just a little extra salt in the wounds. When Mepbm Games were expanding, and taking over the world last year, one intelligent commentator on this list warned us of the effects of a lack of competition. He was completely right. Most of us will pay what Mepbm asks, because we love the game, and there is no alternative supplier.
Then, in some contrast to the above two paragraphs, I have to say that I remain a capitalist (though I too have to confess to Fair Trade Coffee). I occasionally sell bits and bobs on the Internet auctions. If someone bids 100 quid for my bent bicycle wheel, then I'd accept his money. As a result, I have to say that I cannot blame Clint for making every penny he can, from what he's got to sell. Though I do wonder if this is the best way to do it long term. Perhaps some of the LINUTS et al. will reduce the number of games they play. I certainly shall unless I can get EEOWCH! running. But that won't make much difference with the savings they will be making. Ask yourself: As the price (effectively) goes up, has the game improved? At 3.90 per turn for a now wholly computer moderated game, will new players be attracted in?
I would have felt much happier if the savings generated by the new inputting systems could have been passed on, at least partly, to the players. Discounts for multiple games would have been smart. With the primary labouring task removed from the running of Mebpm, at a stroke, the savings on wages must be substantial. I can understand that in a small and friendly company, reductions in staffing levels might be considered unethical (and very praiseworthy that would be). But, if that is the case, all those freed up graduate level skills should go into marketing, so that more profit can come from expanding, rather than milking, the player base.
So in summary. More than three people are unhappy. I thought the decision to hold the price was a wrong one, and the announcement was badly handled. But I acknowledge Mebpm games right to charge what they like, and doubt I shall stop playing just yet.
Laurence G. Tilley
http://www.lgtilley.freeserve.co.uk
···
At 07:48 PM 08-04-02, you wrote:
Did I read that right?
Iniquity!!! INIQUITY!
Colin, your secret is out. You're Laurence in disguise?
While you're at it, you forgot to mention the 'iniquitous' 5% credit card
surcharge.
Provisionally I intend to delay price changes until we get Automagic and MEOW working to my satisfaction.