Hi, folks. First time here. Nice place.
My son Tim posted information about my interview at Volition over on the VBB, along with information about what some of the Volition people felt about the prospects for FS3, and what they had planned for it. He's also put up some of the work I did for a defunct campaign about a year ago at
http://faculty.concord.edu/manzione/ You're all welcome to look at it, and if it provides inspiration for anyone who is working on an FS2 campaign, by all means, feel free. It was interesting over on the VBB to see people "check out" the material and compare it to their own. If it makes you more confident, great!
(BTW, I do remember you, too, Shrike. My handle was Ascraeus, and for some reason I'm still listed over there at the BEL site. Tim pretty much told the truth about what happened. It was disappointing.)
I don't know whether it's important to convince anyone that my interview took actually took place. I didn't know Tim was going to write about it, and I'm not sure what the protocol is among Volition regarding the confidentiality of interviews. I suspect Philip Holt and Jason Scott aren't going to talk about it, and rightly so. Tim probably shouldn't have revealed some things, but he's nine years old and he recently finished FS2 and is excited about it, so it's probably fine. If it isn't, Philip and Jason, my apologies to you.
In terms of my "showreel," it's a bit different on the writing end of things than it is for programmers, artists, etc. Few game developers have actually hired professional writers up until this point -- Volition is an exception, and that was one of the reasons why I considered giving up a career in academe to work for them. I worked as a journalist for a few years, and I've published a dozen short stories, four poems, and a novel in the fiction biz. I've also published three books on foreign affairs, technology and science, and military history, through several well-known university presses, along with almost a dozen journal articles, three of which have won awards. I like games, and I've been playing them since "Starflight" in 1985. I believe that sometime in this century , virtual reality and games with complex plots will largely replace novels and film as the predominant form of literature.
That was my "showreel." However, the person that Volition hired had several well-regarded novels, and was working in the publishing and media industry. They made a good choice when they hired her, I think.
I'd be interested in talking to anyone about developing some ideas further, although I'd like to be serious about it. Even though I may be a "crazy old man," I can get along with nearly anybody. My only requisite is that Tim's my helper.
Thanks for letting me introduce myself.
JM "Ascaeus"
