Is hope completely lost?

[good-old]

As the title says. Generally 2 was announced in 2014 and it has been several years since the last update. Is there no hope for this at all, or is there hope but the developers aren't responding because they want to surprise us?

[Crowella]

While the communication has been rather inadequate at times and I do hope there are methods in place to improve it, the last update came in last month:

https://gene-rally.com/updates/

Code: Select all

We thought it was about time for a small update about what the team have been working on recently.

    🎨 The Track Editor gained some new brush types and improved UI - and work is proceeding with the preview mode.
    🚗 Car suspension physics are being reworked to provide a nicer driving experience - and will see more updates in July.
    🎮 Some improvements have been made to our track importing and exporting.
    🌳 Work is proceeding on our “final” 3D models, which will be replacing the placeholders that have been admirably “holding place” for about a year now.

The departing objects even sent us a postcard - they’re busy enjoying their well-earned beach holiday in “La Isla Trak-edita”… 🤨
What a lovely postcard!

We wish everyone a sunny and enjoyable summer 🌞

[good-old]

Oh, that's cool. Hope the community doesn't go back to a dying state again.

[Crowella]

It's going to take a pretty phenomenal update to restore even a bit of what the community was like but we shall see.

[good-old]

Maybe even a release, but I think some people have completely forgotten about this, 7 years is a pretty damn long time to wait. Also there aren't that many ways for people to discover this game. I only found this game because I searched "free top down racing game" or something like that(I was maybe 11 years old back then?), but I don't do that anymore and I don't know many people who do. I can't believe we're gonna have to turn to the garbage that is Steam for this game's popularity...

Also, yeah the forums really are dead, I didn't see anyone other than me and some bots online. As much as I don't want to say it, the community just IS dead. It's sad to know that another retro game that survived for a decade had to die.

[Gzehoo]

Forum may be dead. Not game.

[don_fifi]

I dread that day when the forum will return a 404 and all the tracks and cars will be gone.

[Black Rebel]

Just in case we get no news in the next years, remember: "sIlenece is golden".

[TuomoH]

I dread that day when the forum will return a 404 and all the tracks and cars will be gone.

I wouldn't be worried about that, the server is in good hands.

[Crowella]

Do we have any more updates coming soon, some of us are getting hungry

[One]

The truth is that in 2021, without proper communication and promotion, no project will get attention (least funding).
This is why the crowdfunding failed: there was too little to show to too little people, and the expectation for raising funds was way too high.

GR2 needs a communication pro to get momentum, attention, and even investments.
GeneRacing has it better figured out.

[Elharter]

The truth is that in 2021, without proper communication and promotion, no project will get attention (least funding).
This is why the crowdfunding failed: there was too little to show to too little people, and the expectation for raising funds was way too high.

GR2 needs a communication pro to get momentum, attention, and even investments.
GeneRacing has it better figured out.

Thanks...

[good-old]

Generacing indeed does look awesome and has good communication methods, but I hope the GR2 devs don't use its existence as an excuse to not further develop GR2.
And I skimmed through some of GR2's threads, and I must say that James doesn't deserve the hate he got, even if he's taking a long time to develop GR2. There isn't a financial incentive to do so, and the fact that he didn't ban any of the people who hate him is a significantly good thing, because admin abuse is pretty much everywhere, and the fact that he didn't go in that direction deserves praise. I'm in another community too where a sequel to an awesome game, which was released in 2004(just in case you're wondering, it's Hamsterball"), it hasn't been released yet, despite it being hyped for several years(it started around 2014) and we don't even have a screenshot, but we don't hate him for delaying it so much. The devs don't deserve the hate.

[Crowella]

A bit of the critique about GR2 isn't necessarily about the time taken but a distinct lack of updates and community involvement by anyone related to the development of GR2.

I see it as a passion project more than anything but seeing minimal updates doesn't provide or invoke any expression of passion and that can be a little bit concerning at times, given some of us have been around in this community for excess of 15 years and that enthusiasm for a new one will continue to dissipate with time, barring a miracle.

While I warrant that I have gone quite hard on it, it's more relative to the project outcomes than any individual as that sort of attacking becomes extremely counter intuitive for everyone involved. If I at any point have come across as attacking any individual (and this includes James who has taken way too much heat for all of this), I am deeply sorry.

I also have been a financial backer of GR2 in the past during the failed kickstarter and would admittedly do so again and quite easily if given more detail into what is going on with development, even if it's as much as a "hello world"

It does sound like I'm a broken record at this point. I'm very aware that these things do get seen to at the very least. It just feels like a bit of an echo chamber but only hearing ourselves just ask for any signal of life

[Black Rebel]

Nice post there Crowella, Ithink this is the main feeling we all have.

[Crowella]

It's my bi-annual beating of the drum, making noise and asking if anything is going on with development since the last update

[FrannyStephLux]

Maybe even a release, but I think some people have completely forgotten about this, 7 years is a pretty damn long time to wait. Also there aren't that many ways for people to discover this game. I only found this game because I searched "free top down racing game" or something like that(I was maybe 11 years old back then?), but I don't do that anymore and I don't know many people who do. I can't believe we're gonna have to turn to the garbage that is Steam for this game's popularity...

Also, yeah the forums really are dead, I didn't see anyone other than me and some bots online. As much as I don't want to say it, the community just IS dead. It's sad to know that another retro game that survived for a decade had to die.

It's really tough to see a game you love fade into obscurity. Have you thought about reaching out to other fans or communities that might still have an interest in retro or niche games? Maybe there's a way to revive interest and gather more support for the game.

[CraapyTracks]

well theres at least 3 or 4 of us still making some terrible tracks now and then =P

[RodSk8Punk]

Uhm.. is there going to be support for car creation in GR2?

At $40 of my local bucks, it's kind of keeping me from getting it.

I mean, THAT would help the game, wouldn't it?

[Txizzle]

I can't say i'm not pessimistic about the release (or lack thereof) of GR2......I clearly see potential, paid for the beta version, tried several things with it. Just hope it won't end up an endless stillborn child of the community. If I had any skill or idea on what i'm doing i'd offer to help.

[Txizzle]

Actually saw something of an update today, makes me curious again. Apparently they already did a multiplayer test on several tracks, stuff like that.

https://youtu.be/jNhXevbzAg4?si=nN17VTlEii3i5a2E

[Crowella]

That's correct, a few of us have been involved in testing Multiplayer and I can say that it is a massive amount of fun. It's still perhaps a little bit buggy, but overall was the most fun I've had with GR (both 1 and 2) in a very long time.