Mac version in the Future?

[hitz]

paying a Mac programmer to code and providing him with a Mac to code on? It's got to be cheaper to do it from the start rather than figure out how to do a hack port that's always a rev behind the PC version and then telling your Mac customers you're not pissing on their legs, it's just raining ...

Your right and it is better to code from the beginning with both platforms in mind.
Perfect example of how not to do it is warbirds.
Write what ever you want PC, then have the Mac programmer wave a magic wand over the pc code, throw 2 warts off a frog on it,  pour the piss of an ant on it and hope it runs like the pc version,.....it don't!
D3D to OpenGL,.......LOL thats kinda like backasswards.

[paarma]

cman:  

From what I had heard, OpenGL is easier to develop for and inherently faster. But I don't actually program the stuff, so I'm relying on trusted opinions

In that "Desert Dogs", or what ever it is.. that one another new online sim in development.. I could make 1 fps in OpenGL, but almost playable with Glide maybe 10 fps.

In EAW, Glide and 3D3 perform quite similarly.

-> This leads to a conclusion in my limited knowledge that D3D is okay in PC, no thanks for OpenGL.

But it is good to hear that AH is coded portable.

[nappy]

guys give em a rest.
i dont think you really "heard" what pyro
tried to say.

They simply dont have the resources to
develop a PC and Mac version
at the same time. And since the PC marked
IS bigger (your gonna work hard to convince
me otherwise) they have chosen to support
the PC. From what i can read from
pyros posts id guess that when the initial
program has been launced and this game
has been firmly established as a stand alone
product, firmly able to support itself. Then
i would guess a Mac version will be launced
if they find it possible.

just my thoughts

nappy
TVW

[Gunn]

Yep, screw the Mac guys.....and your little iMacs are already useless for these new sims; upgrading? ha! not on that thing.

Ok, so I'm a Mac basher. Thats because I spent a lot of time on one at work. Thank god they finally switched to PC's, and I've been back to a happy employee ever since.

[THECat]

I am interested in the either/or nature of the dialogue so far.  Perhaps computers make us too binary in our thought processes.  What is wrong with flying WarBirds to be with your Mac pals on squad nights and AH for whatever good things it offers?  Are they somehow mutually exclusive? No more room on the hard drive?  Maybe gamers will keep a foot in both camps.  It would certainly be great incentive to keep the servers up and the features fresh.

[Horn]

I wish all the luck to Pyro and gang in their new venture. The remarks about keeping control of things are cogent and sensible. They are making decisions based on (sometimes painful) experience. If they are successful someday and offer a Mac product, I will come and play.

The real morons in this business, though, are the marketing geniuses at Kesmai: they ALREADY had a mac product and stopped it. With a decent market and a built-in extremely loyal following in place. Buncha maroons. Do they truly not realize that most Mac peeps serious about this game don't care how much it costs to play? High limit credit cards indeed! Sorry WB, don't like the sim enough to go there. Alas.

DamnedHorn
of the AW MacDamned

[clipper]

What Pyro says is right.  Sure you can go and get a big pile of outside investment money to fund whatever development you want to do.  The only problem is then you don't own your own company anymore.

Trust me, you don't want decisions about Aces High development being being made by accountants.

[Ozymandias_KoK]

(Paarma wrote something about OpenGL, D3D,and Glide):

Not sure if you were pro or con-glide from it, but ozreckons you have to rule out Glide at this point.  Supported only by 3dfx chipsets, which are now only made by one cardmaker.  You have to support a standard now as opposed to a chipset these days.  So it would have to be OpenGL or D3D.  The days of the add-in 3D cards are pretty well over too, so it's one or all -- not I can run glide some games on one card and OpenGL/D3D for the others.

------------------
Please help Oz find his sig, he lost it!

[froed-]

How unfortunate. Seems as though the Mac market, particularly for games, is on the upswing. I understand the logic behind developing for one platform at a time, but I really have to wonder how much is involved in making a hybrid. Is the dual-platform cost something you've looked into, or was it just assumed early on that it would be too expensive? My Blue & White G3 tower is really quite a nice gaming box. Almost anything I'm interrested in playing is available for both platforms.

We're waiting...

[Cuff]

Pyro didn't say there would never be a Mac version; just not one when the game is first released.

Besides, any die-hard computer flight sim guy has a PC.  How many flight sim titles are available for the PC versus the Mac?

Now lest you blast me for being a Mac-hater, I'm just stating the facts.  They have to go with the numbers right now.  We'll see you Mac guys a year from when we get our version.

Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah!!  

[lapwin.1stROF-Netherlands]

Couldn't help to notice all those "junior members" in this topic  

Pyro, you might consider writing or calling mr. Steve Jobs. He has stated in the recent past that he's willing to invest in new (entertainment) technologies.

I don't have his number, but I'm sure you can get it somewhere. It's a long shot, but worth the try.
---------------------------------------------
Lapwin.
CO 1st.ROF
Netherlands.

[wowzer]

No mac version?  Then should we all be removing our bookmarks from this page?

Didn't HOSS defect with you guys? (or am I completely crazy)?  If there aint a mac version, give us HOSS back! ;-)

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_______________________
=<VMFA-333>= Tres Equis
'Anytime, Baby!'
_______________________

[Surfer]

Pyro explained:

>We aren't shutting ourselves out of a market. AH is written to be platform independent. Changing from D3D to OpenGL is not a huge conversion. But the simple truth is that it's not something we can do right now. At the point that it is an option to us, we'll look at the market and go from there. I wish I could tell you what you want to hear, but I can't.

Given the currrent trend with "orginal" sim developers, I gota take Pyro's quote as not closing the door on a MacOS FE. Given a successful inital launch of Aces High, cash flow and a positive growth trend, I'd bet a MacFe would be something considered if it could be cost-justified.

-Surf

[paarma]

Ozymandias_KoK, I was trying not to be pro or con about glide, but trying to be con-3D3.

From my very limited experience, OpenGL looks to be very heavy duty, where Direct3D as it's current state can be as good as Glide in a 3DFX environment.

I vote for Direct3D, as it's the standard today for the target platform.
However, I understand that I'm not asked, there is no such election:-)

Using OpenGL to help some future - maybe - port, is not a good idea, if that OpenGL is so bad that it looks it is.. I wrote 1 fps, but it was more like 0.1 fps . Opinion based on Desert Fighters Beta, VoodooI and Pentium Pro 200.

//paarma

[hitz]

wowzer,

Hoss is with Killer, and Cal doing  ( Playnets ) new game.
It is using OpenGl which is supeirior to D3D graphics.
Unreal tounament and Quake III both are OpenGL.
Playnet won't have terrain that looks like Holiday Inn carpet.
They are writing code with complete Mac support from day 1!
No hacked PC code full of patches for the mac version as wb was.
No Mac afterthought for any reason.
They plan on showing something very soon.
Watch AGW for info.

And for the idiots info on the imac, it is upgradable.