Spiderweb Software in general...
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Apprentice
Member # 3920
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written Friday, July 8 2005 07:05
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After the recent Newsletter sent out to all that subcribe to the thing, I have come up with this strange question that I am dieing to hear the answer to! Spidsoft is owned by Jeff Vogal, we all know this...we all laugh at his..."jokes"...we all think he's the god of games (which, in many ways for those of us who havn't taken a wink of sleep since '96 when Exile 1 came out, he is), but I am curious: Does he talk in third person/as a group about himself? Or does he actually have a group of programmers that work for him? I have, for many years, imagined Jeff being this guy who works in his house basement and programs on his little compy til his hands hurt and then he huddles in the corner in a fetal position and rocks back anf forth sipping his coffee until he gets the strength to try some more. I have thought that perhaps he is throwing us all--that there is no "Us here at Spiderweb Software...", but really "Me here at spideweb software". I'd imagine it sure would cut down on costs...no wonder he can release these games of incredible proportions and only ask for a measly $25 or $30 for them! I understand that there are others there--look at the About Us thing...but he appears to be the only one doing the games! On second thought, though, I have kind of come up with the conniption of "can one man really do all of this?!". So what is it? Who are these mystery programmers??? Does Jeff really do all of this himself or not?? Is Spider really the mascot of the company and does s/he actually sneak in some Easter Eggs into each of Jeff's programms when he is sleeping?? I have read the "about us" thing, and am just wondering all of these questions...as well as "how can a company of 3 people actually pull all this off???!!!" I'm just being curious :D . [ Friday, July 08, 2005 07:07: Message edited by: SpineRaker ] -------------------- "I am not stubborn, your just stupid." Posts: 40 | Registered: Saturday, January 24 2004 08:00 |
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Veteran*
Member # 5
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written Friday, July 8 2005 07:19
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Richard White is the true driving force behind Spiderweb Software. Posts: 455 | Registered: Tuesday, May 17 2005 07:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 32
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written Friday, July 8 2005 07:19
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By working diligently without sleep. -------------------- Lt. Sullust Cogito Ergo Sum Polaris Posts: 2462 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00 |
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Master
Member # 1046
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written Friday, July 8 2005 08:50
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Richard White is Jeff Vogel's workhorse. Literally. -------------------- Polaris - Weather balloons, ninjas, and your big daddy Wise Man. What more could you want? Undead Theories - Don't Ask, Don't Tell Posts: 3323 | Registered: Thursday, April 25 2002 07:00 |
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Agent
Member # 1993
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written Friday, July 8 2005 09:35
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It's exactly how he describes. The one and only writing the games is Jeff Vogel; two women help with administration and graphics. Well, Phil Foglio delivers a lot of graphics but without being part of the company. Also: Jeff is a worker to the core. "... in a sense, I never stop working. Ten minutes rarely go by when I don't think some about designing games", as he mentioned in an interview. :P I hardly can wait for A4. Release early 2006 will want the beta-testing in winter, non? -------------------- ^ö^ vegetarians are sexy. Posts: 1420 | Registered: Wednesday, October 2 2002 07:00 |
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Off With Their Heads
Member # 4045
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written Friday, July 8 2005 10:08
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I've come to suspect that while Jeff does all of the code, Mariann and Linda do some work on individual towns or writing dialogue or something like that. I base this on a statement that he made some time ago to the effect that he needed to finish the GF3 and A4 engines so that his employees would have something to do — as if they would go to work on making bits and pieces of the games once the coding on the engine was done. -------------------- Arancaytar: Every time you ask people to compare TM and Kel, you endanger the poor, fluffy kittens. Kelandon's Pink and Pretty Page!!: the authorized location for all things by me The Archive of all released BoE scenarios ever Posts: 7968 | Registered: Saturday, February 28 2004 08:00 |
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Mongolian Barbeque
Member # 1528
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written Friday, July 8 2005 12:11
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quote:And don't forget about the fabulous Andrew Hunter, who does the startup screens and other bits of artwork. EDIT: And by the way, does anybody know who writes the little musical ditties for each game? Does Jeff compose those? [ Friday, July 08, 2005 12:12: Message edited by: Icshi ] -------------------- The A.E. van Vogt Information Site My Tribute to the Greatest Writer of the Science Fiction Golden Age Posts: 907 | Registered: Monday, July 15 2002 07:00 |
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Master
Member # 4614
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written Friday, July 8 2005 12:23
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Wow, I'll tell ya, that's about the longest and most interesting way to ask a simple question I've seen in a while. :P First of all, don't believe anything we say. No one knows about the inner working of Jeff's operation, anything at all about the mysterious Richard White, not much about the use of Mariann Kriszan and Linda Strout's contributions to the games themselves, if any, or how to get Jeff to work on the BoE scenario tables. But according to common supposed knowledge, Jeff programs the games, pretty much all by himself, and his wife Mariann and Linda help out with various tasks. When Jeff refers to "us," he means all three and just Spiderweb Software as a company. As far as we know, he does not have anything close to an array of programmers, explaining much why the games don't have flashy true-3D environments, complex animations, and top popularity at WalMart. But the game storylines much outweigh these things. Oh, and hi, I'm ben. -------------------- -ben4808 For those who love to spam: CSM Forums RIFQ Posts: 3360 | Registered: Friday, June 25 2004 07:00 |
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Triad Mage
Member # 7
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written Friday, July 8 2005 14:18
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Jeff does the coding of the engines, and I'd imagine lays out what he wants done (paint the outdoors like this ...), and Mariann and Linda will do that, take orders for games, etc. Andrew Hunter does most of the graphics work - Phil Foglio never did more than the multi-tabbed skills screen graphics. -------------------- "At times discretion should be thrown aside, and with the foolish we should play the fool." - Menander ==== Drakefyre's Demesne - Happy Happy Joy Joy desperance.net - We're Everywhere ==== You can take my Mac when you pry my cold, dead fingers off the mouse! Posts: 9436 | Registered: Wednesday, September 19 2001 07:00 |
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E Equals MC What!!!!
Member # 5491
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written Friday, July 8 2005 16:00
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quote:For future reference, not all of us think that. -------------------- Sex is easier than love. Posts: 1861 | Registered: Friday, February 11 2005 08:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 5450
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written Friday, July 8 2005 18:25
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Well SpineRaker is at least right about one thing — we all know that he made the games. However his jokes might be a bit mature for some players. No, not mature, just too intelligent. -------------------- I'll put a Spring in your step. Polaris Posts: 2396 | Registered: Saturday, January 29 2005 08:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
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written Friday, July 8 2005 18:52
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Anaximander is both highbrow and mature. Very, very mature. Maybe capital M Mature. —Alorael, who would bet that Linda and Mariann get to do minor detail work and whatever Jeff has outlined. The important stuff (and most of the unimportant stuff) is done by Jeff. He has displayed too much refusal to accept outside suggestions for him to love and trust his employees (and wife) so much more. Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00 |
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Apprentice
Member # 3920
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written Sunday, July 10 2005 18:30
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Yes, I like phrasing simple questions in complex, drawn out things.As for the answers, thank you. I kind of thought that as is, but thought I'd just throw it out to get other's responses. As for the "jokes", I was being sarcastic...we know that Jeff is far from being a "bad joker". The inuendo/general suggestions toward a plethora of different directions that is ever-present in all the games (I need not list them -_-', nor do I want to...) proves to me that he is quite capable of being funny and incredibly serious....lol that is all ^_^. -------------------- "I am not stubborn, your just stupid." Posts: 40 | Registered: Saturday, January 24 2004 08:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 2984
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written Monday, July 11 2005 03:30
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quote:Arancaytar knows SpineRaker is only one person. He wonders, therefore, why SpineRaker refers to himself as "us all". :P Seriously, yeah, I like his games, but he's by far not perfect, nor a game "god" - ask the BoE community, eg. TM, Djur, etc. His jokes are mostly all right, but some of them are just weird. Also, there is nothing strange about speaking in the third person or plural for him - having a company name does that. If I ran a tiny software enterprise with some cool name, I know I'd refer to myself by this company name where business is concerned. It just sounds nicer. -------------------- The Encyclopaedia Ermariana <-- Now a Wiki! "Polaris leers down from the black vault, winking hideously like an insane watching eye which strives to convey some strange message, yet recalls nothing save that it once had a message to convey." --- HP Lovecraft. "I single Aran out due to his nasty temperament, and his superior intellect." --- SupaNik Posts: 8752 | Registered: Wednesday, May 14 2003 07:00 |