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Date: Sun, 21 Dec 1997 18:12:59 -0800 (PST)
From: Phillip Holmstrand
Subject: Rant

I have been reading a good deal of the reviews written about Q2, and have found a great deal of them seem to lack common sense. I am sick and tired of hearing complaints of lack of CTF, or no deathmatch maps when id has already promised the release of these later, for no additional cost. Before the authors of these reviews start trashing id, they should consider the fact id had a lot of pressure to release Quake 2. Not only was Christmas approaching quickly, the entire Quake community was begging for it. Personally I don't mind getting a incomplete product, as long as I can get the rest of it later (when its done). Unlike other first person shooters (Unreal, Prey, Daikatana..) Quake 2 came out. Its in our hands, we can play it. Shouldn't we at least pat id on the back for getting it to us? Here is a quote from John Carmack in a interview from   January of last year):

"...a non existent product does everything you dream of and has no faults."
http://www.bluesnews.com/articles/carmackinterview.html

So we could wait forever for id to implement every feature under the sun in Quake 2, or they could release it and leave it up to mod developers to work on while they get started on Trinity. And instead of concentrating on what Quake 2 might lack, lets look at what it has. So, for reviewers I offer the following rules:

1) Don't bitch and moan about how Quake 2 isn't like Quake. Its a different game, deal with it.

2) Don't pay so much attention to bugs and lacking features that id has already promised to implement in the point release.

3) Give id credit for doing that which they are so good at: releasing games that use technology that far surpasses its compeditors.

4) Mods like CTF and FvF are not things that id can whip up over the weekend.

And lets all remember that id has been responsible for almost every new generation of first person shooters (with the exception of possibly Descent).

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