Mongoose Library Data
- Thread starter EDG
- Start date
dreamingbadger
Mongoose
AndrewW said:
You are quite right, that is total market share, rather than by segment, which is very difficult to get at in a meaningful way, without paying some money for
But 11% of all PC that shipped last year were "netbooks", even if you assume that they all shipped with linux, and that all the mac's that shipped last year were all for home use (4%), you would still be looking at a home market share of about 80%+ windows on new shipping PC's... which does not reflect that the market share historically has been higher and most people don't replace their PC annually, and most people don't replace their operating system from the version that was shipped...
Religion aside
it's still easier to right code for a single O/S than it is for multiple ones, it's lower risk from a development POV, it's cheaper both to write and support, and likely to produce a better user experience.According to the graph on this bbc news page ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8224517.stm ) it's more like 95% Windows, 3% Mac and 2% Linux.
Either way, people complain about how the D&D 4e Character Builder software only works on windows, but frankly, it's the majority market (by far) and it's a lot more hassle to write software that will work on a variety of platforms (you need to have developers who can program in the right languages, as well as development tools, and then you have to test them on all the platforms which means a longer testing time and more expense...).
I wouldn't be surprised if they just did it in Windows. Mac people can just use Boot Camp or Parallels to run Windows stuff. And Linux people can use WINE. So it's not like everyone else is really stuck (yes, it's inconvenient for them, but as far as I'm concerned that's a consequence of their own decision to use an OS that isn't the one that most people use).
Either way, people complain about how the D&D 4e Character Builder software only works on windows, but frankly, it's the majority market (by far) and it's a lot more hassle to write software that will work on a variety of platforms (you need to have developers who can program in the right languages, as well as development tools, and then you have to test them on all the platforms which means a longer testing time and more expense...).
I wouldn't be surprised if they just did it in Windows. Mac people can just use Boot Camp or Parallels to run Windows stuff. And Linux people can use WINE. So it's not like everyone else is really stuck (yes, it's inconvenient for them, but as far as I'm concerned that's a consequence of their own decision to use an OS that isn't the one that most people use).
This sounds eminently cool.
Considering Mongoose have joined forces with a computer games developer, I suspect the computer tech side of this will be handled well. Also, being software, it should be easy for them to issue patches should any of the 'official' library data be found lacking/incorrect/etc.
Random thoughts:
One could even facilitate user "mods" so that people could share their homebrew library data entries. Perhaps a deicated forum or a file upload area.
Please allow graphics to be included.
RE: MJD, is the campaign you speak of anything to do with Living Traveller? If not, I look forward with baited breath to an MJD campaign considering how lacking I've found Tripwire. Please let me know if you'd like any playtesting/proof reading...
Considering Mongoose have joined forces with a computer games developer, I suspect the computer tech side of this will be handled well. Also, being software, it should be easy for them to issue patches should any of the 'official' library data be found lacking/incorrect/etc.
Random thoughts:
One could even facilitate user "mods" so that people could share their homebrew library data entries. Perhaps a deicated forum or a file upload area.
Please allow graphics to be included.
RE: MJD, is the campaign you speak of anything to do with Living Traveller? If not, I look forward with baited breath to an MJD campaign considering how lacking I've found Tripwire. Please let me know if you'd like any playtesting/proof reading...
Well I do hope it runs on windows as that is my computer os of choice. But on to the question there is the library data windows help files and the sector help files floating around the net. I do believe they were CT for the lib data, and new era for the sector disks. I am not 100% on that but I do believe they were canon and licensed products that were sold. Everything in them could be copy and pasted couldnt they.
AndrewW
Emperor Mongoose
I made a suggestion on a way to serve their customers. It was not my intention to start an argument about this (I should have known better though).
Would it be harder to develop cross platform, perhaps but it really doesn't have to be that much harder with the tools available.
That's a recommendation of the way not to do something I'de say, looking at WotC recent accomplishments (Gleemax anyone¿)...
Some may choose to do this, some will not.
Would it be harder to develop cross platform, perhaps but it really doesn't have to be that much harder with the tools available.
EDG said:
That's a recommendation of the way not to do something I'de say, looking at WotC recent accomplishments (Gleemax anyone¿)...
EDG said:
Some may choose to do this, some will not.
D&DI absolutely rocks. The character and monster builders are so easy to use and so darn usefull that I think it absolutely is the way to go.
The compendium is a very usefull tool with all the info in the game quickly available.
It is so darned good that although I originally thought online subscription to an rpg was a scam, I happily pay for subscription now.
The community thing is in Beta, but I have found it great for my online Traveller game. I got forums, wiki's the works, all for my private group.
If mongoose make something half as good for Traveller it will be a brilliant move. Even though WOTC have been far from expert and have had plenty of teething troubles, the tools are so damn usefull, we should have had more of this in RPG's ages ago.
The compendium is a very usefull tool with all the info in the game quickly available.
It is so darned good that although I originally thought online subscription to an rpg was a scam, I happily pay for subscription now.
The community thing is in Beta, but I have found it great for my online Traveller game. I got forums, wiki's the works, all for my private group.
If mongoose make something half as good for Traveller it will be a brilliant move. Even though WOTC have been far from expert and have had plenty of teething troubles, the tools are so damn usefull, we should have had more of this in RPG's ages ago.
dreamingbadger
Mongoose
The important thing is that the tool is a good idea especially if it can be updated with different Skins and databases to support different genres ...
especially if it can be updated with different Skins and databases to support different genres ...AndrewW said:
Yeah, but look at DDI and Character Builder. Those are awesome, IMO. You get tons of stuff with DDI (and by 'eck, it's so much better value and higher quality than Pyramid or JTAS - other online magazines that I've subscribed to - ever were), and Character Builder is pretty much perfect - all the stuff from all the books is right there to make a character with.
EDG said:
Sure, but the point is that whether they do or don't, it's not really going to affect the overall bottom line by much because most people using it will be on windows anyway.
AndrewW said:
See, I don't get why people blame publishers for their choice of OS support, rather than themselves for their choice of OS installation. You're the one that chose to use an OS that takes up a small minority of the market after all, and the price of doing that is being unable to easily run software that is designed for the majority OS.
And more to the point, RPG companies just aren't big software development companies and they don't have the resources to make multiplatform software. They're going to design software that most people will be able to use, and if a few can't because they're using a minority OS, well, sorry but them's the breaks.
If I bought a Mac, I would do it knowing that I would have to get Boot Camp or something similar to be able to run windows programs (and if there was a windows program that I wanted to use, that would be what I would do to run it). I wouldn't complain that people aren't writing those programs for Mac OS though, because that'd be pointless. I would have known the consequences when I bought the mac.
We do. Most computers in the world run Windows, so most people will be using this software on that OS.
AndrewW
Emperor Mongoose
EDG said:
It was their choice to make. Yes it was my choice on what to use and there is 100% zero probability of me ever running a program that only runs on the mickysoft windoze virus. If a company chooses to only support that platform, fine it's my choice not to support them.
EDG said:
We know it has the largest share of the overall PC os market and that's it not what people in a particular segment are running. If the software only supports that then yes one can assume most will be using it on that, not how many would run it if it supported other choices.
But enough of this, it's pointless which is why I didn't want to get it started in the first place.
AndrewW said:
That sort of attitude really doesn't help either. Would you like me to start call it "Crapple Mac"? I don't think so.
It is. I guarantee you that most of the RPG market is using windows - we know that from other software releases. Maybe, because of the inherent geekiness of the RPG crowd, the Mac and Linux side is more heaviliy represented, but it's not significantly bigger.
But I guarantee you that Mongoose would have no trouble shifting lots of Windows-based software.
lastbesthope
Mongoose
EDG said:
Assuming the BBC quotes correct figures, they are no doubt based on the general population, the OS distribution amongst the gamer population may be quite different.
LBH
A
Anonymous
Guest
I dont think it would be that different, the market dominance Windows OS's has is as strong in the gaming market.
My brother is a computer games designer and have worked on PC and all the consoles systems but have never worked on other OS conversions.
For example PS2, PS3 and Xbox (orignal or 360) are all made in a base Windows OS and then ported or modified to the console OS.
Rog.
My brother is a computer games designer and have worked on PC and all the consoles systems but have never worked on other OS conversions.
For example PS2, PS3 and Xbox (orignal or 360) are all made in a base Windows OS and then ported or modified to the console OS.
Rog.
lastbesthope said:
dreamingbadger
Mongoose
Mongoose can tell in anycase if they run stats against their website they can tell which O/S is presenting to it ...
A
Anonymous
Guest
Thats true but not an accurate indication of peoples home system, the OS's will be biased at work hours to Windows.
dreamingbadger
Mongoose
Roger Calver said:
True but then I can cut it by people approaching the site after 1800hrs according to their local system clock
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