Horizons Board News:
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We continue to develop the functional specs based on the conceptual work done previously. We have defined the systems necessary for our programming staff to complete the server technology and the developer tools required to allow our production staff to begin integrating the assets previously created into the world simulation.
The server technology continues to progress at the predicted pace. The client technology is now back on track. The artists are solidifying the art pipeline and continue to generate great work. Artifact Entertainment is in better shape to deliver a first-rate product than ever before.
As a result of our focus on the development of Horizons, we are imposing a quiet period on ourselves regarding the release of information about Horizons, this includes the current Artifact Entertainment hosted, public message boards. When we have adequate content in place and have properly tested our systems internally, we will conduct a beta test of the product with the cooperation of the community. Approximately one month prior to the beta, we will reopen our message boards to prepare for the beta. For those of you who have positively contributed to discussions held on the message boards, we thank you for your time and energy. We have read your many posts and appreciate your thoughtful contributions to the game. Your names have been noted and we will be asking for your cooperation in the future to help us test the complex interactions that a massively multi-player world engenders.
David V. Bowman
Executive Vice President of Production
Artifact Entertainment
That bit of news was followed up by this:
We have reposted the message boards in an inactive status to allow the community to gather much of their hard work and efforts that they have contributed to these boards over the last several months since we opened them. In particular we received several requests from participants on the role-playing boards who were very interested in continuing the stories they had started. We will be continuing to monitor posts on our various community sites including Horizons Vault, and Horizons MMORPG.Net which are two of the more frequented sites.
Ulairi at Horizons Vault has offered the Horizons Vault boards as a location for the existing community to continue to gather and post about Horizons. This offer extends to those from the role-playing boards as well, since Vault Network has a Horizon’s Role-playing Board.
I know a portion of our community is not happy about our decision to reduce the public information available about Horizons in the near future. The fact is we have reached a point in development where the last two years of community involvement has given us all the information and conceptual ideas we need to complete this game. Its now in our hands to finalize the implementation.
The entire team is heading into a serious crunch that will last until we reach open beta. We are not going anywhere and we are not being controlled by any outside party as many people have speculated. We will be turning the boards back on in the future as well as releasing more information about Horizons. Its just time for us to focus on finishing the product and not hyping the community with all the things they want to hear.
I do want to express my gratitude to all members of the community that have provided feedback over the last two years. You have been listened too, as much as you think you haven't and as much as you think this is no longer the game you dreamed. It is our goal to end the vaporware rumors, the management rumors and the financial stability rumors with a playable open beta that shows the ambition and stability that all of us are expecting from Horizons.
James "SCAN" Jones
President
Artifact Entertainment
