GPL Patch - also posted on MotorSports

Greetings All, I have been patient and have defended Sierra/Papy on various forums concerning the slow release of the patch. As a software developer I am painfully aware of how hard it is to meet dates and such. But no more defense!! Sierra has shown nothing but disdain for its customers since the 1.1.0.3 patch was released. First reportedly fixed within a mater of days, and is beta tested very quickly. Next comes the "leak" of 1.2 on Papy's German website. No ones fault but Sierra/Papy (S/P). Because of that leak the software got out into the public. It was - and is still available. Some people had their websites deleted for placing the leaked software on them. This was done at the request of S/P representatives. Remember - Sierra/Papy leaked the software? The only people hurt have again been the customers of S/P's products. Then N3 (or N2 + more system crashes) is released too much fanfare and hoopla. All of it total rubbish. One can not blame them. N3 will sell more copies in a week than GPL in a year, and they do need to have income. Too bad it was only a patch to N2. But the Nascar racers will pay, so no matter. Now here we are a month later and still no GPL patch. No word, no update, no nothing. Questions about the patch go ignored by S/P on this forum (when there is a forum) and others. Now here comes Nascar Legends, N2+ for the nostalgic set. But you truck fans can wait! More rubbish. I took N3 back the next day - after deleting it. I will not look for NL at all. Only vote we have is with our pocketbooks! The bottom line IMHO is that S/P does not care about the GPL customers. S/P is simply arrogant and incompetent. If you bought GPL and like it, they think you are a real sucker, after all where else do you have to go? If I misrepresented any facts I will be the first to retract and apologize. But I feel pretty safe. Meanwhile I have the 1.1.0.14 patch and am very happily using it on-line. Huge improvement! I wish there was a way to force an "official" representative of S/P to make an appearance on this forum, but that is unrealistic. Such an occurrence would not fit the Bill Gates model for software company success. The amount of good will S/P is willing to waist is beyond my comprehension. Very frustrated, Larry Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy.

Welcome Larry to the growing throngs of GPL users who have totally given up on Sierra, both their products and their customer support.

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> Greetings All, > I have been patient and have defended Sierra/Papy on various forums > concerning the slow release of the patch. As a software developer I > am painfully aware of how hard it is to meet dates and such. But no > more defense!! > Sierra has shown nothing but disdain for its customers since the > 1.1.0.3 patch was released. First reportedly fixed within a mater of > days, and is beta tested very quickly. Next comes the "leak" > of 1.2 on Papy's German website. No ones fault but Sierra/Papy (S/P). > Because of that leak the software got out into the public. It was - > and is still available. Some people had their websites deleted for > placing the leaked software on them. This was done at the request of > S/P representatives. Remember - Sierra/Papy leaked the software? The > only people hurt have again been the customers of S/P's products. > Then N3 (or N2 + more system crashes) is released too much fanfare > and hoopla. All of it total rubbish. One can not blame them. N3 will > sell more copies in a week than GPL in a year, and they do need to > have income. Too bad it was only a patch to N2. But the Nascar racers > will pay, so no matter. > Now here we are a month later and still no GPL patch. No word, no > update, no nothing. Questions about the patch go ignored by S/P on > this forum (when there is a forum) and others. > Now here comes Nascar Legends, N2+ for the nostalgic set. But you > truck fans can wait! More rubbish. > I took N3 back the next day - after deleting it. I will not look for > NL at all. Only vote we have is with our pocketbooks! > The bottom line IMHO is that S/P does not care about the GPL > customers. S/P is simply arrogant and incompetent. If you bought GPL > and like it, they think you are a real sucker, after all where else > do you have to go? > If I misrepresented any facts I will be the first to retract and > apologize. But I feel pretty safe. Meanwhile I have the 1.1.0.14 > patch and am very happily using it on-line. Huge improvement!

Very true. Sierra's problem is likely either just classic corporate stupidity or, more interestingly, some kinda of internal political battle. My guess is the latter. Hasn't Papy been downsized, moved to smaller offices, people laid off? Smells of the classic battle between the creative people and the suits. Marty

Just today i saw A. Hine ( in GPL Spy Boy ) doing private testing with her GPL server and her version was incompatible with 1.013 we've got. So, i guess Papy is working on the patch. BTW, where did you get 1.014 patch? Another "leak" ? Borut

TOTALLY AGREE!!!! Well put James Pickard Grand Prix Legends Australian Champion Very dissapointed Customer :-(

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> Greetings All, > I have been patient and have defended Sierra/Papy on various forums > concerning the slow release of the patch. As a software developer I > am painfully aware of how hard it is to meet dates and such. But no > more defense!! > Sierra has shown nothing but disdain for its customers since the > 1.1.0.3 patch was released. First reportedly fixed within a mater of > days, and is beta tested very quickly. Next comes the "leak" > of 1.2 on Papy's German website. No ones fault but Sierra/Papy (S/P). > Because of that leak the software got out into the public. It was - > and is still available. Some people had their websites deleted for > placing the leaked software on them. This was done at the request of > S/P representatives. Remember - Sierra/Papy leaked the software? The > only people hurt have again been the customers of S/P's products. > Then N3 (or N2 + more system crashes) is released too much fanfare > and hoopla. All of it total rubbish. One can not blame them. N3 will > sell more copies in a week than GPL in a year, and they do need to > have income. Too bad it was only a patch to N2. But the Nascar racers > will pay, so no matter. > Now here we are a month later and still no GPL patch. No word, no > update, no nothing. Questions about the patch go ignored by S/P on > this forum (when there is a forum) and others. > Now here comes Nascar Legends, N2+ for the nostalgic set. But you > truck fans can wait! More rubbish. > I took N3 back the next day - after deleting it. I will not look for > NL at all. Only vote we have is with our pocketbooks! > The bottom line IMHO is that S/P does not care about the GPL > customers. S/P is simply arrogant and incompetent. If you bought GPL > and like it, they think you are a real sucker, after all where else > do you have to go? > If I misrepresented any facts I will be the first to retract and > apologize. But I feel pretty safe. Meanwhile I have the 1.1.0.14 > patch and am very happily using it on-line. Huge improvement! > I wish there was a way to force an "official" representative > of S/P to make an appearance on this forum, but that is unrealistic. > Such an occurrence would not fit the Bill Gates model for software > company success. The amount of good will S/P is willing to waist is > beyond my comprehension. > Very frustrated, > Larry > Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ > Before you buy.

I agree too. I read Sierra tested ver 1.1.0.3 patch for one month since they've got it from Papyrus. Even Papyrus itself had tested it. And then what? They are total idiots, Sierra. Y.Minami

Nice one Charlie. Now will we see a Sierra representative? - I doubt it. I am not sure we should tar the Papyrus team with the Sierra brush. Tony In a separate post

I don't understand why servers still run the "old" version. Is it because they got frightened to bits by RC's barking on both the newsgroups and in private e-mail to people who distributed the "unofficial" patch? Just as a sign all servers should be running 1.2 or at least 1.1.0.14. If they have no interest in GPL anymore, they should just open-source the damn thing and be gone with it, but their current "behaviour" in unacceptable to anyone only half-way concerned with a possible future of GPL. Uwe -- Uwe Schuerkamp http://www.schuerkamp.de/ Herford, Germany (52.0N/8h30mE) Ever wondered what's wrong with the world? http://bnetwork.com/ PGP Fingerprint: 2E 13 20 22 9A 3F 63 7F 67 6F E9 B1 A8 36 A4 61