retired_ecast

As long as i remember, community skins were available on previous versions of FM right on the day of release or the day after the game itself.
Am i wrong or this time the graphic fellas are taking a nap?

retired_2symonds

It's a bit more difficult for people to get started on the skins this time around because they are waiting on a small tool to be able to access the FMF files that come with the game and get to the actual graphics and xml files.

I'm still trying to get this moving as fast as possible.

retired_marina_meggy

There must be some other reason for not releasing this so-called tool. Evidently the tool is ready and working, if not how do you think the programmers built those fmf files ?

Norfolk_boy

Big difference between something simple and command line driven that a developer can use easily and what you can release to the public.

This needs a GUI, testing, making sure that it doesn't break stuff...

Why on earth would SI sit on something if it's ready and working?

retired_marina_meggy

Not a very complicated gui. It's just an unpacker, pick a file, tell destination. The format resembles a unix tar, just files concatenated with a bit of header and tail info.

The reason could be to let the new skin 'soak-in' a little longer on people's eyes, perhaps wishing they'd get used to it. I 'could' possible understand it from their point of view after having spent almost a year on its development.

retired_amanda

i havent started my game yet , waiting on 1 a patch and 2 a skin

Norfolk_boy

Interesting conspiracy theory

Why would SI want to force their skin on us for a while? If anything it could well be detremental to sales. Of those who played the demo and didn't like the skin I can imagine quite a few putting off buying the game whilst they wait for a different 3rd party skin.

Whereas making us use only their skin achieves nothing other than annoying people.

The tool could have been prepped earlier for sure. It's bad planning that it wasn't released with the demo. I'm happy to wait a bit longer and get a decent working one - unpacking - packing back up - easy to use - nice looking. Rather that than my base fmf files being messed up by an untested and unrefined tool.

retired_marina_meggy

Interesting conspiracy theory

Why would SI want to force their skin on us for a while? If anything it could well be detremental to sales. Of those who played the demo and didn't like the skin I can imagine quite a few putting off buying the game whilst they wait for a different 3rd party skin.

Whereas making us use only their skin achieves nothing other than annoying people.

The tool could have been prepped earlier for sure. It's bad planning that it wasn't released with the demo. I'm happy to wait a bit longer and get a decent working one - unpacking - packing back up - easy to use - nice looking. Rather that than my base fmf files being messed up by an untested and unrefined tool. </BLOCKQUOTE>
Yes, conspiracy theories sort of pop in absense of information and why not free time.

Oh, I can picture Miles giving a pat on Ter's shoulder and saying, 'Hold on a few more days, you'll see that not everybody dislikes it -no need to hang yourself-, see, just know some of those complaining are saying that after some games they are even liking the skin, others will appear aswell I'm sure, just hold there.'

About sales, they think and know that we're pretty much a captive customer/market for the time being.

Additionally, SI/Sega have given proof of stubborness in some areas in the past.

Regarding the tool, I don't think nor do I believe you do, that it was crafted a couple of days prior to launching the demo, they
took the decision of compressing (by the way, you could compress save games on earlier versions, so the probability of reusing the same code or a variant is there) this version's savegames and other folders/files was done on a much earlier stage in the process.

Finally, I want you to know that I like the game and that on one of the first posts about this coming new version I even said I liked the new skin, even sent especial kudos to Ter and the team. That doesn't mean I can't dislike some aspects of it (attribute color, background pic, the shape of the toolbar and some of its icons) and would like to add 'printable' to some panels and add/subtract columns on others as I always do as a hobby/learning experience (I don't release my work as I consider it not good enough for public, but it lets me enjoy even more the game and why not, feel part of it on some other way). Cheers.

retired_amanda

radestock, i knew your pretty good at making skins - you did the wrap around for 2005? any plans on making a skin

retired_Leatitia Crawfo

when will skins be availiable to make then???