Prototype? You mean preview right? Why would you want to see a prototype? A mere prototype won't be as good. A prototype is the first test version of something. If you want to work with prototypes you should become a playtester. If you'd rather only play something that's already been sufficiently tested for levels of balance, challenge and fun, then there's no reason to ask for prototypes. I too am eagerly anticipating Academy. We must be patient.
Also I want to point out that it's a great thing that arcane wonders cares so much about quality and customer satisfaction that they will usually not set deadlines or predict release dates prematurely, and then if they do so they are honest about it, apologize for getting everyone's hopes up too soon, then delay the release date to a more manageable timeframe. I'm not sure if I've ever met any group of people who were collectively THAT good at managing the planning fallacy.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but the majority of companies (or at least American companies, or maybe just companies I'm exposed to) would prefer to rush to meet deadlines whether their product is entirely complete or not, and then pretend it was the finished product after all, so they can look more reliable, efficient and skilled at what they do, because getting out completed projects by their deadlines looks better than getting out completed projects late.
But Arcane Wonders doesn't try to posture like that. If the product is incomplete, they don't try to pretend that it is, but instead delay the release date. And they tell us when they're doing that. I kind of wish everyone would follow their example when it comes to their quality assurance and customer relations, but I'm not sure if Arcane Wonders would be so successful if everyone started doing things like they do.
I suspect being genuinely nicer and more respectful to and more caring about one's customers to the extent Arcane Wonders is will be a winning business strategy for them because it's so uncommon as to make them exceptional.
Then again, business is definitely not my specialty, I'm just speculating lol.
In any case, I'm eagerly looking forward to Academy and probably Battlegrounds too. I hope by the time these things are released we will all understand why it took so long after forged in fire.
I hope we get a better turnout at origins this year! If only six people show up this time I think I will just die.
