Guys, to build a new sub sim from scratch, using a brand new game engine, would take a 25 member Dev team about 30 months and would cost in excess of three million Dollars.

Building a new sim from scratch (even if you license a third party 3D-engine) is vastly different from modding a finished (or nearly finished) game. Before you can even start coding you to take about 4 million design decisions and work out how to implement them. Building a whole simulation from the ground up would take years, and who would pay the people involved so that they don't loose interest and abandon ship? Hobby modders are great, but I really can't see a game like this being built by a volonteer community. It has to be a very tightly knit group working together full time and sharing a common vision for it all to come together in the end.

Not if they have no-compete clauses that apply.

Before this turns into a debate rather than a discussion(these things turn so easily :p ), let me put it this way:

If I could gaurentee $50,000 to someone(s) if they completed a subsim to my satisfaction, finished, not broken, all features completed, don't you think someone(s) will step up to the plate and say "I(we) can do this."

This is just $50,000. $50 a piece for just 1000 people.

I am suggesting that with all the people we have here, just on this board, we could come up with a way to have a sub simulator built to our specifications. If we can bring in others on other boards, we would have even more monetary leverage. A logistical nightmare, yes, but I think it is doable.

Maybe it works something like this. Maybe

UBI hires Sub Contractor to develop game.
SC agrees to a contract with a dead line for an amount of money
If deadline is not made penalties a steep.
SC hires a team of developers.
SC borrows money from bank to cover development during time period.
End date SC turns over game and gets paid.

Fuzzy part, it would seem that the Sub would have to pay for the Patching from here on out. Or risk never getting future jobs from big companies.

I'd have to disagree with everyone who says it's too expensive. It's expensive for established devolpers because of the high overhead and bloated saleries of those who don't actually work on the project.

There are plenty of hobby programmers/3D artists out there who I think would do this kind of project for a fraction of the cost.

There are allready freeware game engines out there. There are allready better game engines that are not free, but cost very little that be used.

I aprreciate every one chiming in here, because the more I disagree with you, the more I see that it is possible. Call me silly, but I do see it :D

My $50 suggestion (buy another copy post-patch) is much more realistic.

Your 50K buys one coder (for too short a time) with nothing left for lawyers. Snowballs ?

Can I sell you a car? Please? :D

Just kidding. I agree that if everyone agreed to buy a second copy post-patch they'd do it. Double the sales with a fraction of the work? Of course. I wouldn't buy the second copy just on principle, but it would work:up:

(Edit: ooo 400th post)

Well, if you want to give it a go, by all means do. If you never try you will never succeed. :)

I'll be glad to chip-in,... say, .... $5000.00

Let me know who to make it out to and where to send it and its on its way.

(I'm very serious, mates!)

That's the spirit!

Would anyone be willing to create/host a website for recording pledges?

Would need to store info such as who, how much, how to get in touch when we are ready to lump the money together, and would need an "i agree" button for the pledge promise. This would be the first stage, if we don't get enough pledges, it dies here.

Also, are there any lawyers here who would be willing to donate thier time to set up and manage a trust fund or something? (NOTE to LAWYERS: I said DONATE) :p

How many SH enthusiasts could be here? 5000, 10000, or more? Plus we can look for sponsors and the game could be developed for linux also. This could be a very good occasion to build a SH Open Foundation. Why not?
$3,000,000 could be a good price, but I think it could be cheaper because I don't think the devs guys get so much money from UBI. And we can pay more than UBI.

This is not feasible in any shape or form, but I love a thread that's positive for a change...if somewhat out of touch with reality. Enjoy.:D

Thats what they told the Wright Bros....remember?

Well...I've never been a big fan of "reality"........

I believe in dreamin a little dream......

A SH4, whole and perfected....It can be done!!!

There's no such thing as perfection when it comes to software I'm afraid. ;)