unfinished autos

[eminem]

hay there all, i have something i've gotta get off of my chest.  i know that i will probably get a lot of grief from other members from this awesome site, but i just got to say what is on my mind.  if i should piss anyone off by what i say, i apologize.  it is not my intention to upset anyone, just state my opinion about this.....i just read on pogopal's site that the mahjong auto and the other unfinished autos, i presume, are being put on the back burner for now so they can concentrate on the swashbucks auto. u see i have a problem with this.  i have purchased a lot of autos from this site and the ones that are finished works great!!!  i don't know how i would of gotten some of my badges without them, lol.  my hats off to everyone here who makes these programs to help us "little people" out with these games.  i just do not think this is not a good business practice to make something that is not fully finished, sell it, then say that the final version is being worked on, then keep saying a final release is 2 or 3 days away, and then say the eta is unknown, and then finally move on to new projects. i am fully aware that bob, oscar, dj, and whoever else puts their precious time into doing these autos have lives outside of making autos, hell all of us do.  but don't you think you should finish a project fully that you sell before embarking upon anything new???  i know it says on pogopal page that this is a beta version and is not the final version and if you are unsure of the product then don't buy it, or something to that effect.  well i did buy it with many other autos, as i have stated.  bob stated in his note over the mahjong auto, that he thanked everyone who did purchase the beta version auto in showing their confidence and support in the team.  and when the latest version did come out, even though it wasn't the final version, i did buy it because of the quality of the products that came before it.  and in buying it i was showing my support and confidence, i guess you could say, in pogopal's site.  it just tickled me  a little to see about a good month it said it was 3 or so days away and nothing and now it is being put on the back burner for who knows how long with the other unfinished autos.  am i wrong in feeling this way????  i don't think so.  i am also aware of how difficult it can be sometimes making autos.  i am not a programmer, but i do have friends in the field and have seen them pull their hair out at times trying to get a programme right, lol.  i just feel that all unfinished products should be finished before moving on.  us as customers show our support when buying a product when it is not finished, thinking that it will be a week or so longer before the final version is done, and then is still not done hanging in limbo somewhere.  making us wonder if it will ever be done.  i have been patiently waiting as i know other have been, but i just feel this is not right.  with that being said, i would like to say that i DO think you all do a GREAT job, and as i stated before if i offended anyone or pissed anyone off i am sorry, just had to say what was on my mind is all, Ty ;)

[Element]

That post should in no way make anybody mad, you were very truthfull with it  :) but heres the thing would you rather have a auto that partially worked a few months ahead or have no auto at all for who knows how long :o Many people are happy that they get something to work with while the full version is on the way. Take Payday Paycheck for example i am very happy to have what version they do have out to play with instead of waiting months and months to still having nothing. I do think though that they need to turn the fire on the oven up  :P

[PhoenixFire]

We're all entitled to our opinions, so yours didn't upset me in any way, but I do disagree. 

Yes, I would love to have the finished auto for mahjong myself, but even unfinished and with a few bugs, it is still a great program that does work, even if you have to baby it a little.  It is definitely better than none at all and was out soon after the game was released on P. 

Having said that, I think most of us here are addicted to these little proggies for whatever reasons.  Some of us for the tokies, and some of us (like myself) for help in finishing weekly or rank badges that we just may not have time for but would still like to have.  I just can't spend a lot of time each day playing P (and it shows ... lol) and would have missed out on a LOT if it weren't for these little gems.  Anyway, back to the point. 

My point is that, as important as those unfinished autos are, I feel customer demand is just as high for new ones as well.  I highly doubt Swashbucks would have been moved to the front burner if it wasn't for the upcoming challenge.  Mahjong was moved ahead of finishing WCS for the same reason a few months ago.  Look at the demand for those checkers helpers last week!  When the challenges come out, demand for those autos are more in the forefront of most customers' minds than the games we play everyday.  Additionally, when new games come out, I am always excited to hear if there will be a new program made to accommodate it. 

I think the PogoPal team, and now the DJ/Deamon combo, are doing a GREAT job with putting things in the order of importance.  I can totally understand the order they have done things in.  When Mahjong came out and a challenge was upcoming, final touches on FB and WCS were put on the back burner for a bit, then finished after the fray.  (I don't count Freecell, because that was/is VERY complicated and was done by outside contract.)  Video poker was again in response to a challenge, as is Swashbucks now.  I have every confidence that, while I would jump over my husband's dead body (just kidding!) to get a Phlinx auto, that will remain in the background until Mahjong is completed unless P issues a weekly challenge in the near future. 

Sorry so long, but I'm a woman and not very concise ... lol.   ;D

[Bizach0620]

"but don't you think you should finish a project fully that you sell before embarking upon anything new???"

I am with you 100% I makes pogo pal look like they don't care about programs when they don't finish them at start a new one.  It also makes them look like they can't finish it or they think that it is good the way it is.  Wordz was very good at finishing autos before starting new ones.  I miss his programs and him.

[BadgeHelpOscar]

WordzW was a different era.

Those were the days when they would have a new game once every 6 months.

We go by priority and what the customer wants.

I enjoy eating and would like to remain having a roof over my head and my belly full. I do what my customers (the majority) tell me to do.

[Element]

Im with pogopal  :)

[ronandamee1]

WordzW was a different era.

Those were the days when they would have a new game once every 6 months.

We go by priority and what the customer wants.

I enjoy eating and would like to remain having a roof over my head and my belly full. I do what my customers (the majority) tell me to do.

That makes sense...but a few of your autos are a stone's throw away from garbage. The MoMatic gets stuck every minute and can barely finish a puzzle on easy. I won't even DL the video poker auto so as not to waste my time Because I have not heard a thing good about it yet...Is Dottie's Dauber working yet? Of course you are going to make money NOW putting out new autos, but when will it end. Will you always use that excuse. Seems like you are on the verge of not putting out a Quality product. Are your customers not asking for Quality? Of course we want new autos as fast as possible. But I can't believe the majority of your customers want quantity over Quality. I know I don't! I want Momatic working so I can try to get the badge. As for Dotti's Dauber - I am glad I did not purchase it. Because DJ's helper rocks. Maybe you should start a poll.
Quality or Quantity.

BTW when can you throw together something for Phlinx - Couple days

[admin]

Now that there are badges, there is an added urgency for needing the autos. It's better to have something that works well enough now when it matters to the customers, rather than something flawless after the fact.

Once all of the priority things are done, I'm sure PogoPal will fix the auto's that require tweeking. But the priority now is getting the needed autos out in time for the badges, which I think is the most important to the majority of people.

[BadgeHelpOscar]

Here's a good idea....

We'll spend 3 months "perfecting" Phlinx so it will be perfect for you.

Oh yeah, and at that time in August when nobody cares about Phlinx anymore and I'm living in a box on the beach collecting used Coors light cans for recycling, I'll think about all the money I lost perfecting it.

Oh yeah, I'll just ignore the hundreds of emails I get from customers offering their first born child just to get a broken copy that limps along for Swashbucks so they can get all the help they need to finish their challenge.

I'll just tell them take that $10 and flush it down the toilet. Why not? My program is not perfect.

[Mayhem]

That makes sense...but a few of your autos are a stone's throw away from garbage.

If your referring to the Freecell auto as one of them ... that'd be my fault, not Pogopal's.

Now that there are badges, there is an added urgency for needing the autos. It's better to have something that works well enough now when it matters to the customers, rather than something flawless after the fact.

I agree with Pcheats.

[ronandamee1]

In your opinion, how many autos need updated or finished? A hundred emails asking for a swashbucks auto? How many of those people are gonna buy it? Honestly. 90% of them are gonna use the trial for the badge and then wait until it is updated to (heres that key word again) Quality. Thats great that you are making money now putting out limping programs(so you don't have to sell your organs to science or something). How could you not make money? You have the market cornered. Only other show left out there is Playbuddy, and they don't compare. What I am saying is how many more people would pay for a working program? If you want more money then don't even put the trial on it. The trial is just for testing to see how people like it. And I gotta tell you. No offence, But it has not been good lately. You are sacrificing Quality for quantity. You don't deny it. There are alot of games you don't have autos for yet. Are you suggesting that you are gonna make auto's for them first too? What does it matter anyway? Like I said "you have the market cornered". We will bend to your will.

                                                          Loyal customer,
                                                                                Ron

[fatkid]

Only thing I would say to look at is Playbuddy's model of business... They tend to put out half-assed programs that never get fixed and when you read their message boards there are a lot of pissed off customers that aren't too happy with the way Playbuddy is programming and releasing their programs.  On the other hand, Bob and Oscar seem to be cranking out auto's a LOT faster than WordzW and PB ever have... I'm glad for the work that they're doing, I just would hate to see it go the way of the buffalo, errr PlayBuddy...

[Blue Aquarius]

I am one of those very happy customers of PogoPal.  But, I won't be buying a swashbucks auto.  That game is way too easy for an auto.  20 jackpot spins should take at the most maybe 10-20 minutes.  Now Euchre on the other hand, never played it and won't know my behind from a hole in the ground on that one.   ::)