This is a response to the "Payment issues thread" that now seems to have fallen into a big bag of pain. . . I want to share with you an ALMOST unbiased view.

What I don't get is this payment "issue", I don't see it as an issue, if you think it's worth it then obviously you're going to buy it, if not then fair enough, that's all it boils down to really, and posting reasons that the developer can't/won't change is really just a way to make yourself feel better, coz it sure as hell isn't helping anyone else. We need to look at a few facts rather than individual reasons.

If the "Servers cost $300 a month" thing is true then that's strange because you could BUILD a more than competent server that you could run yourself after a few months of that.

To be honest it doesn’t matter how long he's been working on it, if it really is a side project of three years then he's obviously been using it as a way to further his own talent, or has been adding and perfecting it as said talent grows, as I know a few undergrads who have completed projects like this in a matter of months, that's not an insult so please don't take it as such, I'm simply proving the point that development time is irrelevant in relation to the value of the finished product (though it can be an indicator), it's quality that sells.

The price, and before anyone jumps in with their worthless comments about not knowing the value of this or not appreciating the value of that, I'm 19 and in about 14 days I’m going to Uni to Study Computer games Programming, I've written code (since I was 6) that I'm proud of, so I can appreciate this from the poor side and the developer side, and in my oh so honest opinion, it IS overpriced, To be very honest if it was left at the pre-order price. . .well that would still be stretching it, especially considering the work for free from others such as http://www.specialistsmod.net/ or http://frictionalgames.com/penumbra for example.

The comment that "Hampa is on his own he did this all on his own so he's allowed to charge more because he did it all on his own" is foolish, if you can't deliver stuff like the big boys then you don't get to charge like them either, I mean, Jesus Christ, the full price is MORE THAN HALF LIFE 2 EPISODE ONE, don't you think that's a little odd, Hampa?

While I can appreciate that he wants a return on the work he's done, I think that perhaps a bit of competitive pricing is in order, besides, if it's lower then it seems like more than a few forum goers would then buy it, but then that wouldn't be fair on the others who have already brought it. But hey, that's not my problem.

Despite it's shortcomings, I am seriously considering buying the game, the cost is absolutely no trouble for me, but I DO think that maybe someone needs to eat some humble pie http://www.tarkey.co.uk/Images/HP.JPG, or make a very serious commitment to improve the game from here on out, because that's the only reason I'm considering buying it, because I'm assuming that it will improve dramatically once it has generated some return/revenue.

Edit: Please, no Comments on this being my first post on this board, you are NOT your post count etc etc