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Planetside-Idealab Timeline

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Timeline

Pre-Planetside Years
Year 2003
Year 2004
Year 2005
Year 2006
Year 2007
The Future

Pre-Planetside Years

2002
October, 2002

  • Star Wars Theme park Concept site. First foray into mass-viewer websites. Had to put on hold.
  • http://www.starwarspark.com/ --> updating, view temporary overview page
June 28, 2002
  • Created flash map for DAOC, my first MMO game. Developed ideas on creating a visual aid for players of an MMO game. The experience from this project would directly tie into Idealab.
  • http://www.foundationguild.netfirms.com/li.../flashmap.shtml
  • Created DAOC guild idea site. Experience gained from building this site would benefit Idealab.
September 26, 2002
  • Began playing Earth and Beyond, my second MMO game. The inspiration gathered from this non-fantasy title would influence my decision to play Planetside.

Year 2003

May 16, 2003

  • Planetside goes Live

July, 2003

  • Purchased Planetside. Joined New Conglomerate on Emerald Server. Joined Fallen Soldiers outfit a week or two later.
July 8, 2003
  • Began thinking about systems to improve Planetside such as Command options, squad interface, settings, and resources.
August 15th, 2003
  • Thinking about Empire goals, reasons for fighting besides just take over everything (which is impossible by design). First evidence of Empire Tech Levels, NTU changes, Squad-Outfit improvements.
August 18th, 2003
  • Write game issues article; ideas on cover, resources, supply line begin to surface
August 19th, 2003
  • Ideas surface on monorails, Medic improvements, Capital Cities, Communications cert, more on Empire Levels.
August 21, 2003
  • First offline version of Wishful Patch notes typed out, inspired by one day looking at DAoC’s patch notes and wishing PS did that (they eventually did in the form of weekly dev activities). Among the items are towable weapons, Sanctuary ideas, vehicle ideas, modular chassis idea (before variants), first listing of deployable emplacements idea, Sanctuary Barracks.
September 18, 2003 September 28, 2003
  • Empire Tech Levels concept screens released.
  • Deployable emplacement idea released and illustrated.
  • First thoughts on creating a website on Planetside ideas.
September 30, 2003
  • Last day working for Siemens (3 years)
October 5, 2003
  • Deployable Emplacement illustration released.
October 13, 2003
  • Squad HUD idea released and illustrated.
October 24, 2003
  • Began creating Idealab website.
November 4, 2003
  • Zombieside goes live and I create site banner for ZombieB
November 11, 2003
  • Begin building Idealab at Jeff McDowall.com
December 10, 2003
  • Begin working on outfit base ideas
December 15, 2003
  • Bought Star Wars Galaxies but only played for the free month. Friggin grind.
December 20, 2003
  • Begin working at Harcourt
December 29, 2003
  • More detailed Wishful Patch Notes list

Year 2004

January 5, 2004

  • Issues Article posted on forums
January 9, 2004
  • Post BWG, Domination, Capitols concept screen. Smoke asks to use it.
January 10, 2004
  • Idealab goes Live on jeffmcdowall.com (but still under construction)
January 11, 2004
  • Rank salary idea surfaces
January 14, 2004
  • 3D rendition of emplacements released.
January 22, 2004
  • Begin collaboration with ZeusPrime on Command Squads concept.
February 18, 2004
  • Purchase domain name Planetside-idealab.com
February 19, 2004
  • Due to increased bandwidth, move hosting to PSU on Hamma’s invitation.
  • Post first Respawn Improvements.
February 24, 2004
  • Request Tracker born on old forums under the name “Things people ask for”
March 3, 2004
  • Post CE interface improvements.
March 13, 2004 April 10, 2004
  • Site Beautification project.
  • Bought Core Combat for $10.
April 19, 2004
  • Post Urban Outposts concepts and maps on Official Forums.
May 10, 2004
  • Post combining Urban outposts with Task Force concept.
May 12, 2004
  • Last day of Harcourt project.

May 16, 2004

  • Planetside celebrates 1st Year
May 26, 2004 June 23, 2004 July 6, 2004 July 13-14, 2004
  • Idealab Forums created. Idealab Emporium created. Earlydawn, 7ruth, Orange/IncomingFire, Straws, Tjmonk15, and Bwzman become first members.
July 18, 2004 July 30, 2004
  • Dviddlef becomes member.
July 31, 2004
  • Redford Blade becomes member.
August 3, 2004
  • Global Map improvements, adding planets, turning conts color. Devs add them to game.
August 13, 2004 August 21, 2004
  • Planetside Mobilization Alpha
August 24, 2004
  • Martyr becomes member.
August 26, 2004 September 4, 2004
  • Hurricane Frances hits my hometown while I’m in it.
September 10, 2004
  • Building Outfit base flash demo.
September 16, 2004
  • Hurricane Ivan hits Pensacola while my brother is at Tallahassee.
September 18, 2004 September 23, 2004
  • Tiletron becomes member.
September 26, 2004
  • Piolet becomes member.
September 27, 2004
  • Hurricane Jeanne hits my hometown while I’m in it.
  • Create concept art for deployable emplacements
September 28, 2004
  • Zeusprime becomes member.
October 7, 2004
  • xx7xx becomes member
October 10, 2004 October 22, 2004
  • Silhouettes for emplacements posted, weapons emplacement descriptions.
October 25, 2004
  • First day at JHT.
November 4, 2004
  • Otras becomes member.
November 7, 2004
  • Cyssor and Solsar Continent pages go up.
  • Released Task Force graphic
December 16, 2004 December 19, 2004
  • Vote started to rename Idea Emporium
  • Pyrotechnic becomes member.

Year 2005

January 3, 2005

  • After a run-off vote, Concept Division is the name chose to replace Emporium.

January 20, 2005

January 31, 2005
  • Planetside Syndicate goes live. Idealab becomes a major member. Site hits jump over 1,000 in a few days.
  • Formerly publish Continents page on Idealab.
February 1, 2005
  • NemesisOrion becomes 100th member to join Idealab.
February 4, 2005 February 15, 2005
  • Create and post News Banners on PSS detailing coming features for Version 3.4.
February 17, 2005
  • Began new entries for Syndicate Wiki site: Lockers, Lattice, SOI, NTU, Facilities, Towers, Cyssor, Gunuku, Caverns, Sanctuary, Cavern Lock, Crystals, Force Dome, Capitol, Ground Transport cert, Implant Terminal, Implants.

February 18, 2005

  • Planetside-idealab celebrates First Year Anniversary.
  • Developers release major User Interface upgrade for Planetside.

February 19, 2005

  • Galactic Pathways Event.

March 4, 2005

March 13, 2005

March 31, 2005

April 24, 2005

May 16, 2005

  • Planetside celebrates 2nd Year. Second year vets recieve the new Heavy Scout Rifle.

August 6, 2005

August 22, 2005

August 30, 2005

October 4, 2005

October 13, 2005

October 21, 2005

October 28, 2005

November 5, 2005

November 25, 2005

Core Combat Improvements thread posted.

Year 2006

January 25, 2006

February 18, 2006

  • Planetside-Idealab celebrates Second Year Anniversary.

March 6, 2006

March 24, 2006

April 1, 2006

April 10, 2006

June 5, 2006

June 22, 2006

  • Wasp Interceptor added to game

July 6, 2006

November 8, 2006

  • Visit to Sony Online Entertainment, California

December 7, 2006

  • Additional leve of Merits added to Planetside

Year 2007

January 12, 2007

  • Last day working for JHT (2 years)

February 18, 2007

  • Planetside-Idealab celebrates Third Year Anniversary.

The Future

More entries...

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