Tom Norton

Good news, and me too.

Please do not get me wrong, I want this product. But, there are nagging questions that seem to cloud my current enthusiasm. IF the recent posts are taken at face value. I keep wondering what is this ONE percent that keeps this game from being ready to go to Beta? Why did it take an act of BFC to kick start this apparently stalled project? Not to mention how the development team, for all practical purposes, abandoned this forum. When Hunter posts a recent map, it brings back the dream of what this could be. And then silence. I suspect that there is more going on here then it is 99% ready to go. Again, I am ready, willing and able to add this project to my collection. However, I think something is going on here that does not add up to the information we have been given. I hope I am wrong, and open play testing starts today. But, something isnt going right here, and I am getting a little more uncomfortable each passing day, since the BFC "annoucement". A product at 99% complete has a lot more to show/advertise then what we see currently. Face it, when Hunter shows a new map, there is a perk of interest from the loyal cadre. Then, nothing. So, if it isnt 99% or even 90%, there would still be more promotion then this. But, if it is not that close to being finished, then does that force the judgement that the project is dead? If you reread the BFC annoucement regarding where CMC needs to go, there seems to be an urgency to get going. Sadly, one map is not going to do it. This can only lead to the speculation that CMC has a major problem, and we do not know what it is.

If true, that it has been 99% complete for the last year, then that would explain why Battlefront had to kick it out the door. Kind of like the kid that graduates from school and just hangs around the house. Do not get me wrong, I still want it, but damn that is a bad omen.

There is a very fine line that needs to be followed in your point, Redwolf. The fact that we see Moon, even now making posts in this forum, in and of itself, suggests more then mere boredom. It is this kind of activity that springs hope to all who wish upon wish, that Campaigns, is coming on line this summer. Your idea should not be ignored. Back when CMBB was patched to what we really have now, I had a serious exchange of emails with BFC about attempting to license the code to other developers. My hope was that this would spawn a Campaign type game two years ago. And, it did appear BFC had been approached about a license (though I do not know for sure) as they had in fact looked at it. Sadly, there just was not enough return on the investment for them to follow that path. Now, we have this creation, by a 3rd party, which appears to need to be rescued by BFC, which supports their prior concerns about how much more they would need to invest if they did license the game code. Have to hate it when they are shown to be right, from the start. To us, this is almost like a gift. Lets face it, BFC could have let this project die. Close the board, in effect tell the hardcore fans of CMBB, WE TOLD YOU. Walk away. But, instead, it appears they have enough pride in their design, that they were willing to give it the CPR needed to help it get out the door. But, you are unfornately, right. CPR, only works 12% of the time and Campaigns could flop, and not work as hoped (shades of the CMx2 for some). The silver lining could be the tweeks in CMAK code merged in CMBB. Or to use legendary Battlefront speak, a bone to the CMBB community. To go back to my resource allowcation post, does it make CMBB more valuable to be dressed up, to BFC? I doubt it does. However, they have already shown by keeping Campaigns alive in the first place (kind of PDIF's point) that they still have concern over the image of CMBB. Does that breath life into some bug killing, code modification for CMBB? I/we hope so. But, I think this hope moves in two directions. Great for those would would want an update to CMBB (yes, I am one of those too), however against an open source code proposal, because that is how much BFC still cares about this game! If there were better economic inducement, your call would not be annoying (ha). It is possible the alternative was this Campaigns expedtion! Had it been produced as advertised, on time, on target, what then? There would have been your economic inducement to license. But, as we painfully know, it has not been. So, the open source code would be seen as what would amount to abandoment by BFC of this code. Your points are all true, the work (investment) is done, as is the real income recovery, let it now go into the hands of those who would pursue developement as a labor of love and not economic gain. However, I cannot see how BFC would follow that path for something they clearly still care about and have pride in (for obvious reasons). So, we buy the Campaign when it comes out, and when we meet again, ah that will be a meeting well met!

Redwolf/JaegerMeister, hit upon a point I struggle with. BFC is in the business to make money. Thus, economics of making that money should be the key to making the decision to update/continue any game. Generally, the competition to continue CMBB, would be opportunty cost and the operation of diminishing returns. Diminishing return/resources invested, plays a large role, if not key role, in decision making of any product, not just for BFC. Look at Bethesda's decision to not make another sequel to the money maker, Oblivion. After they announced that Knights of the Nine was it, look at their message boards to see the aghast! Why stop, when Bethesda had hit a gold mine? The answer is in the same catagory that BFC makes. They believe there is more money to made for the amount of resources invested someplace else. Bethesda, is going with Fallout 3, and BFC went with CMSF. I believe we were told CMBB made less then CMBO, and that CMAK made less then CMBB. Diminishing returns. At some point, product termination has to kick in due to the economics. The consumer dictate the market, and that in many ways determines the winners and losers in the computer games industry. The bleak truth is there are fewer computer stratagy gamers then the growing numbers ofconsole/computer RPG players. BFC knows this as well as you do. They like money, or a least their wives do, just like you and yours. Thus, these market forces drive decisions away from expanding the game I love to play most. It hurts more, I guess, when the product a company expands too, does not measure up to what the consumer wanted. Bethesda, in looking at that in the next Fallout game, look at the pre release interviews. BFC, had the same concerns when it went to CMSF. Many of the old guard did not like the change, and that hurts expectations, which in turn, hurts profits. The observation that the CMx1 is already done so it shouldnt cost much to tweek it, does not take into considation opportunity cost. For every hour of time BFC invests into tweeking CMBB, it takes away from another, more profitable project. So, while I struggle with with the points and concerns made by many, in light of the market reality, I will be damn happy to have Campaigns, while my son blasts mutants to his hearts content.

I am long past trying to pull the trigger (ha). The shot is out, I am just waiting to adjust for effect. I have wanted a campaign connection for CMBB from the start. Remember the points by Battlefront were that it was unrealistice to have a unit a this level fight a campaign, as all the troops would be dead or wounded in just a short time. Audy Murphy wrote that there was just one other soldier left in his unit that was there when he started. The German who wrote Forgotten Soldier (Guy Saur, I think), made it through the war with the GD division, with I think three or four out of his squad. I always felt that didnt matter. They get replacements, so give me a Battalion, and lets go. I still play CMBB, with two others. What other game that I have can I claim this? None.

I am just kidding you CG. Half expected you to tell me that you had nothing but positive vibs since the start.... I too balance the play of CMBB with wife and kids. Let me know how you swing two computers, in order to play CMC, I have a lot to learn!

The scene opens with large numbers of CMBB players coming into visual range of Combat Mission Campaigns. Moon wispers, "Its up!" A chorus of excited voices follow, almost all mention unbelievable! The program crashes. Moon, "Its down!" Tom, to Canada Guy. "See what those negative vibs did, Canada Guy!" "Always with those negative vibs!"

Kind of like the movie, Kelly's Hero's. I told you it would work. No you didnt. Yes, I did.... I will be putting in to buy three of these, have two doubtful players here to convert. Great news.

John. I do not have those AARs any longer. I did do them, and sent them into who it was we were suppose too. Ironicly, I do have in my Lessions Learned Journal, notes from our battle. As you recall, our fight was at night, visibility was about three to four. My attack was three prongs, the center immeditely went from contack, to a full firefight. At the short range we were at, losses were high. The American picket force (in foxholes) was overrun in the center. The German assult then started to proceed through a hedge line, one of three that grew left to right across the map. The German troops started to be pinned and casualties started to mount. This was really a mystery to me, as I could not see where they were getting hit from. LESSION NUMBER ONE: After action, I discovered that you took the battle for what it was named, to heart. You had a fall back position beyond the hedge line, and beyond the visability range BUT NOT BEYOND THE RANGE OF SOUND. Sounds in the night. You had your men area fire the sound contacks, too great effect. Due to the above, the center assult lost coordination, resulting in lession learned two. LESSION NUMBER TWO: Due, to the center slowing down, the left fland, your right, rushed forward, ahead of the other two prongs. This group did not have any hedge delay, and made fast progress using the standard combat assult. Again, American pickets were encountered, and quickly disposed of. Due to the obvious progress, the center prong started moving in that direction as well. I do not recall seeing the spotter rounds fall, but when you called in the fire for effect, the barrage devastated my assult. How, at night, could this happen? After action, showed me the value of your preregistered fire location. You had zeroed in the very area you guessed my assult would gain the greatest speed. As you know, that prong never recovered from that bombardment. Preregistered 105mm fire is just as effective at night, as it is in the day. Finally, the right flank (your left) did break through, but ran out of time. I wrote your comment to me at the end was that you had to commit your company HQ to that flank, as you had run out of men. You are obviously a good teacher, John. I hope to give you a good return in Campaigns!

Thanks, Boris. Yea, I have to admit, I tried. But, I had lost the old password with the old computer and web address (use to be AOL). So, when the hope Campaigns started to become real, and I wanted to come back, I couldnt prove it was really me. Though, I suspect all the guys who use to beat me could prove it (HA). Oh well, the important thing is the strong possibility that this game is real, and I look forward to the old comradeship that marked the CMBB days. Talking of old vets, you sir, at number 63, have seen it all. Congrats!

Absolutely. Can I still harass you about the superiority of my Napa wines?! God, this feels like the good old days. And gentlemen in England now abed, shall think themselves accursed they they were not here!

I had to laugh. Look who has been checking on the hope that Combat Mission Campaigns yet lives. WineCape, Redwolf, John Kettler (I still remember the beating I took at your hands in ROW2, that damn night battle). I wonder how many veterans of those legendary games are waiting, for a return of the greatest game we had played to that day (and maybe even still). I was so excited to see this possibility was real, I had to reopen my account with Battlefront, once upon a time, I was member number 1039. So, I too have returned to wait and to hope: We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;