Goanna

Yeah, whoda figured from me.

I have to put my $.02 into this, even though I think it is unlikely that anyone from BTS is around to try and collect anything useful out of this thread. In any case, on the off chance that they are… First, I would like to thank BTS for putting out a demo at all. It is a rare company that will let you take a good turn at the wheel prior to purchase and I really appreciate it. Second, thanks again for putting so much work into the engine (commands, performance and accuracy) as well as the appearance (sound and doodads) to heighten both the play and the feel of the game. I did buy the new game based on my run through the demo. It does showcase the modifications I would have put into CMBO and the demo scenarios fit your purpose. Now, that being said, I also feel that there is a valid point being made by others that the demo scenarios could have done more for you on the new player front, and I feel it is a mistake not to include an attempt to expand your player base at the same time you provide a demonstration of the differences between the games. I don’t make a lot of scenarios, and I surely don’t put the time into crafting them that Andreas does, but I have produced a few that have been well received enough to feel I have a worthwhile opinion on the matter. So, I want to review the scenarios on the criteria that I use to review regular ones. Maps. The map in Yelina does appear to be almost an autogenerated one and lacks the rich "I’m in a 3D world" feel that I get when I go back and do level 2 or 3 flyover of CE, LD or VoT in the CMBO demo. I really think you could have done better if you had put one of your high quality map designers to work on the demo scenarios for the kind of time that they did on ones for the CD. This is your showcase, and to be honest these maps look a little like they were slapped together quickly. Second comes immersion. Here I think the scenario designs each have it done well. The briefings give the info required, but don’t give too much away and also get you into the spirit of the game by providing a bit of the historical background, Well done on all of them, even the tutorial that lays out the details that should be in a good briefing. Force balances, I feel are also good. It was more difficult to win on offence in all three and that is the major improvement, however I am not able to confirm until I get the final product whether the forces balances are of the standard 1.5:1.0 ratio for attack and defence. If so, the other improvements are likely to turn me into an AI player occasionally. Previously, I only played the AI when I was testing my scenarios as it was too easy to beat. The final aspect is polish. Given that these demo scenarios are your showcase to new as well as existing players, I would hope to find them polished to perfection to show how absolutely perfect you can make your own scenarios with the full game. Unfortunately, I found grammar and typographical errors in the briefings that detracted from this slightly. Call me an anal retentive if you must, but just think that they should have been polished and reviewed in the same way I would expect of any scenario designed for the game after the fact. Honestly Steve, did you put the same time into crafting the demo scenarios as others in the full game? If not, after you have gotten your core return customers and you have time, I would recommend going back and providing new or improved demo scenarios with CMBB so that those of us who could make you converts from the twitch crowd can do so ever so much easier. I think it is possible using your engine to make demo scenarios that fulfil your stated purpose above and also draw in new customers (even some twitchers). If you want some help in designing, editing or polishing them, I would be more than happy to help for no charge if the pros you already have on board are too busy.

Hannibal, if it doesn't work out somehow, just post here or send me an e-mail after you get the Mac copy. I am pretty sure I will want to get another copy and will buy it off you. However, the Battlefront guys are pretty good at sorting these things out from my experience in the release of the first game.

I had a dog named Shep once, and I'll tell you the same thing I told him - Go lay by your dish.

No, but he has a nice set of bedroom furniture to prove his story.

Splinter

Iskander I would like to formally admonish you for leaving me off your list of most hated potential opponents in a most niggardly fashion. BTW, you teach the little creature to quote chairman Mao yet?

Well, you know, if they can get such authentic Muscovite voices to curse for them, you'd figure the BTS boys could also capture a few unsuspecting Russian birds for them and get the buggers to chirp into a microphone for them. Tell you what, I have it on good authority that most of the migratory birds of Russia actually stop off in Oman as they make their way to South Africa to winter. Now I just happen to be going to Oman in migrating season this year and could press gang a few into chirping for AIFF translation if a certain amount of "consideration" were made on my behalf.... BTW, does anyone recall the average velocity of an unladen swallow? [ September 06, 2002, 05:11 PM: Message edited by: Goanna ]

Thanks Berli now I've spilled my coffee.

Not to worry , Herr Shaw. My wife keeps going on and on and on about some damn hotel she wants to see in SLC that they built for the Olympics. So you'll get yours sometime in the near future mister. Maybe not before the snow flies however. Sissy boy eh Peng? Me thinks you have been spending too much time with the dummy pipe since our last encounter when I rolled wave after wave of your yanks away from my initial defenses. Now I will show you the meaning of the word pain from offense. And Geier you new garbage truck rushing, no turn sending square head. I think maybe you should be paying a little more attention to your out box instead of spending all your time staring at your inbox.

I have a perfectly good 3-digit one right here, hardly ever been driven except by an old lady to collect her groceries twice a month. Its all yours for a couple thousand bucks and your first male child.

I got a brew up of a PzIII with one of the 45 mm ATGs. Nice explosion. Most are just the klangs though.

Really, I think PK fits in both the cheap and easy categories. Especially if you rip those fishnets.

Yeah, say g'day to Oleg then. The name farang really is apt as you are definitely a foreigner here.

It's Official. The Army of Scaliness Group Süd will be ransacking Denver on 12 and 13 September.Residents are urged to flee the city in an orderly fashion. In typical AoS fashion our host OGSF will be treated to at least one humiliating defeat at the hands of our cunning and ruthless leader. Well, that is, unless we spend too much time on the range or in the pub.

Gotta read the Read ME file, you refresh monkey. It's not easy like playing on the Mac at work you know!

I would post more nastiness about OGSF but must refrain as it would appear that he will be treating me to several dozen rounds of ammunition through his vintage WWII arsenal during my visit to Denver in a couple of weeks. More bile and digital photos will likely follow.

Has anyone but me noticed that Barbarella and Boo use awfully similar manners of parsing their words and paragraph formats? In other news, the Canadians under the "command" of OGSF have suffered a Yelina Stare of their own at the hands of the mighty Army of Scaliness Group Süd. The battalion commander Hsf Eidische remarked, "You know, if we had those HMG34s they use in the east, I don't even think those maple syrup suckers would have even taken that little flag on the opposite side of the bridge." Commander Tinkler commented from his cell that the scenario designer deserved to be rolled in tar and cotton and left in Mace's place after a big night out. The toll: Allies (OGSF): 104 cas (27 KIA), 2 captured, 7 AFV lost; score 15 Axis (Goanna): 41 cas (27 KIA); score 85

The correct answers are YES and YES. Well, at least I think what Berli was doing could be called dancing. The mgs now are reminiscent of the real thing for me (M60 anyway). A great feeling throwing that much lead downrange that was only surpassed by the live LAW rocket I got to shoot into an old APC. Whoosh!!! BTW I really could use some of those great HMGs on you in or game.

Then you ain't been around long have ya boy?

So, cut to the chase. How do I use the damn things to good effect in the game, man?

Thayts right, I'm a lookin at yooo, ye scottish titmouse.

I basically couldn't wait any longer for decent service with my friends DSL d/loading at a whopping 2 kbit/sec so I broke down and went the old 56k modem route at home lyesterday evening right after they set up the extra servers at BTS and got the demo in an amazing 3 hr 42 min. The only problem: some bald headed freak had the link for the yank version on the fast server pointed at the kraut version and I find myself getting spit all over my monitor as I try to recall two years of HS German while mouthing what are supposed to pass for words in Germanboy's homeland. Hey, but who si bitching. MrPeng was gracious enough (and he really can be if you catch him after enough grog) to provide me with the english translations of the read me. So now, after much ado, the Army of Scaliness, Group Süd, is prepared to accept donations of Cesspool viscera and listen to the lamentations of your women in the Ost. MrPeng already wants a piece, so I have one very blind spot left. Those caring to provide me with a brief summary of my objectives with a setup are preferred. As always, SSN need not apply

Berli your services are needed on IM at present. OGSF and the rest of you lot I have a game going with, I assume that we will be looking at a couple of weeks before we finish up our CMBO matches since I see negative turns in my inbox. Isn't it just my luck. I logged on to the bbs and to get my mail yseterday evening right at the time the first of the attacks of the refresh monkeys was occurring, but could not play because I didn't want to try it over a modem connection.

As one nearly sodding useless idiot, let me cast my vote for the Bard's bid as well. I am control of a multinational that is nearly ready to auger into the spiraling black hole of debt that we have accrued, but yet WILL FIND room on my credit card (and the good Australian one too, not this useless US one where Chase is threatening to send some boys around) to to purchase CMBB. Just for knowing the date upon which I can place this order, I would gladly give the Bard a call every five minutes starting at 12:01 to make sure he is in there with a chance.