Mick Conmy

Guillemot/Herc Prophet GeF2 64m Ultra here and no probs of that sort.

I apologize. Really no offense offered. My "hype" hyperbole a direct result of my reading of the Lorien Newman's editorial "Stop blaming companys for hype!" at GA-Source.com along with all your analyses of wargame related issues. I fully subscribe to your "reality expectation" premise and agree more needs be done to satisfy the grog w/o discouraging the casual gamer. A transparent or cascading U/I offering deeper levels of info and data for the grog while retaining a simple opaque interface for the general audience would go a long way toward meeting both sets of expectations. The point is to aim high, as CM is doing, to ensure exceeding all. I place no negative connotation on "hype", indeed, lap it up from gaming sources eagerly while applying the my own mental preferences and filters. The bias I allude to, only your involvement with CM as outside consultant and play tester. Obviously you consider the game to be living up to its promise. I'd hoped the bit about being paid would reflect on the good job I thought you were doing [the AARs an inspired technique for fully describing game features & mechanics as well as building good buzz] but I now see youve encountered accusations to the opposite. Had I been more aware I certainly woulda changed the slant to that chuckle. My concluding remark assuredly an endorsement of shared opinions concerning game design and phiosophy. I did want to take a poke at the much discussed turn based vs real [continuous] time difference between CM and CC partly w/r/t CM breaking the hex barrier with its 3D environment [CC using hidden 10 pixel square 'hexes'] as, IMO, time and space are interelated w/in the framework of game simulation. The issue of LOS in CC has long been a thorn. I did a set of illustrated posts on terrain/LOS anomalies in CC stemming from a lack of graphic correlation between the map on screen and the unseen [except for right clikking] terrain map underneath. The worst example being Moscow1 where part of the graphic map [the hill top right center] and the terrain map beneath are completely different. This problem was noted in the CC3 beta but never addressed. I also did a post on non-reciprocal LOS, tracing the bug to the fact its measured from turret center of rotation [hot spot] to any point on the target. Add to this the bug that allows the target reticle to light up when the cursor merely comes w/in the unit "select" radius and youve got wacky play effects. Another facet of my post here was to "hype" an aspect of my favorite wargame that I found most engaging after having spent a wargaming lifetime tied to hexes and turns. A little CC RT 'cheek' if you will on a 'rival' TB games forum. Plenty of room on my HD for both as I believe they will make for complementary, not exclusive, experiences. So forgive my 'gonzo journalism' as its intent was tribute rather than trial.

I havent been able to define the unit of measure for the variable Z in the equation “X Hexes of Y meters by Z = A Dinosaur” Anybody we know? Otherwise a valid argument despite being the biased pre-release hype of a paid lobbyist [and if youre not getting paid ya should] However...we in the real time community [CC subdivision] enjoy the increased realism of seamless time while you 'hex-based time' luddites labor under the impression sim-ex solves all. Gimme the solid data engine and 3D environment in CM, the RT flow of CC, the lusher graphic capabilities of tomorrows cpus & vid chips and some messiah to code a truly evil AI and I'll die a happy campaigner. Best of luck on CM. Truly hoping the beta will cause me to end a 3 year addiction and chuck my CC cds. And thx again Fionn for ALL you do in the wargaming world. mick (xe5)