Pixman

Guys, when it's ready it's ready. Those of us who were around when CMBO was pending know enough to just sit tight until the release. BTS knows what they are doing and they have their priorities straight -- build a quality game, release it as quickly as possible, and support it properly once it hits the streets.

Steve and team, Sorry for the late reply -- too much damned travel! First of all, Happy Holidays to you and any other grognard reading this post. As much as you guys are dedicated to us and your work, please take the time for what is most important, ie your family and loved ones. Secondly, I cast my vote for releasing CMBB when it is ready by your standards and not before. We have enough plastic, chintz and cheap sensation to choose from out here. Your "games" are of a different ilk altogether, born of a commitment to quality rather than commercial prostitution. No matter when you release it, every person subscribing to this board will buy it instantly once available. So do it right, as I know you will. Take good care and kindest regards, Pix

Any Allied aircraft? ------------------ Fact is the enemy of truth. - Don Quixote

No, no, no!

Late summer - early fall of 1999 I believe. ------------------ Fact is the enemy of truth. - Don Quixote

Hey Steve/Charles, I've moved in the past year. I'm not sure which address you have for my preorder -- I ordered quite a while ago. How do I get you my current address without reordering? I tried the "Contact Us" link and it did nothing. Please advise, I'd hate to miss the "first wave" of shipments on D-Day because of bad dog tags. By the way, I have said nothing since the gold demo release -- basically because I am speechless. You have redefined war and strategy games to a level I never dared to hope for. I pray the market and industry reward you guys for your vision, sacrifice, skill and refusal to settle for less than what is possible with the technology at hand. I also salute those in the greater development effort who have provided research, voices, names, textures, testing, etal. to really flesh out an already great product. Pixman ------------------ Fact is the enemy of truth. - Don Quixote

I have a Toshiba Tecra 8000 with a NeoMagic MagicMedia 256 AV adaptor in it. I have loaded Direct X 7.0. It only has 2.5 MB of VRAM, but a fast processor, so the frame rate is slow but acceptable. My problem is that this funky pinkish magenta color shows up all over the graphics. This is true in the videos as well as in text. For example, the scenario names in the screen where you choose the scenario are in the color. At the same time, the textures for vehicles and soldiers look very realistic, with nuances of greens and tans, etc. Somebody please help! I travel a lot with my new job and CM is going to be my life saving companion to eliminate boredom on the road. But it has to run on my notebook. Pixman ------------------ Fact is the enemy of truth. - Don Quixote

Hi guys. I have not posted in a long time, but I thought this might interest all of you. Some of you are probably aware that Sierra/Impressions has cancelled production of their much anticipated Civil War Generals III. Let me assure you that this fan of CWG II is greatly disappointed as are a host of others. My point in this post is to share with you the reasons for the cancellation as given directly by Jeff Fiskle -- chief designer of CWG III. I cut the following from the CWG III message board and pasted it intact: <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> Greetings, I am used to assuming a persona, or some play with words when I post on the forums. That hardly seems appropriate now. I am writing to say that we wanted to let you all know in a more personal way than a press release that Civil War Generals was cancelled. That is why we informed you in a stylized newsletter. Since Sierra purchased us five years ago, Impressions Games has been our own little island of strategy game development in Cambridge MA, while Sierra labored on in WA, and CA. The bad times that Sierra experienced seem to be over, and we were never really directly affected by their turmoil. The reason we have been left alone (besides the 48 states between us)is we have a great track record with the quality of the products we produce, and we police ourselves. We made a mistake when we began Generals3. We thought that we could make a fantastic Strategy Game that took place in a Civil War setting. This game would be fun for everyone who had enjoyed Risk, or Axis and Allies, and at the same time it would be the best Civil War Game ever. We were on track and making that exact game. The problem was that every person we showed it to, in France, Germany or even the US said, “Oh you mean it is a US Civil War Game?” Using Shogun as an example,(thanks Dell)if you notice not a single preview has labeled it a wargame even though the slogan is total war. It is perceived as a strategy game. It is this kind of subtlety that was going to kill Generals before it even made it to the shelves. Face it, any type of PC gaming is niche. Even ‘mass market’ PC Games are not common topics for conversations around the dinner table. So what if the Sims have been on TV, and every major media publication. If you walk up to the first stranger you meet and ask them if they know what the Sims are, they will think you mean the Simpsons. PC Games in the Mass market? Far from it. Not only were we a PC game, we were plunked down into the wargames niche, and that is a small niche within a niche. If I am the owner of a 400 square foot store known as Babbages, or EB, I don’t want a big bulky ‘war game’ box. I want a playstation CD or a Diablo II. So if we are going to put the effort of a Diablo II into a product, should we not hope to achieve something better than a small corner next to ‘other Wargames’? So 2011-15 is the 150th Anniversary, who knows, maybe Civil War Games will be in demand. Hopefully we won’t have to wait this long. Like Ken said, not this game, and not at this time. Thanks for sticking with us and sorry it ended this way. The least we can be is honest with you about why it happened like this. Jeff Fiske Designer, Impressions Software <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Sound familiar? Almost straight from the Battlefront Manifesto and chimes in with some of the posts Steve has put on this board as well. Steve produced CWG II, and he and Jeff know each other, but I would be surprised if Jeff consulted with him before posting his statement. From my dealings with him, Jeff is a class guy. Obviously, he stood up honorably and told it like it is to his loyal and disappointed constituents. The bottom line to me is that Battlefront and BTS are right on track with their marketing strategy. They recognize the "niche within a niche" that we represent and value us for it. They want to keep quality PC wargaming alive and know that even quality, dedicated, well resourced companies like Impressions cannot deliver in the marketing mainstream. So they have created their own channel for development, marketing and distribution. As we have all experienced to date, this has some pros and some cons. In my opinion, the pros far outweigh the cons. Especially when you consider that, without their efforts, we might not get any quality wargames at all. I applaud you BTS. The flipside of my disappointment with Impressions is greater appreciation for you. CWG III was going to be a great game. Jeff knows it. I know it. Everybody knows it. And they still did not make it. Lose, lose, lose. My last comment is, if Jeff or others from the Impressions team become available as fallout of this decision, I hope there is room for them in our little world here. They really have a lot to offer to the wargaming community. You guys are great. Thanks for all your sacrifices. Pixman ------------------ Fact is the enemy of truth. - Don Quixote

My thoughts: "CM2: The Dead of Winter" "CM3: The Sands of War" "CM4: Blitzkrieg!" ------------------ Fact is the enemy of truth. - Don Quixote

And what a killing Wizards of the Coast is! Between Magic: The Gathering and Pokemon, they have cleaned up. ------------------ Fact is the enemy of truth. - Don Quixote

Funny, Napoleon's men and leaders felt the same way 130 years before. Why do people insist on invading Russia? Pixman ------------------ Fact is the enemy of truth. - Don Quixote

Sorry to hear of your loss Fionn. God bless. Pixman ------------------ Fact is the enemy of truth. - Don Quixote

Bravo BTS. Thanks for the update Steve. I'll add my voice to the "I can wait for you to get it right" crowd. I have so much on my plate right now that I'm actually glad it is not out yet, because I would not be able to give the game the time I would like anyway. That is why I have not started any PBEMs -- I don't want to make an opponent wait forever for my turns. Hopefully I'll get some things ironed out here in the next few months. By then the complete game should be out and I can add my name to the list of those getting their butts kicked via PBEM. Until then, keep up the good work guys. That includes Fionn and the rest supporting the development and marketing efforts. Pixman ------------------ Fact is the enemy of truth. - Don Quixote

Mark IV. Those were fruit bats, not tropical birds, lol. In fact I think one was "Eric the Fruit Bat". ------------------ Fact is the enemy of truth. - Don Quixote

Anyone who understands the workings of an open market economy can become a millionaire. People with entrepreneurial spirit are arriving on boats and airplanes everyday that are dirt poor. Many of them will become very wealthy. The key reason most people do not become wealthy is that they do not understand that it takes delayed gratification in the short run to amass great wealth in the long run. I contend that any person in his 20s making $15k to $20k a year can become a millionaire with the right amount of discipline. The hard truth is that the enemy is always within -- never without. ------------------ Fact is the enemy of truth. - Don Quixote

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Sure BTS knows how to program. But the "people" i talked about are NO 12-year olds. No they work for companies which most of you will know (also older then 12 years). The reason why i give no names is simply because they didn't ask me to and i don't want to create a BTS vs the rest war.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Ah, it all starts to become clearer. AH64D, you sound like a nice enough fellow, but be careful that you do not become the unwitting instrument of someone else's agenda. No insult intended. Pixman ------------------ Fact is the enemy of truth. - Don Quixote

I think The Longest Day was a joke compared to SPR. There was absolutely no "horror" in The Longest Day. Other than Spielberg himself, The Thin Red Line had many more and far bigger names in it. It was almost "A Bridge Too Far" like in that respect. It is ironic to me that one of the things we yearn for in our wargames is "immersion", then some turn around and bash a movie that immersed us in warfare like no other in history -- saying it resorted to "Hollywoodism". The greatest power of the film medium is its ability to place us "there". Spielberg has done it better than most for 25 years. Didn't we all feel like we were on the boat in Jaws? Likewise on the landing craft in SPR? That does not happen by accident, it happens because of Spielberg's genius. I am older than 15 (38) and I was gripping the arms of my seat. Come to think of it, I gripped the arms of my seat at Jurassic Park and Jaws too. dumbo -- Why do you say that Spielberg has a "The U.S. won the war singlehanded" attitude? I never got that impression from SPR. True, Hanks and Danson make reference to Monty stalling in his taking of Caen, but Spielberg is hardly alone in that belief. In fact, he probably picked that up from Ambrose, who is no Monty fan if you have read his works. I dare say that most on this board have been taught that Monty suffered from McLellanistic "slows". Is there something else, unrelated to SPR, that makes you deduce that Spielberg has this attitude? Pixman ------------------ Fact is the enemy of truth. - Don Quixote

Well put Moon. AH64D, if you have indeed been lurking for 6 to 7 months and truly want to provide constructive input to the game, you have possibly the worst sense of timing in history. BTS has made it clear that the game is basically "done". They are just working on other peripherals and loose ends before bringing it to market. If you had trouble with the graphics and sound, you should have chimed in when the beta demo came out, not now. Your timing makes me question whether you really did give the beta a good look when it came out. Something just does not seem to add up in your timing and approach. Pixman ------------------ Fact is the enemy of truth. - Don Quixote

yakstock, I have not opened the new scenario yet either. I would be glad to play you PBEM sight unseen. I am leaving for T-Giving on Wed. morning, but could get some time in before then. Drop me an email: pixman@inttek.net. Ciao ------------------ Fact is the enemy of truth. - Don Quixote

Excellent!! The brighter grass is great, especially because it provides sharper contrast to the shaded tree areas. The north designator was needed as demonstrated by the new beta scenario ("west" side of the road?). Nice work guys. It's good to see that you are making noticable improvements as we wait. The tracer colors are a nice touch too! Pixman ------------------ Fact is the enemy of truth. - Don Quixote

No ------------------ Fact is the enemy of truth. - Don Quixote

Steve wrote: <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>These guys most often than not didn't have a clue about some of the things we wargmers know about.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> He was referring to the average grunt's knowledge of ballistics, armor facing, penetration, etc. I can give you a first hand example. I interviewed a guy to be an intern on my Y2K project. He was an ex-combat engineer in the Marine Corp (E5). Very smart guy, excellent student. In the interview he started telling me that he was an engineer and I said, "Oh, you deal with explosives, mines, road blocks, bridges, roads, fortifications, entrenchments, etc." When he asked how I knew all of that, I told him from wargaming and we went on to discuss armor, ballistics, weapons systems and tactics. He said, "Man, you know more about this stuff than the guys I served with -- including some officers" Given the clear fact that my knowledge in these areas is much less than that of many others on this board, it just goes to show how educational this wargaming community really is. I never come to this board without learning something new. Pixman

Veterans Day "So many dead So many gone We all came to war But nobody won" "I am but a number A bullet in a chamber Sweet, eternal slumber Please, please remember" Pictures on the mantle We miss old Uncle Joe I play with Cousin Steve The boy he'll never know He's the image of his dad Just look at how he runs Joe was such a lad Then he ran into the guns And what have we all learned? How to count the cost? What has his life earned Now that it is lost? Nations of Uncle Joes Generations of Cousin Steves Layered upon our woes Like Autumn's falling leaves But now we must give thanks For their willingness to serve Faithfully in their ranks From duty never to swerve Let us bow in prayer For those who gave their all To veterans everywhere Who heard the bugle call The sun of war is setting The guns fall silent now There'll be no more bloodletting In your honor we make this vow Pixman May God bless all of you who have served. ------------------ Fact is the enemy of truth. - Don Quixote

It amazes me how many places you can apply the Meiers/Briggs personality typing model. This board, and particularly this thread, is a perfect case study. The "sensing" "judgers" out there want all the information they can get. They are just uncomfortable in a world with limited information. Almost paralyzed into inactivity by fear of the unknown. The "intuitive" "perceivers" on the other hand, don't want all that data mucking up the works. Just give a game that feels right and realistic and I'm happy. Generalizing here (pardon the pun), the sensing judgers are often good at management but lousy at leadership. I would bet my bottom dollar that Rommel, Patton, Guderian and the like were intuitive perceiving types who had the other types on their staffs. CM is an intuitive, "feel" game. I think this feature is what sets it apart. By the way, it also keeps it consistent with its board game predecessors. You don't get any summary screens and the like in SL/ASL. Nope, you have to look around the board and get a feel for how things are flowing. I warned months ago about taking a numbers approach to pure tactical combat. Steve backed me up then and I am backing him up now. I will go further and contend that I make decisions by knowing where the numbers are going to be before they are even there. If you wait for the results, it is already too late. The action is what tells you how to lead. The numbers follow. Somebody, I do not remember who, made a comment about watching tracers for feedback. THIS IS BRILLIANT!! It is exactly what I do and I guarantee you it is exactly what every player who will end up in the competitive top 10% will do. Not only that, it is what the real commander would do. "Heilige Scheiss, we're taking fire from 5 different bases across a 150 degree arc, let's get the hell out of here! No wait, on second thought, let's see what the numbers on our actual casualties tell us, before I make a command decision." Go for it. My men will shoot that abacus right out of your hands, and then plant one in the brain to end the misery. I know this is coming on strong, but the ability to lead and make decisions with limited information is a true test of skill. I take Scott's point that all of the information is available already, but he has to work to get it. I say, if you are the type that needs to do that, great. But I won't play you on-line (only so many hours in the day you know). Maybe a PBEM. Gotta run. Pixman ------------------ Fact is the enemy of truth. - Don Quixote

I just have to chime in here. BTW, this is my first post since getting and playing the demo. I figure 400 - 500 new posts a day are plenty without me adding to the flood. However, I must add my voice to the "no overview screen" camp. Why? Because I am against things that will artificially reduce the possibility for human error. I am also FOR a game forcing the player to use his head to put together the big picture. Look, it's all right in front of you on the map and in the details for each unit. Can't you aggregate it up to a macro impression? What's the matter, afraid you might have overlooked something? I say GOOD, you should be. The term Fog of War has been too narrowly defined on this board. It has come to refer only to our knowledge of the enemy -- intelligence as it were. This is only a fraction of its true meaning. It also refers to luck, order delays, random unit behavior AND IMPERFECT KNOWLEDGE OF FRIENDLY FORCES. While no game can simulate this last part fully, CM takes a step toward it by forcing the player to work to get his unit info and aggregate it into an overall impression of the big picture. I understand the arguments of those who want the screen, but I say that your lack of comfort and happiness without it is a desired and deliberate effect induced by BTS. I feel the same things, I just happen to like it because it increases the possibility that I will kick myself for not moving that tank or squad at a critical moment. It also makes it harder to lick the AI, although I have handled it pretty roughly so far. I have yet to play a human opponent. But, when I do, I want one of the decision factors in victory to be who was better able to manage the chaotic battlefield with no summary information available. Please leave it as is BTS. Pixman ------------------ Fact is the enemy of truth. - Don Quixote