Rick

It's kind of weird, I know I'll be playing enough CM for a long while that, CM2 won't be that big of a hurry. However, I think this forum will become more exciting again when CM2 development begins.

I was wondering if you have any idea when focus would switch from patching CM and adding new vehicles etc. to developing CM2? I sure hope I can afford some new computer goodies before CM2 comes out. My sound card and graphics card are having trouble wrapping themselves around CM.

I usually check about 3 times a day. Back when I first got started and there was more on topic discussion, I must've checked about 10 times a day.

If I remember right BTS ships UPS and I have enough experience with them to say that you can't be that specific with them. It could be anywhere from 2 days to 2 weeks. I've shipped many things with my photo business and quite frankly all couriers have problems like that.

Lurker, You mentioned that you watched the coverage in your living room in Indianapolis. That's exactly what I did, even in the same city.

Wow, I didn't know that would cause that situation. Sorry to hear work is that rough right now. I wish I could say that I don't know how you feel.

Mr. Doug Beman, is there a mister Doug Beman in the house? Doug did your e-mail address change or is there a different type of problem? I tried to e-mail that stuff to you several times today and it kept gettin returned to me.

Scott, That exact thing happened to me in a PBEM game. My opponent was getting worried that I had him on the ropes until I lost two Sherman's in that move. I felt pretty stupid about it.

I put a link on my web page too. A nature photography page so who knows if there will be any interest from there, but it can't hurt.

I missed the original issue, must've been at work or something, so didn't know what was going on until the related threads were locked down. I am very glad to see that cooler thoughts are prevailing now. I too was angry at the initial post, but wanted very much for the people who had been posting to accept the apologies when they started coming. Glad to see things worked out the way they did. Finally, I would like to say AH64D, that I like Steve couldn't imagine that English wasn't your first language, until you said so.

I think one of the most important statements in Steve's post is it doesn't cheat. Nothing angered me more than the to hit % in SP that would be way higher for the computer than if you were in the same situation. This not only helps the AI show itself better, but also changes tactics. If the AI doesn't cheat, then you can play it just like a human.

Galland0 said one of the more important things, "ready to pre-order CM2." People are already so loyal to CM that I imagine few here doubt that they will get CM 2,3&4. Steve, Looks like more payed employees would be a bad idea at least for the time-being. I don't know about you, but one thing that scares me about hiring someone to help with my photography business is that I could not in good conscience treat my employees the way most employers do. I have not only found the way I've been treated in the workplace unpleasant, but offensive and unethical as well. However, I don't know that I could ever afford to treat someone in a manner that I would consider ethical. Luckily, my mother helps with much of the administrative work on a volunteer basis. Mothers can be great things.

I think virtual office is one method to deal with those issues. However, it creates the problem of "are they working or goofing off?" I think virtual office would be very common already if it weren't for that problem. With companies trying to have the bare minimum of employees there's no way for them to tell if they're at the minimum or not if they can't watch the employees. BTS, runs the problem of if they add grunts, then they will need to make larger profits. So would the customers be better off if BTS had grunts and could maybe finish things up faster, or would the extra pressure to make more money damage those things we really like about BTS?

I agree wholeheartedly.

Kind of a strange thing to say, but I bet Steve & Charles would be great to work for compared to large corporations.

I discussed how great it would be if BTS had more people to do the work with Fionn privately many months before. He informed me that theoretically it is a wonderful idea but there are a huge number of problems with the idea practically. After thinking about that a while, reading other things etc., I came to the unfortunate conclusion that he is correct. Those differences between theory and reality make you angry sometimes. I was hoping that some more people could be thrown at the process and then CM 1-4 would be completed by the end of 2002. In reality, there's no way that's going to happen.

Good point, Doug.

Well, if you rely on my memory. I believe BTS said dynamic weather, wind etc., is beyond the ability of computers to model today, at least if they're going to continue to model everything else they do. Now, do you want to rely on my memory? [This message has been edited by Rick (edited 01-26-2000).]

Thomm, I apologize if this thread seemed like an attack on others opinion. I meant it only as expressing mine. Agreeably, mine is fairly opposed to some others, but that doesn't exactly mean that I am trying to shut them up. BTS, Glad you understood the message for what it was.

You know, I played Age of Empires II at a friends house recently and I loved it except I couldn't get over my distaste for real time. It seems like the game comes more down to whether or not you can click fast enough, more than your strategy.

I suppose I do all of the above also.

Steve & Charles, I believe you guys know me well enough to know that this is not meant as a complaint to you or a form of nagging. Anyhow, I reassure you that this is not the intent. Everyone, There's only one feature that CM NEEDS in my opinion that hasn't already been implemented. (I emphasize needs, because there might be many features that would be nice, all the important ones have been implemented, IMHO.) This one "feature" is to get the ones already implemented polished and the game released. Some graphics might not be the prettiest, but they achieve their purpose. Smoke works about as well as it can given the state of technology, however, I assumed that the tightness to the pattern was tweaked with the rest of arty. Real-time might make the game better for some, but would ruin it to the greater number of people here. Etc. etc. etc. I hope that wasn't inflammatory. The last thing I want to do is instigate a flame war.

I have payed for everything on this computer except for things that were meant to be freeware. My livelihood as a photographer depends on copyright protection. Therefore, I feel completely obligated to obey copyright law.

My Grandfather served on board USS Pennsylvania buring the war. They were the flagship for the bombardment task force for many of the amphibious operations in the PTO.

Since there's this talk about not caring about other companies, I'd like to state that I feel very strongly about copyright because my photography depends on it also. It's only that we care about Steve & Charles and want to make sure they get their money. With most everyone else it's only the principle that I'm worried about.