Harv

Sadly, you can probably count me as another low(ish) number that won't be interested in any modules. Between "not getting it", and the forum's Huntarr (sixx)killer team I guess it's time to move on. Ah well, as the old saying goes...excrement doth occur.

These are interesting statements, seeing as I haven't really expressed an opinion here about CMSF one way or the other. I'm mostly interested in why you keep comparing the negative reactions to those from the CMBO release when they're really apples and oranges, and (now) why you think there is something tangible to "get". Having said that I do think CMSF mostly sucks from a casual don't want to be frustrated when I play viewpoint, and I'm quite certain you'll flesh it out and polish it up quite nicely in a few months, but that, once again, isn't the point of my posts here. Do you happen to remember how you defended your design decisions in the CMBO/BB days? My memory isn't the best after this many years, but I don't recall that you simply blew off the critics/whiners/piners with a "you don't/won't/can't get it" statement or kept referring back to another troubled release.

And there it is again. I'll throw down the gauntlet here and now Steve, and challenge you to Not use any comparison to CMx1 while defending your design decisions.

To start with, the point of my post (which you seem to have missed) is that there simply is no comparison to the release of CMx1. CMBO took games from 2D to 3D, hexes to no hexes, IGOUGO to WEGO, unbelievable detail, a TacAI etc. etc...massive(!) fundamental differences to what came before it (in one package at least). Now with CMx2 you've made huge and fundamental changes to what? I see asymmetrical objectives as new, and...? Everything else has been done before. Granted much of it by you, but I don't see anything more than evolutionary improvements on already existing features. So where is the massive shakeup for the wargaming world? Where are the sweeping changes to all of the established conventions? Where is the revolution? Where is all of the new "it" that I should be "getting"? If you want to compare the two CM's release in terms of being the first release of the series and the inherent problems with that, then fine. But please quit freaking telling me (and some others) that I "don't get it" because it's so radically different from everything that's come before and apparently I'm too stupid to grasp how fantastic all of this new greatness is. And where do you see me rejecting anything new? Or pining over things missing? The reason for the irony above is of your own doing. You kept telling us that it's totally new and different and nothing like CMx1, but then you continually make comparisons to CMx1, call it CMx2, make it look and feel like CMx1 and then wonder why people seem a bit confused and/or talk out of both sides of their mouths. When you see a post like mine you should realize that I'm disappointed because I keep getting told I "don't get it", when I can't see or find what I'm supposed to be getting.

As I've read this many, many, many times over and over and over again, and I finally have to respond. From my point of view as a casual type of gamer, this "not getting it" comparison simply doesn't apply, as it ain't the same thing as before. Compared to CMx1, in no way do I find CMx2 revolutionary. In fact, compared to anything I don't find CMx2 revolutionary. CMx1 surprised and won me (and apparently quite a few other people) over because it was totally different than anything else out there, offered a great gaming experience "out of the box" and was fun to boot. In comparison CMx2 doesn't show me anything really new, different and/or exciting gaming wise, and is actually a step backwards from CMx1 in many ways. So I don't know where the whole "not getting it" comparison with the CMx1 release comes from, as I just can't see the same sort of fundamentally new and/or different overall experience with CMx2. Please note that anything resembling an opinion would most likely be mine (seeing as I wrote it).

Hola Mace! Life is good, another crop of dust is almost ready to come off, and the Missus has almost managed to get rid of that eeeevil Aussie accent she picked up when you were here. It's enough to make a person drive a dull icepick into his ear I tell ya. And speaking of eeeevil...it was easy to watch your six Cess-Speedy...it was the one always sticking straight up out of the crater at the end of the runway.

<big><big>JOE!</big></big> Harv Ps. Amazing what ugly canuckian things will come out of the woodwork when there's a new release imminent eh?

Harv waves at all the other old farts Hello other old farts.

Ahhh, I thought the move was completed already. I'll make a note to wait to harass him til after Xmas. Thanks Stan.

Hey! Clay! Your email hates me even more than normal, and everything simply bounces. Drop me a line (from something besides a Mac maybe) at the usual c.harvey@sasktel.net [ December 23, 2006, 10:28 AM: Message edited by: Harv ]

I don't quite understand what you're saying Stalin...if downing aircraft didn't matter for anything more than the score, then what was used to determine success? Not trying to argue unnecessarily, but I'm confused as to how a pilot would think his side won a small aerial battle when they'd all been shot down and captured, even though they'd been well trained, were good pilots and performed all the "correct" maneuvers when needed.

Bah. Let a guy win a couple of games and suddenly he thinks he ownz you. I like to think of losing to you more along the lines of letting the boss win occasionally in order to keep my job. As soon as Canaduh Post delivers my loooong awaited copy I'd be more than happy to have a little rematch in the Solomons some day though. IIRC, it was that downing aircraft is the only thing that really counts in aerial combat. All the fancy aerobatics and perfect maneuvers mean nothing if your opponent is able to come back and shoot you down tomorrow. Also, determining the "best" maneuver could be quite subjective also. Trying to determine what is the correct card to play might make judging Olympic figure skating start to look easy.

I've though of this also, but instead of being punished for playing against the AI, consider yourself being richly rewarded for playing against humans. Which brings up another question...which (if any) of these changes will be carried over to the local game?

Yes. Ahhh, some days I just crack myself up. Anyhoo, your second part is correct...award the Element as a unit the XP, which players could spend on the Leader, Wingman, or divide it up however they like between the two.

Been giving this a bit of serious thought this morning, and although it's been a year since I last played I figure I remember enough to toss in a couple of cents worth... #1: I like it. #2: I really enjoyed the role playing aspect, and feel that changing the skills so that only a few were available would be a change for the worse. With only a few possible skills to get it'll seem like you've hit a wall with a pilot, and might as well let him die-a-lot as keep striving for an impossible goal. If players are playing the AI just to advance on the leaderboard and gain skills, I would suggest that XP gained against the AI be reduced. Dramatically. I'd say about a reduction of 80% would be about right for dogfights and escort/intercepts where the AI is the only other player. I've always maintained that play against the AI really shouldn't count on the leaderboard, or as mentioned above there should be a separate one if people want to track kills against the AI. A minor adjustment to skill purchases might not hurt though. Possibly making it just a *little* tougher to get past 6 skills would be good IMO. #3: I like this a lot and would like to see it implemented in any case. Did you ever include some of the suggested new skills from last year? If not, this would be a good place to use them. #4: See part of #2 above. #5: I'm not sure about this. If they're really part of a team, why not just have them share from the pool of XP awarded with no restrictions? #6: Losing the ability to pre-purchase the 2:D card is a very very good idea. Combining it with #3 would be perfect. I bet you thought you were finally rid of my blathering eh Brian? This'll teach you to post something where I might see and respond to it.

Ah yes, the morse code from the telegraph pole. I remember my grandpappy telling me about those days. However, if I can remember that far back, I think my original member number was 334, which was sadly lost in the forum crash during the legendary night of the refreshing monkeys. To have my long lost three digit number back would be nice, if only to remind myself of just how long I've been without a life since discovering this place. And as far as surprises go, I'll be quite surprised if I can survive at all against all you grizzled veterans. Especially if Brian still has the Make Harv Die code in the game.

Ah yes...whippersnappers. These young pups just don't know how easy they have it now. Why I can remember when I wanted to play DIF I had to carry my modem uphill (both ways) through neck deep snow in the blistering heat to a dogfight, only the have the game crash! Crash I tell you! And not just little crashes, but great big Blue Screen OF DEATH crashes. Have I told you about how the game was constantly crashing? I wonder if they hired a new programmer? Anyways... And then when it did work, I either had to play the guy that designed it, or the guy that programmed it. Or both! So the one knows how to cheat, and the other one can (did?) make it cheat (and crash occasionally), and I had to fight just for survival, with no thought of ever actually winning a game. Well, except for the time I smoked Dan's uber pilots {insert evil laughter}, but I digress... Yes, it would be good to show these young 'uns how to Die-a-Lot™ with skill and panache. And screaming. Definitely need to have screaming (preferably with a whiny nasal Canuckian accent). But that will have to wait a little longer I'm afraid, as el presidente seems to have...how can I put this nicely...screwed up royally. At least I finally get to blame him for something though, so it isn't all bad. But you can rest assured that I'll eventually be back to help everyone improve their kill totals. I hate to see this new generation experience the game without having had the pleasure of turning me into smoking wreckage a few times.

Changes? Changes! How dare you make changes? Now when (if) my copy arrives I'll really suck. Possibly even worse than before maybe. *sigh* Programmers. Leave 'em alone for for a year and they get into all kinds of trouble.

Hmmm, speaking of advanced age (but regressive wisdom)...hello Joe. Actually, looking (like one looks at a poor bit of roadkill in the ditch) at the list of idjits posting on this page I see the octogenarians are well represented. *waves at Boo and Seanachai* Anyhoo, yep, still in Scratchnwin. Haven't amassed a large enough dog team to to get the sled full o possessions across the border yet, so I guess we'll stay for another year. Could be worse though I suppose...we could be stuck in Utah.

Fitting for Famine to mention not eating, no? Btw, it's bulimia, not anorexia, that a horseman such as yourself should be focusing on. But more importantly, given your advanced age (but regressive wisdom), even without eating the rest of my life will still probably last longer than yours. Happy Birthday you old fart.

Oh look...I drop in for the first time in months, and what do I see but Shaw, Seanachai, Boo, Mace and that ancient Emrys all on one page. I gotta go vomit now.

What version of Windows are you using? A quick Google on that shows issues that look similar on Win98 and ME setups.

Yes, those angles always did influence my game buying decisions too. Especially the acute and obtuse...those are the ones the left the worst impression on me. But seriously though, I have to ask if/how/why the setting really matters that much. There are politics that can be debated endlessly from both sides in every conflict depending on your viewpoint, and basing a buying decision on this is something I obviously don't understand. So here's the question: Does anyone think replacing all current references to anything in Yugoslavia with colors such as blue, red, pink etc make a difference (good or bad) in someone's decision to buy or enjoy the game?

You might want to look at the webpages again and note that this isn't a high fidelity simulator of the Balkans conflict, but is a Russian tank sim that is set in that region. Your trolling comments aside, you might have a bit of a point, but if you designed a sim with the T-34, T-55 and T-72, what would you pick for a setting? It's as plausible a region as anything else I can think of right now. Suspension of disbelief is necessary for all games (remember, this is a game after all), and this one is no different. Simply tell yourself this is a battle of separatists in Quebec vs BC lumberjacks in Russian equipment bought from the Alberta army if it helps you enjoy the gaming experience more.