Les the Sarge 9-1b

Well granted it might have been a bit harsh for those of us that like to "goof around" solo. But no one wants to read what I have to say about those that cheat against other players.

Well granted it might have been a bit harsh for those of us that like to "goof around" solo. But no one wants to read what I have to say about those that cheat against other players.

I think you guys are reading to much into the phrase as he stated it. To give the AI something that you the human player don't have, is technically called cheating regardless of the manner of implimentation. To use a play balance mechanism regardless of justification is cheating, even if the cheat is officially recognised in the framework of the design. Playing an AI or playing a grade school kid, with no modification to the game though, will yield the same game normally. Giving the kid the option or the AI, it's all the same. But whooping the AI time after time is just not anyone's idea of fun. Any more than beating a grade scholl kid regularly. Perhaps, the solution is to just set the default difficulty automatically in favour of the AI in the first pace. After all a human can always out think a machine (we just don't do math as fast). This will annoy players that are lame strategically speaking, but then practice the art more and you gain the experience some of us take for granted now.

Cheating is the worst form of insult, namely because it is you telling yourself you suck personally. And how do you respond when you have called your ownself to stupid to win a game like the rest of us?

Retired and basically able to play about online whenever I feel like it day or night. Only time I am not here, is when I am with my wife (cause there are other games worth winning at too )

It aaaaaaaaaaaalways amazes me. I just can't get over it. Nothing makes me laugh harder. August is next week. How sooooo many people can be begging for an extended demo, an option that is clearly not in the companies favour commercially either, because shipping time is soooooo far away. Aaaaaaaaaaalways amazes me. Am I the only one that hasn't pre ordered (as if pre ordering will make it get her faster). I have played the game ONCE, just once. I was sold, I decided yes I want this game. I have seen nothing in the forum to make me feel like I made a wrong choice here either. And here I sit thinking I am the only one not contriving a way to cajole the designers into making the game play longer. Of course it ain't going to happen people. Not if Battlefront has any brains at all. I would not expect them to extend the demo AFTER the game has been on the market, let alone before. It's a product they wish to sell eh. Making a lengthy demo is the same as making the game a viable freebie. And that as a notion is idiotic.

Once upon a time God was a woman, the world was flat and the earth was the center of the universe with the sun revolving around us. Obviously sometimes there is room for changing the "facts". This isn't one of them.

Only 7x7 must be nice. You never had the chance to set up Europa I guess. Just the Fire in the East portion (remember I said "portion") alone is 6x8. Then you add the Urals as well as into Low Countries and France with Fall of France, Merita Merkur gives your the Balkans, Western Desert is the Mediteranean. And that is just the ones I own heheh that's not the whole enchilada. I have never had a warehouse handy to actually set it all up in one go before eh.

There is only one way to produce an effective deterent to cheating in a game of intellectual skill. Let it be publicly proudly and decidedly known, that only a moron, a person totally convinced of their own inferiority, someone too stupid to play the game honestly, an individual that has no respect for their own skill let alone anothers, a gamer that would rather win, even if they themselves will never know the thrill they bested you for real, would ever do something like endlessly replay a turn till it went their way. We all do the "replay thing" when playing against the AI I suspect, but when against a thinking person, to cheat, especially in something such as a wargame, well you have in advance already insulted yourself far better than I ever will be capable of. I don't fear cheaters. Let them cheat. If it becomes "odd" that they never lose when normally they would (at least to some extent), the only logical choice is to move on (and say nothing to them either). A person that won't feel any regret from cheating, is beyond reach, and thus is not worthy of an honest opponents scorn (they won't register it, so why get all hot and bothered trying to make them see what they have done eh). I would like to see game designers always strive to incorporate safeguards into the game though. The games played pointlessly while we discover the cretins among us, will only harm the game in the eyes of the players. Negativity will kill a game, and that is a bad thing in the eyes of someone trying to sell it.

Oh on a side note, I did not mind having my thread locked....thought I would say that just to confuse you....seeing as there are so many that get so irrate over that happening to them I needed to say a few things in support of the company, but I knew it would probably lead to something, just as well it was locked.

4 to 6 weeks!!!!! Sheeesh ok here is me buying a cd from Matrix. I message my gal pal in Texas, Margaret can you order Lost Victories for me? I do this cause A I don't have a credit card, and B I ain't paying bull**** bonus postage mailing duty extra costs to get a US product into Canada period. From the momment I send her the message online to the moment it ends up in my mailbox, is lucky to be a full 2 week waiting period (including the need to re route through her Texas address). This process costs me 2 bucks from her remailing plus 1 buck to reimburse her through a postal money order (only intelligent way of sending money I know of). In my case it saved me 21 bucks entering into Canada in the case of the Lost Victories Mega Campaign cd. So my question is, how would it take 4 to 6 weeks? Not that I care, but I can see that driving the impatient crowd insane.

Has anyone seen the World In Flames demo? I found it the other day, it looks ok in some respects, but man the interface looks like Bill Gates made it. To be able to play my two all time fav wargames Advanced Third Reich (in the guise of Strategic Command) and World in Flames (potentially the actual game here) from the grand strategy realm has always been something of interest to me. But I have not had as much success with the WiF demo due to it's really cumbersome interface. Has anyone else had the chance to check this demo out recently?

I stand up to be counted as one that applauds a company for covering their ass in whatever manner is possible. I specific point to the lack of game saves at this moment in time. GOOD MOVE gentlemen!! Remember people its a DEMO!! not a real game. And I for one know of people that actually only want demos as a way to kill time. They float from demo to demo and never actually buy anything. I saw the game in a random opportunity. Saw the screen shot actually. First thing enters my mind, "cool looks like Advanced Third Reich, can it really be true?" I didn't download the demo so I had something to play, I just wanted to confirm it actually played like A3R. If it didn't, I planned on moving on regardless of the game's claim to fun factor (I wanted a A3R experience, not yet another computer game after all). As we sit I am not repeatedly playing the demo. I saw it, I liked it, that's it, end of story. Now I sit here watching the days go buy waiting for it to be released. I am not so darned desperate like someone else I noticed, that I need a crack to play the game unrestricted. But then I am also 40 and lost the impatience of youth back in the 70's (which explains why I have not pre ordered, you want my cash, finish the game). I know such a daunting array of people, that regularly crack everything, SC is not going to be special. The better the demo and the more complete the game, the less likely you are to actually sell it one day. A demo should be like the back cover of a board game box. It tells you excatly what you are getting, nothing more. Anyone that disagrees with this, well how about you go produce a wargame, and then release a comprehensive demo, and then get back to us.

Stacking has confused me as well. In Advanced Third Reich you could only put so many land units or air units or naval units in a hex. But the presence of a land unit did not preclude the chance to base air units in the hex. And a port meant naval units could be there as well. My question is, why would a land unit prohibit an air unit or a naval unit from cohabiting a hex?. It doesn't seem to make practical sense currently. It appears to arbitrary, to say sorry just one counter regardless of what the counter is.

Having been a long time devotee over at Matrix, I can say asking a similar question over there usually gets a predictably similar response. While it might be nice to know, and nice to see the actual merits of a game as measured in actual dollars and cents (as opposed to warm fuzzy praise), it appears it's a normal human reaction to not be entirely interested in disclosing those details. If the game was sold out you would know immediately. If the game was selling incredible sums of units, odds are, the owners would be gushing like proud parents. So logic would seem to indicate the game is likely selling as well as any other wargame out there at best (the usual don't quit your day job level of units). Has anyone eeeeeeever seen a wargame sell units that actually rate against mainstream software though?

Hmmm my opinion was actually that SC was plenty close to playing Third Reich (on several levels). I have seen the computer Third Reich, the fact it was actual Third Reich, was no automatic bonus. The game as a computer program still sucked essentially. Any that would slag the AI for SC should be made to endure playing PC Third Reich first. I have to disagree that SC has more in common with Axis n Allies. I love Axis n Allies, but I like it due to its incredibly simplistic approach to wargaming. I play it when my opponents are all non wargaming types that want to roll a bunch of dice and congradulate themselves on how they now grand strategy so much heheh. Few of my friends would have a chance playing SC even against the AI let alone an average wargamer. SC might be easy to play for us wargamers, but it is unfair to call it simplistic merely due to it not be to taxing to a grognard. As it goes, I don't even really think Advanced Third Reich is all that difficult either (they rate it a 10 for difficulty). But I have been wargaming for to many years now.

ALL Sales Final!!!! always wondered who invented this notion. Sheeeesh what a concept. Just because every computer out there worth buying has a cd burner, and if you don't know someone with a program that can crack into Fort Knox let alone some humble computer wargame's protection, then you most be the only one. I for one think it is entirely logical that if you bought it you bought and live with it is fine. Condidering how impossible it is to avoid getting a good level of input on a game regardless of how new, I have myself have no sympathy for people that buy software and then decide they don't lke it. I only expect one thing from a company following release of a game, that they let me have free modifications to it when they become available. Every program evolves. I expect SC to evolve as well.

I read the review, and even with my limited exposure to SC I will not say the review was unduly unkind. As Jollyguy noted, it all comes down to the AI. I think SC can be a great game, but it will likely play like AH's computerised version of Third Reich if you just play it alone against the AI. The only thing separating SC from Axis n Allies is the look of the mapboard in some respects. Sure the simulation is a bit more detailed, but after many games of Axis n Allies I concluded it is only a game to play against real people. I hope they fine tune the "cheat" potential of SC during email games, or it will kill its popularity to a large swath of players. Me, I will likely play hotseat and just be both sides in most games I play on the computer if the AI is "dumb". Under those conditions, the game is just a more space friendly easier to clean up simpler to store board game. Nothing wrong with that

Not sure what version I have to be honest , but then I did only just get it yesterday (must be the current one I would think). All in all though, the game executes from the desktop icon it auto created. It plays well with no troubles, and closes down with no sign it had every been active. And I use XP Pro with no unusual modifications. My sound and video are bland though. I have an 8 meg onboard video and a bland sound onboard as well (I think, heck it's my computer buddy that puts all those things in there for me eh, I know better than to touch the inside of my computer ) I also used an unmodified install (let it lut it where it default wanted to).

I hope I am not being overly intrusive in a thread for a line of thinking on a game that I have played the demo for only once. But here is my thoughts.... I am a long term player of A3R (and everything that led up to it being A3R) and I have marginal experience with WiF. I have played the Third Reich Computer game as well. Its not enough to just copy a board game and leave it at that normally. The AI in computer TR was well, only one way to say, brain dead. It wasn't even a good way to waste time. Have not seen the computerised version of WiF, but I have no reason to suspect it has sole custody of the only AI in existence to actually think. I did not see any one reeeeally dumb decision of the SC AI that was questionable beyond its single minded dedication to killing Maginot forces that would not have survived at any rate when Paris fell. I won't myself be anxiously waiting for some sort of mental giant AI to be made for the game though. Last time I checked the "artificial" in the term AI was still quite artificial, this game or any other computer game. I am pleased (quite pleased) that a game "looking" like A3R exists. I am not expecting the software to play "brilliantly" though. That would be expecting a bit much from the reality that is computerised thinking. We call it artificial "intelligence", but all it really is, is the computer making mathematical choices with no regard to actual worth. It's not actually thinking. Thinking would be making a dumb move and waiting to see if the other thinking opponent fell for the bait. I don't know, but I suspect, that AI's are not yet currently able to bluff. I have played Axis n Allies and had fun, but without humans for all the sides, its really not worth getting excited. I am happy about getting SC, but without humans for all the sides, I am not planning on getting to excited. Won't prevent me from getting the game though. If it looks just like A3R, plays just like A3R, I will be happy. If I have to play both sides solo(like I commonly have to do with the board game), I won't be overly miffed. Be nice to have one board game that is easy to set up, easy to play, and not require a lot of long term table space. I won't mind it if SC does that for me. Only thing that will ruin it for me, is when I tell such and such a unit to attach such and such a unit, and the games mechanics won't let it resolve realistically. Currently I am very impressed with the feel of the interface. My first game was played completely blind eh. I had no experience with the game and was able to play it without knowing a thing about commanding the units (might have done better with practice I suppose).

Hello guys (does anyone actually know me from the Matrixgames website forums?). Just checked out the demo and man while I am hard to please, but this game looks like a winner (even on my rather tough list of expectations). Only contribution I can make, is the demo worked, worked fine, and likes my Windows XP Pro using machine just fine. I am looking to see more of this game, who knows it might make me a fan of Battlefront as well (hey I hope this game is a good representation eh). To those that don't know me, I am a Steel Panthers devotee. Prefer to play SPWaW but I have the other versions as well. I tend to compare anything on the computer to board games. This old grognard doesn't care much for the FPS or RTS game style. If you want to know me a bit better, check me out over at Matrix as well (I am in there a lot as well)