AstroCat

SD44 article... no, it's not CMx2, but I agree 100% with the basic point, and I've been saying it for years and years. There IS a market for a good looking/sounding and modern UIX and within a realistic game like CM. I hope this would be BF to deliver because I've always "rooted" for them... but at this point I'd be happy with anyone. Sometimes I've actually seen the computer wargaming scene pride themselves on terrible graphics, awful sounds, miserable UI and in general a kind of arrogant attitude towards a game that isn't' miserable to play, like having fun is a ding against the "seriousness" of a "real wargame." SD44 is fun, and if we had that kind of presentation with the mechanics of CM I'd be set for many years to come and I think there would be plenty who would also join in. http://www.strategygamer.com/articles/steel-division-re-defining-realism-in-war-games/

Yeah, I feel the same way... I try and come back to CMx2 but it is just so visual/aurally/performance/UIX wise clunky... It's just is so jarring. I've stated this before, nothing new and I know, I know nothing will ever be done to improve the visuals/sounds/uix or performance...it is what it is. Kind of an end of line of major development. I'd love to be wrong but it doesn't seem that way. Sure we might get a few more "modules" but a "modernization" of the engine from everything I've read and been told just is not gonna happen. The best "we" can hope for is a game with the "guts" of CM but the outside/performance of a modern game. The only way I see that happening is with a new engine... probably from some other developer, maybe some day. Niche games are more popular than ever these days...and with Steam (which I know BF has no interest in), who knows, maybe we'll get lucky. CM has been fun (sound and texture limited modding too) while it lasted all those years for me, especially when the experience didn't feel so far behind.

Definitely gonna check this one out... I need some ww2 gaming with more sound, immersion and visual entertainment, while maintaining some level of historical accuracy. Hopefully this does the trick!

So who the heck is left at BF? I would have hoped for an expanding staff or pool of talent not a shrinking one... I have zero info other than reading that thread... who knows what really goes on "behind the scenes" at Battlefront.

I've done all the spending, and I've offered up my ideas/opinions, helped in the tech support forums (in the past I've done more than that)... and yeah at this point not much more I can really do... so we'll just have to see how the future of BF and CM play out, can't say I didn't try...

No, not really if you got back through all my posts I was pretty much in the middle of the road and usually just trying to help out... but whatever... I wanted to add: funding... maybe give fig/kickstarter a look. A lot of niche games excel with crowd based funding.

As for my sarcasm, I didn't start like that... I started trying to be constructive minus any attitude, but I was met with plenty. So I've learned to expect the backlash, if that goes away I'd be first in line to say good riddance.

Hire some more help, freelance contract or staff, invest...straight up. Do the P&L and figure it out.

Dream... CM with these graphics (and probably sound engine and performance)...https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/pc-gamer-article-with-early-screenshots.1002333/ Yeah the game isn't as "hardcore" as CM, but it's not CoH either, it's probably in the middle somewhere... looks fun and I'll probably give it a go when it comes out. (not as a CM replacement, just as another possibly fun game) But yeah... CM, off the top of my head... super fast, from a top level, from a more strategic planning viewpoint: 1) Better website that doesn't look like it's from the late 90's 2) Better storefront, again not from the late 90's... 3) Steam and/or GoG... yep, deal with it, still think it's a great move for CM. 4) Matchmaking service supported by BF, Steam could help here, or in-game browser, or at least official web support. 5) Integrated mod support (Steam workshop would be great) 6) Completely redone and user friendly UI... yeah I can use it, but I've been with it forever... it's still gross for a new player 7) Graphics engine, wow... please modernize, invest... 8) Performance... related to #7, no one with a half decent system should have to play a game with graphics as simple and basic as CM and not be able to get smooth and fluid 60fps in this day and age. 9) Integrated launch system UI for all the different games, with unified mod system if not using Steam workshop 10) Battlefront Social Media Director... they need some serious PR help 11) In-game or website encyclopedia, War Thunder does this off of an in-game linked Wiki and it works good. Makes the game a lot more user friendly. Or keep it in-game, even better, maybe even with comparison stat features, images, etc... 12) Much simpler and streamlined in-game/launcher patching system. Another area Steam could handle very well. 13) Sound Engine... vastly upgraded and modernized. 14) Campaign mode that is more immersive. (vague but this is a whole thing unto itself) 15) Scenario/Campaign sharing functionality, Steam Workshop could work well here. *16) In-game mechanics discussion, again this is a huge topic unto itself and one where super fast you can get into debating the details. There are more, but a lot relate to the graphics and sound engines... so let's just stop here. That should be enough for some of the more die hard fans (you have to accept the game as near perfect to be considered a fan or supporter I've learned) to come in and say why each one is the worst idea ever and how no one could possibly have anything constructive or helpful to say. I know what to expect now a days...I was so naive in the beginning thinking "reasonable" ideas would be met with "reasonable" discussion.

I have RL experience. Just say'en.

I think Matrix/Slitherine is doing ok, no? Paradox...,doing well... the Graviteam people... seem alright... plus "others". I don't buy into the only Battlefront can exist and make niche games legend, not buying it sorry. This is cynical but I have often felt they have been successful in spite of themselves. They made a cool game in an open space and because there is no competition they coast along... it's a space ripe for some new blood or at least some fresh ideas. But whatever, right? Battlefront can do no wrong...it's all prefect just the way it has been and always will be, right? It's totally perfect.. and new people playing or more sales or better games are totally outrageous to ask about, one must be insane to question at all, right? Right? Do I get it now?

I have done more than my share to help gain exposure to the CM series through the years and those requirements Steam used to have are much less demanding now. A large number of potential new customers won't touch CM not just because it looks comparatively bad, runs bad and it's UI is outdated and unfriendly but mainly over all the other "dings" it is not accessible (bad website, confusing patches/upgrades, no steam access, etc...). People can generally forgive the outdated graphics and sound, slow performance (although this is a real issue) and even the rough UI... it's the other part that is the real deal killer... barriers of access.

I've been with the game series since shortly after the original CMBO release, I've been saying (in my way) the same kind of things for years and years and I'm still around. I am usually met with one form or another of dismissal or contempt for questioning the game developers in any way. It's very off putting to say the least but yeah, expand the base, gain more revenue, allocate partial new funds to a better user experience... sure would be nice... but I've told a "million" times it's not going to happen. "Stagnate and accept" is the mantra, take it or leave it works as well. The game as an enitiy has such amazing potential beyond what it is now but most here don't seem interested. For most here, who have either been here a long time, or don't play too many other games it just is what it is, and they don't really appear to look beyond the CM bubble to see what it could be, or even care. /sigh

Turn replay would be great... I never really understood why the game couldn't save each turn replay and then just play them back in a row. It seems like the game does it anyway as you play it. You can save each replay and then load them up already.

I used 44.1k 16bit stereo .wav files and it works fine. See files below for examples... cmbn_music_v1.rar

Here is the "heavy" "spotting eyeball" version...vin_text_heavy_4.0.rar

Cool, glad it's working!

It should work....I used the same files in all the 4.0 games without issue. Hmmm...

Yeah, that is why I make my own sound mods, using a lot of different sources including my own. I have a studio in my home and several at work so it's easier for me, but I'm pretty sure I'm the exception. So a sound DLC would be a welcome addition I'm sure, Paradox does it with music DLCs and they seem to do rather well.

I could't agree more on the unified UI for all the games... I said pretty much the same thing here...

Yeah I lock my fps at 40 for that reason... but it still dips pretty low, but it's better than going form 70 down to 20 and then 30, and then to 45, back to 15...etc...

I will say for sure without question the fluidity of movement of 30fps vs 60 vs 120 is hugely noticeable.

Yeah I'm not sure why you couldn't fund a quality of life/UI features or graphics/sound improvement project separately. For example, the UI is currently pretty rough, (sure I can fly around it now), but really it's very unfriendly and hard to look at, JuJu's mod is a must in my opinion but re-skinning only goes so far. I'd totally pay for a modern, great looking and functioning UI, improved shaders, tree performance (speed tree), lightning effects, way more sound triggers and improved positional sound and environmental dsp, etc. The list is pretty long, I'd take any of them and would be more than happy to help fund them. The sim part is so far ahead of the presentation at this point I feel it's way out of balance and the presentation side really needs some loving too.

Yes, I would absolutely pay to upgrade pretty much any aspect that improved the graphics and/or audio quality/fidelity.

I was looking at all the different CMx2 games installed and was wondering if there could be some kind of "shell" UI for them. Something that let me switch between them in an in-game environment. Maybe also a place to manage my mods, built in as well... Probably not gonna happen but it sure could be slick and convenient. Also this could also let you more freely pick maps, maybe even mix forces, etc... just like you do in the individual games, the games become in a way modules unto themselves.