xwormwood

news from the german news broadcaster "N-TV", translated with google (so sorry for the bad translation, but you will understand the key message, which i marked in red):

Hi Kalkwerk2. I'm just a regular user, just like you. So my advise was a private one, surely not an official Battlefront statement. I talk to you on a "user-to-user" basis, nothing more, nothing less. I just read in this thread about all these infos and problems of the Kapersky programms users, and than i stumbled today about this info from "Stiftung Warentest", which is the one german consume saftey group of importance. If companies get good critics from a "Stiftung Warentest" review, they will let you know about it instantly, you will find all out of the sudden the review note printed on the package of a product, you will see commercials with the review note mentioned, there isn't anything better that can happen to your product if you recieve a "gut" (good) or even "sehr gut" (very good) note after they test it very thoroughly. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stiftung_Warentest Again, i read about the very recent reviews of Stiftung Warentest, where they tested interrnet security programms. And the bottom line of the free part of the information avaiable (you have to pay to get the detailed test results) was that the Kapersky Firewall was considered by them as one of the worst avaiable Firewall, they wrote that even the Microsoft Firewall which is already part of your Windows OS is better than the Kapersky Firewall, so that you actually hurt your system if you replace the MS firewall with the Kapersky Firewall. THis was just a friendly try to inform you about what i have just learned for myself, and not an official Battlefront reply to your very unfortunate problems. I hope that you will find / get a good solution, and this asap. Claus

Kaspersky Internet Security got recently tested by the leading German consumer safety group "Stiftung Warentest". They found out that the Firewall of this programm is one of the worst avaiable on the market (worse than the firewall you can get for free from Microsoft...). http://www.test.de/themen/computer-telefon/test/Sicherheitssoftware-So-wehren-Sie-Viren-ab-4205719-4205721/ Maybe the knowledge of this test and the problems you guy get while trying to use SC WW1 should be enough to star a search for different protecion solutions.

Hi UdiHrant. 1. 2 human players 2. Yes! You will see what your opponent did during his last turn (it it happened in regions which you can see, you won't see anything what happend under the fog of war), and you get a summary of all important things, too 3 & 4 take a look at the AAR, where you get the infos about the dates, and you will see that both players use different graphical visualisations http://www.battlefront.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=154&Itemid=418 I only play this game as PBEM game, because it is so very beautiful, and so much fun to play against a human opponent. If you are still looking for a good PBEM game - here it is. But what am i talking or writing: just play the Demo or read the AAR.

National Morale will force you to throw some of your previous SC knowledge overboard. Now it actually does make a difference if your nearly destroyed battleship survives the war or not. Where you once would have used this unit maybe to block a tile ("let is sink, i can't afford to repair it anyway"), the loss of the ship will now lower your national morale. Just like it would in the real world. Honestly: don't waste your units thoughtlessly. There will come a time, later in the war, where you'll regret the useless or unnescessary death of your precious units. So stay alert while on duty...

Thanks, Rosseau, but please allow me to correct you: i'm not famous at all. Neither on this site, not anywhere else. I'm just a regular guy like you, nothing more, nothing less. I just talked with my brother, who is interested in history just like i am, and he stopped playing computer game soom after the first strategic command got released, having a familiy and 4 childs. But he saw the game, and had the opportunity to play it against me for several game turns, and he too agrees that this one is a special gem in computer wargame history. Usually we play board game against each other, whenever he can spare some free time, without neglecting his wife and kids. When it comes to WW1, we played the "little monster game" "The Great War in Europe Deluxe" and "Path to Glory", both are very fine but different board games about the first world war. While the first need you to spend at least a week of real time (!) to even reach the year 1917. the second one is to simplistic. Both are fun to play. But none of them is as easy to play and difficult to master as the new Strategic Command WW1 game. The "mini monster game" is about as good, but who really wants to place 1200 game pieces on to large maps, wants to read dozens of rules and exceptions, and like to watch the gameboard to be covered from dust, crumbs and hairs after one week of real time, only to agree that the game can't be ended because no one can spare the time and place to play it even further. So i'm glad that he agrees with me that Strategic Command is a dream come true when it comes to WW1 wargames, maybe even to computer wargames at all. Believe me, my brother has nothing to gain to say so. Nothing but to tell the truth. It is not like the blind can see after playing SC WW1 or that you will win the lottery when you purchase the game. But if you are looking for the best Strategic Command game ever, if you are looking for a fresh and unspent scenario, if you are looking for a well designed campaign and lots of chrome and nice new features, than you will find it in the newest SC release. This is not hot air, this is based on a very personal experience. And knowing that at least my own brother agrees with me, i feel very confident to recommand this game for everyone seeking for a real wargaming treat. Forget all your fromer WW2 experience, they won't help you much, but dare to enter a completly different WW1 reality. Think back to the time when you played your first WW2 games. You were excited, everything seemed possible, dangers and hopes, dreams of glory and fear of utter defeat, everything seemed possible. With this WW1 game you will leap back into time, as all these feelings and experience long lost will will return to you. Even if you know history, you won't expect everything which can happen to you in a WW1 game. Don't miss this. You really don't want to miss this. I promise. Its like you are suddenly Marty McFly, having used the De Lorean, and having the same experiences like you used to have when you first stumbled into WW2 games. Invaluable.

Please guys, stay nice. Matter of fact is that i for myself can understand how the user MadWoman might have felt when he/she read my post, which last and already from me deleted line could easily be misunderstood in a way i never intended the line to be. I would feel very bad if this understandable reaction of MadWomen would lead to bad comments into this users direction, as it was my lines which caused the misunderstanding. I would bet, knowing me, that i might have reacted the same way if the roles were opposed. Those poor fellows which i verbally hit here and in other SC forums know about what i writing about here. Sometimes i bark, sometimes i'm thoughtless, and sometimes i fall at the language hurdle.

Sorry, MadWoman, if i steped out of line here than i'm terribly sorry, and only my mistake alone. I just wanted to express how much fun this game already is, even though still in the beta status. Please accept my apologies, my lines were never ment to hurt someone or to make sly jokes or anything like this at all. I promise to remain silent until the game has been released, as this negative vibe was never the reaction i wanted to create when i wrote here in the last days. I feel terrible if this is was what my comment has caused, honestly.

Hi Rosseau. As someone who has bought every avaiable Strategic Command release, just like you, please let me tell you this: there are plenty of new units, plenty of new places to fight over, more features, more pictures, new strategies to use or to think about, everything bigger and better, honestly: if you need one Strategic Command Game, than it is this new World War 1 beauty. I have never had so much fun playing an Strategic Command Game ever before. I'm not lying. It is the simple truth. I played it as part of the Beta Test against human opponents, and here it really rocks. There are no sure strategies, no standard turns, there are victories, losses, hopes, dreams, fears, horrors, excitement, and lots of surprises. The new game engine is the best one ever, the fresh scenario is FRESH, there is so much love to details in this game. It is really awesome. And when you have played this game some time, you will have much more fun playing a WW2 scenario. There is now way arround this: WW1 will help you to understand WW2 even better. Do yourself a favour. Buy this game. What you can already do is this: get a friend, a buddy or a Battlefront forum member and arrange already today your first multiplayer game with SC WW1. You will both love what will happen to you when you play this game. I described this feeling once like this: everytime your receive an email with the next played turn of your opponent is like christmas morning: a fresh present, and the whole excitement about what might in there. Having fun with Multiplayer games doesn't mean the the AI is weak or nonexistant, the opposite is true. But as in every Strategic Command game you will find the most fun in playing against a human mind. Both of you should of course agree that it is a matter of honor not to reload a game turn. If both players stand to their mistakes, just like their historical counterparts during WW1 were simply forced to, you will reach the top of strategic gaming fun. I hope this little insight into my mind helps at least a bit for your decision.

Hi Arinvald. Strategic Command had hexes, but stacking wasn't possible. Glad that you like our AAR, i really am. Cheers Claus

Sorry for the sea / see mistake :eek:. Thanks again for the kind words. And congratulations to your intuition about the AAR process.

Don't worry, lettowvorbeck, don't worry. Just read the on the AAR later turns. Everything is well balanced and historical correct. But never forget that players make decisions during an AAR, and that you only read and sea the situation after someone made a decision (or not), like to spent income for this, or to not shift forces to that (eastern) theater of operations.

Just a little free strategy advise: get presents for your wife, girl friend or simply for the love of your life. SC WW1 will make you neglect all these precious people you care about, and sooner than later you will find yourself in trouble because of this, so TODAY might be a good point to ask them about what they fancy most AND TO GET IT IMMEDIATLY. At least I know of a person (and its not me, i'm single) who has already reached a point where his better side stated "that she hates this stupid new game". Believe me, your loved ones will notice that you suddenly sit all the time for hours in front of your computer ...

Arinvald, i bet that the campaign variant you are looking for will soon enough be avaiable from one of the modders, so don't worry. Regarding Serbia i feel the urge to point to the recently published AAR turns. Under turn 1 you can find these lines, which should comfort you at least a bit: "...When asked, I opted to send the Austro-Hungarian General von Bohm-Ermolli and the IV and VII Corps to face the Russians in Galicia instead of deploying them against Serbia. The will weaken me a bit against the Serbs, but I’ll try to take Belgrade nevertheless, together with as much of Serbia as possible." http://www.battlefront.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1768&Itemid=418

I fear there is no such an easy or simple answer. They might very well give you the edge in a close battle, but you shouldn't count on their all time success: they are children of their time, so to speak.

Believe me: after the first more or less fruitless tries you won't use them for this purpose anymore, at least not willingly or with much hope of success. Even though they might be able to get lucky once in a while, you simply won't use them in this way. At least i don't. I keep them near the coast, to prevent unhappy surprises from the english coast lines. But if you are able to knock out a strength 1 detachment or corps, than you will remember this lucky day of yours for many game turns to come. It is not completly impossible, but not very likely at all. And if your opponent has fighters, than you won't have many chances to attack a land unit anyway...

Don't worry, they are a nice feature, and very usefull, too, mainly for scouting duties. You can, of course, use them for strategic bombing runs, but they are not very effectice in this role. At least not at reserach level 0. Using them in any role "feels" very historical correct, so to speak.

Thanks for your kind words, gentlemen!

:eek: Great one, with the potential to become an eternal classic, Happycat!

1) I've only played 6 head-to-head game until today, so my voice isn't that much important. But to answer the question: in my games Paris wasn't taken in 1914. For this you probably need quite a bit of luck, and a weak opponent. I had neither. So i'm not better than my grandfather, who didn't achieved this goal in the real war, too. 2) Here i was very skeptical too, when i started my first game, as we all know that it isn't easy to turn mobile warfare into a static / trench warfare. But don't worry: you will soon enough find out the SC WW1 mastered this challenge with flying colors. You storm through belgium, you race to the sea, trying to grasp some canal cities and to find a gap to push through towards Paris. It can be done, but before you know, you'll decide to close the front lines, as you need to send some real armies into the east, where Austria-Hungaria struggles to hold out against the russian masses while the Serbs are giving a hell of fight. Great fun ahead, promised!

... are bound to replay it, one could think after reading this news: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1348555/Sarkozy-angers-French-saying-Alsace-region-German-simple-error.html?ITO=1490 and with SC WW1 nearing completion. I wasn't able to stop smiling when i read the above news. :eek:

Hi Pacestick. Why should the Axis player get free Battleships when he invades to poor remains of Vichy France? I would guess that it is the other way: the allies get some Battleships from Vichy once the Axis declares war against Vichy. The axis player has a chance to get some vichy vessels if he invades the Island Fort de France (if he has chosen accordingly in the repsective decision event). I may be wrong here, but i think that the scripts are working fine while you innocently misunderstood something.

Guys, all i can tell you is that i - while unbelievably and to my total amazement beeing part of the beta test team - can't await the emails from my current multiplayer partner Happycat: every Email with an attached new game turn is like christmas morning. If you have a heart for the history of the First World War, you will love this game once it has been released. Promised! The AI is still growing up, so i can't comment on it yet, but multiplayer? Thats what already today is an unparalleled strategic gaming fun. You probably know how much fun Global Conflict is. But now imagine an even improved game engine, with another very accurat AND NEW historical setting: complete new and exciting conflicts and strategic decisions to make. You are fighting on and about places you've never set your WW2 foot before, against proud forces and coalitions long forgotten - THATS how you want to get a new game: with complete new experiences. WW2 has been done a couple of times, and sometime very well, too. Be it in the Strategic Command series, the Panzer General series, or in some other great games, beginning from SSIs "Storm accross Europe" and "Clash of Steel" and all those other great games which followed step. But WW1, easy and fun to play, that hasn't been there. Ever. I play computer games since 1986. From the C64 to the Atari ST, the Amiga, my first Dos computer (486, 33 mhz, 4MB Ram back in 1993) to my recent system (i7, Win 64 prof., 8GB Ram). I played History Line, Guns of August, and some WW1 fan mods of other game engines. All were somehow ok, but none (repeat: NONE) of them left me back with such an satisfactions as SC WW1. And the game still getting better, from one beta version to the next. CSS, the game engine itself has and had features that you could call random events. Think about Subs diving away from attacks. Thats a random event. Or think about the already announced "retreat" of land units. Thats another great "random" event. And there is more, which i can't write about having signed a NDA agreement. Just for the records: i'm a guy just like you all, i don't get anything for writing about my feelings about the game. All these lines are comming right from the center of my wargaming heart: i wanted so badly a decent WW1 game, and here it comes: easy to play, historical accurate, with the best SC map ever, tons of decisions and strategical options, and still getting better day by day. Please, don't get me wrong: i don't want to brag, or to set the hopes to high, i just wanted to write about how i feel while playing the game. Forgive me my enthusiatic lines, or if they may sound to "cheerleading" alike in your ears- BUT - IT - IS - SIMPLY - ALREADY -SO - MUCH - FUN to play this game in a multiplayer game.

Kuni, SC 3 to be rescued? Honestly, SC WW1 is the best strategic command game ever. EVER. No need for a rescue. Stay away with SC 3. Instead, leave me as much as possible time to play SC WW1. I even would buy willingly (and with a happy heart) pay for download content (no, rest assured, there is none i know of). I can't even describe how much fun this game is already today, in the beta phase. I've played some multiplayer games, and they were AWESOME. Awesome. Awesome. This game is the best strategic game i've ever played on a computer. Feels like a decades ago buried wish come back alive and true. SC 3? Well, this can't get that much better than this game. Hexes instead of tiles, well, yes, i would take them. But thats it. Anything else? Not many wishes open from my side. And i bet that those will be fullfilled in SC3, too. But today, today I'm unbelievable glad that i was invited to play-test this beauty. It is already so much fun to play this beta version against a human opponent. The scenario is so unbelievable fresh and well done. The whole WW1 campaing is so fresh -just like new snow in a dark night under the moon light. Undiscovered, magical, all new, shiny and glimmering, just simply awesome. It is about time to accept that tiles work well in the SC engine. At least in the SC WW1 engine they do work very well. Honestly. Wait till you have played this game...

Thats the spirit! :D