Annual look at the year to come - 2023

[Probus]

1 hour ago, George MC said:

I was after extreme violence from the get go as the vibe in this one!

Extreme violence. Yeah… I’ve been suffering from some of that in the 2nd round. Man have I been suffering!! 

[Battlefront.com]

7 hours ago, Ithikial_AU said:

Case of Australian beer, roughly 16kg in weight for 24 bottles. Make it a decent craft beer about $60 AUD for the case. Check shipping to east coast of the USA... +$264 AUD by air and receive within 10 business days. Probably going to arrive warm and works out to be $13.50 for each bottle drunk. Ouch. Saying that, this is roughly the price of a pint in many pubs these days. I also don't drink beer so not the best experienced buyer for you.

Heh, that's OK.  I appreciate the thought!  Funny story, years ago we had an Australian artist and we all got together.  It was his first trip to the US.  As soon as we picked him up at the airport we told him we'd take him out for a beer.  Instead, we pulled over and handed him a can of Fosters in a brown paper bag.  Oh that was fun!

But I digress

Steve

[callada]

On 1/31/2023 at 4:19 PM, MikeyD said:

The classic example of wanting more was in CMx1, players demanded 'sewer movement'. BFC added it, players played it perhaps 2 times then forgot about it. But while it wasn't in the game it was considered something of vital importance. Sturmtiger in the game? Important when it wasn't in the game, forgotten about when it was.

In an effort to find out what on earth "sewer movement" is (it's what it sounds like, apparently), I found a thread on the topic from 2003 and you were posting in it!   Anyway, now I consider CM4 fundamentally broken until we can trundle around in sewers again... I can not live without this...

 

Edited February 1, 2023 by callada

[Bulletpoint]

1 hour ago, IanL said:

Yes, and I know it actually doesn't literally track. Steve also knows there is not really a customer that has a quote exactly like that. It's an exaggeration. So, technically you are right to say "that's not me". However, in the spirit of expectations out of whack with reality is kinda what I was thinking. And I know you and others will likely be offended and I'm sorry but come on. Count the number of posts where you and others complained about a bug not being fixed when it turns out no one had reproduced the problem and therefore it was not a recognized bug at all. Or, also common, it was not broken at all. I'm pretty sure the number of posts like that is greater than one.

I'm actually not offended, but I invite you to take a look at it from the other side. Some of us spent a long time testing and reproducing bugs and dutifully logging them in order to help improve the game.

Maybe in a couple of cases, I've been wrong about a bug, that's possible. But in most of the cases, I'm pretty sure I have been right. And in some cases, those bugs have then been picked up by a beta tester like yourself, verified, and then fixed, which was very nice.

In recent years though, patches have been getting pretty scarce, and I'm sure there are many good reasons for that. But I'm also sure the reason is not that there are no more bugs to fix. If BFC prefers to focus on developing a PBEM tournament system instead of doing patches or new features, that's of course their decision.

The thing that triggered me was not that the stuff I like doesn't get worked on. I understand there are many different things to balance when running a business, and feedback from geeks like me is just one of them. It was more that I was getting the feeling that the community here is in general being looked down on and portrayed as irrational, childish, and unreasonable, when I think there are actually a lot of really clever and creative people here.

Not including myself, because my contribution has been mostly limited to bug reports, various gameplay change suggestions, a couple of scenarios, and trying to help people with tech and gameplay questions. And, yes, occasional grumbling.

But I think Battlefront's "typical customer" deserves a bit more credit. Unless there are a lot of angry and stupid players out there that I overlooked.

[Artkin]

The people that buy Battlefront games are not your normal customers. Just finding the games in the first place requires a very special sort of person.

I found the series by googling pc war games and I came across an article on PCmag or whatever with a tiny screenshot of the abrams from CMBS. I knew I was looking at something special.

The only reason I found this series was because I was fed up with the mainstream. Not one single wargame has come out that comes anywhere close. Every other developer is ****ing around with games that die in 3 years.

[Battlefront.com]

39 minutes ago, Bulletpoint said:

It was more that I was getting the feeling that the community here is in general being looked down on and portrayed as irrational, childish, and unreasonable, when I think there are actually a lot of really clever and creative people here.

Overall our customers are awesome, so perhaps I should have said "our hyper complaining customer" instead of just "typical customer".  At least for the harsher criticism I laid out.

Unfortunately, there is a rather negative tone from a large percentage of our customers.  You expressed it in the post you made here when you said:

"Nobody's asking for the moon on a stick here, just some kind of progress in some area would be nice. "

With that one statement you are saying "I know you've done a lot for me, and continue to do more, but what have you done lately that I personally find valuable?".  As if nothing we do seems to fit your definition of "progress".

It's an underlying attitude of huge swaths of the gaming community, here or anywhere else.  Perhaps you aren't tuned into seeing it like I am because none of it is directed at you or your work.

39 minutes ago, Bulletpoint said:

But I think Battlefront's "typical customer" deserves a bit more credit. Unless there are a lot of angry and stupid players out there that I overlooked.

There were some pretty solid demonstrations of the attitude I described shown in this thread.  I invite you to reread it with that in mind.

Honestly, I don't really want this dynamic to change.  Criticism, even undisciplined and disrespectful, can help make the game better.  Which is why we allow people to come here and express their unreasonable expectations.  Me pointing out when people are being unreasonable is only fair, isn't it?

Steve

[Ithikial_AU]

56 minutes ago, Battlefront.com said:

Funny story, years ago we had an Australian artist and we all got together.  It was his first trip to the US.  As soon as we picked him up at the airport we told him we'd take him out for a beer.  Instead, we pulled over and handed him a can of Fosters in a brown paper bag.  Oh that was fun!

I'm both laughing an cringing. After I'm guessing what was 24 hours in the air or stuck at airports only to be handed a Fosters on the other end... I can't think of a greater insult.  

Something my way that I can recommend would be a local rum... https://www.canefire.net/products/ 

[NamEndedAllen]

1 hour ago, Artkin said:

I found the series by googling pc war games and I came across an article on PCmag or whatever with a tiny screenshot of the abrams from CMBS. I knew I was looking at something special.

The only reason I found this series was because I was fed up with the mainstream.

Probably a solid reason Battlefront is taking the painful steps required to be listed for sale on both Slitherine/Matrix (wargamers’ sites) and Steam (wider visibility to the general world of gamers). But still for sale on its own site, here. For Battlefront’s secure and successful ongoing future, The hassles and hurdles for being sold on these sites presumably and hopefully are for a limited period of adjustment, after which Battlefront may be able to achieve more of the developers’ aims and the community’s desire. That seems like a reasonable risk.

[Jiggathebauce]

I just hope at some point this year the problem with blinding white flash of screen when there are explosions is fixed for AMD users(wether on battlefronts end or AMD's) so i can play again comfortably. 

Edited February 2, 2023 by Jiggathebauce

[A Canadian Cat]

4 hours ago, CarlXII said:

Don't worry about it ....You have been around here long enough to know that anybody who does not think that every thing about this game is just fine tend to get jumped on by some of the other guys around here...

LOL that's not fair. We don't jump on everyone who doesn't think everything is fine.²

 

1 hour ago, Bulletpoint said:

I'm actually not offended, but I invite you to take a look at it from the other side. Some of us spent a long time testing and reproducing bugs and dutifully logging them in order to help improve the game.

Maybe in a couple of cases, I've been wrong about a bug, that's possible. But in most of the cases, I'm pretty sure I have been right. And in some cases, those bugs have then been picked up by a beta tester like yourself, verified, and then fixed, which was very nice.

<snip>

But I think Battlefront's "typical customer" deserves a bit more credit. Unless there are a lot of angry and stupid players out there that I overlooked.

Fair

 

1 hour ago, Battlefront.com said:

Overall our customers are awesome, so perhaps I should have said "our hyper complaining customer" instead of just "typical customer".  At least for the harsher criticism I laid out.

Unfortunately, there is a rather negative tone from a large percentage of our customers.  You expressed it in the post you made here when you said:

"Nobody's asking for the moon on a stick here, just some kind of progress in some area would be nice. "

With that one statement you are saying "I know you've done a lot for me, and continue to do more, but what have you done lately that I personally find valuable?".  As if nothing we do seems to fit your definition of "progress".

It's an underlying attitude of huge swaths of the gaming community, here or anywhere else.  Perhaps you aren't tuned into seeing it like I am because none of it is directed at you or your work.

There were some pretty solid demonstrations of the attitude I described shown in this thread.  I invite you to reread it with that in mind.

Honestly, I don't really want this dynamic to change.  Criticism, even undisciplined and disrespectful, can help make the game better.  Which is why we allow people to come here and express their unreasonable expectations.  Me pointing out when people are being unreasonable is only fair, isn't it?

Steve

Yep fair too

[CarlXII]

3 hours ago, IanL said:

LOL that's not fair. We don't jump on everyone who doesn't think everything is fine.²

 

Fair

 

Yep fair too

No it's not fair 

Just like you guys i exaggerated somewhat...

[Bulletpoint]

9 hours ago, Battlefront.com said:

Overall our customers are awesome, so perhaps I should have said "our hyper complaining customer" instead of just "typical customer".  At least for the harsher criticism I laid out.

Fair enough. I might have read too much into a tongue in cheek comment.

 

9 hours ago, Battlefront.com said:

Unfortunately, there is a rather negative tone from a large percentage of our customers.  You expressed it in the post you made here when you said:

"Nobody's asking for the moon on a stick here, just some kind of progress in some area would be nice. "

With that one statement you are saying "I know you've done a lot for me, and continue to do more, but what have you done lately that I personally find valuable?".  As if nothing we do seems to fit your definition of "progress".

I know you deal with that attitude from people a lot, but in my case, it was not about what you have done that I personally find valuable.

It was more that as far as I could see on the year plan and the outcome, not many of the items on that list were checked off last year. At least the stuff for the general public; I have no idea how the professional edition is coming along.

Again, I'm sure there were good reasons. But it was disappointing to me. Still would like to see stuff moving forward again, even if it's "just" re-releasing old games on Steam - which I personally don't care that much about, but I know a lot of people do.

Sometimes, people ask for way more than they realise - I don't think any of the many people asking for CM to be sold on Steam had expected it to be something that would take years of work.

 

10 hours ago, Battlefront.com said:

Honestly, I don't really want this dynamic to change.  Criticism, even undisciplined and disrespectful, can help make the game better.  Which is why we allow people to come here and express their unreasonable expectations.  Me pointing out when people are being unreasonable is only fair, isn't it?

Completely agree.

[Combatintman]

11 hours ago, Ithikial_AU said:

I'm both laughing an cringing. After I'm guessing what was 24 hours in the air or stuck at airports only to be handed a Fosters on the other end... I can't think of a greater insult.  

Something my way that I can recommend would be a local rum... https://www.canefire.net/products/ 

Yeah ... being handed a can of the Australian beer that only about a dozen Australians drink would have been like the confusion in the Crocodile Dundee film when Hoges lands in the US.

[kohlenklau]

Some 3D model bugs were fixed by the fans using Blender.

 

1. Numerous titles had long standing unfixed error with Bunker ATG had firing blast from concrete base. Very simple error in the naming of a model component and fix was done.

2. CMCW sprockets on several vehicles not moving. Same issue as above. Model component named cylinder and not wheel.

3. Big ugly turret issues with F&R PzIII. Fixed by grabbing model from other title.

Maybe your beta team can develop an house "repair squad" for these simple issues. Fix before game is released is obvious goal. If not that then post fix in forums as a link to an official mod for z folder versus waiting for a patch. THEN later roll that initial fix into patch brz.

Here is where you must tell how the beta team does catch many errors and a few slip through. Of course. Everybody (should) appreciate/s the beta team. But these 3D errors got through... 

 

Edited February 2, 2023 by kohlenklau

[kohlenklau]

Years back a fan used his skills to write a python code plug-in for Blender to import and export the CM mdr files. 

@sbobovyc never got around to succeed with mds files.

Can BFC please allow mds file uniform modding by fans? Open a dialog with him to get his mds plug-in functioning...

 

 

[QuiGon]

On 2/1/2023 at 3:56 PM, Battlefront.com said:

The Cold War guys are putting something together for you all.

Note that I screwed up and said "time forward", but that is incorrect.  I'll let them explain everything since I obviously can't be trusted with the details   In my head I was remembering a very early design of jumping ahead to the early 80s, but there were too many equipment changes to make that viable as a Module.

Haha, fair enough
 

On 2/1/2023 at 3:56 PM, Battlefront.com said:

  Plus, we figured you guys would want BAOR more than a new flavor of Yank!

True, although not as much as I would like to see the Iron Cross!

Edited February 2, 2023 by QuiGon

[WimO]

Expression of gratitude to Battlefront team.

Like other players of Battlefront's Combat Mission series, I have my own wish list, of things I'd like to see that I think would make the game better. Now at the age of 72 and wargaming as my primary hobby for 64 years, I have learned that such expressions of "I'd like to see it done this way", appear to be an inevitable response to any set of rules and any game. Tiresome sometimes. To rules writers, game coders and games masters, such feedback can be a bit discouraging. So at this time I want to say:

I am VERY HAPPY playing the WWII Combat Missions series 'as is'. It is afterall - a game.  From my perspective it is a perfect follow-up or replacement for miniature wargaming. To me this is what it feels and looks like. Except it looks better than minis, I can field larger armies, and I don't have to learn a 60+ page book of rules!

When we gamers sometimes appear to gripe about this or that feature no implemented - we might as ourselves, "How long have I been playing these games." For me the answer is "Continuously since the release of series one - Combat Mission Barbarossa to Berlin, CM Afrika Korps etc." So I must have been enjoying it as is. No? So many years of fun.

And I LOVE having an easy to use Scenario Editor. I probably spend more time tinkering with map making, or tweaking graphics than actually playing. I have yet to play through all of CMBN's over 300 sceanrios in my collection.

In conclusion. THANK YOU Battlefront for many years of happy gaming, for your many hours of coding work, your responses to the community. Given my wonky ticker, I don't knwo if I'll be around to enjoy engine 5. I hope so.

Dr. Wilhelm C.T. Oudshoorn BA, DDS (a.k.a. WimO, a.k.a. Kandu)

 

[Vacillator]

43 minutes ago, WimO said:

Dr. Wilhelm C.T. Oudshoorn BA, DDS (a.k.a. WimO, a.k.a. Kandu)

Very well said Dr W.  And I'd like to thank you too for your input to the game.  Even if I lost most of the battles .

[JM Stuff]

2 minutes ago, Vacillator said:

Very well said Dr W.  And I'd like to thank you too for your input to the game.  Even if I lost most of the battles .

I was just reading also +1 Dr Wim !

Cheers

[Phantom Captain]

5 hours ago, WimO said:

Expression of gratitude to Battlefront team.

Like other players of Battlefront's Combat Mission series, I have my own wish list, of things I'd like to see that I think would make the game better. Now at the age of 72 and wargaming as my primary hobby for 64 years, I have learned that such expressions of "I'd like to see it done this way", appear to be an inevitable response to any set of rules and any game. Tiresome sometimes. To rules writers, game coders and games masters, such feedback can be a bit discouraging. So at this time I want to say:

I am VERY HAPPY playing the WWII Combat Missions series 'as is'. It is afterall - a game.  From my perspective it is a perfect follow-up or replacement for miniature wargaming. To me this is what it feels and looks like. Except it looks better than minis, I can field larger armies, and I don't have to learn a 60+ page book of rules!

When we gamers sometimes appear to gripe about this or that feature no implemented - we might as ourselves, "How long have I been playing these games." For me the answer is "Continuously since the release of series one - Combat Mission Barbarossa to Berlin, CM Afrika Korps etc." So I must have been enjoying it as is. No? So many years of fun.

And I LOVE having an easy to use Scenario Editor. I probably spend more time tinkering with map making, or tweaking graphics than actually playing. I have yet to play through all of CMBN's over 300 sceanrios in my collection.

In conclusion. THANK YOU Battlefront for many years of happy gaming, for your many hours of coding work, your responses to the community. Given my wonky ticker, I don't knwo if I'll be around to enjoy engine 5. I hope so.

Dr. Wilhelm C.T. Oudshoorn BA, DDS (a.k.a. WimO, a.k.a. Kandu)

 

Totally agree, and SAME (but I'm only 52 so you have a few years experience on me ).  I've been playing these since the beginning and there is nothing that comes remotely close. Also an OG wargamer and still do play some tabletop stuff but my veins pump CM blood.  All my screenshot pics are merely love letters to BFC. 

Thanks team for the literal thousands of hours of entertainment you have given me over the years.

Edited February 3, 2023 by Phantom Captain

[AndrewO]

I am a long term war gamer only relatively new to CM (man what a learning curve), I did play it once years ago but dismissed it as stupid. I have to say this game has evolved magnificently since then to the point now I think it is literally the best out there. There are some good strategic level games but for tactical games it has no peer. Sure there are a few annoying quirks (an American shot a flamethrower at me thru a bunker wall the other day FFS), but overall it is a fantastic game/simulation. Well done BFC. Keep up the good work and looking forward to even better.

[Aussiegrit]

On 2/2/2023 at 11:16 AM, Ithikial_AU said:

I'm both laughing an cringing. After I'm guessing what was 24 hours in the air or stuck at airports only to be handed a Fosters on the other end... I can't think of a greater insult.  

Something my way that I can recommend would be a local rum... https://www.canefire.net/products/ 

Our wines aren't bad either. And much like a well looked after cellared quality Aussie Shiraz, the CM2 titles have also aged well.

[Lethaface]

18 hours ago, WimO said:

Expression of gratitude to Battlefront team.

Like other players of Battlefront's Combat Mission series, I have my own wish list, of things I'd like to see that I think would make the game better. Now at the age of 72 and wargaming as my primary hobby for 64 years, I have learned that such expressions of "I'd like to see it done this way", appear to be an inevitable response to any set of rules and any game. Tiresome sometimes. To rules writers, game coders and games masters, such feedback can be a bit discouraging. So at this time I want to say:

I am VERY HAPPY playing the WWII Combat Missions series 'as is'. It is afterall - a game.  From my perspective it is a perfect follow-up or replacement for miniature wargaming. To me this is what it feels and looks like. Except it looks better than minis, I can field larger armies, and I don't have to learn a 60+ page book of rules!

When we gamers sometimes appear to gripe about this or that feature no implemented - we might as ourselves, "How long have I been playing these games." For me the answer is "Continuously since the release of series one - Combat Mission Barbarossa to Berlin, CM Afrika Korps etc." So I must have been enjoying it as is. No? So many years of fun.

And I LOVE having an easy to use Scenario Editor. I probably spend more time tinkering with map making, or tweaking graphics than actually playing. I have yet to play through all of CMBN's over 300 sceanrios in my collection.

In conclusion. THANK YOU Battlefront for many years of happy gaming, for your many hours of coding work, your responses to the community. Given my wonky ticker, I don't knwo if I'll be around to enjoy engine 5. I hope so.

Dr. Wilhelm C.T. Oudshoorn BA, DDS (a.k.a. WimO, a.k.a. Kandu)

 

Indeed well said. And chapeau to all the excellent content you create!   

[Centurian52]

On 1/31/2023 at 2:25 PM, Battlefront.com said:

Within each there are factions, sometimes quite hostile to each other.  For content some are passionate about WW2 and don't want us to make any more Modern content.  Modern guys are equally passionate and could care less about doing more WW2 stuff.  Others think we should focus on obscure time frames and theaters.  Then within each of these subgroups there's deep disagreements.  Watch what happens when a pro-WW2 content guy suggests we should do more Western Front stuff or North Africa because "the Eastern Front is boring". And for the features guys, except instead of a dozen or so viable fronts/wars to focus on, there's a million game suggestions.  Then the guys that want it all.

I'm definitely a proud member of the obscure content faction! Although I'm not part of the faction asking for North Africa or early Eastern Front, mainly because those theaters were already covered in CMx1 and I still find CMx1 to be perfectly playable (CMx1 is still the second most realistic tactical wargame engine in the world after CMx2 after all). But any war or theater that has not yet been covered in either CMx1 or CMx2 is absolutely on my list of content I would like to see in the future (Poland 39, France 40, Pacific, Korea, Vietnam, etc...*). But I also understand that your time and resources are limited and that my interests need to be balanced with the interests of your other customers. I am just grateful for what you have delivered, and will be excited if and when you release a game covering a previously uncovered war or theater.

*My obscure content itch even extends into time periods that Combat Mission is poorly suited for anyway (there are loads of 19th century wars I want to fight, such as the Crimean War, Franco-Prussian War, and Anglo-Zulu War). I have a particularly strong itch for WW1, which no company in the world seems to have developed an appropriate engine for. It is hard to describe how badly I want a WW1 tactical wargame (almost as badly as I wanted a Cold War tactical wargame prior to the release of CMCW), but I am captivated by the image of entirely rifle-armed companies advancing by rushes in huge extended order lines in 1914 giving way to platoons advancing by fire and maneuver with specialist weapons sections in 1918 (I blame you @Hapless, thanks a lot for making me obsessed with a time period that is not covered by even a single tactical wargame).

Edited February 3, 2023 by Centurian52

[kohlenklau]

This is the first time I ever walked away from one of these bones threads feeling really unappreciated, looked down at, laughed at, etc.

Maybe only the UK MOD type customers get the smiles and go out for a beer at the pub? When they ask for something, they have the money to pay for it I guess.

COME ON POWERBALL!!!