The best kind of fire extinguisher

[Humbug]

I was just reading through this thread and it dawned on me how amazing these forums can be sometimes. It's not often that you see a thread becoming so interesting and filled with useful feedback from both players and devs after such an inflammatory first post. Usually the thread would just turn into a flaming hell and get locked in short order. This is one of the reasons I usually prefer smaller developers, not in league with huge producers, not being on such a tight leash and actually able and willing to take time to communicate with the very people that buy and play their games. The game itself and the community as a whole usually benefits greatly from this.

What's the point of this thread, you ask? Well, mostly to give the devs and the community some well deserved praise. I just wish that the gaming media would get it through their thick skulls that this game deserves much more attention than it has gotten so far, so more people would actually realize the game exists.

CMBN isn't perfect, but I'm not worried since Battlefront have clearly shown that they're in this for the long haul and not about to dump a rushed patch (if that) on us and then abandon the game for the next one in line like seems to be the standard in the industry nowadays.

Cheers!

[Wodin]

+1 agree with you 100%

[barrage]

IMHO I think people in the gaming media today got into gaming through FPS's or fantasy games. So they do not understand the CM type of game. The last game review of CM I read, at least 5 years ago, I thought the reviewer was completely confused. I thought he probably had not spent enough time getting into the game. And wrote a poor review that reflected his poor understanding of the game.

[Michael Emrys]

I just wish that the gaming media would get it through their thick skulls that this game deserves much more attention than it has gotten so far, so more people would actually realize the game exists.

But wouldn't that be self defeating in light of your first paragraph? While I don't begrudge BFC any sales that come their way, I feel that one of the strengths of the community, and therefore reflected in the games, is that it is comprised of people who actually care about the subject and tends to attract all those who care. Merely bringing in more warm bodies always tends to dilute such communities and blur the sense of purpose of the whole thing. And that in turn usually brings about the death of the project.

Michael

[Humbug]

But wouldn't that be self defeating in light of your first paragraph? While I don't begrudge BFC any sales that come their way, I feel that one of the strengths of the community, and therefore reflected in the games, is that it is comprised of people who actually care about the subject and tends to attract all those who care. Merely bringing in more warm bodies always tends to dilute such communities and blur the sense of purpose of the whole thing. And that in turn usually brings about the death of the project.

Michael

While it's true that a small and tight knit community tends to be more enjoyable for everyone involved, it does take a special kind of gamer to be interested in a game like Combat Mission. The impatient kind that dilutes the community as you say would most likely not be interested in such a game in the first place, and there are still some armchair generals who aren't aware this game was even released since hardly any news sites reported about it.

I've tipped a few of those off and I'm also a good example myself. I played CMBB and CMAK back in the day (skipped CMSF) and have been busy with other things so I didn't know about the release of CMBN or even that such a game was under development until I stumbled across a thread on a swedish gaming forum a few days after its release. I'm sure there are more like me out there.

Unless they dumb it down and make it into a generic RTS title this will most likely always be a small community.

[Michael Emrys]

...there are still some armchair generals who aren't aware this game was even released since hardly any news sites reported about it.

On the other hand, CMx1—at least CMBO and I think all three—were reviewed in military history magazines. As long as BFC sent them review copies, I expect CMBN will too. People read those magazines and do play some wargames but do not necessarily haunt gaming sites on the web.

Michael

[Childress]

I was just reading through thisThis is one of the reasons I usually prefer smaller developers, not in league with huge producers, not being on such a tight leash and actually able and willing to take time to communicate with the very people that buy and play their games. The game itself and the community as a whole usually benefits greatly from this.

So true. Battlefront, Steve and the rest, unlike some of the remote, Olympian gods on other forums (Gary Grigsby?) are not afraid to get down in the mud and debate and enlighten posters, some of whom can be unreasonable and impatient. More power to them! It kind of reminds me of ancient Greece with its tumultuous democracy.