Before you, our favorite Refresh Monkeys™, get your little paws on the Demo, I wanted to say a few words about the pending release of the Combat Mission: Battle for Normandy.
What we're about to release is a GAME. It is something to be played with and enjoyed, hopefully for longer than the time to download/install Yes, it's also a serious simulation, but that's merely a means of providing a more enjoyable gaming environment. After all, if this wasn't about having fun then how many of us would be interested in it?
It is also important to remember that we're not releasing "the perfect wargame", or even "the perfect game". There are no such things, therefore by definition there will be issues to raise here on this Forum. It's important to keep this in mind as we start in with the discussions that dissect and reduce a massive game down to a few bits and pieces for a particular topic of discussion. It's all too easy to get so wrapped up with the minutia and have that detract from enjoying the fullness of what the game has to offer. In all cases let's remember to keep criticism constructive, respectful, and within reason. It's important because that sort of feedback opens the door to improvements, while the opposite is harmful.
As you play CM:BN you should keep in mind that Battlefront's full time staff, contractors, and dedicated volunteer testers have put in (literally) many hundreds of thousands of hours into Battle for Normandy over the past three years. Add to this the previous 9 years of work that went into CM: Afghanistan, CM: Shock Force, and the previous three CMx1 games. All of this made possible with the support of you, our customers. With your continued support we'll still be here in 12 more years continuing to push wargaming forward with each release.
We look forward to putting this in your hands very, very, very soon.
Steve (and the rest of the Battlefront rabble)