So CMFI is a game but Market Garden is a module

[Redwolf]

Actually, I don't think that that is how most games in the world operate. AFAIK, most games provide a base game and then sell expansion packs or whatever you call them with new content. BFC could never charge enough for a game to make money if they include every unit from the East Front for the whole war, as in CMBB.

However, I'm not sure what you mean when you refer to an upgraded engine and scenario compatibilty--do you mean they should have updated CMBB with the CMx1 engine? That is not a course that they were interested in pursuing.

The long term francises work that way. Quake, Doom, Unreal. They all allow people to make any kind of scenrio and add anything including 3D models. Heck they even allow you to plug in your own AI. Starting in 1996.

You can make a best effort reading CMx1 scenario data into a CMx2 game. It would come out half decent if you let people tinker with the translation programs. Sigh.

 

[Tanker]

Tanker said that it's stupid to say that CMBB had "too much" gear.

He's right, I should have worded that differently. I meant it as in "at least CMBB was a *real* game and gave people lots of stuff to delve into".

Exactly my meaning.

 

[Tanker]

Well, I loved CMBB and all of its content, but I have to say it was not a great sales model for BFC--buy one game with everything on the East Front for $50 and you don't need to buy anything else, ever... It was in my view the best deal in wargaming, ever, and we shouldn't expect to see it again. Personally I don't mind buying different games, modules, packs, updates, whatever, but I do wish we could then use them all together (particularly maps). Having four different fragmented East Front games will be a pain.

I couldn't care less what is a great sales model for BFC. That's not my job. My concern is what is a great deal for me, the consumer. I don't feel fleeced when I decide to pay a premium price for a complete game but I sure do when I have to pay that same premium price for a partial game and then get nickled and dimed for small, incremental installments ad-infinitum. I resist that, and I think that if more consumers did so the game developers would rethink that particular approach.

 

[76mm]

I couldn't care less what is a great sales model for BFC. That's not my job. My concern is what is a great deal for me, the consumer. I don't feel fleeced when I decide to pay a premium price for a complete game but I sure do when I have to pay that same premium price for a partial game and then get nickled and dimed for small, incremental installments ad-infinitum. I resist that, and I think that if more consumers did so the game developers would rethink that particular approach.

I understand that you are exclusively concerned with what you would like--a great wargame covering all aspects of the East Front for $50 (or $100, or whatever)--but unfortunately we live in the real world where, yes, game developers also need to make money. That's not going to happen again, ever, so I think you should recognize that.

And sorry, but I don't agree that CMFI is not a "complete game", although of course the content can be greatly expanded. Also, I have no problem paying $10 every couple of years to update the game with new engine developments. I don't resist this approach and moreoever believe that your suggested aproach is unrealistic and would only result in fewer developers bringing out games. My only complaint is that units from all of the games cannot be used together, at the very least maps should be compatible among titles (although I admit game-specific terrain/buildings could complicate things).

Finally, I don't agree that $55 for CMFI is a premium price, it is right up the middle as far as I am concerned.