Steve Mini-Interview by ACG About CM Afghanistan

[Geordie]

I'd echo what Dale says.

To date, CMN and CMA are nothing but a promise, and a broken one at that. We are more than 6 months from the original CMN release date. I remember Steve writing that they could get it out by Xmas but preffered to release it just after. It is obvious now that he was actually lying when he said that. I say lying as opposed to bending the truth as he knew that BF was never going to get the game out in the 1st half of 2010.

As for CMSF Nato, BF have stated that this has been deliberately put on the back burned to concentrate on other games, a clear admission there that they cant actually cope with what they are trying to do with their new business model.

All I have heard for 3 years is a continuous carping about how the next Module will be faster or the next game will be easier. Guess what, everything has remained steady at a game every 3 years(and thats if they manage to get one out this year at all) and A Module every year (thats if CMSF NATO makes it out before July).

In terms of PC games and even taking into account the 2 zillion patches, CMSF is an old game. CM Nato is a Module too late for me and if it doesnt come out before the Normandy game, no one will buy it anyway. CMA is even more niche than modern Syria and I cant see a market for any Modules for that.

So to make any money CMN will have to be superfantastic. My once high hopes for this title are fading slowly as no doubt Summer will turn to Winter again and we will all still be waiting. As more time passes, Im leaning more and more to Dales way of thinking, CMN is maybe a long long way out yet.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Seriously, and with zero hate, vitriol, or extremism:

We're coming up on a solid 3 years since CMSF: July something, right? 2 modules (I think) released to mediocre response and a third promised but openly back-burnered since then. A variant game stealth-announced wth a Russian partner designer, also seemingly delayed. Multiple target dates for their presumed flagship release - a WWII game - needlessly announced and shamefully missed with no notice. A few essentially meaningless screenshots produced which hold no H2O: where is water, a bridge, an on-map 60mm mortar team? Not even a title or battle focus announced beyond "Normandy after D-Day", which covers a helluva lot of territory, time, and units, even limiting it to U.S. forces.

At this point a statement from BFC is required. No apologies, no mea culpas are necessary, (but they wouldn't go amiss either), but a "where are we now" update is the bare minimum that BFC owes its few remaining fans and supporters.

Of course, given their track record, a warehouse full of CDs could be waiting to ship tomorrow for a surprise release, but these long periods of "shut up and leave me alone" are NOT professional, and in today's market of Twitter, blogs, open periodic conference calls, and instant marketing, such a dearth of information is, whether they know it or not, embarrassing.

-dale

I was inclined to disagree with this, until I remembered that this was exactly how they played things out with Combat Mission: Campaign. They said little about it, and what little they said publicly was generally about how it was testing just groovy right up to the day they suddenly announced words to the effect of "oh, by the way, this thing won't work right and we're, uh, not releasing it."

 

[Redwolf]

I was inclined to disagree with this, until I remembered that this was exactly how they played things out with Combat Mission: Campaign. They said little about it, and what little they said publicly was generally about how it was testing just groovy right up to the day they suddenly announced words to the effect of "oh, by the way, this thing won't work right and we're, uh, not releasing it."

Yeah but it was a developer with a daytime job who wasn't into it in the first place and who only has a programming track record of doing stupid buzzword things like Agile Programming.

While we don't know how many of the BFCers have daytime jobs we do know that there is a capable programmer in the mix.

You still make an interesting point when it comes to how BFC communicates.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Yeah but it was a developer with a daytime job who wasn't into it in the first place and who only has a programming track record of doing stupid buzzword things like Agile Programming.

While we don't know how many of the BFCers have daytime jobs we do know that there is a capable programmer in the mix.

You still make an interesting point when it comes to how BFC communicates.

You think their CM:N beta testers are feeling lied to yet? Or does their drop in volume just mean they are working really hard?

If someone could just corral all their energy into something positive, it would be a huge coup for BFC. I mean, getting them to do some positive PR. Trusting them to do timed releases of info, that kind of thing. Rather than commo blackouts and beating up of posters on the official forum. Get the beta testers to actually share out info in a steady stream - just find one that can write and be respectful of the audience. Never understood why they didn't do that.

Wasn't Panzer Command marketed in that way by its testers and developers?

 

[Zonso]

Seriously, and with zero hate, vitriol, or extremism:

Perhaps, but the troll drums are beating loud and the natives are once again beating their chests in a feverish pitch. I am really wondering what the motive is here; most, if not all, don't have CMSF/Marines/Brits , don't play CMSF/Marines/Brits and in fact have no vested interest in them at all - like you know actually 'making' them. Is it really past hurts? Is it a 'jilted lover' syndrome as once posited on the BFC forum? Are the axes wearing thin? Slow day at the office? World cup not living up to expectation?

The level of misinformation and misrepresentation recently displayed here is truly staggering; where do you guys get this stuff? I too read the BFC forums, have searched them and even copiously pored over Steve's comments all to no avail, just can't find it. I admit English isn't my first language, but I am truly puzzled.

Or is it like the "unsound German defensive doctrine" revisionist fallacy? Just FYI, I researched the university's History section fruitlessly until a kindly librarian pointed me in the right direction - duh! Of course, it's so obvious now, but I should have been looking under Fantasy; it had all I was looking for and more.

So in that vein, will some gentle reader direct me?

 

[dalem]

Perhaps, but the troll drums are beating loud and the natives are once again beating their chests in a feverish pitch.

List the parts of my post that you see as trolling.

I am really wondering what the motive is here; most, if not all, don't have CMSF/Marines/Brits , don't play CMSF/Marines/Brits and in fact have no vested interest in them at all - like you know actually 'making' them. Is it really past hurts? Is it a 'jilted lover' syndrome as once posited on the BFC forum? Are the axes wearing thin? Slow day at the office? World cup not living up to expectation?

Do a search. We've outlined motives a dozen times in a dozen threads. You've participated in some of them. You either don't remember or are trying on Doctor Elvis's Patented Dust Gazoombulator Gear for size.

The level of misinformation and misrepresentation recently displayed here is truly staggering; where do you guys get this stuff? I too read the BFC forums, have searched them and even copiously pored over Steve's comments all to no avail, just can't find it. I admit English isn't my first language, but I am truly puzzled.

Please list three pieces of such misinformation and we'll discuss them. If it really is staggering to you I'm sure it will be easy.

Or is it like the "unsound German defensive doctrine" revisionist fallacy? Just FYI, I researched the university's History section fruitlessly until a kindly librarian pointed me in the right direction - duh! Of course, it's so obvious now, but I should have been looking under Fantasy; it had all I was looking for and more.

So in that vein, will some gentle reader direct me?

Sure. For my part do a search for any thread that I have more than a paragraph response in. That oughtta do it.

-dale

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Perhaps, but the troll drums are beating loud and the natives are once again beating their chests in a feverish pitch. I am really wondering what the motive is here; most, if not all, don't have CMSF/Marines/Brits , don't play CMSF/Marines/Brits and in fact have no vested interest in them at all - like you know actually 'making' them. Is it really past hurts? Is it a 'jilted lover' syndrome as once posited on the BFC forum? Are the axes wearing thin? Slow day at the office? World cup not living up to expectation?

The level of misinformation and misrepresentation recently displayed here is truly staggering; where do you guys get this stuff? I too read the BFC forums, have searched them and even copiously pored over Steve's comments all to no avail, just can't find it. I admit English isn't my first language, but I am truly puzzled.

Or is it like the "unsound German defensive doctrine" revisionist fallacy? Just FYI, I researched the university's History section fruitlessly until a kindly librarian pointed me in the right direction - duh! Of course, it's so obvious now, but I should have been looking under Fantasy; it had all I was looking for and more.

So in that vein, will some gentle reader direct me?

I'll be more succint than dale. What on earth are you gibbering out?

 

[dalem]

I'll be more succint than dale.

That ain't hard.

-dale

 

[Redwolf]

Wasn't Panzer Command marketed in that way by its testers and developers?

PzC has the same standard non-disclosure NDA as other games.

I think the reason why some PzC people run around praising it is that they actually like the game

 

[Redwolf]

Perhaps, but the troll drums are beating loud and the natives are once again beating their chests in a feverish pitch. I am really wondering what the motive is here; most, if not all, don't have CMSF/Marines/Brits , don't play CMSF/Marines/Brits and in fact have no vested interest in them at all - like you know actually 'making' them. Is it really past hurts?

I have CMSF and Marines and the only reason I didn't buy Brits is that I got pissed that there were no new Red units whatsoever.

That doesn't mean I like them. Every time I fire them up I find path-finding, I mean path-inventing, and spotting rules to be intolerable.

 

[dalem]

C'mon, Z-man, you were staggered. Surely you have a couple of examples.

-dale

 

[junk2drive]

Those of us that have stayed with PzC until now are liking what we have. I wish we could say more but Erik has the clamp on us. Mad Russian is making maps and scenarios and right now is doing an AAR.
But I don't think any of us have argued that what is wrong is right or what is unlikable to some should be likable to all. It is what it is and people will play it or not.

 

[thewood]

The PzC stuff seems like some kind of insiders club at this point. A couple of years of two guys running around wargaming forums yelling how much fun it is to play a better version than we untouchables have access to.

 

[Patrocles]

I'll be more succint than dale. What on earth are you gibbering out?

English is not his first language. I think something was lost in translation?

 

[Michael Dorosh]

English is not his first language. I think something was lost in translation?

I would never have guessed that English was not his first language had he not said it. In fact, I still I think he is a BFC staffer and that is just a red herring to throw us further off the scent. There is no reason to believe that he is not a red-blooded, native-born American.

 

[junk2drive]

The PzC stuff seems like some kind of insiders club at this point. A couple of years of two guys running around wargaming forums yelling how much fun it is to play a better version than we untouchables have access to.

I hear ya on that. It's frustrating on the inside too. There are about 10 of us that have stuck with it and a few more that have come and gone.
Mostly it's a matter of playing until it crashes and then waiting to see if it can be fixed.

 

[thewood]

It would help if you guys stopped talking about it and had Matrix start doing it. Right now it just looks like a bunch of fanbois trying desperately to keep interest in an old game.

 

[Zonso]

C'mon, Z-man, you were staggered. Surely you have a couple of examples.

-dale

Dalem, these are all current things, you don't need to go back 1,2 or 3 years to dig out and post some misinformation or obscure comment. Read the BFC forum or do a search on:

What people think of the latest module.
The progress reports from Steve regards CMN and expected timetable.
The regular updates from Webwing on the status and progress of NATO.
The intended audience for CMA.
.... all just a little different from what's posted here, hmm.

And finally, not what BFC should do for you, but what you should do for BFC. Stay sharp.

 

[Zonso]

I'll be more succint than dale. What on earth are you gibbering out?

Ah to be able to still pull the blanket over one's head and pretend it isn't light outside.

 

[Zonso]

I have CMSF and Marines and the only reason I didn't buy Brits is that I got pissed that there were no new Red units whatsoever.

That doesn't mean I like them. Every time I fire them up I find path-finding, I mean path-inventing, and spotting rules to be intolerable.

I have, and have heard, nothing but rave reviews of the Brit module even sans new Red units(!). Describing pathfinding and spotting as intolerable seems pretty extreme, unwarranted and unsubstantiated. When was the last time you played? I rarely see pathfinding issues, haven't for quite some time, and find no more now than I did in CMx1. Spotting is no longer discrete ala CMx1 and not as easily fathomable; there are issues with the engine, but it works, I wouldn't want it to revert nor would most I imagine.