Will BFC ever properly document CMSF?

[thewood]

This has been a big peeve of mine since CM1. This is just one post about getting information on how CMSF worls.

http://www.battlefront.com/community/showpost.php?p=1218856&postcount=3

There have been a bunch of new comments about the lack of documentation on how things work. I railed about this a lot in the first year of CMSF. It goes back to Steve, for whatever reason, refusing to have a real FAQ about CMSF.

It is a much bigger deal in CMSF because its more complex than CM1 and it has changed so much more in the last three years.

I am really hoping CMN gets a better treatment. I don't, and I think most people don't, need a 12 page treatment on the war. I need to know what ammo to take for a russian sniper rifle. I need to know how many men can get in a Bradley. I need to know how cover arcs work in prioritizing targets. I bet its all on the forum. Someone just needs to collect it.

 

[Mad Russian]

Ah, the old 'steep learning curve' sales pitch.

BEWARE!! When a game is advertised as having a 'steep learning curve' all that means is the documentation is so bad you have to teach yourself how to play.

Good Hunting.

MR

 

[Redwolf]

Not gonna happen.

 

[Thomm]

I am really hoping CMN gets a better treatment. ... Someone just needs to collect it.

I am working on a guide like this for CMN. I am on page 64 right now (mostly figures, at the moment, though). It is a boatload of work.

I have most (all?) interesting threads on the beta forum marked for processing. Time will tell if I succeed.

Best regards,
Thomm

 

[Kineas]

That's (CMx2) why I started board wargaming in 2007. It's such a pleasure to have a rulebook.

 

[British Tommy]

I am working on a guide like this for CMN. I am on page 64 right now (mostly figures, at the moment, though). It is a boatload of work.

I have most (all?) interesting threads on the beta forum marked for processing. Time will tell if I succeed.

Best regards,
Thomm

Looking forward to reading it Thomm. Let us know when it's done!

 

[thewood]

I don't need a huge rulebook or guide on how to play. But there are some features in a CM game that you don't find in any other games. Explanations of how things are supposed to work should be a basis for any FAQ or guide, or maybe even a simple readme. That fact Steve won't even take his responses to complex question a stickied FAQ-like post shows just how much disdain he has for people asking questions about under-the-hood stuff. How hard would it be to cut and paste a reposnse into an ongoing stickied post.

A great example of all the time he has tried to answer questions about action spots. And then he seems annoyed he has to answer them again. Even now, people on this forum who play CMSF a lot aren't 100% sure how they work. I am beginning to wonder if Steve also isn't 100% clear on how they work.

 

[junk2drive]

Except for Thomm it looks like a PC reunion. That's why I will do all I can to get everything into PCO. I hate it when a tutorial doesn't match the game.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

I am working on a guide like this for CMN. I am on page 64 right now (mostly figures, at the moment, though). It is a boatload of work.

I have most (all?) interesting threads on the beta forum marked for processing. Time will tell if I succeed.

Best regards,
Thomm

If this is anything like the useless CM:BB "gamer's guide", don't waste your time. No one needs a book filled with tables of useless data. They want a book that explains how the game works, and why and how some of them want to know how it relates to reality. Firepower data at 10 metres as opposed to 20 metres really isn't all that interesting and if people need to refer to that while playing the game, it is pretty much defeating the point of playing the game in any event.

Marginally useful for a scenario designer, but not anyone else.

 

[Elvis]

Anyone else remember what it was like when a FAQ was tried with CMx1?

 

[junk2drive]

Yes there was a very good one in the CMBO section. I learned a lot.

 

[dalem]

A great example of all the time he has tried to answer questions about action spots. And then he seems annoyed he has to answer them again. Even now, people on this forum who play CMSF a lot aren't 100% sure how they work. I am beginning to wonder if Steve also isn't 100% clear on how they work.

Of course he doesn't know. He proved that over 2 years ago.

-dale

 

[Thomm]

... They want a book that explains how the game works, and why and how some of them want to know how it relates to reality...

Sure.

I think that with the collective knowledge from CM:SF one gets pretty far in CM:N. After all, the underlying principles are the same. I do not think that the new terrain types are too hard to figure out, either.

As for the fact that no such document exists so far: Yesterday I burned two hours playing a new scenario instead of documenting.

Best regards,
Thomm

 

[Thomm]

Have you seen this: http://cmsfwarchest.blogspot.com/?

Best regards,
Thomm

 

[thewood]

No, but I can see why...its only been arond a couple weeks it looks like. It is intyeresting to read, but once again, I am more interested in things like:

- what would cause a unit with an arc command to shoot outside the arc.

- What effect does smoke have on command and control

- How can I get a unit to not fire a missle and use its small arms

These are just examples. There are websites out there to find most of the military-related questions. But nothing for how the game works other than an incomplete manual and what is scattered throughout three years of postings on BFC.

 

[Thomm]

I just dumped 1,5 hours into documenting bridges, for a total outcome of 1/2 a page of text.

I can so understand why there are no designer's notes!

On the other hand: best way to find bugs I can imagine.

Best regards,
Thomm

 

[Michael Dorosh]

I think that with the collective knowledge from CM:SF one gets pretty far in CM:N.

Does zero for those who stayed away from CM:SF in droves. If CM:N doesn't outsell CM:SF, as evidenced by the lacklustre online footprint of the latter, BFC may as well start selling fishing tackle or guides to the backwoods of Maine.

 

[Elvis]

Does zero for those who stayed away from CM:SF in droves.

It is looking like the droves were mostly staying away fom the modern and many have just been lurking. And waiting for WW2, at least from what I am seeing.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

It is looking like the droves were mostly staying away fom the modern and many have just been lurking. And waiting for WW2, at least from what I am seeing.

Agreed. We all hope so!

 

[dalem]

Does zero for those who stayed away from CM:SF in droves. If CM:N doesn't outsell CM:SF, as evidenced by the lacklustre online footprint of the latter, BFC may as well start selling fishing tackle or guides to the backwoods of Maine.

I thought you had pooh-poohed my "CMN is make or break for BFC" position.

-dale