Combat Mission status

Started by RyanE, May 27, 2018, 02:09:59 PM

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Elvis

RyanE, I will answer, again, as well as I can.

1) No.

2) I don't know. I don't know about "promises " to have activations added in an automated way (not sure how many times I can say that I don't know.....I suppose you can keep asking and I'll make something up to stop the question at some point...I'm sure I can come up with some bullshit). I do know the exact wording on the old site said (haven't looked at it on the new site) ended with "......a new activation will be available every 365 days." No mention of automated or otherwise.  So, I continue to not know and you might want to drop a note to the person who made the promise.

3) No one is monitoring anyone's usage but a key can be checked manually for the number of used and unused activations.

4) I don't know anything about whether or not individual people's usage is being tracked or monitored by someone.  The number is activations a key has is certainly counted (automated) and their purchase dates are certainly retaatned but, again, I don't know if someone is sorting through them on a regular basis monitoring each person's activity.  The system does a good enough job notifying someone when they have used up available activations. And I can't see why anyone would be bothered spending a minute of free time monitoring each players activities.

And yes, you did ask straight forward questions.  And I answered them in a straight forward way. You asked the same question twice and I said that I didn't know twice. I didn't make you repeat them. You just chose not to read or accept my answer.

Elvis

Shitballs....should have read Peter's quote before replying.  That looks like what I remember seeing on the website . Would have saved me some thumb typing on my phone if I had seen it first.

RyanE

"You asked the same question twice and I said that I didn't know twice. I didn't make you repeat them. You just chose not to read or accept my answer."

Then why did you ask me to repeat the question again.  I asked if you could ask BFC for an official answer.


Elvis

Quote from: RyanE on August 13, 2018, 09:29:36 AM
"You asked the same question twice and I said that I didn't know twice. I didn't make you repeat them. You just chose not to read or accept my answer."

Then why did you ask me to repeat the question again.  I asked if you could ask BFC for an official answer.

I actually just re-read your questions and not once did you ask me to go ask someone else at BFC for an official answer. Not once. Nor did I ever ask for you to repeat your question.

It seems moot now that Pete Niro did find the official BFC posted answer.

Regarding how many activations you have left. If you open a ticket and paste the keys that you are unsure about it is simple for me to look them up and let you know how many activations you're used. I'm spending much of today (and the rest of the week) at the hospital but will get you the information as quickly as possible. If it is something that needs immediate attention (like, trying to activate something and having no activations left and I don't have access to the key information then I will refer it to someone who can get on it faster).

Jarhead0331

Quote from: Elvis on August 13, 2018, 09:50:50 AM

Regarding how many activations you have left. If you open a ticket and paste the keys that you are unsure about it is simple for me to look them up and let you know how many activations you're used. I'm spending much of today (and the rest of the week) at the hospital but will get you the information as quickly as possible. If it is something that needs immediate attention (like, trying to activate something and having no activations left and I don't have access to the key information then I will refer it to someone who can get on it faster).

I think this is part of the whole problem and the reason why people get so irritated with Battlefront. It isn't a system that is fair to customers, or to you, quite frankly on the other end. Why should customers have to go through the trouble of opening a ticket and digging up all of their codes just to find out how many activiations they have. The problem is even more irritating when a game they have paid for is unable to be played because they are out of activations and now have to open the ticket and wait for action. There are so many better ways...

I know I know...its a small company. I suppose if this issue was addressed, we wouldn't see CMSF2 until sometime in 2020.  :crazy2:
Grogheads Uber Alles
Semper Grog
"No beast is more alpha than JH." Gusington, 10/23/18


Tuna

Keep in mind, Elvis is one of the few bright points of Battlefront!

Ubercat

Do you know of any others? :D
"If you have always believed that everyone should play by the same rules and be judged by the same standards, that would have gotten you labelled a radical 50 years ago, a liberal 25 years ago, and a racist today."

- Thomas Sowell

Elvis

It's not for me to say what is important to some people.  For me I never gave a second thought to how many activations I had left and it's only fairly recently that that I've been given the keys to kingdom and can reset my own. I'm on my second computer since I got Normandy so I know I have at least 2 for each title. 3 for the release since 8 got my current rig. I do know that RyanEs situation is very different because I think he gets multiple new computers every year. So, I don't underestimate the value that it would have for him. And my comment isn't meant to diminish the value it would have for some people. Which is a great thing with Steam.  It goes with you from computer to computer.

And is any system perfect? I've definitely had my issues with Steam.  I had a big time issue with EA's Origins or whatever their Steam-like system is called. Even the Xbox I got the family this past xmas gives me fits about a couple of things (the one that irks me the most is that when we were setting it up I couldn't remember my Microsoft Live login information and out of frustration my son used his account to activate Madden.....now I can only use Madden as a "guest" and there's no way to transfer it to me). Maybe there's a perfect system and I'm sure this will responses about systems that are better but the bottom line is that it is what it is.

Jarhead0331

Quote from: Elvis on August 13, 2018, 12:25:05 PM
It's not for me to say what is important to some people.  For me I never gave a second thought to how many activations I had left and it's only fairly recently that that I've been given the keys to kingdom and can reset my own. I'm on my second computer since I got Normandy so I know I have at least 2 for each title. 3 for the release since 8 got my current rig. I do know that RyanEs situation is very different because I think he gets multiple new computers every year. So, I don't underestimate the value that it would have for him. And my comment isn't meant to diminish the value it would have for some people. Which is a great thing with Steam.  It goes with you from computer to computer.

And is any system perfect? I've definitely had my issues with Steam.  I had a big time issue with EA's Origins or whatever their Steam-like system is called. Even the Xbox I got the family this past xmas gives me fits about a couple of things (the one that irks me the most is that when we were setting it up I couldn't remember my Microsoft Live login information and out of frustration my son used his account to activate Madden.....now I can only use Madden as a "guest" and there's no way to transfer it to me). Maybe there's a perfect system and I'm sure this will responses about systems that are better but the bottom line is that it is what it is.

There is no perfect system to be sure, but the system currently used by Battlefront is certainly one of the worst. Sorry, it is a system that has time and time again given me more aggravation and frustration than any other. YMMV.
Grogheads Uber Alles
Semper Grog
"No beast is more alpha than JH." Gusington, 10/23/18


RyanE

I'll keep saying it.  I have no issues with DRM.  I have issues with DRM that doesn't work for an easy playing experience.  With Steam, I download and play on any computer I have access to.  With BFC, its, at best, 50/50 whether it'll be a 24-48 hr grind of tickets and emails.

I still don't understand Elvis's role at BFC.  He says he is not officially at BFC, yet claims to be the support staff.  He seems to handle the support tickets.  Doesn't that make him an employee, even if unpaid?

Elvis

Quote from: RyanE on August 13, 2018, 03:36:26 PM
I'll keep saying it.  I have no issues with DRM.  I have issues with DRM that doesn't work for an easy playing experience.  With Steam, I download and play on any computer I have access to.  With BFC, its, at best, 50/50 whether it'll be a 24-48 hr grind of tickets and emails.

I still don't understand Elvis's role at BFC.  He says he is not officially at BFC, yet claims to be the support staff.  He seems to handle the support tickets.  Doesn't that make him an employee, even if unpaid?

First, I am definitely a paid employee.  I get money for what I do. And that money is for nothing but tech support. 

As far as the 24-48 hours thing. I have resolved some people's tickets in under 5 minutes of the submitting them. I respond to tickets on xmas,  Thanksgiving,  New Years Day,, etc.... My approach is that if I am in front of a computer then i consider myself on duty. I've been on the other side of tech support,  not just games, and appreciate how frustrating it can be waiting for a response. Also, and the is definitely not directed to you because i know you've been around the block a few times, the more information I get in the initial contact the faster things get resolved.  No lie...I get tickets sometimes where the only information I get is "my game doesn't work".....no indication of what game or what aspect isn't working..nothing.  so a few exchanges happen before I even know what someone is talking about.  Not a complaint..just nature of the beast.

Although I will say, knowing your Help Desk history,  the number of computers that you go through and your knowledge of the system.....you're ratio of the game running and not running is far far far far far higher than 50/50. If I were to guess I'd guess more in the 95/5 range in favor of it running. Not diminishing the frustration that the 5% may cause.

IICptMillerII

Quote from: Elvis on August 13, 2018, 09:31:13 PM
Quote from: RyanE on August 13, 2018, 03:36:26 PM
I'll keep saying it.  I have no issues with DRM.  I have issues with DRM that doesn't work for an easy playing experience.  With Steam, I download and play on any computer I have access to.  With BFC, its, at best, 50/50 whether it'll be a 24-48 hr grind of tickets and emails.

I still don't understand Elvis's role at BFC.  He says he is not officially at BFC, yet claims to be the support staff.  He seems to handle the support tickets.  Doesn't that make him an employee, even if unpaid?

First, I am definitely a paid employee.  I get money for what I do. And that money is for nothing but tech support. 

As far as the 24-48 hours thing. I have resolved some people's tickets in under 5 minutes of the submitting them. I respond to tickets on xmas,  Thanksgiving,  New Years Day,, etc.... My approach is that if I am in front of a computer then i consider myself on duty. I've been on the other side of tech support,  not just games, and appreciate how frustrating it can be waiting for a response. Also, and the is definitely not directed to you because i know you've been around the block a few times, the more information I get in the initial contact the faster things get resolved.  No lie...I get tickets sometimes where the only information I get is "my game doesn't work".....no indication of what game or what aspect isn't working..nothing.  so a few exchanges happen before I even know what someone is talking about.  Not a complaint..just nature of the beast.

Although I will say, knowing your Help Desk history,  the number of computers that you go through and your knowledge of the system.....you're ratio of the game running and not running is far far far far far higher than 50/50. If I were to guess I'd guess more in the 95/5 range in favor of it running. Not diminishing the frustration that the 5% may cause.

I might be one of the guys who you helped out on Christmas once. If I remember correctly, my issue was regarding the v4 upgrade, which came out right around Christmas. If that was you, a sincere thank you for helping me and others during a holiday like that.

RyanE

My main peeve continues to be that I get a new work and home computers every year.  I have probably 15 separate CM games/modules.  Do you know hard it is to keep track of that mix with BFC's system?  Every time I get a new PC I have to re-register all of those and I have no idea how long that is going to take.  I have no idea how many activations I have.  I have twice re-bought products (CMSF and CMFI) because I ran out of activations and it was taking longer than I wanted to re-register them.

This system punishes me for getting a new PC every year.  I have never gone through this with Steam, or any other game for that matter.  Every time I get a new PC or a new module comes out, I dread the next day or two of trying to configure my systems.  Until recently, I was always making changes to my PC that would kick off CM2 DRM and chew up an activation.  It has gotten better, but after literally a decade of pain and waste time.  I was probably losing 1-2 activations a year by adding RAM, a new video card, an upgraded OS, etc.  The amount of time I have spent try to register CM games is probably close to 100 hours.

The worst part of it all is that my PCs are leaving BFC behind.  CM2 seems to run a little worse every time I upgrade the PC.  So I am getting a double whammy.  So BFC's customer sweet spot is that one guy with a 10-year old Win7 system that does nothing but play CM2.

HoodedHorseJoe

Does it not come to a point where a game (series or singular) becomes not worth the effort? I know Combat Mission has a good reputation, but nothing I've heard so far makes it seem worth the hassle you seem to have to go through due to life circumstances.

There's such a thing as voting with your wallet - It's a shame you felt you needed to re-purchase. I would have just moved on and washed my hands at that point.

It seems unlikely Battlefront are going to change, on the Steam front and on how their mode of product support operates. For someone like yourself (who has to regularly re-install stuff), it sounds like a bridge too far.

On another note - it is possible and well documented on how advancing PC tech makes the software used in older games obsolete. Depending on the games, you really have to go through hoops to optimise modern rigs for player these games. It depends how well the developer keeps up with modern developments and works those things into their games - it's not often possible.
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Jarhead0331

#344
^RyanE somehow always seems to be the most extreme case in just about every scenario. He loses dongles in luggage on international flights. He buys and upgrades a dozen computers each year causing him to spend "100 hours" re-registering CM products. He sets an extremely high bar for any company to reach, especially when it comes to companies that just make niche games. He is the consummate unhappy nightmare customer and the scorn of game developers and publishers alike. I've seen them spend an inordinate amount of time in what frequently becomes a near endless cycle of debate and argument. However, he keeps some of these guys on their toes and has definitely been a harbinger of change.

I agree with your point entirely though...at some point, the hassle becomes too great. I mean, if you have really spent "100 hours" just sorting out registrations, is that really worth it? You only get one chance at life, and to spend nearly 4 days in a life and death struggle with the BF registration system seems like a fool's errand. It's bad enough we waste our lives playing games, much less fighting with DRM.

I'm the type of dope who installs a lot of games and then rarely or never plays them. This happens more and more frequently as my play time becomes more and more limited. Spending so much time on installation and registration that you can't  even play the game is frustrating. Then, by the time you come back to your computer, something new and shiny has been released on steam and you've moved on. Games like CM were gold, but they are certainly being left behind, and the DRM system and registration process is an avoidable aspect of what is making these games an anachronism.

Grogheads Uber Alles
Semper Grog
"No beast is more alpha than JH." Gusington, 10/23/18