Combat Mission status

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

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Elvis

I couldn't agree more Jarhead. And only an idiot, insult intended, would repurchase 2 games rather that wait "24-48" to play them?!!?!? Don't get me wrong...I love the games....but I've never [needed/i] to play a particular title so badly that I'd re-purchase it rather that wait a bit for it to be taken care of.


I didn't reply to break RyanE's stones. Just wanted to make sure to point out.....if you ever need to have your license reset with the gsclean tool he has referred to it does NOT burn/use an activation.

RyanE

I only play three games regularly: Command, Steel Beasts, and CM2.  I still play BOS and ROF to break up the monotony.  So for me, its still worth it.  BFC has gotten better with its DRM.  At the peak of BFCs DRM 3-5 years ago, I was losing activations at least once a month somewhere in my system across the 10-12 games.  I played them a lot across two computers and it was almost monthly that I had to ask for at least one activation for doing  something like adding RAM.

It was that point I went on a one year bender of Graviteam when they moved to Steam and Steel Beasts.  I actually went almost two years without installing a single BFC game because I gave up on the DRM.  I didn't buy any new releases (I think there was one).  I think it was CMBS that got me to try the DRM again and it seemed to finally work better.  But at that point, all my activations were gone.  Its been this angst-ridden journey of activating modules since.

Both CM2 and SB are games I play because of the game, not the developer.  I play Command because of the developer, as much as the game.  I have come to very much dislike both developers for their complete and utter disregard for their customer's time.  But, for now, the games override my disdain for the companies.

RyanE

I re-bought the games because I was tired submitting support tickets and waiting.  I have more money than time.  And if you think a customer is an idiot then I will take that as a personal attack from you.  Looks like you have been hanging out with Steve too long.  This is how you have always operated.  Throw small attacks out to get your point across and then act all contrite when called out.

RyanE

I might be the perfect storm of everything that is wrong with BFC's DRM, but I always point to BFC's own support page after a release.  I am not alone in having issues.  I am just playing the game more than most of those people.

What frustrates me the most is the circling of the wagons of the beta brigade on almost any issue that someone has.  Someone reports a problem and the very next post is usually from a beta tester saying they didn't have an issue.  Not helpful and implies the OP is either doing something wrong or is not with it.

Elvis

I think anyone is an idiot if they repurchased games they already purchased and know that a simple email or filling out a ticket to avoid repurchasing  the games....or any software.  If someone owns every title then surely they can satisfy the urge by playing CMBN while waiting word about CMFI. But hey, you got more money than time and that's how you choose to spend it, who am I to judge (even though I just did)?

And the reports of your contacts to ask for Help Desk reactivation help lack......truthiness.....it ain't hard for me to look up the contacts history. Takes less time than it took to type this.  Stop, drop and roll.

Michael Dorosh

Quote from: bayonetbrant on May 27, 2018, 04:18:11 PM
Whatever other discussions about Combat Mission you guys want to have, please do not turn this into another DRM flame War

From page 1.

RyanE

#351
I have the emails...am I going to have to count them?

Just checked.  between June 16 and June 20, eight emails back and forth to get all my product registered.  That is four days to get my paid for and installed products to run on a new PC.  And that is about par for the course.  How does that match up on your end?

The main issue, is a player can never know how many activations they need until they get past each module or base game.

And that is also why I rebought the games.  In the attempt previous to the above, I think at the end of 2017, I had already gone through several rounds of emails and days.  So in the end, instead of another round, I rebought all CMSF1 and a CMFI module.

Just checked, seven email on 11/20 and 11/21.  The reason it didn't go on longer is I bought the above games again.

RyanE

So I know no one from BFC will have any sensitivity for customer perspective on this, but how can a company think that 15 emails over six months, plus the time to go through the registration process for each individual game is a good use of their customer's time?  It shows a complete lack of respect for their customers.

And on top of that, the customer spends another $90-$100 just to overcome the issues with the registration process, and is called an idiot.  Sure seems like Elvis has become the true face of BFC finally.

Ubercat

I need to stay out of this thread. RyanE is echoing my own experiences and it's pointless for me to get mad again.
"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

RyanE

And that is my main concern for BFC as a business.  Most people go through 10% of what I did and give up.  I tend stick to games I like and will push through.  But I don't do it quietly.  I am a big believer in continuous improvement through critical customer feedback.  It tends to not be appreciated in small indie companies.

Michael Dorosh

Quote from: RyanE on August 14, 2018, 07:48:17 AM
And on top of that, the customer spends another $90-$100 just to overcome the issues with the registration process, and is called an idiot.  Sure seems like Elvis has become the true face of BFC finally.

BFC's problem all along is that it has no face (nor has it seemed to desire one). Charles stays far behind the scenes, and Steve has been likened to Derek Smart, though at least he confines his abuse of the fan base to his own website. When Matt Faller was there, he changed his sig line to "Battlefront.com, your best friend, your worst enemy" which I thought said a lot. I always thought Dan Olding and Schrullenhaft were very pleasant and professional and more, perhaps, could have been done to promote their interactions with the fans but of course that wasn't their role (the former was an artist and the latter a tech support wizard).

As for Elvis, I've interacted with him in his role as tech support and found his comments above not mere boasting. I believe I paid for the Mac version of Red Sea, over Christmas, and he quickly swapped it out for the Windows version. No fuss, no muss, and I was delighted to receive prompt and courteous service, especially since my problems were self-inflicted, caused by not reading what I was ordering. I've not had activation problems that needed extensive support so can't comment on that. But Elvis also made a name for himself on some of the fan sites as kind of a beta-evangelist. He does like to troll. I'd say you're best to confine your interactions with him to the professional sphere - you won't out-argue him on a third party site like this. He'll simply outlast you, and as you've witnessed, eventually resort to insults and other unsavoury behavior - you've witnessed his ability to dodge direct questions that don't suit him. I don't buy the conspiracy theory that BFC simply breeds this behavior, I always thought it came to Elvis naturally. :-) Moreover, he's good at it, so proceed at your own peril.

RyanE

And, in fairness, the DRM has gotten a lot more stable.  On my first install of CMSF, I could plug in a USB drive and trigger a lost activation.  Now, its just HD failures, large OS updates, and new PCs.

As I said, BFC responds within a day or two, even on weekends.  But it usually leads to entering a ticket on the BFC site, waiting a day or two, getting a reset.  Trying to enter the next module and finding its shot too, etc.  When you are entering 12-15 games and modules, it does lead to a lot of back and forth to get it sorted.

RyanE

I was trying to see if the patch was coming out with CMSF2.  Does anyone know?  I couldn't sort through it all on the BFC site.

Pete Dero

Quote from: RyanE on August 14, 2018, 09:37:16 AM
I was trying to see if the patch was coming out with CMSF2.  Does anyone know?  I couldn't sort through it all on the BFC site.

If I understood correctly there is no patch.  You upgrade to CMSF2 (and keep CMSF1 as a separate install).
So if the site offers the upgrade option at the same time they start selling CMSF2 you would have the new game from the start.

WallysWorld

Quote from: Pete Dero on August 14, 2018, 09:42:23 AM
Quote from: RyanE on August 14, 2018, 09:37:16 AM
I was trying to see if the patch was coming out with CMSF2.  Does anyone know?  I couldn't sort through it all on the BFC site.
If I understood correctly there is no patch.  You upgrade to CMSF2 (and keep CMSF1 as a separate install).
So if the site offers the upgrade option at the same time they start selling CMSF2 you would have the new game from the start.

I think RyanE meant the CMx2 patch that Steve posted was coming out right after the release of CMSF2. I am waiting for that patch too.
"I used to be with it, but then they changed what *it* was. Now what I'm with isn't *it* and what *it* is seems weird and scary to me." - Abraham Simpson