Upcoming Combat Mission stuff

RyanE · July 29, 2015, 11:55:03 AM

I never understood the game vs module approach. Why does CMBN have to be completely separate from CMBulge. I don't mind paying more for the Bulge's initial module, but I can't stand having to have two games and two of BFC's crappy DRM systems operating on my PC.

sandman2575 · July 29, 2015, 02:06:59 PM

Do folks really feel "nickle and dimed" by BFC? I sure don't. They're a small outfit serving a niche gaming community, and it would make sense for them to charge more than what big studios charge -- and yet they don't. I think it's hard to argue that they're not providing sufficient content for what they're asking you to pay.

I agree the modules system is inconsistent and the whole engine upgrade thing needlessly confusing. They really need to consolidate that. Ideally it would be nice if there was just a single "Combat Mission" launcher on your desktop that you'd open and then pick whatever modules you have installed to play. Keep it nice and tidy.

I also think the complaints about BFC's DRM are overblown. I avoided Combat Mission for a long time because I didn't like their DRM policy -- and I was missing out because of it. I've never had a single issue downloading, installing, and playing CMx2 on my desktop and laptop.

panzerde · July 29, 2015, 08:36:57 PM

Quote from: sandman2575 on July 29, 2015, 02:06:59 PM
I agree the modules system is inconsistent and the whole engine upgrade thing needlessly confusing. They really need to consolidate that. Ideally it would be nice if there was just a single "Combat Mission" launcher on your desktop that you'd open and then pick whatever modules you have installed to play. Keep it nice and tidy.

I like this idea. At the same time, I remember the angst when LnL/Panther announced essentially the same approach for their game. No, it's not a strictly apples to apples comparison and the messaging around the approach wasn't the greatest. Still, a lot of people looked at it askance. I'll admit to being guilty of that myself, at first. Given the suspicion some people seem to have around Battlefront, I bet we'd hear as much complaining about that approach as the current approach.

The bottom line for me is that I get a lot of entertainment out of their games. There isn't a time in the past few years that I haven't had a game of something CM in progress. My job can be pretty stressful and I play these games to get away from that, clear my head, and relax. Battlefront have given me countless hours of that while also helping me learn a lot about history and the tactics of the wars covered. What they charge for that is cheap compared to what I'd have to pay for all of the booze to get a similar effect.

jomni · July 29, 2015, 10:10:23 PM

John Tiller games. All titles in a series (Squad Battles, Panzer Campaigns, etc.) use the same engine and they're all sold as separate games.

GJK · July 29, 2015, 10:42:54 PM

Good point. Guess I got spoiled with the CMx1 releases of the game.

dinsdale · July 29, 2015, 10:47:26 PM

Quote from: Skoop on July 28, 2015, 01:49:59 PM
I've always said battlefront should have followed the arma example, let everyone mod your game....then you can focus on the big ticket items. If battlefront followed the arma path, we would be at CMX5 or 6 and modders would have produced modules for every conflict known to man, and you could buy CM on steam with exposure to millions more consumers. If battlefront is always going to think small, then they will always be small. They took a bold risk in 1999 when they released CMX1 and CMBO, I feel like they haven't done anything bold since. It's just safe, slow, static cookie cutter modules. I wouldn't be as critical if we were getting new ones every quarter, but this pace is like watching paint dry.

This

I don't mind paying Battlefront, they are one of the few professional wargame developer shops left, I don't begrudge them a dime for the enjoyment I've gotten out of most of their games. But I agree, they could probably thrive spending all their time on a new engine every year and let modders create the scenarios and campaigns.

I understand why they don't, it's their business and livelihood after all, so safe is probably what I would tend to do too, but I would love to see them become more successful.

It's funny, I think Creative Assembly released their first product a couple of years before CM1. Who would have bet that the company with a game about feudal Japan would be what they are today, and that the company producing games based on the most well known battles in Transatlantic culture would be pretty much the same size.

undercovergeek · July 30, 2015, 02:34:44 AM

I think been bought by sega may have helped creatives cause some what

If your next big cash injection is going to come from another theatre in ww2 there's no way they'll let modders at the game - if they had there would have been a bulge and eastern front out within days of cmbn being released and they would have lost all that revenue, and a warhammer mod and a blah blah blah

RyanE · July 30, 2015, 05:17:30 AM

While I agree with that thought...and I have no issue paying what they ask because I want them to keep making games...it falls a little flat when it takes to two years finally release CMRT and then what another two years for CM Bulge?

I do agree with their strategy, but I really want them to step up the pace of releases. The long time between just lets the marginal players fade away.

Yskonyn · July 30, 2015, 05:40:44 AM

Quote from: RyanE on July 30, 2015, 05:17:30 AM
While I agree with that thought...and I have no issue paying what they ask because I want them to keep making games...it falls a little flat when it takes to two years finally release CMRT and then what another two years for CM Bulge?

I do agree with their strategy, but I really want them to step up the pace of releases. The long time between just lets the marginal players fade away.

That's a result of their studio size. There's only one main coder as far as I know. Also, I don't know if you've ever tried making a scenario in one of the CM games. It is a time consuming black art. :)

RyanE · July 30, 2015, 10:55:11 AM

There are two coders now.

Richie61 · July 30, 2015, 11:32:38 AM

I have all the CM1 & CM2 titles (except CMBS) and enjoy them. I don't play them a lot and really suck at them, but I still enjoy the titles.

Redirected · August 01, 2015, 12:46:44 PM

Quote from: RyanE on July 29, 2015, 11:55:03 AM
I never understood the game vs module approach. Why does CMBN have to be completely separate from CMBulge. I don't mind paying more for the Bulge's initial module, but I can't stand having to have two games and two of BFC's crappy DRM systems operating on my PC.

I think they try and address this here...

http://community.battlefront.com/topic/120386-bulgewhy-a-new-game/

They 'break' with the whole Upgrade scheme though (which they admit), since they have already stated that 'Bulge' won't be "Feature Rich". That is, it won't introduce things that will cascade backwards to CMBN/CMFI/CMRT and therefore, they save themselves that wake trailing behind.