The "Uber" Command: Modern Air/Naval Ops Thread

[jomni]

Woot!  Got my free Steak key for Command already.

[Huw the Poo]

Ooh, free steak?  That's a great promotion!

[Staggerwing]

LOL!

I just bought the game due to the sale. Now that I've got this and Frontier:Dangerous I'm going to have to shake the cobwebs out of my WinBox and move it to a better spot. I Maybe I'll reinstall Steel Beasts as well and see what all the fuss is about.

[JudgeDredd]

The interface was nowhere as streamlined as it should've/could've been. Also with some features missing, this was sold way too early. I always felt the game did some things better than Harpoon but also just as many worse iirc. From what I remember I used to think "Well I could do that in Harpoon, why can't I do it in a game 20(?) years on?".

It had a lot in it - don't get me wrong - but it was released unfinished. I probably shouldn't be surprised by it, but I had quite a few interface point right off the bat on the day of my purchase. I have no idea if they ever got ironed out as I gave the game away...but I hope they did.

I see it's available on Steam also (but not at the discounted price I might add).

Oh - and Matrix - I think it's a little disingenuous to show the release date as 26th September 2014 just because this is a repackaged (fixed?) version. 

I think this was one of my most anticipated games of last year and my biggest let down.  :(

[Staggerwing]

^Actually, I did get the 25% off price when I bought on Steam ($59 v $79). Maybe there some regional price thing going on?

[jomni]

Ooh, free steak?  That's a great promotion!

STEAM!

[JudgeDredd]

^Actually, I did get the 25% off price when I bought on Steam ($59 v $79). Maybe there some regional price thing going on?

My bad. It is 25% off on Steam.

[Dimitris]

It had a lot in it - don't get me wrong - but it was released unfinished. I probably shouldn't be surprised by it, but I had quite a few interface point right off the bat on the day of my purchase. I have no idea if they ever got ironed out as I gave the game away...but I hope they did.

IIRC you busted our balls on a specific issue, ie. being able to see an individual selected unit's range-rings even when the "merge range rings" option is selected (which BTW was _not_ possible in any version of Harpoon, and Harpoon never had the "merge range rings" ability in the first place). We dedicated untold hours to make it work, we released it as part of a _free_ update... and then we found out that you had given your copy away.

Lesson learned.

[JudgeDredd]

It had a lot in it - don't get me wrong - but it was released unfinished. I probably shouldn't be surprised by it, but I had quite a few interface point right off the bat on the day of my purchase. I have no idea if they ever got ironed out as I gave the game away...but I hope they did.

You busted our balls on a specific issue, ie. being able to see an individual selected unit's range-rings even when the "merge range rings" option is selected (which BTW was _not_ possible in any version of Harpoon, and Harpoon never had the "merge range rings" ability in the first place). We dedicated untold hours to make it work, we released it as part of a _free_ update... and then we found out that you had given your copy away.

Lesson learned.

I actually gave it away because it wasn't being played. It wasn't being played because I didn't find the interface gave me what I wanted and I didn't like the interface. Once that was the case, I wasn't going to get round to getting any deeper. But I was one of very few who thought so. So I wasn't sure where that fitted in with your fixes...you were still working on it when I gave it away.

Actually the fact I gave it away was more an insight into who I am as to what the game was like. Read it as you will.

But I will fix your post for you if you don't mind

I busted my balls on testing your product after paying full price for what was an unpolished (and imo unfinished) product. I dedicated untold hours to try and play it but it just kept fighting me and by the time I found out you had made any of the changes I was hoping/thinking should've been there on release, I had given my copy away.

Lesson learned.

Your game is seemingly being well received by the vast majority or people who have it. I doubt that was the case when it was released - but to your credit you have been working long and hard on it.

But don't come on here telling me you bust your balls fixing an issue which, by the way was one of freaking many, and get pissy because I posted it was the biggest let down for me in 2013. I am actually only being honest. You and Matrix selling me an unfinished product for £60 were not being so honest.

For the record I thought, and still do, that your attitude to your product has been exemplary. You've stuck with the game and the customers and you've continually updated it. But your attitude to me, who was and still is simply a disgruntled customer stinks.

Maybe you should just be grateful the other people who are playing your game (with many hours of enjoyment) stuck with it. So I didn't - so what?

[JudgeDredd]

I would like to add however, Dimitris, that me posting "what happened" as opposed to what the system is like now is probably not a very constructive post...unfortunately as I don't have the game anymore (and hopefully whomever I gave it too is having a blast with it) I don't know what it's like.

I'll at least concede that.

I had high expectations for the game when it was released and whilst it wasn't as broken as some (and actually rather stable - I actually can't recall a single crash) it left me wanting. Once I was fighting the interface to find what I wanted, I just lost interest.

Whilst I'm sorry you worked to remedy some of the issues - I'm pretty sure they were not just for me - so I won't be losing any sleep over that - and I don't think for a second the "untold hours" you spent were wasted hours.

[Dimitris]

I'll address the rest later, but I just want to reply to this real fast:

Once I was fighting the interface to find what I wanted, I just lost interest.

Waiting for Herman to pick this up and run with it....and 1..... and 2..... and 3....... and 4..........

[JudgeDredd]

Right Dimitris

This is my list of things I would like to see addressed. They are things I've noticed. They are minor interface issues and there are likely other things that are more important - but these are things I noticed in my own game.



• Give focus back to map display when closing a popup
• Limit Contact Report to platforms that are in the date range of the scenario
• When you select non group mode (num 9) the fuel displays for the selected unit. When you press Group mode again (num 9) the fuel indicator stays for the selected unit even though you're back in group mode
• The Unit Fuel Remaining bar should show BINGO fuel...and not just generic...it know where it's platform is and where it is...so it should tell you when you hit bingo fuel at that point...it would
  down to you to make sure your ship is in the correct position. In fact a BINGO + 10 mile (or something) indicator would be handy
  
• Remaining weapons should be displayed below fuel when looking at a platform
• When in Group Mode - overall information on weapons available should be available (at least from an air group perspective - ship groups may be too many to display)
• The details on the left seem over-bearing (even in their own window). I don't want to see the base-Ph, adjustment for distance etc. That text is great for debugging - but all I need to see is "Sea Harrier Gun attacking *enemy platform here* and missed/hit". Some people may like the info - but imo, bearing in mind I have ZERO control over the combat, I'm happy with it just to tell me the action being carried out and the results
• Remove requirement for NUMLOCK to be off before breaking down a group
• When viewing air assets in the air, display their home plate
• When you view the Message Log in a separate window and minimise it, I can't see anyway to get it back. I can see it in my Task Bar as a separate window - but it won't display
• When using Browse Scenario Platforms it displays British platforms even though when the window opens, the SIDE at the top shows Argentine in the drop down list (in my Falklands Scenario)
• When you press NUMKEY 9 to view individual units in a group, have one of the platforms already selected
• An option to turn off all rings except for the selected group (or unit if in unit mode)
• When checking Throttle & Altitude for aircraft and then right clicking a submarine and selecting Throttle & Altitude, the display doesn't change fully (MILITARY is still being shown as a speed unit for a submarine!) This only seems to happen when moving from an air unit to a seaborne unit - going the other way, the display does change

Other people may disagree on some things and that's fine. But these things impact my enjoyment - and that's what I'm reporting on.

I haven't really delved into the mechanics all that much - I leave that to your more hard core players. I need to like to play before I start seeing whether there's a broken missile or other mechanic.



These are using your latest build 469.

That was the list on December 6th 2013. Those things (believe this if you wish) stopped me firing up the game - and I'm not even sure if that was all of them. That's why I gave it away. Not because it was broke, but because I had a £60 icon on my desktop.

[Asid]

I'll address the rest later, but I just want to reply to this real fast:

Once I was fighting the interface to find what I wanted, I just lost interest.

Waiting for Herman to grab this and run with it....and 1..... and 2..... and 3....... and 4..........

Dimitris your support and dedication has been exemplary. Do not tarnish your reputation by posts like this.

Regards

[mirth]

I'll address the rest later, but I just want to reply to this real fast:

Once I was fighting the interface to find what I wanted, I just lost interest.

Waiting for Herman to grab this and run with it....and 1..... and 2..... and 3....... and 4..........

Dimitris your support and dedication has been exemplary. Do not tarnish your reputation by posts like this.

Regards

+1

[JudgeDredd]

I'll address the rest later, but I just want to reply to this real fast:

Once I was fighting the interface to find what I wanted, I just lost interest.

Waiting for Herman to pick this up and run with it....and 1..... and 2..... and 3....... and 4..........

Come on Herman, don't disappoint me now.

I'm not locking horns with you on this anymore Dimitris. Your Herman link is about as caustic as you, as a developer, could get.

By doing so, you are linking my concerns to his ramblings. My concerns on the game back then, regardless of what you thought or think now, were genuine concerns to me and not implanted into me. What's more they stopped me playing the game and ended in my loss of £60.

I hardly even played Harpoon but I did recall thinking "Well, Harpoon gave you that...why isn't this?". And I even recall reinstalling and firing up Harpoon to check.

So enjoy your argument between you and Herman whom you seem to want to bat with.