After a little grousing on the BFC forum, Steve finally gave an update on where the CMFI 4.0 update is at...
http://community.battlefront.com/topic/124475-any-news-about-cmfi-40-release/?do=findComment&comment=1701029
Thx. Looking forward to opening this game up again.
So a hidden update on CMFI and its long awaited module. Not really good news. I remember Steve saying Phil's departure would have no impact. I guess he was mistaken.
http://community.battlefront.com/topic/125277-lend-lease-stuff-coming-soon/?do=findComment&comment=1717050
http://community.battlefront.com/topic/125277-lend-lease-stuff-coming-soon/?do=findComment&comment=1717193
Its too bad they hide all of this news buried in the middle of threads in other forums. My opinion is that we might not see a game or module release this year. And Steve's "update" doesn't even mention any new full games. I am assuming the previously mentioned 5.0 game engine will come with one of the module releases.
edit...I am actually mistaken. Both Phil and Chris left. I didn't know about CHris leaving. He as the one building CMFI content. That is really too bad. Chris was making a real effort to reach out in a marketing way to get people engaged in promoting releases. Is it just Steve and Charles left again? No wonder it has completely slowed down.
Thanks Ryan bad news but thanks you are about my only reliable source of information on CM
It's hard to shake the impression that Combat Mission / Battlefront is in a state of terminal decline. Hate to write that, as I still spend a large percentage of my gaming time with this series. But it just feels like a dying franchise.
If so, it will only make the series even more legendary!
How long has CMx1 been around (and still is!)?
Seriously though, it sounds like the studio is going through some tough times. I hope they persist and be able to keep creating awesome CM content.
Yeah, it is kind of depressing. I still adore (that is the only word to describe it) the CM1 series. After the original CMSF release fiasco, I got fairly jaded on CM2. If CM2's original release had been CMBN, I probably would have fallen in love with the CM2 engine. But the angst and wasted time with the 1.0 release and patching of CMSF just put me off to the point that I was a reluctant buyer. I know that Steve burned a lot of BFC bridges to me and my gaming group in that time period. I was the only one of 7 players who made the journey beyond CMSF.
I used to play CM daily until about a year ago when the last update turned SB into a more CM-like game. I haven't played CM2 in quite a while. In fact, the last CM session was a CMAK scenario I remade for myself from CMFI. I spend almost all my time with SB, Command, and a little with IL2 BOS. Seeing what is happening over at the BFC forums and some of hardcore CM2 guys trying to paint a pretty face on everything is sad.
I've been a huge fan of the Combat Mission series since the first game, but my perception is that the series has been in decline for the past few years as the gap between expected and actual game releases has grown larger.
My interest in the game has waned - I used to visit the forums every day, hoping for some news on an upcoming release or mod, but now I no longer even have the site bookmarked - and, for the first time, I didn't buy their latest product (engine upgrade). I've not even played a game in six months or more.
While CM remains a very good game, and has come a long way, there's no denying the fact that the current engine is getting tired. If BFC is still around in a few years and has moved on to a new game engine, I would certainly get back into it. But I'm not sure whether another CMx2 game/module/vehicle pack, whenever that may be released, is going to be enough for me to return to the game.
Would a best case scenario be for someone with deeper pockets to buy the Combat Mission property (or Battlefront more generally), and put a team on properly marketing, developing, and supporting that game, pronto?
C'mon, Paradox...
Given their approach to pricing products, I can't imagine the owners of Battlefront coming to an agreement with an outside party about the value of their firm.
Quote from: JasonPratt on July 28, 2017, 08:07:33 AM
Would a best case scenario be for someone with deeper pockets to buy the Combat Mission property (or Battlefront more generally), and put a team on properly marketing, developing, and supporting that game, pronto?
C'mon, Paradox...
Agreed...and then put it on Steam to put and end to all the update/patch issues.
I suspect it would be very difficult for someone from the outside to jump into that code base.
Quote from: mirth on July 28, 2017, 11:14:02 AM
I suspect it would be very difficult for someone from the outside to jump into that code base.
That's too bad. The issues with version/patches/updates is the reason I've stopped buying their products. They're as bad or worse than Graviteam Tactics was before they went to Steam.
Wait - I have an email (from 15 April) providing me with a link to upgrade CMFI to 4.0
Should I not use that (haven't as yet).
I would upgrade. No reason not to.
Quote from: mirth on July 28, 2017, 11:14:02 AM
I suspect it would be very difficult for someone from the outside to jump into that code base.
There is some myth and legend about the code base of CM, I suspect. I have been involved in acquisitions of plant operating software that contains millions of lines of code and had minimal issues with continued development and support with new staff. I would think that the IL2 CLOD game is no less complex and volunteers were able to take that game over. Of course one of the big assumptions that proper coding discipline was used in development of the game.
Now could someone do it at reasonable return on investment? Now we get into what BFC values itself and the potential left in that engine.
I just got the v4.0 upgrade bundle and am looking forward to seeing the new improvements. :bd:
I like the 4.0 upgrade. With all the engine upgrades, we are slowly getting back the commands left behind in CM1.
I picked up CMFB the other day and I must say, I've been bitten by the CM bug all over. I had been playing CMBN 3.0 for a while and it was only really any use to me PBEM. I have been playing against the AI in FB and it's fairly solid for a CMx2 title. The improved TacAI behavior in infantry reacting to HE fire and the spacing while moving made a world of difference to me. I know there are some real varied opinions of Battlefront these days, but all that put aside I think CM is still the best option. Just my .02.
Quote from: RyanE on July 29, 2017, 08:55:17 AM
I like the 4.0 upgrade. With all the engine upgrades, we are slowly getting back the commands left behind in CM1.
;D
True! I am glad that we are getting them back. I also really like the new combine squad option too. I played a Black Sea mission yesterday and was gratified to see some of my soldiers peeking around the edges of buildings.
I hear there has been a massive reworking of Fortress Italy for the upgrade, so I hope US scouts now have more than 6 rounds for the sniper rifle, and that Vicker's teams actually have Vicker's guns, rather than a command element!
Quote from: Stryker07 on July 29, 2017, 04:54:46 PM
The improved TacAI behavior in infantry reacting to HE fire and the spacing while moving made a world of difference to me..
That is an essential improvement. The numbers of times my troops have continued to run into a turn 1 barrage, while I cringe and say "stop! hit the dirt or run away" as my pixel warriors proceed to get themselves blown to pieces! :-"
Quote from: RyanE on July 27, 2017, 09:28:28 AM
Yeah, it is kind of depressing. I still adore (that is the only word to describe it) the CM1 series. After the original CMSF release fiasco, I got fairly jaded on CM2. If CM2's original release had been CMBN, I probably would have fallen in love with the CM2 engine. But the angst and wasted time with the 1.0 release and patching of CMSF just put me off to the point that I was a reluctant buyer. I know that Steve burned a lot of BFC bridges to me and my gaming group in that time period. I was the only one of 7 players who made the journey beyond CMSF.
Steve was pretty adamant that he
intended to burn bridges with the new game engine, so I doubt he'd be disappointed at that news.
I played GJK a PBEM of CMBB for my most recent CM experience. Had a handful of CMX2 games in the last year but I think finished only half of them. The last one was a giant battalion sized attack into fortified positions which I had no patience for and quickly bailed from.
I was inspired to try and do a scenario or two for CMFI after the upgrade and playing some good ASL scenarios face to face - and then found that my Gustav Line expansion no longer worked and I had no desire to try and fix the problem, wading back through product keys and bizarre instructions on what order to upgrade which.
I'm still saddened that Panzer Command never worked out better, either. It could have been a good successor. As it is, the evolution of the CMX2 engine has been steady, but seems like it's taking a long time to get back features that the original had. The thing I miss most was the random map generator - there had been talk a long time ago of creating 'mega tiles' or 'meta tiles' which would be geomorphic in nature and be as close to random map generation as they could manage with the new engine, but it didn't come to pass.
The first game engine was really good at anything up to a battalion, particularly because the info feedback to the player was so good. The new engine seems optimized for the player to handle about a company. Which is a great size, but seems at odds with the marketing around how big the maps can be.
+1 About Panzer Command
Quote from: RyanE on July 27, 2017, 07:11:21 AM
So a hidden update on CMFI and its long awaited module. Not really good news. I remember Steve saying Phil's departure would have no impact. I guess he was mistaken.
http://community.battlefront.com/topic/125277-lend-lease-stuff-coming-soon/?do=findComment&comment=1717050
http://community.battlefront.com/topic/125277-lend-lease-stuff-coming-soon/?do=findComment&comment=1717193
Its too bad they hide all of this news buried in the middle of threads in other forums. My opinion is that we might not see a game or module release this year. And Steve's "update" doesn't even mention any new full games. I am assuming the previously mentioned 5.0 game engine will come with one of the module releases.
edit...I am actually mistaken. Both Phil and Chris left. I didn't know about CHris leaving. He as the one building CMFI content. That is really too bad. Chris was making a real effort to reach out in a marketing way to get people engaged in promoting releases. Is it just Steve and Charles left again? No wonder it has completely slowed down.
HEY!?!?!? What am I? Chopped liver!?!?!
Kidding.
Aside from Steve, Charles and myself hanging around the office water cooler discussing this week's Game of Thrones (spoiler...the Khessi doesn't get nekid again this week) there are others on the payroll other than us. Most are either not frequent public forum posts or don't mention their official positions for whatever reason. But it is definitely more than the 3 of us.