Matrix games - websites, game line continuity etc.

Staggerwing · May 26, 2016, 07:16:44 PM

Don't they now!

Redwolf · May 26, 2016, 08:46:29 PM

Quote from: magnus on May 26, 2016, 11:33:30 AM
If this is winter it has been made glorious summer by these sons of York ( Marix/Slitherine).

I see as many wargames coming out as there were in the Commodore's heyday.

Well, I think there are a bazillion of those hex igoyugo games coming that are very transparent and have simple rules based on boardgames.

When I'm talking of winter I am thinking WEGO games, 3D games, tactical games. No hexes.

CMx1 got replaced by CMx2 which I have difficulty getting into. Maybe another 10 years to acclimate?

TacOps is mostly dead (updateless) and I don't see new games that have multiple players per side, with an umpire. This loss is bad.

There is Panzer Command but PzC is one of the reasons why I am not so happy. Had to change programmers, technically it is only in some ways ahead of the 1999 release of CMx2, in 2016. Hard to get updates on updates.

Toaw. OK, but another igoyugo hex games, although a pretty modernized one. There is a TOAW4 coming but it'll have the same things that bug me about the old one including the naive licensing scheme.

jomni · May 26, 2016, 10:15:31 PM

Look at Flashpoint Campaigns. WEGO but has hexes.

ArizonaTank · May 26, 2016, 11:11:49 PM

I think all of the points from the original post, could have been made about Matrix games 10 years ago....and I still buy their games.

FarAway Sooner · May 26, 2016, 11:23:59 PM

My sense is that I like the final product, but (as I think Redwolf alludes) the communication could be better. And I find their website painful to navigate/use.

I'm not sure I agree with the "winter of wargaming" comment, but to each their own. I agree with most of his other comments in the OP, though. I guess the phrase "grognard marketing genius" isn't a common one for a number of good reasons! ;D

chemkid · May 27, 2016, 02:59:23 AM

Quote from: Redwolf on May 26, 2016, 08:09:34 AM
*snip!*
Last but not least the forums add additional suckage from tech support. There's some dude sitting in England closing tickets as WAI no matter how ridiculous. I reported the CAPCHA for forum login (which other forums don't feel they need in the first place, they only have CAPCHAs for registration) not working on Chrome. Dude over there cannot be bothered to even try.
Does that resonate with somebody?

I think this mess is not suitable for trying to do large scale game business in the year 2016. I want to spend money and throw my hands up in the air instead.

look mum - no capcha!!!

http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/login.asp

(on some browsers you'll need to keep another forum-tab open...)

cheers!

Rayfer · May 27, 2016, 05:20:31 AM

Quote from: jomni on May 26, 2016, 10:15:31 PM
Look at Flashpoint Campaigns. WEGO but has hexes.

Agreed. Quite a good game!

Grim.Reaper · May 27, 2016, 05:29:15 AM

Sure the site is old, a number of games likely priced too high especially when no longer supported...but the only thing that really bothers me is the use of two different forums for their games.

But none of that stops me from buying games if I want them....

Dammit Carl! · May 27, 2016, 06:14:05 AM

Quote from: Grim.Reaper on May 27, 2016, 05:29:15 AM
Sure the site is old, a number of games likely priced too high especially when no longer supported...but the only thing that really bothers me is the use of two different forums for their games.

But none of that stops me from buying games if I want them....

Sums my feelings precisely!

BigBlueFleet · May 27, 2016, 06:41:42 AM

I love Matrix Games , I do agree with the idea that some of their older/no longer supported games are priced too high but if you are not an impulse buyer they do go on sale making it less painful. I have no issue at all with their CD/ID scheme---> I prefer it.

I give props to Erik & their customer service when you have an issue and figure it's worth the premium I pay if I really am excited about one of their games but I generally believe they are priced a little high across the board.

That said, I don't buy a lot of games and only purchase the ones I plan on playing for a long time so I do receive bang for my buck discounting the occasional game that doesn't resonate with me.

gameleaper · May 27, 2016, 08:25:16 AM

Matrix has the right to charge high prices because the game avenue there on is narrow with less customers, I think slith are watering down the hard-core wargame types of games like WiF WitPAE AOW3 etc... with games that are simple in complexity, but I'm getting brain burn with complex games and only can stand learning one every so often, so slith games then become more desirable , the two types of game work well as long as we still get complex games like with a matrix of hexagons.

I also like the serial key system, my only complaint is I used to play Matrix games on my Mac with XP installed, but now the installers from matrix wont run on it, they used to run, and older games I have still do.

I have to still wait for suitable hex based games to come out, you cant just wakeup and say to yourself I want a hex wargame , then goto matrix and buy one if you have your choice games already its a winter like that, more hex old sxkool games need to be made, the genius of wargames like Star Fleet Battles. of ASL and games like that need to be computerised, when I get the old boardgames out its hard to find computer games that are as good, so yes its winter but only because gamers have left boardgames and are expecting games on the computer, watch this link and wish https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofloTPYoc7g

JasonPratt · May 27, 2016, 12:09:39 PM

Well, I've been playing wargames since the early 80s... so I guess the winter of a dearth of true wargames without hexes has been going on for 30+ years now? :-\

gameleaper · May 27, 2016, 12:47:09 PM

Quote from: JasonPratt on May 27, 2016, 12:09:39 PM
Well, I've been playing wargames since the early 80s... so I guess the winter of a dearth of true wargames without hexes has been going on for 30+ years now? :-\

sadly I believe you :) I think one day there will be a revival like fashion . Ive not chatted to many young wargamers. Star fleet battles is my current choice and I keep getting reminded of the engineering that went into the system.

Redwolf · May 27, 2016, 01:46:10 PM

I don't have a problem with high prices charged for games with small audience.

I don't think it can work any other way if you want significant progress in development paid for. If the audience is small that's it. Matrix and BFC charge prices that are OK, in BFC's case I would probably charge higher. Steel Beasts has their high price very well established. Both from an acceptance standpoint and from a financing standpoint. People got over it.

Matrix also has sales and even participates in Steam (and Steam sales?) which make senses for all products that have little per-item manufacturing overhead.

I want to thank people for pointing that out. Whatever problems I might see with Slitherine's game acquirement and maintenance model, their sales model is reasonable. The major problem being crappy website, forums, unknown wargamer.com status etc.

Redwolf · May 27, 2016, 01:47:52 PM

Quote from: chemkid on May 27, 2016, 02:59:23 AM
look mum - no capcha!!!

http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/login.asp

(on some browsers you'll need to keep another forum-tab open...)

cheers!

OK, this must be recent. Maybe the idea that captcha for every login isn't a good tradeoff hit home, or maybe they did accept the fact that the old captcha didn't work on all browsers.

Thanks for pointing this out.