Combat Mission: Black Sea Article - Out by End of Year

[Cyrano]

It's an infantry weapon that the Wehrmacht had on the drawing table in early 1945.  I expect it will be released in one of the kit packs.

Awesome...

Given what JTS has said about the pirating of ITS games (certainly a niche within a niche if there was one) I realized that it's not the individual user stealing, but the unscrupulous throughout the world taking whatever advantage they can of an unsuspecting public.

Who, after all, doesn't want that tank?

Best,

Jim
"Cyrano"
:/7)

[TacticalWargames]

I split my teams at the start if every scenario now..it does help ease some of the little issues the series has. Still with it's faults if your a tactical wargamer nothing else really comes close. Graviteam Tactics is great but the issue it has with Inf vs Tank combat is a much bigger pain than anything in the CM series. Saying this I still love both series and will always buy follow on games.

[RyanE]

I am almost positive they are going through the effort of replacing the DRM because it works perfectly.

;D


Gotta replace it with something that works equally poorly? 


BF could've also saved a lot of headaches if they would've stuck to the original modular plan.  Release expansions and just patch up the original base game to keep everything compatible.  Instead they wanted to sell core game patches and make full price on many of the expansions by creating them as standalones.  What a mess.  Again, I point to titles like Crusader Kings 2 on how to put out a series in modular/expansion format.

The annoying DRM just can't be helped if the developers have bought into the overblown piracy paranoia.  The flames of which have been fanned by the companies selling such DRM.  "The large amounts of hardcore wargame pirates are gonna take it all!  Oh my!  You need to buy our snake oil.  Who cares if it inconveniences your customers on occasion?  DOOM!!1".  It's obviously here to stay with BF, in one form or another.

I posted this on a different forum in response to a similar post. I'm not looking to debate how prevalent piracy is or isn't. This is for entertainment purposes.

I don't know if there are ways that software makers can find out what their exposure is and I know this is completely anecdotal but I get at least one Help Desk ticket a month for someone phising for a license key.The 2 most memorable ones are a guy in China bought CMBN in some store. Long story short is that the store owner or someone purchase 3 copies, which gives you 12 activations, made discs and cases and was selling them. The most recent was this guy. He kept asking me for a key and that he didn't have the download version. With a CD only purchase the key is only in the packaging. In extremely rare occasions the key isn't there. So I asked him for his order number. He told me that he bought it in a store in France and not through BFC. As proof of his purchase he sent me this picture of the DVD case.

OK, I'll bite...how much actual revenue did BFC lose.  Would these guys have spent $200 total for BFC games off the rack.  BFC's DRM seems more of a pride thing.   No one is allowed to use their SW without their permission.  I actually worked in China for quite some time.  No way they are spending that kind of money.  Now how much has BFC spent on licensing DRM. 

[Elvis]

I posted this on a different forum in response to a similar post. I'm not looking to debate how prevalent piracy is or isn't. This is for entertainment purposes.

I don't know if there are ways that software makers can find out what their exposure is and I know this is completely anecdotal.............

[RyanE]

I can...my old company used hardware DRM.  A usb fob.  We made manufacturing automation software valued at about $800-1000 per license.  We removed the fob requirement and went to straight serial number activation.  Our sales in BRIC countries changed $0.  96% of all pirating of that SW happens in Brazil, CHina, India, and Russia.  People/companies that could afford it, bought it.  If they couldn't afford it, they pirated it regardless if it had DRM.  They never were going to buy it.

Side note:  most of the pirating happened in government organizations.

Its a pretty big cop out to jump into a conversation with anecdotal information and when challenged, state you aren't here to debate.  Its not a debate, its a discussion.  If you don't want to participate, fine, don't.  But is it really how you want to be part of discussion...I'll only talk about it if no one challenges what I say?

btw, I noticed more and more people complaining about figuring out the activation instructions.  Noted you didn't want to join in those discussions either.

[panzerde]

Its a pretty big cop out to jump into a conversation with anecdotal information and when challenged, state you aren't here to debate.  Its not a debate, its a discussion.  If you don't want to participate, fine, don't.  But is it really how you want to be part of discussion...I'll only talk about it if no one challenges what I say?

Dude. Go check your couch cushions for your sense of humor. The post was a humorous post about a ridiculous thing someone did to try and spoof a key out of Elvis. He wasn't trying to prove anything.

[Elvis]

Its a pretty big cop out to jump into a conversation with anecdotal information and when challenged, state you aren't here to debate.  Its not a debate, its a discussion.  If you don't want to participate, fine, don't.  But is it really how you want to be part of discussion...I'll only talk about it if no one challenges what I say?

Dude. Go check your couch cushions for your sense of humor. The post was a humorous post about a ridiculous thing someone did to try and spoof a key out of Elvis. He wasn't trying to prove anything.

Exactly.  That is why I put the caveat before my post. I have neither the information nor first hand knowledge to know how much this stuff affects a company.  Don't claim to. Just thought they were a couple of amusing stories. Not intended to prove or disprove anything.

[Apocalypse 31]

Not sure what you mean about physics? 

I mean...it looks like crap. Even the supposed "3.0" engine can hardly handle large maps with trees.

Soldiers and Vehicle look like stationary animations moving along a plane. Maybe it needs some tweaking in terms of gravity? Soldiers seem to go down very slowly when hit, and vehicles handle terrain...oddly.

I wish BF would use some of the money they make from these ridiculous DLC's (vehicle pack, really? RIP OFF) to improve some under-the-hood stuff thats dragging the game down, in terms of optimization and graphical quality.

[undercovergeek]

There comes a time when you just have to reconcile yourself with the fact that a game isn't for you

It will never be turn based call of duty 4

[Yskonyn]

Not sure what you mean about physics? 

I mean...it looks like crap. Even the supposed "3.0" engine can hardly handle large maps with trees.

Soldiers and Vehicle look like stationary animations moving along a plane. Maybe it needs some tweaking in terms of gravity? Soldiers seem to go down very slowly when hit, and vehicles handle terrain...oddly.

I wish BF would use some of the money they make from these ridiculous DLC's (vehicle pack, really? RIP OFF) to improve some under-the-hood stuff thats dragging the game down, in terms of optimization and graphical quality.

You are asking for AAA quality graphics from a small developer. It's not going to happen.

I agree with Geek here.

But it's too bad when you realise you just cannot get over certain aspects of a game, while the premise of it in general is so good. I have that with WitP AE. :)

[Apocalypse 31]

There comes a time when you just have to reconcile yourself with the fact that a game isn't for you

It will never be turn based call of duty 4

I'd be OK with the graphics if the game AT LEAST ran smoothly. But it doesn't; and it can't even handle its own maps. Most people have to turn the trees off to get a decent experience.

Here's another question: is 3.0 64-bit?

[Cyrano]

The graphics actually run quite well on my machine...I only turn off the trees to get a better view of what's going on.  I've run big maps and little.  CMRT 3.0 has the most advanced physics engine of any game of this type.  II've even posted a couple You Tube videos because of the crazy things this engine permits that no other game yet has.  THe system has its flaws, all do, but it's my squad level WWII game of choice and has been for over a decade.  No one, of course, can compel anyone to like something they do not, but much of what you alledge is untrue.

And, as acknowledged by Foreign Policy magazine, the designers have shown spooky prescience when it comes to modern conflicts.  I very much look forward to Black Sea and the other iterations in the CMx2 family.

Best,

Jim
"Cyrano"
:/7)

[Apocalypse 31]

much of what you alledge is untrue.

Is it 64-bit?

[Cyrano]

I honestly don't know, although I suspect not.

I have it running on both 32-bit and 64-bit rigs and it runs very well on both, but I understand that's not the question you're asking.

Best,

Jim
"Cyrano"
:/7)

[JudgeDredd]

probably not as wargamers are a frugal bunch. Many will still be running XP and 32 bit OS

Why rub out a large part of your market?