New Panzer Command Kharkov - Coming out in Oct
RobP
looks like they are trying to bring in the flexibility of CMBB and from what
I have seen they may have succeeded. The most exciting news is that if you
already own the original games, it will be a free update - Wow!
I wonder if this investment in the series is in preparation of new modules?
http://www.matrixgames.com/products/391/details/Panzer.Command:.Ostfront
ERutins
that with three releases on the market it would be tough for new
players to get all the content (they would have to buy Winterstorm and
Kharkov and Ostfront). We no longer felt that Winterstorm and Kharkov
were representative of what Panzer Command could do and we also wanted
to reward those who supported Panzer Command's earlier releases.
As a result, this is a new release that is also provided FREE to
previous owners of Panzer Command: Kharkov and it also replaces
Kharkov and Winterstorm (and includes all their content).
It is not just an update or a re-packaging though, it is a major new
release. The size of the code has more than doubled since Kharkov's
release - more has been done for this release than for the last two
put together in terms of development work.
Keep an eye on our site in the next few weeks as we post more previews
of Ostfront.
Regards,
- Erik
Mike Kreuzer
eddys...@hotmail.com
A sigh of relief is heard over at Battlefront HQ - at one point in
time it was rumoured it would be a West front game and with
Battlefront's own CM Normandy in the dolldrums it would have been a
head-to-head confrontation.
Greetz,
Eddy Sterckx
KG_Jag
Matrix and Mad Russian are saving that for the first--and fully for
pay--release with the fully updated game engine.
The way things are going, they might beat Battlefront's release of CMN.
eddys...@hotmail.com
> Matrix and Mad Russian are saving that for the first--and fully for
> pay--release with the fully updated game engine.
>
> The way things are going, they might beat Battlefront's release of CMN.
I noticed the "Release date betting pool" over at GameSquad - even the
most pessimistic prediction is starting to look optimistic right now.
To be fair : the current CM engine is at a lower tactical level,
almost a platoon level tactical shooter, than the Panzer Command
engine and there will be fans of and for both systems.
Also notice the difference in scope : Panzer Command : the East Front
- (CM:BB anyone ?), CM:Normandy in contrast will have a *very*
restricted scope : US vs Germans in Normandy - no British or other
riff-raff, and certainly not covering the late 1944 period (Bulge, M-
G, Saar, ...)
Greetz,
Eddy Sterckx
smr
Hm; I've almost pulled the trigger on the earlier entries many times but
never fully did. This looks like a no-brainer now.
--
smr
eddys...@hotmail.com
> Hm; I've almost pulled the trigger on the earlier entries many times but
> never fully did. This looks like a no-brainer now.
My only complaint about these games is the 2-phase thingie. In the
first phase of your turn you can give orders to units, some of which
allow you to change those during the second order phase. I understand
the concept and why it makes sense (charge full-ahead and you can’t
react to enemy reactions, advance cautiously and be able to adapt to
suddenly changing circumstances) but for me it breaks something and
that something is immersion. You’re constantly going “why can’t I do
that?” only to come to the conclusion “oh, yeah, we’re in phase 2 now
– blast” – it breaks the flow of the game and I’d be more happy if
they had gone all the way and “borrowed” that aspect of the CM games
as well.
Oh, that and unit identification in the bottom part of the screen –
they’re now generic icons so you have to rely on memory to be able to
know which pictogram there represents which unit on the screen.
But as I’ve got the 2 previous games this will be a freebee for me so
YEAH, <APPLAUSE> bring it on ! :)
Greetz,
Eddy Sterckx
eddys...@hotmail.com
wrote:
> On 18 aug, 19:50, smr <m...@shawnritchie.com> wrote:
>
> > Hm; I've almost pulled the trigger on the earlier entries many times but
> > never fully did. This looks like a no-brainer now.
>
> My only complaint about these games is the 2-phase thingie. In the
> first phase of your turn you can give orders to units, some of which
> allow you to change those during the second order phase. I understand
> the concept and why it makes sense (charge full-ahead and you can’t
> react to enemy reactions, advance cautiously and be able to adapt to
> suddenly changing circumstances) but for me it breaks something and
> that something is immersion. You’re constantly going “why can’t I do
> that?” only to come to the conclusion “oh, yeah, we’re in phase 2 now
> – blast” – it breaks the flow of the game and I’d be more happy if
> they had gone all the way and “borrowed” that aspect of the CM games
> as well.
Scratch the above - going over the new specs they're going to give you
the following options :
40 Second Orders with or without a Reaction Phase
60 Second Orders with or without a Reaction Phase
80 Second Orders without a Reaction Phase
60 second turns without a reaction phase - where have I seen this
before ? :)
Greetz,
Eddy Sterckx
Giftzwerg
2c8be5...@l20g2000yqm.googlegroups.com>, eddys...@hotmail.com
says...
> > Hm; I've almost pulled the trigger on the earlier entries many times but
> > never fully did. This looks like a no-brainer now.
>
> My only complaint about these games is the 2-phase thingie. In the
> first phase of your turn you can give orders to units, some of which
> allow you to change those during the second order phase. I understand
> the concept and why it makes sense (charge full-ahead and you can t
> react to enemy reactions, advance cautiously and be able to adapt to
> suddenly changing circumstances) but for me it breaks something and
> that something is immersion. You re constantly going why can t I do
> that? only to come to the conclusion oh, yeah, we re in phase 2 now
> blast it breaks the flow of the game and I d be more happy if
> they had gone all the way and borrowed that aspect of the CM games
> as well.
Yeah. They should just change this to a full-on WEGO. This bifurcated
system seems like a weird leftover from somebody's tabletop gaming meal
- which it probably is.
> Oh, that and unit identification in the bottom part of the screen
> they re now generic icons so you have to rely on memory to be able to
> know which pictogram there represents which unit on the screen.
>
> But as I ve got the 2 previous games this will be a freebee for me so
> YEAH, <APPLAUSE> bring it on ! :)
Yeah. I love freebies, and we've gotten a couple of nice ones from this
quarter. The TIME OF WRATH re-write was excellent, and now the whole
Ostfront for owners of PC:OWS and PC:K.
Bring it on!
--
Giftzwerg
***
"Obama managed to stake a brave stand on a principle no one seriously
contests - the legal right to build the mosque - while voting "present"
on the question that matters: whether they *should* or not. This is
high-toned dodginess, insipidity masquerading as incisiveness."
- Rich Lowry
BasKa
Bas
Giftzwerg
@x42g2000yqx.googlegroups.com>, cur...@hetnet.nl says...
> Nice article on Tactical Wargamer: http://thetacticalwargamer.blogspot.com/
"Is Matrix doing the right thing giving away so much milk for free?"
I'm of a few opinions about this:
(1) As someone who purchased both previous games, I'm absolutely
delighted that to get a free upgrade that throws the whole of the
Eastern Front into a pretty decent game engine. Indeed, my chief
complaint about PANZER CAMPAIGNS 1 and 2 was that they were charging me
twice for *less* of the Ostfront than I got with CMBB. So this makes me
very, very happy with my purchase, and more likely to purchase more
stuff.
(2) On the other hand, I would have paid for it. Something like an
"owners of previous games can upgrade for $20" would have delighted me
only somewhat less than the freebie. This "Gold Version" type thing has
been around forever, with new buyers having to spend the full amount but
loyal customers getting a price break.
(3) There are really two distinct issues here, and I'm not sure the
author makes a clear distinction between "giving buyers of new content
the old content for free" and (what Matrix is doing in this case)
"giving buyers of old content the new content for free."
Giving old content to buyers of new content is a time-tested and
excellent strategy. For example, SSG threw in a full version of THE
ARDENNES OFFENSIVE - previously a $50 game - in BATTLES IN NORMANDY.
Why not do this? It costs (relatively) little to upgrade old content -
and it's a *huge* selling point for the new content that it includes a
version of the older game a prospective buyer might already like.
But giving new content to buyers of old content is a whole new thing.
In some cases, it's an obvious thing - IE, when WW2: ROAD TO VICTORY
became TIME OF WRATH, I would have been a bit pissed if they'd made my
buy it again for an upgrade.
In this case, though, with PANZER COMMAND: OSTFRONT, they're building a
new and improved game with tons of *new* content, and giving it to
buyers of the old games.
eddys...@hotmail.com
> "Is Matrix doing the right thing giving away so much milk for free?"
Ok, I’ll type out here what everyone is thinking
Panzer Command originally got developed by Koios which went defunct
and Matrix bought the rights to it and put a new guy on it, all on
their dime. So it’s one of the few internal developments they have
where they don’t need an immediate return but can take a longer view
and increase or build a market share in that segment.
Now, who are they competing with with this product ? Pretty obviously
it’s Battlefront with their Combat Mission flagship who are currently
struggling finish their new game. Now, despite everyone calling each
other colleagues in public every publisher IRL is a business rival of
another and there’s not much love lost between them – it’s business
after all.
So if Matrix by releasing this product for free to a lot of gamers can
build some traction for this game-system they’re well-positioned to
put the hurt on Battlefront in several areas
Scope : Battlefront has announced they’ll return to the East front –
only, there will be 4 base games (called families), each one
incompatible with the next and having various add-on modules to cover
the entire East Front 1941-1945 period. So we’re looking at 8-12 games
here, whereas the Matrix release is basically the CM:BB experience :
the whole East front in one package. No guesses which approach is more
popular.
Availability : CM:BB is getting a bit old and has some problems with
modern OS systems and graphic cards / drivers and a lot of people
found it extremely insulting Battlefront is actually *selling* a patch
to fix some problems on Vista. Selling a patch for a game you still
sell in your store should rightly be frowned upon imho. So, what’s an
East front nut to do ? Well, shell out $50 for decent graphics and
modern OS support is one option.
Price : Matrix need not make a profit on Panzer Command – just break
even is good enough – whereas the survival of Battlefront depends on
CMx2, they need to make a profit - and a good one – because their mean
time between releases is years not months.
Add to the mix that a lot of CM old-timers got pretty disgruntled by
the Battlefront owner antics in their forum and the way CM:SF got
released, not to mention their DRM, and you end up with a situation
where Matrix might be successful in taking the un-assailable position
Battlefront was in a couple of years ago in the 3D tactical wargame
segment.
You could worry about the ethics of it all but I look at it from a
pure consumer point of view : this sort of competition leads to a free
new game for me.
Greetz,
Eddy Sterckx
smr
Time of Wrath was a gem, and I'm still kind of stunned it was basically
just a free patch. Almost every other developer would've slapped a II on
the title and shipped that puppy for full or near-full freight.
That said, I'm really hoping Hubert of Strategic Command fame is doing a
major rethink given that Civ 5 itself, his inspiration, is going to hexes,
and that Strategic Command 3 will be a hex-based rewrite of the full
StratCom 2 family of games.
--
smr
smr
That cinches it, basically. I liked CM's system and never felt cheated; I
know the risks of going full throttle for 60 seconds. Looks like I'll feel
get a successor of sorts.
--
smr
Giftzwerg
@i13g2000yqd.googlegroups.com>, eddys...@hotmail.com says...
> You could worry about the ethics of it all but I look at it from a
> pure consumer point of view : this sort of competition leads to a free
> new game for me.
PC: OSTFRONT already smells like my #2 choice for WOTY - kinda ironic
for a free re-working of something I already own, eh?
KG_Jag
It's all really simple and smart by Matrix.
The PC two game series was seen by most CM x 1 gamers as mildly
amusing games with some interesting "innovations", but ultimately
inferior to CMBB. Even together they also contained far less content.
Since then BF has all but abandoned their CM x 1 mountain top,
electing to go with a RT engine (with WEGO bolted on) and tiny slices
of content. Meanwhile Matrix has picked up the PC rights and has a
great deal of free/cheap labor, many of whom are luminaries in the CM
x 1 community. PC-OF is the prototype for an improved engine and
series of games.
What to do next.
Objective: grab the CM x 1 customer base. Method: get them to try the
improved PC by offering free content for those who have paid for PC-
K. Great PR and probably great penetration of the desired market.
Even if you have to buy PC-K or PC-OF, it's still not a bad deal and
should attract some more gamers.
After you have established your customer base, largely based on the
already assemble CM x 1 players, release your new and improved PC
engine and games for them to buy.
Maybe there are some parallels between this and the two free Grigsby
DOS games Matrix started with.
Giftzwerg
7df6c0...@q21g2000prm.googlegroups.com>, wbur...@netscape.net
says...
> It's all really simple and smart by Matrix.
>
> The PC two game series was seen by most CM x 1 gamers as mildly
> amusing games with some interesting "innovations", but ultimately
> inferior to CMBB. Even together they also contained far less content.
>
> Since then BF has all but abandoned their CM x 1 mountain top,
> electing to go with a RT engine (with WEGO bolted on) and tiny slices
> of content. Meanwhile Matrix has picked up the PC rights and has a
> great deal of free/cheap labor, many of whom are luminaries in the CM
> x 1 community. PC-OF is the prototype for an improved engine and
> series of games.
>
> What to do next.
>
> Objective: grab the CM x 1 customer base. Method: get them to try the
> improved PC by offering free content for those who have paid for PC-
> K. Great PR and probably great penetration of the desired market.
> Even if you have to buy PC-K or PC-OF, it's still not a bad deal and
> should attract some more gamers.
>
> After you have established your customer base, largely based on the
> already assemble CM x 1 players, release your new and improved PC
> engine and games for them to buy.
>
> Maybe there are some parallels between this and the two free Grigsby
> DOS games Matrix started with.
Well reasoned, and I can't help but agree.
What I can't help remembering is my primary complaint about both PC:OWS
and PC:K - "not enough of the Eastern Front for my $$$$." I'm certain I
went on to whine that "CMBB gave me the whole smash for $50!"
My other complaint was the weird, gamey "reaction phase" bifurcation.
At this point, Matrix has replied to my two main criticisms of the
product with a polite equivalent of:
"OK, asshat-Giftzerg, here's the whole Ostfront, styled in the exact
WEGO format you were bitching about. Oh, and since you bought the games
you were pissin' & moanin' about, you can have the thing for free. Is
that good enough?"
Uh. Yeah. Jeepers. How do I craft some sort of non-stupid argument
against getting exactly what I asked for, without paying more than I
already did, plus an enormous expansion?
I'm dying to see how Mario is going to spin this as some sort of
monstrous Matrix conspiracy to become History's Greatest Monster.
Mike Kreuzer
> In article <cd1f4ca1-d38f-4183-bfcb-e201b44e89b0
> @i13g2000yqd.googlegroups.com>, eddys...@hotmail.com says...
>
> > You could worry about the ethics of it all but I look at it from a
> > pure consumer point of view : this sort of competition leads to a
> > free
> > new game for me.
>
> PC: OSTFRONT already smells like my #2 choice for WOTY - kinda ironic
> for a free re-working of something I already own, eh?
>
>
Same here, but only If they ever fix the damn bugs in BFTB, otherwise it
might just be my #1.
Waiting on the patch to write a review that says BFTB gets 5 stars,
cause in its current state I can't, but it deserves it so very almost.
Can't decide whether that's the "right thing" to do, but what the hey.
Regards,
Mike Kreuzer
www.mikekreuzer.com
Mike Kreuzer
LOL, looks like there might be some juice left in the old girl yet. If I
get to eat my hat and they resist their current slitherine infection
I'll be happy. Even if it doesn't last ... <g>
Regards,
Mike Kreuzer
www.mikekreuzer.com
Giftzwerg
FIRSTNAMEk...@news.tpg.com.au>, mi...@FIRSTNAMEkreuzer.com says...
> > PC: OSTFRONT already smells like my #2 choice for WOTY - kinda ironic
> > for a free re-working of something I already own, eh?
> Same here, but only If they ever fix the damn bugs in BFTB, otherwise it
> might just be my #1.
>
> Waiting on the patch to write a review that says BFTB gets 5 stars,
> cause in its current state I can't, but it deserves it so very almost.
> Can't decide whether that's the "right thing" to do, but what the hey.
I've never seen a single bug in BFTB. Indeed, it's only because gamers
whose opinion I respect - IE, you, Pete Symonds ... some other guy whose
name I forget, but who's not a flake - have reported these bugs that I
grant they exist.
But I'm familiar with the "Panther" mode of bugfixing; in the previous
two games, they've issued several patches for bugs that I wasn't being
bitten by. OK. Great.
I guess. <g>
Giftzwerg
FIRSTNAMEk...@news.tpg.com.au>, mi...@FIRSTNAMEkreuzer.com says...
> LOL, looks like there might be some juice left in the old girl yet. If I
> get to eat my hat and they resist their current slitherine infection
> I'll be happy. Even if it doesn't last ... <g>
And, unfortunately, I find myself returning to a familiar theme: "It
ain't like we're wading hip-deep through new games these days."
eddys...@hotmail.com
> I'm dying to see how Mario is going to spin this as some sort of
> monstrous Matrix conspiracy to become History's Greatest Monster.
Easy. Translate the following into gibberish : Matrix already is the
800 Lb gorilla. Battlefront over the years has lost a lot of
developers (Panther Games, JMM, Dan Verssen, Sonalyst, Major H
retired) and in return only attracted those dingy Russian designs like
PT Boats and Theater of War. Basically what keeps them afloat these
days is Hubert Cater and his Strategic Command games and their own
modern CMx2 games which they claim sold well but going by the forum
activity compared to the CMx1 days that’s doubtful. So they’re a 2-
trick pony and now the gorilla is learning one of “their” tricks as
well. Also given the merger with Slitherine this could lead to Matrix
gaining some sort of monopoly on the market which Mario, the White
Knight in Somewhat Stained Armour, will fight to the death - or at
least until his first bruise.
To be fair : monopolies are never a good thing but as long as the
Matrix guys keep their finger on the pulse of what gamers want and can
deliver it I don’t see the problem. The day their heads become so
swollen they don’t care about their customers anymore things might
change, but for the moment compared to how Battlefront or Paradox or
SES - horresco referens – are treating their customers I think they
could learn a thing or two from the Big Gorilla.
Greetz,
Eddy Sterckx
eddys...@hotmail.com
> In article <309005820303966757.945223mike-
> FIRSTNAMEkreuzer....@news.tpg.com.au>, m...@FIRSTNAMEkreuzer.com says...
>
> > LOL, looks like there might be some juice left in the old girl yet. If I
> > get to eat my hat and they resist their current slitherine infection
> > I'll be happy. Even if it doesn't last ... <g>
>
> And, unfortunately, I find myself returning to a familiar theme: "It
> ain't like we're wading hip-deep through new games these days."
33 wargames so far this year – but quantity ain’t quality :)
Greetz,
Eddy Sterckx
Mike Kreuzer
> In article <309005820303966757.945223mike-
> FIRSTNAMEk...@news.tpg.com.au>, mi...@FIRSTNAMEkreuzer.com
> says...
>
> > LOL, looks like there might be some juice left in the old girl yet.
> > If I
> > get to eat my hat and they resist their current slitherine infection
> > I'll be happy. Even if it doesn't last ... <g>
>
> And, unfortunately, I find myself returning to a familiar theme: "It
> ain't like we're wading hip-deep through new games these days."
>
>
>
I found myself downloading a demo for Norb's Gettysburg the other day,
though I haven't found the time to install it yet. Seems I had more
issues with that guy than most, but it'd be the why-oh-why DRM that
would hold me back. And even that hasn't stopped me very occasionally
(combat mission eg).
Regards,
Mike Kreuzer
www.mikekreuzer.com
Mike Kreuzer
Exactly my experience with COTA. I remember thinking 'Patch? Bugs?
WTF?'
Seems to revolve around attack timing, maybe grouping artillery units;
not sure, somewhere there, the new attack timing stuff presumably. I'm
confident of (& impatient for!) a fix.
Regards,
Mike Kreuzer
www.mikekreuzer.com
Vincenzo Beretta
> days is Hubert Cater and his Strategic Command games
> and their own modern CMx2 games which they claim sold
> well but going by the forum activity compared to the CMx1
> days that’s doubtful.
Right now I have 1140 between scenarios and campaigns on my HD for the first
three Combat Mission games. I wonder how many there are around for the CMx2
series combined.
It is interesting, BTW, how a Google search for "Combat Mission 2" scenarios
returns, as the first entries, only links to scenarios for CMBB...
> The day their heads become so swollen they don’t care about their
> customers anymore things might change, but for the moment compared
> to how Battlefront or Paradox or SES - horresco referens – are
> treating their customers I think they could learn a thing or two
> from the Big Gorilla.
It is worth mentioning how the first two managed to shoot their own balls
*without* even having a monopoly.
eddys...@hotmail.com
> > The day their heads become so swollen they don’t care about their
> > customers anymore things might change, but for the moment compared
> > to how Battlefront or Paradox or SES - horresco referens – are
> > treating their customers I think they could learn a thing or two
> > from the Big Gorilla.
>
> It is worth mentioning how the first two managed to shoot their own balls
> *without* even having a monopoly.
Monopolies in publishing are pretty much a thing of the past anyway –
back in the days if you owned the only printing press in town you
might have, but a content-developer wanting to bypass a or all the
publishers these days can do it for a reasonable cost in time & money.
The two most recent (digital) subscriptions I took were handled
directly between me and the author with the help of good ol’ Paypal,
not a publisher or middleman in sight.
Greetz,
Eddy Sterckx
Bloodstar
> monstrous Matrix conspiracy to become History's Greatest Monster.
Gee I don't know what's this has to do with me?
I gotta comment every move by Matrix? I don't think so...
But if you want it - I am not very interested in these kind of games.... So
that's a very big thing that Matrix is giving away something for free?
Hahahahaha. Gifty you can do better.
As I understand it, 35 $ is this game and ONLY if you bought those previous
versions you get to upgrade to new standards.... Nothing especially FREE or
new, because other companies have done this in the past so Matrix didn't
invented a hot water in UK washing tubes or something...
And as I've see - they boast how majority of work is done by community so
that explains a little bit why something is for free.
Voila.
But Gifty you are so praiseworthy of Matrix I am still waiting to hear just
ONE good word about some European company (or wargame company...)... Well I
know that Erik Rutins lives in Vermont like you so on top of American
Nationalism we here have Local Patriotismus as well :)
Who knows maybe you are neighbours, that's why so much positive attitude
toward Matrix and closing eyes to those negative things.
Mario
CaligulasHorse
>
> I'm dying to see how Mario is going to spin this as some sort of
> monstrous Matrix conspiracy to become History's Greatest Monster.
Matrix stole their business plan from his ideas, of course. He should
learn to keep these to himself, maybe just discuss with god only,
become a great capitalist and have pretty girls feed him cigars and
cognac while poor peasants wait outside in the snow with beets and
turnips to pay rent to him for their dirty cottages and sell their
daughters to him. But he is too good a man and loves the world too
much to keep everything to himself.
Bloodstar
tells me that Matrix wanted a PR stunt to somehow "wash" their face in front
of public.
And maybe even discussions on this Usenet group made them to think what they
doing....
Head over to Gamersgate - Civilization IV Complete ONLY 9.98 Euros!
How about that for a FREE thing???
Look around at other prices... Umph....
While Matrix Games is "learning", Gamersgate is pissing them over!
Mario
Bloodstar
learn to keep these to himself, maybe just discuss with god only,
become a great capitalist and have pretty girls feed him cigars and
cognac while poor peasants wait outside in the snow with beets and
turnips to pay rent to him for their dirty cottages and sell their
daughters to him. But he is too good a man and loves the world too
much to keep everything to himself.
-------
Gee gimme a break would you?
All of you!
You are all very boring and have privatised this ng for your Matrix ass
kissing so any other opinion is not tollerated.
OK, no problem, I will certanly post less here.
And any monkey who will ridicule my right to say anything I want here is
going to my killfile.
You are first.
So if I have to I will put all of you in my killfile because nobody will
tell me what I can say on this ng. God damn it I was here before majority of
you!
God damn idiots!
Vincenzo Beretta
>
> How about that for a FREE thing???
Has it server activation?
Vincenzo Beretta
> kissing so any other opinion is not tollerated.
The "Harpoon" and "Operation Barbarossa" ass kissings are expecially XXX
rated...
Giftzwerg
FIRSTNAMEk...@news.tpg.com.au>, mi...@FIRSTNAMEkreuzer.com says...
> Exactly my experience with COTA. I remember thinking 'Patch? Bugs?
> WTF?'
>
> Seems to revolve around attack timing, maybe grouping artillery units;
> not sure, somewhere there, the new attack timing stuff presumably. I'm
> confident of (& impatient for!) a fix.
That explains it, then, because I never use this feature. My orders to
battalions are always, "What? Attack as soon as possible!"
Giftzwerg
FIRSTNAMEk...@news.tpg.com.au>, mi...@FIRSTNAMEkreuzer.com says...
> > And, unfortunately, I find myself returning to a familiar theme: "It
> > ain't like we're wading hip-deep through new games these days."
> I found myself downloading a demo for Norb's Gettysburg the other day,
> though I haven't found the time to install it yet. Seems I had more
> issues with that guy than most, but it'd be the why-oh-why DRM that
> would hold me back. And even that hasn't stopped me very occasionally
> (combat mission eg).
I started out defending him ... but he managed to piss me off in about
11 minutes.
Giftzwerg
george.w...@microsoft.com says...
> But Gifty you are so praiseworthy of Matrix I am still waiting to hear just
> ONE good word about some European company (or wargame company...)...
Gimme a link. I'd buy a Martian game these days.
eddys...@hotmail.com
> In article <i4lf1i$uo...@sunce.iskon.hr>,
> george.washing...@microsoft.com says...
>
> > But Gifty you are so praiseworthy of Matrix I am still waiting to hear just
> > ONE good word about some European company (or wargame company...)...
>
> Gimme a link. I'd buy a Martian game these days.
Who but a total moron gives a rat's ass about on what continent a game
originated ?
In addition : the upcoming follow-up game to Advanced Tactics called
Decisive Campaigns : The Blitzkrieg from Warsaw to Paris is a Dutch,
thus European production which you called a buy-day-1 no-brainer.
The Encyclopedia Britannica : a collection of books filled with things
Mario doesn't know anything about.
Greetz,
Eddy Sterckx
Giftzwerg
@m1g2000yqo.googlegroups.com>, eddys...@hotmail.com says...
> > Gimme a link. I'd buy a Martian game these days.
>
> Who but a total moron gives a rat's ass about on what continent a game
> originated ?
>
> In addition : the upcoming follow-up game to Advanced Tactics called
> Decisive Campaigns : The Blitzkrieg from Warsaw to Paris is a Dutch,
> thus European production which you called a buy-day-1 no-brainer.
Almost 100% of the time, I don't even *know* what area / country /
continent has produced a software product. Nor do I care.
eddys...@hotmail.com
> In article <1f096714-0076-4a96-b251-933bdfdbd866
>
> > > Gimme a link. I'd buy a Martian game these days.
>
> > Who but a total moron gives a rat's ass about on what continent a game
> > originated ?
>
> > In addition : the upcoming follow-up game to Advanced Tactics called
> > Decisive Campaigns : The Blitzkrieg from Warsaw to Paris is a Dutch,
> > thus European production which you called a buy-day-1 no-brainer.
>
> Almost 100% of the time, I don't even *know* what area / country /
> continent has produced a software product. Nor do I care.
I do know and care because if it's a Russian / Swedish product I tend
to avoid it - the only quality control they seem to do over there is
"did it compile"
Greetz,
Eddy Sterckx
Bloodstar
OK. Word. :)
Bloodstar
> rated...
Ok.Ok...
But you should be aware that my criticism of Matrix Games was even good for
them!
They can learn from that. In fact my honesty and fair criticism is
benefitial for their business. :)
No matter how strange it may sound.
Maybe I have overreacted few times :) and I admit that mostly I exaggerate
things so I will calm this down and try to express my arguments in a more
friendly and amicable way.
OK, I admit that, mea culpa.
For the sake of this hobby I promise that I will be more "nicer" :)
Mario
Bloodstar
>
> Has it server activation?
Don't know, my friend bought it....
Vincenzo Beretta
> country / continent has produced a software product.
> Nor do I care.
Expecially these days, when the design can be French, the main coding shared
between China and Poland, the script Canadian...
I stumbled upon the credits of "Assassin's Creed" a while ago (a friend of
mine worked on it): I think half of the World is represented in the game,
from the USA to Singapore - this even excluding localization efforts.
Vincenzo Beretta
> benefitial for their business. :)
No s*it: everytime you "criticise" Matrix the game becomes a must buy :^D
eddys...@hotmail.com
There's a movie critic over here who performs the same invaluable
service : whenever he praises a movie I know it's going to be a boring
intellectual snore-fest I must avoid at all costs and whenever he
savagely attacks a movie, I fire up the browser to beat the crowd and
buy tickets online.
Mario's uncanny ability to pick winners and losers, albeit 180 degrees
removed from reality is thus a great bonus to this ng - we should
cherish people like that :)
Greetz,
Eddy Sterckx
Bloodstar
>> benefitial for their business. :)
>
> No s*it: everytime you "criticise" Matrix the game becomes a must buy :^D
You may put it that way.... :)
But from a business side - as Frank already noticed - I will give his
example - his money bills were going to Impulse rather than Matrix Games...
So I guess that logically much more audience are thinking this way...
My example - if i had the demo of Advanced Tactics and Commander Europe at
War, I would not buy it... was too lazy to check precursor to AT.
PR campaign of Commander: Europe at War talked about new Panzer General,
when I did buy that shit it turned out to be really bad game which I tossed
away after I played it just a little bit. Lost money.
Case number too... Although Advanced Tactics is not a bad game, it showed
that it simply lacks quality of a TOAW. Which I adore... I falled on that
TOAW PR thing :)
Lost money again...
So it's not animosity of Matrix Games but I will definetly choose wisely
next time when I purchase from them. I am sure that many gamers think same
way.
It's not exactly the same if you toss away 10 $ or 50 $.
That's why we need demo, if game is a turkey then sell it for 20$ top. I am
generous here.
Logic behind not releasing demo with a game came back and haunt Matrix Games
:)
Because people will be more careful with their purchase once they have been
burned.
Even higher price can be justified if there is a demo for gamer to try game
first.
Mario
Vincenzo Beretta
> WTF?'
(Cough)Resupply(/cough)
In all fairness, the design was so solid that I went crazy to discover why
my units weren't being resupplied - even taking the step of (gasp!) checking
the manuals. Only when I had access to an internet cafe (I was on vacation)
I discovered that it was a bug in the release version.
Vincenzo Beretta
> invaluable service : whenever he praises a movie I know
> it's going to be a boring intellectual snore-fest I must avoid
> at all costs and whenever he savagely attacks a movie, I
> fire up the browser to beat the crowd and buy tickets
> online.
Bierf OT. There are two sites I check out, just for fun, for movie reviews:
"Christian Spotlight on the Movies" and "The Socialist Website". Guess which
one among the two turns out to be the "fundamentalist" one? Yup, The
Socialist Website.
Christian Spotlight tries to judge the movie on its merits and then,
separately, on Christian issues. Their reviews, thus, often become
interesting - and we are speaking about a site were you can buy DVDs about
how the World was created in seven days. The Socialist Website never fails
to rant about why "Up!" by Pixar doesn't represent socialism in a correct
way.
RobP
"Mike Kreuzer" <mi...@FIRSTNAMEkreuzer.com> wrote in message
news:1890239593303966349.10034...@news.tpg.com.au...
> Giftzwerg <giftzw...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>> In article <cd1f4ca1-d38f-4183-bfcb-e201b44e89b0
>> @i13g2000yqd.googlegroups.com>, eddys...@hotmail.com says...
>>
>> > You could worry about the ethics of it all but I look at it from a
>> > pure consumer point of view : this sort of competition leads to a
>> > free
>> > new game for me.
>>
>> PC: OSTFRONT already smells like my #2 choice for WOTY - kinda ironic
>> for a free re-working of something I already own, eh?
>>
>>
>
> Same here, but only If they ever fix the damn bugs in BFTB, otherwise it
> might just be my #1.
>
> Waiting on the patch to write a review that says BFTB gets 5 stars,
> cause in its current state I can't, but it deserves it so very almost.
> Can't decide whether that's the "right thing" to do, but what the hey.
>
> Regards,
> Mike Kreuzer
> www.mikekreuzer.com
I agree. I have stopped playing BFTB for the moment - its just too unstable
for me. Nothing worse than getting to near the end of a scenario, knowing
you are about to bag a great victory, only to have the game crash on you.
The odd thing is that I have never had a single problem or issue with either
HTTR or COTA.
The minute the patch comes out I will be back to playing again!
eddys...@hotmail.com
Yeah, we should have caught it, but with Arjuna pumping out a new beta
version every couple of days it became hard to test everything from
scratch again so shortcuts were taken, like only testing the short
scenarios ... where supply of course does not matter a lot.
Lesson learned there.
Greetz,
Eddy Sterckx
Bloodstar
>> invaluable service : whenever he praises a movie I know
>> it's going to be a boring intellectual snore-fest I must avoid
>> at all costs and whenever he savagely attacks a movie, I
>> fire up the browser to beat the crowd and buy tickets
>> online.
Well, Eddy is in my cell number 13 :) so I cannot answer directly to him...
I must repeat some things ad nauseam I guess :)
It's not same thing... I have said that Advanced Tactics IS A GOOD GAME!
But results was the same, I tossed away my money. After TOAW it felt like
pale, pale, pale copy of TOAW.
It may look a little bit like TOAW but it is another design that is simply
not of my liking. That's why I go back, and back and back to TOAW. :)
It was not my cup of tea, that's all!
So you cannot just toss in a marketing and PR campaign that this is
something a la TOAW when TOAW is 1000 stellar years ahead of Advanced
Tactics. Even now.
Well, that only speak about TOAW quality and test of time of it's design.
I just couldn't even make myself to try PBEM in AT... I'd rather play TOAW
PBEM :)
Sorry.
I don't say that many people liked AT but that PR campaign is just lousy.
TOAW is just 1000 times better game than AT. So you cannot just slap that
TOAW hook on your marketing campaign because TOAW is ZEN BUDISM compared
with AT.
That's all. If there was a demo then people would not be tricked on this
cheap way.
Mario
eddys...@hotmail.com
> Christian Spotlight tries to judge the movie on its merits and then,
> separately, on Christian issues. Their reviews, thus, often become
> interesting - and we are speaking about a site were you can buy DVDs about
> how the World was created in seven days.
A deity not able to create or destroy a world in under half an hour is
not worthy of my devotion :)
Ctulhu for President !
Greetz,
Eddy Sterckx
Bloodstar
sorry wanted to say - didn't liked... I know that that game was popular and
liked by many but as I said it is not even comparable with TOAW.
TOAW is God of wargames compared with AT. Simple as that.
Bloodstar
TOAW!!!!
Compared with AT!
Once I come back, I must do some things...
But on a side note - as I am also amateur historian and I have tons of books
on WW2 and WW1. (Those Ziemke books are just amazingly well written, I could
read them so many times again and again!). So while I read history books
TOAW suits very well to try some tactics, real military tactics. Books fire
up your imagination and good game is a good tool to try those ideas that
could come while your read a good book!
TOAW have those good scenarios that goes well with those books.
AT have those generic units and I felt like playing some Risk alike game and
while AAR promised that game has potential that scenario with East Front in
it is just not like TOAW.
In good TOAW scenario you almost feel like Halder or Kleist :)
And units in AT were generic. Infantry, planes etc, ridiculous... Combat was
also like kiddie stuff - compared with TOAW magnificent TO&E details...
In TOAW you see, aha, I've lost 80 tanks (real situation!) charging
frontally at KIEV fortress in FiTE scenario!
So you think a little bit and try another thing because as German you have
limited and I mean very limited numers of tanks and you don't want that by
winter you have few tanks... You must think ahead like in chess etc...
Mario
Briarroot
> On Aug 20, 7:57 am, Giftzwerg<giftzwerg...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> I'm dying to see how Mario is going to spin this as some sort of
>> monstrous Matrix conspiracy to become History's Greatest Monster.
>
> Matrix stole their business plan from his ideas, of course. He should
> learn to keep these to himself, maybe just discuss with god only,
> become a great capitalist and have pretty girls feed him cigars and
> cognac while poor peasants wait outside in the snow with beets and
> turnips to pay rent to him for their dirty cottages and sell their
> daughters to him. But he is too good a man and loves the world too
> much to keep everything to himself.
Heheheh! ;-)
--
"The creation of Israel did not involve the destruction of a Palestinian
state, there having been no such state since the Romans arrived. And if
the Jewish percentage of the world's population were today what it was
when the Romans ruled Palestine, there would be 200 million Jews. After
a uniquely hazardous passage through two millennia without a homeland,
there are 13 million Jews.
In the 62 years since this homeland was founded on one-sixth of 1
percent of the land of what is carelessly and inaccurately called "the
Arab world," Israelis have never known an hour of real peace.
Patronizing American lectures on the reality of risks and the
desirableness of peace, which once were merely fatuous, are now
obscene." - George Will, The Washington Post
Briarroot
>> Matrix stole their business plan from his ideas, of course. He should
>> learn to keep these to himself, maybe just discuss with god only,
>> become a great capitalist and have pretty girls feed him cigars and
>> cognac while poor peasants wait outside in the snow with beets and
>> turnips to pay rent to him for their dirty cottages and sell their
>> daughters to him. But he is too good a man and loves the world too
>> much to keep everything to himself.
>
>
>
> All of you!
>
> You are all very boring and have privatised this ng for your Matrix ass
> kissing so any other opinion is not tollerated.
>
> OK, no problem, I will certanly post less here.
>
> And any monkey who will ridicule my right to say anything I want here is
> going to my killfile.
>
> You are first.
>
Why killfile anyone? Nobody can stop you from saying anything you
please, and why would anyone bother? At the very least, you're often
entertaining.
> So if I have to I will put all of you in my killfile because nobody will
> tell me what I can say on this ng. God damn it I was here before majority of
> you!
>
> God damn idiots!
>
Stop being so thin-skinned. If you can't take being criticized for your
opinions then you're in the wrong forum!
Briarroot
>> The "Harpoon" and "Operation Barbarossa" ass kissings are expecially XXX
>> rated...
>
> Ok.Ok...
>
> But you should be aware that my criticism of Matrix Games was even good for
> them!
>
> They can learn from that. In fact my honesty and fair criticism is
> benefitial for their business. :)
>
> No matter how strange it may sound.
>
whoop. {<- little whoop}
> Maybe I have overreacted few times :) and I admit that mostly I exaggerate
> things so I will calm this down and try to express my arguments in a more
> friendly and amicable way.
> OK, I admit that, mea culpa.
>
> For the sake of this hobby I promise that I will be more "nicer" :)
>
WHOOP! {<- big whoop}
Bloodstar
> and why would anyone bother? At the very least, you're often
> entertaining.
Maybe you are right. Maybe I have overreacted as ussual. The thing is that I
am not some kind of a lunatic without logic - which some people think hehe.
Voila, let them think. Bonjour :)
I can say some very logical thing :) and also put up some good arguments and
I don't run away from any discussion. I stand my ground. In that regard I am
fighter for my cause and quite serious in this. Cause - ie. I will defend my
arguments, but when I am wrong I will admit that. Rarely, quite rarely I am
wrong. Because then someone will turn my arguments against me and that
happen in maybe 1% because I am also blood & flesh and sometime I may be
wrong. But when my arguments tend to be unanswered - that is my victory :)
Well, I am long time Usenet dog :)
> Stop being so thin-skinned. If you can't take being criticized for your
> opinions then you're in the wrong forum!
With that I can agree!
I am not running away from any critic but again like in every academic
circle and we may call this that - I want to be beaten by arguments not by
childish behaviour and personal attack on me. In that regard I have my
integrity and ussually don't allow that. Call it pride (counterproductive
thing but alas!) or whatever but in intelectual sharing of thoughts some
kind of respect is nececary, given or taken.
Mario De Sartre LOL
smr
> Matrix stole their business plan from his ideas, of course. He should
> learn to keep these to himself, maybe just discuss with god only,
> become a great capitalist and have pretty girls feed him cigars and
> cognac while poor peasants wait outside in the snow with beets and
> turnips to pay rent to him for their dirty cottages and sell their
> daughters to him. But he is too good a man and loves the world too
> much to keep everything to himself.
>
> -------
>
>
> Gee gimme a break would you?
>
> All of you!
>
> You are all very boring and have privatised this ng for your Matrix ass
> kissing so any other opinion is not tollerated.
>
> OK, no problem, I will certanly post less here.
>
> And any monkey who will ridicule my right to say anything I want here is
> going to my killfile.
>
> You are first.
>
> So if I have to I will put all of you in my killfile because nobody will
> tell me what I can say on this ng. God damn it I was here before majority of
> you!
>
> God damn idiots!
Are all of you Balkanoids such complete bitches?
*checks history books*
Well... yes. Apparently you are.
--
smr
Miowarra Tomokatu (aka Tomo)
<giftzw...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>I'm dying to see how Mario is going to spin this as some sort of
>monstrous Matrix conspiracy to become History's Greatest Monster.
But...but...but...are you going to relinquish the title so easily?