Condemning mindless devotion to a game

[Sukunai]

Ok we can all be fans and that is well and good, but, sometimes I see
what can only be termed 'mindless devotion'.

Take Chess. Patrick loves the game, knows the game well and likes to
discuss the game. But it isn't a perfect game even though it has been
around for what seems like forever. And Patrick has shown he can
discuss the game's occasional limitations. Thus he's not guilty of
mindless devotion.

I am a big fan of Steel Panthers. I've even done beta testing on it in
this case I was part of the Mega Campaign Screaming Eagles team that
produced the offering of that name for Steel Panthers World at War. I
know the game well, but, at the same time I can state matter of fact
like that in Battle mode, you might as well be playing a drooling
idiot. The game is not perfect, and the Long Campaign mode is quite
easy to abuse. the game really only shines in Mega Campaign mode where
the player has no easy access to resources they can exploit.

I am thus not a mindless devotee to the game, I KNOW it has flaws and
fairly large ones in some cases. Yet it is still one of the biggest
names in established famous wargames.

But some games do indeed suck, and yet they have a rabid following,
and one can only scratch one's head and ponder WTF?

Oh yes I am about to unleash a can of whoopass on Hearts of Iron 3 the
much waited for successor to HoI 2 which was the much awaited cure for
HoI1 HoI 1 was a piece of crap of the worst order on release day.
Buggy garbage when it wasn't just being utter trash otherwise. Until a
fan fixed it more or less sort of. It sure wasn't the company that
fixed it. Then they release HoI 2 and guess what, buggy as hell. It
took them some time to get it sort of more or less fixed. Then the
news of HoI 3 is in the works and it's like the company in question
has not already established an iron hard reputation for buggy garbage
releases.

HoI 3 arrives and what a shock, it's buggy garbage. Hey don't take my
word for it, you can always go read in the other wargaming haunts and
see the comments.

What astounds me though, are the fans. What? are they all mindless
devotees to a company that repeatedly releases a game in a buggy
garbage state? And this is the 3rd incarnation of the same game, and
it's as buggy as the first time!!
Oh by the way, I have played it for a few minutes, this is not simply
a cruel tirade coming from a guy that has not played it. No I wasn't
stupid enough to pay for it, I will leave Paradox to get their cash
from their mindless devotees. They appear to have no shortage of them.

And it's odd, you can read their complaints, you can see the game is
badly flawed and the company couldn't possible have a decent excuse
this time the third time eh. But the moment you imply HoI 3 is none
other than a waste of cash and worthless drecht they howl like monkeys
and claim that the accuser doesn't know what they are talking about.

That game should have died part way through HoI 2 and not allowed to
see the light of day as HoI 3.
But clearly some gamers have zero self control, and clearly no desire
to just move on and locate a new game that is produced by a company
that actually cares about their consumers.

To be clear, games usually need patches. Things slip by.
The deciding detail is how it is done, and how the costumer is
treated.
Damn right I won't 'pay' for Hearts of Iron 3 in order to check it
out. The company is just not deserving of that level of support.

But why should I even care you ask.
Because companies that consistently release junk knowingly are a
detriment to the hobby.
And they have never done anything to make good on their lame product.
And there certainly is no reason for me to respect anyone that does
support Paradox with their wallet.
I have no love for mindless devotion to games. And no love for gamers
that do it knowingly.

And that's what I think about that :)