Upgrades/Changes

[Jason Petho]

Good day.

What do you consider absolutely vital to be added or changed within the Matrix release of the Campaign Series (M-CS)?

Take care and good luck
Jason Petho

[awc]

Jason, one thing i would like to see for sure is several new campaigns, and revised messages at the end of the games. The rest of the changes are on our wish list if there is time. Alan.

[JReb]

I admit, I have not been keeping up with the discussion on this forum much but for me to buy the new version of CS will require a campaign editor with OOB flexibility.
 
Now, for some magical reason, CS gold runs great on my XP machine and I have no problems in that regard. So, just having a stable XP platform will not be enough to get my dollars.
 

[Jason Petho]

ORIGINAL: awc

Jason, one thing i would like to see for sure is several new campaigns, and revised messages at the end of the games. The rest of the changes are on our wish list if there is time. Alan.

The wish list has been duly noted, of course.

This posting is for stating what you see as a "must fix" / "must include" as opposed to things you would like to see improved.

Take care and good luck
Jason Petho

[Jason Petho]

ORIGINAL: JReb

I admit, I have not been keeping up with the discussion on this forum much but for me to buy the new version of CS will require a campaign editor with OOB flexibility.

Can you give more details on this?

ORIGINAL: JReb
Now, for some magical reason, CS gold runs great on my XP machine and I have no problems in that regard. So, just having a stable XP platform will not be enough to get my dollars.

Yes, CS runs fine on XP machines (19 times out of 20). The issues arise with the annoying random sound looping and the inability to play online when one upgrades their DirectX beyond 8, I believe.

Take care and good luck
Jason Petho

[James Ward]

I think a more intelligent initial set up in random games is needed. It is far to difficult to set up a division or corp campaign and keep any sort of organizational integrity the way it is now.

[BAL]

ORIGINAL: James Ward

I think a more intelligent initial set up in random games is needed. It is far to difficult to set up a division or corp campaign and keep any sort of organizational integrity the way it is now.

I second this idea.

[AndyfromVA1]

More colorful graphics would be great.

[Jason Petho]

ORIGINAL: AndyfromVA1

More colorful graphics would be great.

While I agree, I do not believe that this will be a priority for the first release.

Take care and good luck
Jason Petho

[Jason Petho]

ORIGINAL: James Ward

I think a more intelligent initial set up in random games is needed. It is far to difficult to set up a division or corp campaign and keep any sort of organizational integrity the way it is now.

Very good point!!

Take care and good luck
Jason Petho

[RAF]

I am going to agree that the most vital change for me would be a better initial setup on random games. I simply cannot play a "dynamic campaign game" because the opposition defenses look like somebody just grabbed a bunch of cardboard pieces and threw them on the map.
 
Another "absolute must fix" for those of us who like to play against the computer - is an end to the computer's habit of driving fully loaded vehicles (trucks, motorcycles, horses) directly in front of friendly line of fire. Even when I make a conscious effort not to shoot these things, my units shoot at them during defensive fire, and they SIGNIFICANTLY throw off the balance of the scenario.
 
Besides, I like to write stories about my games. And these types of maneuvers make terrible stories.
 
 

[TAIL GUNNER]

I'll also throw my vote in for you and your crew to spice up the Dynamic Campaigns.

But don't stop with sprucing up the initial deployments....

I'd like to see the DCGs become, for the lack of a better word, more "dynamic".

I'd like to see my core units fight a depleted and demoralized enemy in preceding battles....I'd like to see surprise flank attacks from the enemy (and vice versa)....I'd like to see hordes of Soviet infantry rushing my Panzer Battalion's untenable position...

The list goes on and on, but my point is, focus your limited time and resources on improving the DCGs!

Oh, and please fix the upgrade bug...[:)]

[Chop_Suey]

Unfortunatly, I fall into that 1 in 20 that cannot get these games to work on XP.  My rig is set up to play some of the most demanding FPS games (Day of Defeat source, BF2, FH) but after trying everything I could find, still no EFII or WF.  I would be more than happy to simply play these games again, bugs and all.
 
Glad to see that the work is progressing.

[Bioman]

A fix for the armor facing problem during retreats is number one on the list with the looping sound problems as number 2. Fixing the campaign setup problems and the missing German AT units is also important. I can live with most other problems.

[Hog of War]

One of the nice features of Tiller's PzC series is found in the command dialog.  There the hex coordinates of units that recover from disruption, dig in, or clear obstacles are linked to the map and one scroll to those units while still in the dialog.  There is no such link in the CS command dialog and it sure would be nice if there was [&o]  Thanks

[Jarexx]

The one thing i've always thought absolutely vital for CS is some kind of encryption system for PBEM games as lets face it right now its just too open to exploits.

Also i'd like to see this new Matrix version more mod friendly because as CS stands right now with its limited number of sound / graphics / army slots it makes modder's walk a pretty narrow line as to what they can add.

[Tiger88_slith]

Hi Jason - I am a fellow Blitzer (Tiger 88) and one glarring need is to fix it so that someone cannot hack into the .bte file.

Also - fix it someway that someone cannot replay turns! That would be huge!!

I would like to see those units that can fire smoke - be used in the direct fire role for laying smoke as well.

Engineers construct bridges, roadblocks, remove forests/trees, lay minefields.

Have air units destroy some part of every unit within the same hex.

Bring heavy/medium bombers into the air sorty mix - for interdierctory type bombing missions.

More units

Add Navel units - in fact I think with this game engine you could build a whole new game by doing this - that would be way cool!


Thats about it I guess - thanks for asking Jason!

[Crapgame54]

As one who hasn't had any luck getting the games to run under XP - except West Front, which has the looping sound problem, so I guess I could play with the speakers turned off - I would buy the pack just to have them all work so I could play them again. As to improvements -

Having armored units retreat by backing up so they don't get blasted up the butt would be great.

A decent dynamic campaign game would be wonderful - no goofy maps with roads running in circles going nowhere, streams running over hills, not getting 3 companies of infantry, each from a different battalion, with all 3 battalion commanders showing up, etc.
I gave up on the dynamic campaigns, but as long as PBEM is possible that would be just gravy, not needed.

Changing visibility for dawn or dusk games, or for fog that burns off over time would be very helpful. If the night rules apply to all the games, it would be cool to have scenarios that started or ended at night bur also included day turns.

It would be nice to be able to create a scenario and designate it a "campaign" scenario so that the final turn orders of battle would be saved and could be imported into the editior as the starting OB for another scenario. Something like this is done automatically in campaign games, if OBs could be saved manually it would be possible to make a moderated campaign with a person making each scenario using the survivors of a previous one.

A previous response suggested changes to spotting, but I like it the way it is - if you want to look over the hill or around the woods you have to look THIS turn and respond to what you see NEXT turn. That's better than recon-on-the-fly, where you can use up all of a recon units movement till it bumps into something, then start moving the rest of the army.

[Jason Petho]

Thank you for all the suggestions, gentlemen!

Keep them coming!!

Take care and good luck
Jason Petho

[SGT Rice]

Hi Jason,

I'm also a fellow Blitzer; love the game but ...

1) Can't run it on XP

2) Current retreat rules allow units to cover far more distance during the enemy's turn (due to retreats) than they can cover during their own movement phase.

3) Lack of a Battlefield Integrity rule (ala Advanced Squad Leader) Many competitive CS games see horrendous attrition rates - 70,80,90% - leaving the few grim survivors hacking each other to pieces for a key objective hex. Entertaining, but a far cry from reality.

4) No restraint on replaying turns ... at the very least we need a "No PBEM Save" option like the one in HPS Campaign Series.

Thanks for asking.

SGT Rice