INTEL REPORT

[Jason Petho]

ORIGINAL: Jarexx

[2] Will it be backwards compatible with people who choose to stick to the original and not upgeade to this newer version , or will they run into peoblems when it comes to PBEM?

As noted above, original scenarios will not be affected by the MOD, so potentially one could play an old stock or custom scenario with someone who remains with the old version.

Conflicts will arise with new scenarios.

Take care and good luck
Jason Petho

[TAIL GUNNER]

Hi.

Will there be any new LCGs?

[Jason Petho]

ORIGINAL: Juggalo
Will there be any new LCGs?

One for East Front, with more in the works.

[jchastain]

I must admit that given the above history, I am somewhat surprised at the decision to go ahead and launch the game.  Examining it from a purely business decision standpoint, one would assume that a replacement programmer would have permitted additional functionality that would have allowed for a higher price point.  Obviously you have tried to find a replacement and haven't yet been successful.  But if we assume that the search will continue and that this work will eventually be done, then you will eventually bear the cost of the intended upgrades but the results will now be introduced as free patches, or perhaps as an "expansion".  With a game that is already classic, I would not have thought a further delay of several months (to allow a programmer to be found and to make the intended changes) would have impacted sale figures.  And expansions generally only reach a portion of the audience of the original.
 
So... I wouldn't ordinarily expect an answer to such a question.  But while the kimona is fully open I suppose it doesn't hurt to ask.  What was the business justification behind the launch decision?  Was there a date commitment is the contract when you acquired the rights?  Do you not believe the extra enhancements would have supported a higher price?  Are you considering packing the additional changes as some type of future paid expansion?  Or have you now given up on finding a capable coder so that the enhancements going forward will primarily be minor fixes and scenario updates rather than the originally envisioned programming changes?
 
I know you guys serve a niche market with mostly part-time labor, and that many of your business decisions obviously have to account for that unqiueness in your situation.  And I am not criticizing your decision (though I also know some on these boards will misunderstand my comments and likely will tell me to stop complaining).  I just don't understand the business driver here and I am therefore curious.  Do you mind sharing what led you to the decision to go ahead and publish the title as-is?  Thanks.

[Jason Petho]

ORIGINAL: jchastain

So... I wouldn't ordinarily expect an answer to such a question.  But while the kimona is fully open I suppose it doesn't hurt to ask.  What was the business justification behind the launch decision? 

A question for David.

ORIGINAL: jchastain
Was there a date commitment is the contract when you acquired the rights? 

A question for David.

ORIGINAL: jchastain
Do you not believe the extra enhancements would have supported a higher price? 

I would imagine so, but I don't think a higher price was what Matrix was after. I think the pricepoint was set long ago.

ORIGINAL: jchastain
Are you considering packing the additional changes as some type of future paid expansion? 

Some changes will come as patches, others will come in the form of something along the lines of the Mega Campaign packs for Steel Panthers.

ORIGINAL: jchastain
Or have you now given up on finding a capable coder so that the enhancements going forward will primarily be minor fixes and scenario updates rather than the originally envisioned programming changes?

For the moment, Wyatt is learning more about the code as the days go on, I would imagine substantial code changes are to come in the future. Of course, finding a programmer to work for free will always be a challenge.

ORIGINAL: jchastain
I know you guys serve a niche market with mostly part-time labor, and that many of your business decisions obviously have to account for that unqiueness in your situation.  And I am not criticizing your decision (though I also know some on these boards will misunderstand my comments and likely will tell me to stop complaining).  I just don't understand the business driver here and I am therefore curious.  Do you mind sharing what led you to the decision to go ahead and publish the title as-is?  Thanks.

Again, a question for David.

Take care and good luck
Jason Petho

[Temple]

Well, I can explain one business driver. I love the old Talonsoft games but some are iffy under WinXP and probably all would be iffy under Vista (when I eventually get Vista). I'm very happy to support Matrix Games and their business model of providing DRM free downloads, with the option of a printed manual, disk and box, keeping alive some of these great games. And that they are making updates to them is even better. I certainly think it's worth $35 for the three Campaign Series games, brought up to Vista compatible standards and updated. And all the new hardware and nations available in the editor? Priceless [:D]

[Arctic Blast]

I have never played any of these games, but from what I've read ans seen, they look like something I will most definitely want to sink my teeth in to.

[JudgeDredd]

ORIGINAL: jchastain
...I would not have thought a further delay of several months

Shut up! [;)]

[Bioman]

Campaign series and Vista
From everything that I have read the present version of the Campaign Series games do not run under Vista. There seems to be a problem with the armour ranges being set to zero. If no major changes have been made to the Matrix version I do not expect it to work any better. Luckily I was not foolish enough to upgrade to Vista.

[Jason Petho]

ORIGINAL: Bioman

Campaign series and Vista
From everything that I have read the present version of the Campaign Series games do not run under Vista. There seems to be a problem with the armour ranges being set to zero. If no major changes have been made to the Matrix version I do not expect it to work any better. Luckily I was not foolish enough to upgrade to Vista.

If I understand David correctly during our last conversation, the Campaign Series is now working under Vista.

Take care and good luck
Jason Petho

[1925frank]

Thanks for the intel report. I was sorry to hear you lost your programmer. On the other hand, I'm elated you're updating the game and expanding upon it. An improved AI can wait.

I was intrigued by the addition of Thailand and French Indo-China as well as by the possibility of a Chinese Warlord faction in the Rising Sun game. I'm only vaguely familiar with these aspects of the Pacific War, and the fact these elements are being brought into the game suggests the person designing the game really loves the history surrounding the entire 1931-45 conflict.

I was also intrigued by the addition of Croatia, Iran, and Iraq in the West Front game. I don't know how they fit into the scheme of things, but apparently the designers do. This was one of the things I liked about the original Talon Soft line of games. Not only were the games fun, but there was a lot of historical information inbedded into the experience as well, both in the scenario descriptions and in the unit data summaries. That tradition is obviously being continued.

Thanks again for your efforts. Like everyone else, I'm looking forward to the final product.

[mikul82]

Thanks for the update, $35 is really cheap for the amount of content even without any drastic upgrades!  As I've said before I've never been able to get the old games to run without freezing the whole computer in WinXP, so this one is a first-day purchase for me.  Hopefully the ability to buy digital download and also order the physical shipment as is usual will work here even if it's just a backorder on the boxed game...

[Mikekiller16]

It will be also a first day buy for me ....

[33sherman]

Great news! It was mentioned that there was one new LCG...are there any new single scenarios?

[Motomouse]

Now I know what I get, thats what I want, release now and I buy it yet. [8D]

[jamespcrowley]

ORIGINAL: 33sherman

Great news! It was mentioned that there was one new LCG...are there any new single scenarios?

Indeed, are there any?

It would be nice to see some of the new additions in action.

[jbunnelle]

Sorry, I may have missed it in your overview, but please tell me you found the fix for the DCG bug, where it suddenly became "corrupted" and refused to advance to the next scenario.

$35 is cheaper than I expected, thank you.  Can't wait.

[Jason Petho]

ORIGINAL: James Crowley

ORIGINAL: 33sherman
are there any new single scenarios?

Indeed, are there any?

It would be nice to see some of the new additions in action.

There are a few new scenarios, but they do not "show off" the new units.

We will be releasing some scenarios over the next little while as free patches that will include the new units.

Take care and good luck
Jason Petho

[jamespcrowley]

It's been a long time since I played CS.

Did the dynamic campaign generate random battles with random units?

If so, can the new units be selected by the AI in the dynamic campaign?

[Jason Petho]

ORIGINAL: James Crowley
Did the dynamic campaign generate random battles with random units?

Yes, the player has their core unit while the computer would have random units.

ORIGINAL: James Crowley

If so, can the new units be selected by the AI in the dynamic campaign?

They should be able to, yes indeed.

Take care and good luck
Jason Petho