rwork?

[rickier65]

Jason,

Of course, but I was including campaign series along with that. I bought the origianl East Front, and West Front, and also East Front II. And bought JT's Camp Serieis here just a few weeks ago. I've never played anything but the computer in the Campaign series. (just clarifying my earlier message).

Rick

[1925frank]

ORIGINAL: tide1212

I played against the AI for years and really enjoyed it. I was very reluctant to play PBEM but got a very good mentor and was hooked on PBEM and now that online play has been fixed I get to play a couple of hours almost every night [:D]  

I think that's why I've never made the leap. Finding and navigating this forum is something I'm still patting myself on the back for. Also, I've got a passel of kids underfoot. I count myself lucky if I can go to the bathroom without getting interrupted. I'd probably drive any opponent crazy with the delays. I wouldn't imagine the players would play through an entire game. How does it work? Do players agree to play for an hour and then agree to meet on-line the next day? Is there like a chat box, or do you communicate like a regular e-mail with an attachment, with the attachment being the game?

[rich12545]

I've been playing computer wargames for more than 25 years and I always play against the AI.  So I vote for attention in that area.  [;)]

[Jim D Burns]

ORIGINAL: Jason Petho
My point is that in my experience over the last five years, I have come across more human vs human users than those that play the AI. With the exception of here at Matrix. Note the "surprised" comment above.

The reason you haven’t seen any AI players still interested in this series over the past 5 years, is because they gave up on the series long ago.

Were you around back in the Talonsoft days (8+ years ago), you’d have realized 90% of the posts on the forums then concerned solitaire play issues. When Talonsoft went away, all those players gave up on ever seeing the series getting fixed and quit playing. This re-release was the hope that finally something would be done after all these years.

Those solitaire players have returned now with the new release in hopes that finally something has been done to fix the *issues* with the series.

I have finally purchased the game after reading you recent posts concerning fixing the dynamic campaigns. I truly hope you won’t give up on that goal as I am like most people who purchased this re-release, I’ll only ever play it solitaire and I will consider my money to have been wasted if the dynamic campaign isn’t finally fixed.

I realize the AI is a completely different kettle of fish, but things like replacement points generated between the larger sized battles, numbers of turns generated for larger battles, the truck issue raised by someone else, etc. all need to be looked at to at least make the dynamic campaign engine work as advertised.

Getting the setups to at least bunch organizations to within their parent HQ’s command radius would be awesome as well, but I realize this is part of the core program and would take some advanced programming to fix.

Jim

[rickier65]

Jason,

I hope you don't take some of the posts here as criticism. I know mine arent meant that way at all. I just wantted you to know that I think there is a big pool of players who only, or mainly play against the AI, and that any work in the area of improving solitaire playability would be welcomed.

But again, this isn't meant as a criticism at all, I'm glad you folks got this game back on my radar.

As a point of reference, I actually used to play the old AH Squad Leader board game solitaire as well. (along with some old Civil War board games from SPI). So I have a pretty low bar for solitaire playability. (in fact, I'm only waiting for patch 2 to fix the horses and trucks that shoot back to get back into a campaign VS the AI).

Thanks for your hard work both on the game and in these forums ansering questions.

Rick

[Jason Petho]

ORIGINAL: Rick

I hope you don't take some of the posts here as criticism.

No, not at all. Tis understandable and relatively reasonable.

ORIGINAL: Rick
I know mine arent meant that way at all. I just wanted you to know that I think there is a big pool of players who only, or mainly play against the AI, and that any work in the area of improving solitaire playability would be welcomed.

It is noted, of course. Thank you.

ORIGINAL: Rick
But again, this isn't meant as a criticism at all, I'm glad you folks got this game back on my radar.

Me too, I am a diehard fan of the Campaign Series.

ORIGINAL: Rick
As a point of reference, I actually used to play the old AH Squad Leader board game solitaire as well. (along with some old Civil War board games from SPI). So I have a pretty low bar for solitaire playability. (in fact, I'm only waiting for patch 2 to fix the horses and trucks that shoot back to get back into a campaign VS the AI).

Hopefully it released soon... not sure what the hold up is!

ORIGINAL: Rick
Thanks for your hard work both on the game and in these forums ansering questions.

No problem. Tis my pleasure!

Jason Petho

[Jason Petho]

ORIGINAL: Jim D Burns
The reason you haven’t seen any AI players still interested in this series over the past 5 years, is because they gave up on the series long ago.

Fair enough.

ORIGINAL: Jim D Burns
Were you around back in the Talonsoft days (8+ years ago), you’d have realized 90% of the posts on the forums then concerned solitaire play issues.

Yes I was... and that's why I qouted 5 years.

ORIGINAL: Jim D Burns
When Talonsoft went away, all those players gave up on ever seeing the series getting fixed and quit playing. This re-release was the hope that finally something would be done after all these years.

Duly noted.

ORIGINAL: Jim D Burns
Those solitaire players have returned now with the new release in hopes that finally something has been done to fix the *issues* with the series.

One can only do so much!

ORIGINAL: Jim D Burns
I have finally purchased the game after reading you recent posts concerning fixing the dynamic campaigns. I truly hope you won’t give up on that goal as I am like most people who purchased this re-release, I’ll only ever play it solitaire and I will consider my money to have been wasted if the dynamic campaign isn’t finally fixed.

No, I won't give up on fixing the Dynamic Campaigns. I may loathe them, but it is apparent there are a number of people who play them, so am I taking time out of my scenario design to fix them. Or do what I can, anyway.

ORIGINAL: Jim D Burns
I realize the AI is a completely different kettle of fish,

ORIGINAL: Jim D Burns
but things like replacement points generated between the larger sized battles

I hope I fixed this with the 1.02 patch. Hope being the key word.

ORIGINAL: Jim D Burns
numbers of turns generated for larger battles,

Haven't figured that out yet.

ORIGINAL: Jim D Burns
the truck issue raised by someone else, etc. all need to be looked at to at least make the dynamic campaign engine work as advertised.

The truck issue should be fixed with the new company level upgrades.

ORIGINAL: Jim D Burns
Getting the setups to at least bunch organizations to within their parent HQ’s command radius would be awesome as well, but I realize this is part of the core program and would take some advanced programming to fix.

Out of my league, unfortunately. But hopefully someone else in the team can remedy that at a later date.

Jason Petho

[1925frank]

I vote we take up a fund to have Jason cloned.  I remember selling kool-aid on street corners as a kid for 10 cents.  They'd go easily for 25 cents today, perhaps even more on a hot day.  Maybe we'd get lucky, and some old duffer would throw us a dollar and tell us to keep the kool-aid.  There's a profit margin even Donald Trump would be proud of.  Then again, doesn't he run casinos, where people throw boatloads of money at him and get nothing in return?  Those of us with more capital could also sell popcorn.  I haven't been to a movie theatre for years, but even way back when a tub of popcorn cost about 4 dollars -- after the price of admission, which wasn't peanuts.  Set that baby up on a street corner, and it'd look like a bargain at 3 dollars a tub.  Why cloning, you ask?  Well, where else are we gonna find someone who does what Jason does and put up with all the grief too?  We're more likely to find a clone.

[Brother Jayne]

Hmm
I too am a vs AI player myself, and am rather intrested in the improvment of the AI.
Just my 2 cents

[berto]

I've been playing wargames for 45+ years, and in all that time 99% or more of my games have been either solitaire (board games) or against the AI (computer games).

No, I'm not the most social person, but more to the point, I play in fits and starts. I would surely give any on-line or PBEM human opponent the fits by my odd playing rhythms and schedules. I also like to stop every now and then to "smell the roses"--ponder my past moves, ponder my next move, admire the pretty counters and mapwork--"wargames as living works of art" as my wargaming brother puts it.

So, my vote, too, is a call for improved AI.

My guess is that AI-only players are the silent majority. Players who prefer human opponents by their nature participate more in public fora, while AI-only (aka solitaire) players tend to keep to themselves. Just my guess.

[vadersson]

Perhaps I too should mention that I mostly play against the AI.  I plan to start some PBEM soon, but I will still mostly play against the computer.

I am overall pretty happy with how things are going with JTCS however, so don't take my comments as critizism. 

Thanks,
Duncan