SPWAW Gold + megacampaigns

[Big Bill]

DITTO FOR ME !!!

[Akmatov]

It has been suggested that those who don't have a copy of LVs should quit snivling - "if you snooze you lose". However, I note that as late as October 2002 LV is still not patched to the point of being fully playable.

This actually pisses me off a bit. I would really like to have and play LVs. However, I can't justify purchasing a game that I can't play as I wait indefinately for it to be patched.

BTB, I do understand that the MCs were largely developed by thousands of hours of volunteer work and I greatly appreciate their effort.

But if the game doesn't play through what is the point?

So I have to vote in favor of a comprehensive final, final version of SPWAW + the MCs on a single disk - MCs that can actually be painlessly installed and successfully played.

And yes, I would be willing to pay for it either as a hard copy or as a download.

If the information posted in this forum is incorrect and LVs has been fully patched, I would appreciate knowing.

[Les_the_Sarge_9_1]

The sad truth with computers it seems is nothing stands still long.

Today's program (whether awesome or worthless), is usually left in the dust fairly soon.

This spring (hopefully I guess) Combat Leader gets released.

I hope I can afford a copy, I think I might get a copy, I assume I will have nothing competing for my attention more than it.

Now if Combat Leader is worth anything at all, it will render Steel Panthers (and anything made for Steel Panthers), immediately the game of choice only of those unable to get Combat Leader.

I seriously hope Steel Panthers remains a game of choice for those that can appreciate a good game. But I am expecting to see the same old process. That being, the latest game renders the previous game, all but left in the dust.

It would be nice to see Steel Panthers continue on as a actively supported. But I think we all have to accept that it is after all just a good program, and perhaps even as good a program as it is, it remains a "free" game.
And due to it's zero revenue generating status (the actual game not any MCs), I think expecting a constant dedication to it, is perhaps unrealistic.

I can not myself, expect Matrix, which is after all a business, to devote time resources and manpower, to supporting a product, that was developed after all for a free game. They are after all in the business to make money (friends are nice, and you get lots of friends making cool software for free, but those friends won't be paying the bills eh).

I too would love to see copies of the MC released cleaned up fixed up patched up etc. I know the patches are often out there. They are occasionally a bit hard to locate for new comers. But it takes little effort to ask specifically of the community here to get the latest word on where and what is needed to play each MC to the fullest.

[Akmatov]

Actually, Les I have to question the comment that "Today's program (whether awesome or worthless), is usually left in the dust fairly soon."

When did Steel Panthers first come out? And we are still playing a variant of it! Hmmm, seems like an excellent program has pretty **** long legs.

The computer game industry, just like many others, would like the customers to forgive/forget the unfulfilled promises of the past and blindly spend more money in the hope that the same company is now REALLY telling the true about their wonderful new product.

SPWAW has been different. It started as a group of enthusiasts and developed into a company. The basis of Matrix's appeal is that they are people like us - fellow gamers - guys who care and will produce honest product.

My problem is not that I expect endless support for a product, but I do expect the "good guys" to get the stuff they SELL patched. I've been fascinated by the idea of Lost Victories since before it was available for sale. Yet every time I got ready to spend the loot, I go onto the forum and find that it can't be played to completion or that the patch will be finished "one day" due to all resources being put into getting CL out the door.

Now wait a minute! I'm supposted to buy CL when it comes out, yet the copy of LVs I would have bought would still be unfinished because the programers have moved on to the next thing? Isn't this the same contempt for the consumer that caused us to put our faith, and money, into Matrix in the first place?

Once again trolling posts I just now found one from Mr. Richards tucked away where I hadn't seen it before that provides a time-line for the final patch and the information that remaining problems do not prevent completion the the campaign. So something like a year after it was offered for sale LV will be complete, i.e. after it is sold out.

Thank you Mr. Richards. Matrix could have provided that kind of comprehensive response a long time ago and I would have been able to justify purchasing the MC. But I quess since the MC is sold out, Matrix got its money eventually, in spite of comments about lack of OUR support for Matrix.

Looking forward to seeing how CL turns out.

[Les_the_Sarge_9_1]

Your comments are well made.

But.....

SSI released Steel Panthers back several years ago.

It is not the game Matrix is employing, to get nit picking accurate.

Steel Panthers became several games.
Because Matrix is not offering Steel Panthers 2 Modern Battles after all.
Nor are they offering Steel Panthers 3 Brigade Combat.

But Matrix decided to use the base program from Steel Panthers 3 to produce their Steel Panthers World at War.

But the steel Panthers they offered when I found them was Steel Panthers WaW 4.1

Now some companies would have called them versions, and some would have just tacked on rounded off numbers ie 1,2,3,4,5,6,7.

I am not saying that some differences are dramatic, but if you load up SSI Steel Panthers, and then load up Steel Panthers WaW 4.1 and then load up Steel Panthers WaW 7.1, you can obviously see they are not at all the same game really.

So Steel Panthers might be today's program in some ways, but generally speaking, the game is yesterday at it's core.

True the Mega Campaigns have been perhaps a bit haphazardly arrived at, my opinion though, is I am planning on getting Combat Leader based on their track record with Steel Panthers from first version under their control on up to version 7.1.

I am prepared to sit on my Lost Victories and wait for the die hard gamers to beat the bugs to death. I know that the die hard fan out there won't let it lie. I believe the game will get the needed attention.

I am saying I would gladly move on to Combat Leader, but then, being it's in my nature, I am not planning on dumping Steel Panthers. I have every version that is commonly available currently. I don't play all of them all that much, but I have no trouble owning games of merit.

I have lots of wargames that were great when they came out. And a great game usually stays a great game. My only probklem with software based wargames, is computers often make them hard to play when the hardware changes. But that's not the fault of the software eh.

[Jim1954]

Akmatov, LV is still awaiting the final patch to be issued. However, this patch deals mainly with some omitted scenario wrap up text files for some of the battles, particularly the Donets area IIRC. The game plays fine with the available patches installed. There are currently 2 file patches and a separate sound patch, all available at Matrix. I just saw someone's post today with a final LV score and I have seen others in the past so I know it goes to completion.

For further clarification, please view the following lthread:

showthread.php?s=&threadid=26357

[Jim1954]

Bump.... for the newbies.

[Major_Johnson]

Hard or soft copy, it doesn't matter to me!!