Best Way for Matrix Games to make money and keep players happy

[GeneralSauce]

Hello,

I was asked to post an email that I sent to slitherine with advice on how to create better games and keep players happy. I have cut and pasted the email:

Hello,

I love your games and i've been a huge CC fan since the original Bridge too Far back in the 90's. i have lots of friends who play this game and have been involved in forums and talking with people about these games for almost 2 decades. I also own every single CC game. Can I offer you an opinion? One that will please your fans most heartily and also make you lots and lots of money? It's simple, create a new game, any World War 2 in Europe sub-setting will work ( Say Kursk Salient or Sevastopol, etc.). And simply base that game on the the game play of Close Combat Russian Front/Cross of Iron. Its hands down the best one of all. What makes it the best? The POINT BASED requisition system that all the others lack. It's one where the battles you create have teams allocated to them OR (especially for multiplayer) you can simply give players, say, 1000 points each and LET THEM CHOOSE there own teams. It's like spending money. Its so much more fun that way and so much more fun to create battles. The choosing of the teams and spending your "money" is a way better way to play these games. It also is a fool proof way for creating a fair and even battle. Or, on the other hand, its easy to handicap a better player by simply giving them less points. The much larger 7-10 team member combat teams are also far more fun, especially in urban combat maps. Panzers in the Fog is great and many ways, but also a complete failure. Part of the failure is in these small teams and huge maps and lack of point based system. Anyways, if you want to use fan feedback to create better games, here is some and I believe I am speaking for many people. and if you don't believe me, ask other players. Cross of Iron's system is far better, which is why it has survived so long and remained popular. I'm sure that some people will post that this isn't true and there are always players that won't agree, but i know that i am personally speaking for scores of long time players. The new games are just not as good. Based on the play of Panzers in the Fog, I probably won't purchase the latest Caen game.


Thanks for listening. I hope someone has taken the time to read this, as i've spend a ton of money on these games and that should count for something.

[zakblood]

quote "I probably won't purchase the latest Caen game. " end quote

then it's a shame you won't see and enjoy the best in the series, as it looks and plays better than any of them tbh, the point system is a good idea by the way and has been mentioned before, about your other comments i can't say but hopefully others here will comment on them and reply.

add them to a wish list is all i say, then wait for the next one...

[Tejszd]

Couple comments;

1) sounds like they are going back to a CC3/COI style game without a strat map for the new 3D version; Close Combat – The Bloody First tt.asp?forumid=1254

2) Point values are displayed for units in the re-releases (WAR, TLD and LSA)
- in WAR/TLD they can be used when playing single player battles though it is voluntary and nothing prevents someone from cheating
- LSA the amount allowed to "buy" is enforced. In the scenario editor when creating a single press shift and click on the diamond (map) to get a screen to enter points

[Hexagon]

To be fair he is correct in find why CC series die in last years...

Allways same battles and a reduction in the size of teams when maps increase their size... even now with 21 teams stock unit size reduce the value of this advance and the rigid way to select the non support section doesnt help a lot, for me CC is for infantry combat in more tactical maps (smaller) armor is for support not to play the battle alone.

I wait see some mods converted to the last exponent of the old CC engine maybe this increase the game value, see old classic mods from CC5 in GTC sure helps a lot (Stalingrad, Okinawa, GJS) and the only true infantry combat mod for CC... Ebro battle.

[benpark]

I also struggle to understand the small team-sized squads and limited battlegroup slots. I don't mind the force selection method of the last few games, but if the maps are this large there should be additional forces possible- not an enforcement of less. I also agree that infantry fighting on smaller maps is where the game was best.

[CGGrognard]

The size of a squad can be increased by selecting the force strength on the Mission Settings screen. Selecting Recruit will give you more soldiers, but they will lack experience. Therefore if it's more soldiers on the field you desire, this is how you do it. But remember that on the historical missions, your forces will be depleted through KIAs and injuries.
A point system is a good idea though some like to recreate history through these games.

[Misconduct]

Cross of Irons did a great job with improving on Close Combat 3, I did buy panthers in the fog a while back, but the lack of requisition really made it uninteresting, I enjoyed leveling up units from "green" to crack veterans, improving their equipment and such.
The maps - with a degree of requisition points available, gave the AI a chance to buy decent equipment or myself, the only problem was you only had 10? units to play with, I would like to fill out an entire battleslot on the first map and go from there.

I haven't played COI in a long time, I am really itching to install it again and see if any mods were updated (I last played probably 2-3 years ago).