The Next Mega Campaign For Steel Panthers

MARTIN HALL · Post by **MARTIN HALL** » Mon Jan 07, 2002 3:03 am

I wonder are there any plans to do any more Mega Campaigns after Watchtower or does the ongoing development of CL preclude this?

Redleg · Post by **Redleg** » Mon Jan 07, 2002 3:24 am

I am betting that if enough of us purchased the M/C that there may be another. From what little I know, the sales haven't supported the projects.

Very sad, because at least for us in the U.S., the price of a M/C is really quite minimal.

Besides, V7 comes on a CD. To me, that was worth something.

If there were to be another M/C which was highly organized like Watchtower was, it would probably tempt me into donating goodness only knows how many hours of design to the project (if I were asked).

I would like to see a "mini-campaign". That is, a substantial sized campaign made up of smaller battles - perhaps along the lines of a series of the ASL battles. But, that is another subject.

I certainly hope that we purchase these M/C.

Don Doom · Post by **Don Doom** » Mon Jan 07, 2002 4:17 am

I hope not! I had fun making and testing L.V. & WatchTower. I also learned a lot about design and playtesting.

don <img src="biggrin.gif" border="0"> <img src="biggrin.gif" border="0">

Warrior · Post by **Warrior** » Mon Jan 07, 2002 4:30 am

When Combat Leader comes out even the most hard-core SPWaW addicts will probably recognize how vastly superior the new game is and leave SPWaW behind. But then, there are still people playing all the old, obsolete games that get mentioned in the Forum, so maybe not. So, another Mega Campaign...? Sure, if you do it.

[ January 06, 2002: Message edited by: Warrior ]</p>

MARTIN HALL · Post by **MARTIN HALL** » Mon Jan 07, 2002 4:58 am

Part of the reason I was asking the question is if you note from my thread elsewhere actually obtaining the disks over here in Europe just got a lot easier.
If my prediction is correct i.e that poor MC sales in the past are nothing to do with ethusiasm or quality but pure logistics - i.e most of the world had a nigtmare getting same - then hopefully things will improve and the MC's will stand as a source of revenue for Matrix whilst it works on CL.
If I am right would Matrix stay with a good thing, I wonder, and add a 4th MC disk to fill the SPWAW - CL gap.

pops · Post by **pops** » Mon Jan 07, 2002 7:54 am

....fergod's sake get 'em into a store...I bet a lot more people would buy them off the shelf....I simply can't buy anything on my credit card with the US dollar/shipping and handling etc......if I could BELIEVE ME I would!!!!!!

...I wonder if the extra sales off the shelf would make up for the lower profit to Matrix selling fewer through the mail.....?

Randy · Post by **Randy** » Mon Jan 07, 2002 9:46 am

Redleg is right on about the price! The price of just having the disk I think is very minimal. For and idea about a future campaign I would like to suggest an often over looked area such as the Burma Campaign. Such a campaign could be about the Chindits, with air drops and hit and run tactics.

Randy · Post by **Randy** » Mon Jan 07, 2002 9:50 am

<img src="biggrin.gif" border="0"> <img src="smile.gif" border="0"> SUPPORT MATRIX, BUY A CD!!

Wild Bill · Post by **Wild Bill** » Mon Jan 07, 2002 10:48 am

It is possible. It is always possible. Let's see what interest there is. I'm interested in doing one. They are tons of work but I'm willing if there is interest and support.

Wild Bill

Redleg · Post by **Redleg** » Mon Jan 07, 2002 10:52 am

Let's purchase a M/C, play it and talk it up.

We can lure WB into his honcho role and suffer mightily for a month or so while he alternates between cracking the whip and shouting encouragement. LOL

achappelle · Post by **achappelle** » Mon Jan 07, 2002 12:39 pm

My 2 cents would be perhaps an M/C following say the British 7th Armd Desert Rats. Big Project spanning most of the war but.. Also, if a new MC project was started, I would be happy to VOLUNTEER my time dry running through scenarios. At the very least it would teach me more about scenario design for when I do mine.

AbsntMndedProf · Post by **AbsntMndedProf** » Mon Jan 07, 2002 7:25 pm

I plan to buy CL when it comes out, but I doubt it will replace SP:WaW in my gaming heart! As long as Matrix puts out new MCs, and I have the HD space for them, I'll keep buying and playing them.

(I'll have to schedule SP:WaW and CL days. Perhaps M,W,F; SP:WaW, T,Th,Sat; CL, with Sunday off.) <img src="biggrin.gif" border="0">

Eric Maietta

Grumble · Post by **Grumble** » Mon Jan 07, 2002 10:30 pm

There was some discussion from my fellow Huomis from Suomi, about doing a Winter War/Continuation War/Lapland War MC. Haven't seen anything lately about it, though. Possibly looking to see how the other two do, first...

kutalik · Post by **kutalik** » Mon Jan 07, 2002 11:48 pm

Yep, I suppose if we want to see a new MC, we most certainly need to prove that's that our favorite DIY game is economically viable for Matrix. That means using that allmighty word of mouth (other wargamer or gamer forums for instance).

BTW I'm having a real blast with Watchtower. The battles have a nice dramatic pacing to them. I find myself almost grinding my teeth. Kudos (also nice, nice work on the documents finding myself learning more on a subject I already felt relatively well versed in).

Frank W. · Post by **Frank W.** » Tue Jan 08, 2002 12:08 am

Originally posted by MARTIN HALL:
I wonder are there any plans to do any more Mega Campaigns after Watchtower or does the ongoing development of CL preclude this?

i personaly would not buy a megacamp in near future. just because of lack of time. haven´t finished the "long,long road" and still 2 normal camps to play, further i have lost victories. further i work+sleep+play castle wolfenstein and so on. too much gaming,too less time. but matrix products are great i think,so anyone who have the time and money should buy them!!!

David Heath · Post by **David Heath** » Tue Jan 08, 2002 12:44 am

Hi Guys

Need I say how much Wild Bill loves doing these mega campagins but the fact is that they are not selling anywhere enough to really do another. The fact is MCWT is not even at half way mark of the other two campaigns.

We are going to wait a month or so and see but I really think we want to move Wild Bill on to Combat Leader and Battleline scenario and campaign design. Like I said let us see how the next month goes and we will let you know.

RolandRahn_MatrixForum · Tue Jan 08, 2002 1:10 am

Originally posted by Warrior:
When Combat Leader comes out even the most hard-core SPWaW addicts will probably recognize how vastly superior the new game is and leave SPWaW behind. But then, there are still people playing all the old, obsolete games that get mentioned in the Forum, so maybe not. So, another Mega Campaign...? Sure, if you do it.

[ January 06, 2002: Message edited by: Warrior ]

Hmmm...
The 1st CL-Module will be the eastern front.
Then comes CA.
Then CL:Moderna.
For those who like to play as US, UK, e.t.c. it will be a long time until they can play their favorite side in CL....

Originally posted by David Heath:
Need I say how much Wild Bill loves doing these mega campagins but the fact is that they are not selling anywhere enough to really do another. The fact is MCWT is not even at half way mark of the other two campaigns.

I'm really disappointed to hear that. Also I'm currently just in the 5th scenario of MCLV, I know it is worth every cent I paid for it...

And I'm *really* waiting for the MCWT(s) I ordered....

I simply can't understand that you didn't sell enough MCs.

Kind regards,
Roland

Redleg · Post by **Redleg** » Tue Jan 08, 2002 1:18 am

I don't understand it either - a whole lot of gaming in each of the mega-campaigns.

richmonder · Post by **richmonder** » Tue Jan 08, 2002 3:56 am

David,

My guess as to why MCWT is so low in sales compared to the others is quite simple - those of us who have bought MCLV have just got it. Or, like me, are just waiting to get it - well, I got MCNA AND MCLV together, so they'll be my first ones - period!

So while I KNOW for a fact that I will be purchasing MCWT (cause WBW is all over it!), I want to at least get my first MC's in my hand. As for some of the other folks, I think they need to get a little playtime with MCLV first. Then they'll probably spring for MCWT.

I hope you can incorporate that into how Matrix views the sales of MCWT at this point. Following back to back with a MC causes some sales lag, I would think. I know I won't purchase it for another few months.

Wild Bill · Post by **Wild Bill** » Tue Jan 08, 2002 4:12 am

There are currently none in the works that I know of, so if it were to happen, it would be some four months, based on the first two I and my teams did before it would be ready.

It takes just that long, depending on the size of the MC.

MC-Desert Fox took three months. MCLV took nine months. MC-W took another three months. So they don't just roll off the assembly line.

First there is the selection and establishment of a team of persons from 15-30. Then there are weeks of solid research to line up a series of battles. Then there is the scenario design, the testing, the searching for adequate pictures, the writing and proof reading of hundreds of articles. Finally there is the compilation or putting together of all of this into a homogenous whole.

THEN! <img src="rolleyes.gif" border="0"> Then comes the testing, hundreds of hours more of teating the MC start to finish. When you have 50-100 scenarios in a mega campaign, that takes awhile. You want all articles in order, with pics in order. They all have to be 8 letter file names. You have to check it all, watch for crashes, correct problems, put out fires and stay on your medication <img src="eek.gif" border="0">

Then one day, after your hair has fallen out, your team members are prostrate with exhaustion and you are on your very last nerve, the beauty rolls off the assembly floor and your forget all you have been through to make it happen.

So, no, we won't have "pop-corn" mega campaigns. They take one third of your life for one year to get 'em done.

Wild Bill