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Any way to make patches compatible with Older version?

Dave 'Arjuna' O'Connor

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"Upgrading".... users who want new features will basically finance the release of new core versions by paying for upgrading their modules. How much will users have to pay for an upgrade?

I am not going to say it will be a hard and fast amount because it will depend on how much work we put into it. I want to have the flexibility to put out a minor update or a big one and so we'll charge accordingly. We may charge up to 50% of the normal retail for an individual module for a really big update but only 20% for a smaller one. We will also be offering very attractive bundle deals that will enable you to upgrade all your existing content for a reasonable amount. We're not about ripping our customers off. We will advise the price closer to release when we know just how much work has gone into it.

If the users have to pay for upgrading their modules (which they had paid for already), wouldn't it be a nice move to let them call one or another shot (= means priority for a new feature)?
While it would be neat to have sequential tasks for friendly/enemy AI and triggers for scenario designers (and for more realistic/versatile AI reactions), I could imagine that users would prefer to have a dismount-feature for wheeled units, first, or a revision of fatigue/disengagement policies, or a feature where the player can assemble Kampfgruppen to his liking (by being able to create all new units, say combining all AT platoons and moving them over to a new AT unit with the size of a Coy, or where all mortars, 20mm AA guns or HMGs can be stripped and moved over to a new unit, to form a mortar or HMG Coy, for instance), for example.

Well to an extent you do already. that is what the New Features forum is designed to do. But certain things cannot be achieved without interim steps. Eg Mounted ops requires sequential tasking. The reason being that we have to provide the user with a manual method for ordering his force to dismount, move and then remount without the need to have him watching closely as things develop and then intervening all the time with individual orders. That would be a right royal PITA.

I'm mopre than happy to take into account the wished of you our customers but that has also to be balanced by existing development work. We have east front data in the works and we want to relase that. They require the mounted ops feature and this requires sequential tasking. So These facts dictate that the next major updates will be:
  1. Sequential Tasking
  2. Mounted Ops
After that I am more than happy to consider other big ticket items for our next big update.

Having said that, there is nothing to stop us putting out a minor update in between. This could for instance cover one or more of these features that you mention. Others have suggested further UI enhancements like resizeable dialogs and the ability to support larger text sizes for 'older' eyes. If we get enough interest then we can do these.
 

GoodGuy

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We're not about ripping our customers off. We will advise the price closer to release when we know just how much work has gone into it.
I didn't suggest (and will never suggest) that you are trying to rip off customers. I am just trying to understand the marketing/business model regarding upgrades, as I must have overlooked that particular part, that's why I was asking, so thanks for the info.

Well to an extent you do already. that is what the New Features forum is designed to do.
I know, I meant to say "... apart from the New Features forum..", but I forgot to actually add it (too tired, I guess). You are one of the few delopers who actually pick up such requests. What I emphasized, though, was the priority of things.

But certain things cannot be achieved without interim steps. Eg Mounted ops requires sequential tasking. The reason being that we have to provide the user with a manual method for ordering his force to dismount, move and then remount without the need to have him watching closely as things develop and then intervening all the time with individual orders. That would be a right royal PITA.

Yes, in general, having to baby-sit units is a step back.
The question is, though, if baby-sitting would be necessary. Say I've got a wheeled Inf Coy and I want it to either chase or attack an enemy Para Coy in a small forest, there's currently no way to boot those Paras from the position in the forest, so that they can harrass supply traffic or units in transfer, to their liking. The only option I have is to bundle arty units and pray that they can drive them out. If the AI sends it down the same path after the unit has recovered, I'm in for a loop, having to use arty on that remote unit over and over, manually.
Every military leader in the real world would dispatch a sufficient force to boot 'em and clear the wood.
If you give the player the ability to just switch the unit to FOOT manually, the AI will not be able to use this same feature yet, due to the missing sequential task ability (right?), but at least the PLAYER will be able to use it, which would be a giant leap forward. It's so frustrating not to be able to enter woods, while the enemy AI seems to have paras, engineer foot units, or some non-motorized Inf Coys at its disposal and while the AI keeps sending units through forests and creeks, so that the player is busy shuffling around motorized units, routing such foot units on one side of the forest and then sending the unit around to the other end of the forest to route them there (= endless loop). Purely subjective impression not reflecting the overall game experience, of course, but still a very frustrating detail that actually involves a LOT of baby-sitting, right now (!).

The amount of clickology required for such cases easily exceeds the TWO clicks that would be needed to let a unit DISMOUNT, boot the suckers, and then MOUNT again some 3 game hrs later. If the unit idles in or near the forest after the engagement, you could also add a routine message saying something like "unit ready to mount again", or something, to avoid the player forgets about it.

So These facts dictate that the next major updates will be:
  1. Sequential Tasking
  2. Mounted Ops
After that I am more than happy to consider other big ticket items for our next big update.

I understand the timeline/priority list. I still think that an interim solution to dismount would make quite some people happy (not just me), especially since a fully fledged Mounted Ops might take several major upgrades (CO3, CO4?) to materialize.
 
Last edited:

Iconoclast

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I apologize for my badly formulated question.
But you answered it: No 'free' features with this engine besides the UI, further features (dismounted ops etc) will be part of CO3, for which we will have to pay. Understood.

I will plow through the 'pricing policy thread' now, and post further questions there. Sorry for derailing this thread.

Cheers
 

rjantzi

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......I plan to release the final CO2 core build later this week. That will be it in terms of the features in CO2. I may put subsequent minor patches to fix existing features but there will be no new ones till the next Core update...... Then we can start on the new features for CO3. These will be sequential tasking and triggers. When we release CO3 the engine will be free. As with CO2 you will then have the option to upgrade your exiting modules or not as you see fit......

Dave, once you release the final build for CO2, could you let me know where the following items stand on your list of priorities?
1) Completion of the instruction manual update.
2) Updating some of the CO1 user created scenarios to CO2 standards.

Thanks
 

Dave 'Arjuna' O'Connor

Panther Games Designer
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Once I go final I will devote half a day a week to the manual. I'll endeavour to provide updates each week as we go along.

Thanks for reminding me about the scenario conversions. I will call for those interested to email me a list of the data they want converted. This should only be scenario files as the current editors should be able to convert CO1 maps and estabs. Once I get those lists I'll assess the extent of the work and advise on when they will get done. Again I'll probably devote a certain amount of time each week to that task.
 

Alchenar

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Just to chip in: the current pricing policy has created an odd situation whereby the more a customer has spent on CO in the past, the more they are required to spend in order to keep all of the content they've purchased up to date. That seems counter-intuitive and not something that can generate loyalty. I was happy to do this once given the combined circumstances of a change of publisher, new engine, and very good pre-purchase discount, but I can't see myself re-buying all of my module content for a third time (whereas I would be very willing to pay a reasonable upgrade sum that transferred my module purchases to a new engine).

PS. For god's sake get on Steam. If Command: Modern Naval/Air Operations can make it there then CO definitely can.
 

Dave 'Arjuna' O'Connor

Panther Games Designer
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Jul 31, 2014
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www.panthergames.com
As I mentioned above "We will also be offering very attractive bundle deals that will enable you to upgrade all your existing content for a reasonable amount." In other words there will be a cap on what you have to pay to upgrade all your content. So you won't be punished for buying more modules. Eg Let's say we put out the next Core update with Sequential tasking and we decide to peg the upgrade cost to 50% of the full price on a per module basis. (If the module sells for $30 then the upgrade would be $15). However if you had bought the Commander pack which will be worth a full price of $160 plus the upcoming Westwall module at #30 then you would be up for $190 * 0.5 = $95. But we will offer a bundle deal to upgrade all your existing modules for $45 or something like that. It will be a reasonable amount.
 

Joe98

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What future features are included in the current packs, before first 'DLCs' hit the market that we have to pay for?


The scenarios are the same. It is the game engine that has changed.

So, the features are improvements to the game engine - not to the scenarios as such.
.
 
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