Dave 'Arjuna' O'Connor
Panther Games Designer
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2014
- Messages
- 3,416
- Points
- 113
- Location
- Canberra, Australia
- Website
- www.panthergames.com
"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:
- Sequential Tasking
- Mounted Ops
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.