Agreed on all points but the last, and good on you for being around to help if the US release does go ahead (that CEM startup video thread in Gameplay Questions needs a sticky, that'd stop half the posts right there
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I see how you could read my comment as an equally childish reaction, but I should say it's not a knee-jerk thing. I've had a lot of patience for this game (though at release I was outraged, along with everyone else - but that was inevitable). I'm happy for it to take some time, as long as it ends up utilising its full potential.
It's more that than anything else which is my main concern - the squandering of potential. With each patch, something else seems to break for someone: AA works, then doesn't, we're told crossfire works, but it doesn't, the game uses more memory since the last patch, it's not utilising multiple cores correctly, the MP is b0rked in so many ways it doesn't bear mentioning, preflight loadouts no longer work... etc etc. The list goes on and on.
This would be at least tolerable with regular communication from the developers outlining roughly what improvements they're making and how long it will take to implement them. Over time I've come to realise that, in terms of launch and post-launch support quality, this is quite literally the worst game I have ever purchased. I have never seen, or even heard of a game released in the state that CloD was, let alone to still have massive, obvious issues this long after release.
If this were any other product, the customer would be outraged and rightly so. In the current gaming climate, it is becoming more and more acceptable to release a game in an unfinished state, then patch it. Sometimes it's not the fault of the devs - see recent articles in the gaming press regarding Magicka, which was actually released before the devs thought it would be - and if it is the case that Ubi forced the game out before it was ready, I'm prepared to be a lot more forgiving.
But to release, then press on with no comment, no response or information is no longer acceptable in this communication age. I'm prepared to be patient, I'm prepared to extol the good points of this game and present the problems in a reasonable manner, and my recent review of the game reflects that. But if all communication ceases because they couldn't cope with a few moaners, when in actuality they've received far less flak (no pun intended) than any other release of comparable quality due to the fact that this is a niche genre with few supporters, I would find that quite insulting, and probably respond by simply giving up and buying a different flight sim. Eagle Dynamics have at least the same complexity of task as the 1C devs, and apparently they nearly always find time to respond to their customers - so the line that there's just too much work to do doesn't wash with me.
I have high hopes for this game, and always have. Each day without communication, even if it were merely a 'hi guys, we're still working on it', reduces those hopes, and by extension my desire to support, and play the game. If communication ceases, then my support ceases - not because I want to give them the finger out of spite, but simply because my goodwill only stretches so far.
07-15-2011, 05:35 PM
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