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Slind -> (7/21/2001 10:10:00 PM)
Your customer service is too good! I see you really want to make this game for us, so when we tell you we would like to see this in the game, it'll probably be there in the next patch, or at least you explain why it can't be that way. I've heard a quote that goes in finnish like this: "Tyytyväinen kansa on kehityksen jarru" which means something like that fully satisfied people will stop or at least delay development. I see people that are talking about bugs and other things they don't like as a part of development. That's no bad, is it? Whining about things is another subject...

Warrior -> (7/21/2001 10:17:00 PM)
quote: Originally posted by Monte: Paul’s word is respected here, and if he says “c’mon guys, show some positive energy here, it looks as if we have the worst game on the planet”, then it might effectively shut of all complaints, and rob us of these interesting discussions that develop here. You might find it interesting, but I too believe that what I said is a honest attempt to support Matrix and this game, and it serves Matrix interests better than yelling three times: “I support Matrix and whoever has a problem with that can go to Hell”. I doubt if our gang of gamers will ever roll over and become "Yes" men. You're right, and I stand corrected. I apologize for my "knee jerk" reaction, and I'll call off Sven. ;)

lnp4668 -> (7/21/2001 11:35:00 PM)
Even though I haven't received my MCNA disk yet, I have to blame UPS for loosing my CD, not Matrix. So hopefully I will receive a replacement soon :)

Monte -> (7/22/2001 12:06:00 AM)
quote: I doubt if our gang of gamers will ever roll over and become "Yes" men. You're right, and I stand corrected. I apologize for my "knee jerk" reaction, and I'll call off Sven. No offense taken, Warrior. I am standing my ground here to deliver what I think is an important message to Wild Bill Wilder and Paul. The truth that nobody has a hart to tell them is that they are doing things WRONG on this forum. How is that? With the blooming SPWaW community, they are finding themselves worn down by the shear volume of messages on this forum. One has to read 48000 posts, for Christ sake!!! Paul and Bill are spending their valuable time on this forum, and there is no need for that. If I was in their shoes, I would USE this tremendous loyalty in customer base to recruit a volunteer moderator from the ranks of veteran supporters. That persons job would not only be to prevent flaming and unacceptable discussions, but also to filter all the noise and send every day an e-mail summary to Bill and Paul pointing them to the topics that require their intervention. For instance, if somebody is asking about the details of the game engine, moderator would ask Paul to take a look. Same would go for scenarios and Bill's involvement here. Warrior, one thing that escaped your attention is my "rank" on this forum. I am a "matrix recruit", read that as "newbie". I have an idea what a "newbie" is looking for on this forum. Paul is wrong when he is afraid that a newbie would come to this forum to look if big download of SPWaW is worth it. Some might, but with the proliferation of broadband access to the Internet (cable and DSL), people are not concerned about the big downloads anymore. I, as a newbie, found this forum to be EXTREMELY valuable replacement for PBEM experience. You hear experienced guys speaking about their tactical use of weapons, you learn how to win this game. And winning is what matters, because that is what is giving us all a pleasure. Every topic where somebody complained about how particular weapon is modeled in the game, was not a bad thing for Matrix at all. Those topics are HUGE success. In the great scheme of things, how precise is flamethrower simulation in this game is irrelevant, and Paul is wrong, although I can understand his defensive stance about the thing he invested so much into. The truth is that with all these competent folks hanging around, any attempt to attack the game turns itself into the exactly opposite effect. From the flamethrower topic, I learned how other, more experienced players are treating flamethrowers, there was a discussion about the historical use of the weapon, and ALL OF THAT is immensely helping Matrix and this community. I, as a newbie, paid a close attention to these posts, because I learned to expect a great deal of info there. I intentionally said things just to provoke others to teach me a lesson. One of very important functions of this forum, gentleman, is that this is a training camp. This particular training camp is producing veterans from recruits, it is producing new Warriors (capital letter intentional ;)) who will not only buy MCNA, but anything else that Matrix throws in their direction. Forum traffic should grow, if you are asking me. It will happen anyhow, because that is the nature of increased sales for Matrix. And Wild Bill and Paul should start thinking about the future now and see how to handle this increased traffic that will sooner or latter make it impossible for them to handle.

Bing -> (7/22/2001 12:16:00 AM)
"...with the proliferation of broadband access to the Internet (cable and DSL), people are not concerned about the big downloads anymore." Sorry, but this is just not the factual situation. Talk to the gamers in Europe who cannot get a fast connection in any form. And have to pay for their oxcart connection by the minute. John Dvorak, resident guru for Ziff Davis publications, recently quoted a industry survey of Internet users. Better than half of them are in the 34 K connection category. I'm lucky to get 33.6 because of a small town phone system, most of the time it is 31.2. File size beyond question is important to myself and I am certain a great many gamers. The entire world is not comprised of people who have DSL or modem cable. The reverse happens to be the case. Bing

Monte -> (7/22/2001 12:31:00 AM)
I stand corrected, Bing. But this community already has developed an answer to that challenge. Offering free burned CDs is becoming a frequent and noble way of supporting Matrix. Matrix guys should use that to put a statement on the download page reading something like: "If you are concerned about the big download, consider checking our forum, where you can sometimes find a good soul who is willing to burn and send you a CD".

Wild Bill -> (7/22/2001 12:52:00 AM)
This groundswell of enthusiasm from all over the world means much more to me personally than I know how to express to all of you. We are NOT greedy, evil manipulators or smooth talking con-men out to fleece the gaming public. We are a fledgling company, taking our first steps, making mistakes unintentionally and doing our very best to correct them. We are learning. We will get better. We already are getting better. For all of you with the patience to understand that and evaluate our sincerity for what it is, I am greatful. The Matrix Team is one of the most talented and devoted anywhere! I am convinced of that. Timely post Paul. Hey, I thought you were on vacation! Wild Bill

m10bob -> (7/22/2001 1:31:00 AM)
started out with avalon hill in (i think)the late 50's..always liked wargames 'cuz my dad was a "lifer" and my brother and i always had big ambitions to fill his boots..i got my time in uniform and got re-acquainted with war "games" by an army buddy from ohio..got addicted and drove the next 3 women in my life nuts!...then....THE COMPUTER!!!!!!!atari 800,coleco,another atari,a commodore 64,and then.......I.B.M.!!!!!!!!every time something came out,i HAD to have it..spent a fortune and saw a lot of it collecting dust,but then along came the original S.P. and i finally felt justified in all the time and money spent....it started to age about the time i lost my personal hero and best friend,(bob sr),and then,along came MATRIX!!!!!!Matrix gave re-birth and actually recreated S.P. by completely changing that "game" and turning it into (for me) a truly accurate,historical study in which i felt part of...this thing is "in my blood" and Matrix has gone out of it's way to prove it's not just another company out there for the almighty dollar..Matrix is made up of an impressive bunch of steady,persevering,intellectual veterans and gameplayers AND game designers who are unwilling to compromise just to "get it on the shelf"..anybody who has ever bought any electronic wargame actually as ready as this one has been is either a liar or very forgetful..i've never been a real master of diction,but i'm known for honesty and not "beating around the bush"........MATRIX is the best wargame company going...bar none....their product is superb.....long life!

Fabio Prado -> (7/22/2001 2:06:00 AM)
quote: Originally posted by Paul Vebber: A call to arms!! quote: A friend of mine called today and offered his apologies and said it was a shame so many people thought we were doing such a poor job. I had to take a step back and ask what the heck he was talking about?? Unfortunately, for a newbie coming to this forum for the first time, A large number of threads are negative and lead one to believe that things here are not going very well... There are thousands of you registered on the forums, but a only a small fraction post regularly. So Lets make folks who come to the site and forum know that the negative stuff is healthy criticism, but nothing to worry about, and to help us sell out MC1 Desert Fox quickly and prime the pump for even more of you to get MC2 Lost Victories. [ July 20, 2001: Message edited by: Paul Vebber ] Although I am not much of a Forum kind of fellow - I do my talking by the support I give via my website - I have been with Matrix since the beginning, and seeing what I saw, decided to support them. And will keep on doing it, as long as I possibly can. I am an old wargamer - I have been around - and I have NEVER seen the kind of support and attention that the MATRIX team give to customers. And you have to understand that this customer base, up until very recently, paid NOTHING for the best ever version of the most illustrious PC wargame ever. This behavior that characterizes MATRIX doesn't have a precedent. This has given them the reputation they've got. For all this they deserve RESPECT and CONSIDERATION of all of us wargamers. Remember how the world was before MATRIX? Then they launched their first paid product, the MC1 - Desert Fox. And as they are wargamers trying to give their community excellent products by working theirs hearts off, and not a bunch of greedy, unscrupulous people - they experienced some problems. Now some people complained about the delay in receiving their copy of the DFMC. I can understand them. But I don't agree with their attitude at the forum. I myself ordered as soon as the online pre order began. Yet I only received my copy yesterday. Did I posted at this Forum complaining? No. Why? Because I feel the MATRIX team deserves the RESPECT and CONSIDERATION of all of us wargamers. This waiting time was nothing compared to the long hours and sleepless nights of continuous tireless work to give us a superior product FOR FREE. How do I know it? Because I was in the beta team of most versions since SPWAW 1.0. I experienced the daily beta releases, the thrill of the bug hunt, the friendship, the frustration, the joy and the pride that comes with this work. I am no part of the company, and make no money from it. On the contrary, I am a supporter. I work with them whenever I can, and do the most I can, and still buy their products because I believe in David, Paul, Mike, Wild Bill and all the Matrix Team.And because I know the quality of their work and their commitment. Now a word about the "Bug fond in version X.x!!!" posts. Matrix wants feedback. More. Matrix NEEDS feedback. But I have seen lots of posts where the gamer saw something he/she thinks is odd and goes straight to the forum and post it . Please remember: RESPECT and CONSIDERATION. If you see something you feel may be a bug, please check it out first. See if it happens all the time, most of the time, rarely, of it doesn't happens anymore. Then take a little time analyzing the situation, to clear things out and verify if it is REALLY a bug, or if you are not misinterpreting correct game behavior. If it is not a bug, but If something doesn't particularly suits your taste, you can always use some of the many configuration settings or even the OOB editor to make things like you feel they should be. There are enough configuration options within SPWAW to suit almost everybody's tastes. Please remember that if you don't proceed this way, you may be doing more harm than good. Again: Remember how the world was before MATRIX. And last but not least: Here we are all, without exception, having a lot of FUN! This is a very supportive community, where if you can't download the game there is always a fellow gamer that will burn a CD and send it to you. There is a bunch of fellows that have built support websites on their own expenses just so you can have the latest info, scenarios, upgrades and other goodies available. So, post about it - this is what we are all living everyday as part of the MATRIX Games community - and let the newbies know how good it is you will be helping your favorite wargame company to give you even more wonderful wargaming experiences. Just my two cents. Fab [ July 21, 2001: Message edited by: Fabio Prado ]

Bing -> (7/22/2001 3:19:00 AM)
Mea culpa maxima. This really IS the last time I am going to apologize to Paul, Fab, whoever feels they need one or could use one. I did not post the FT thread because I had seen this happen once, it happened many times, as it turned out it may have been a scenario gone "buggy", because when I went to the second battle in the campaign after the FT incident, I suddenly had no core forces at all. Zip. Nada. Quick way to end a campaign. No intent to do more harm than good. Didn't expect Paul or anyone else would run off big tests or anything of the kind. Was really asking what other gamers were experiencing. Is this wrong? I doubt if I will post anything of the kind again. I thought the forum was as much for those seeking help as anything else. If I was wrong, well, go to the top of this message. In the way of reparations, you can have my first born if you would like. He is however rather large - 6' 5" - and eats a lot. Bing

Les_the_Sarge_9_1 -> (7/22/2001 8:43:00 PM)
Negativity could be best dealt with by not letting it get painted all over the place. The forums are to numerous, to varied, and to prone to lacking direction. The forums appear to lack "leadership". By this I mean the people in charge need to quash posts that serve no purpose. The forum managers should discourage (or outright trash) posts that belong on some distant MIRC channel, and off Matrix if the participants merely wanting to socialise (its why I use ICQ, its what its for). Any person that would use the phrases Censorship, Supression of Freedoms, and Prudish limitations, are "using" Matrix for their own amusement, and not for anything supportive of Matrix's efforts. I have no interest in posting comments not directly supportive of Steel Panthers for a reason. Currently I am enjoying 6.1. I have followed it since I downloaded 4.1 I believe. I have noticed a few changes, but not much (I tend to play a game and enjoy it, rather than quibble over why my tank blew up, or why I cant seem to kill that enemy infantry position. Single biggest thrill I have had since seen in getting later versions of SP, from playing the actual original Steel Panthers, is the ease of playing it on my computer period. I remember requiring the aid of my computer guru to get a DOS game to run without hassle on my then modern computer. I have followed numerous comment posts on the Forum for Steel Panthers specifically, and have found numerous ones informative and helpful. Alas Matrix, in its unusual generosity, has let their site, WHICH IS A PRIVILEDGE AND NOT ANY ONE PERSONS RIGHT REGARDLESS OF ANY GOVERNMENTS ILL WORDED PAPERWORK, become a sea of posts that can become silly, offensive, and in no way supportive of Matrix's efforts. In a lighter vein, some posts would be better served in a forum designed to come to the immediate aid of someone tasked with providing just that, aid. I have seen a lot of techy commentary that could be best served on a forum that was specifically intended to be the ONE place techy comments were to be sent. This would include bug reports, negative commentary on design (which is a matter of negative input, but potentially valid). I think that the posts sometimes over specialise. If each games techy comments were sent to each games specific forum, with the understanding that only techy comments were welcome, it would improve things. If the General Forum was open to all games, with the specific provision that bug reports, and service complaints were not invited, it would make a great spot for newcomers to see the many games Matrix has to offer in a better light. In a lot of cases I have seen many posts, that lacked any real direction. Some were mere fawning, some were obvious posts designed to garner nothing but attention. This really should be discouraged in soooooome way. I deeeeefinitely advocate dispensing with any posting location that does absolutely NOTHING for Matrix (any who know me, will realise I have no desire to see "Art of Wargaming" remain on Matrix forums. It detracts from Matrix, and to be honest has tarnished my feelings towards the Matrix forums as a whole. To me Matrix is Wargamming. In my case mostly Steel Panthers. But I would like to see more of the other games without having to wade through all their own techy baggage. We need to address the techy baggage, but it pollutes dilutes and generally detracts from sponsoring new player interest. I havent been on any other games forums. They are to much and to unfocused. I tried Art of Wargaming, and as I see it, came away disgusted. I hope this boring as hell dialogue is of use to Matrix. Anyone reading it better understand, no one likes Matrix or Steel Panthers "more" than me, maybe as much, but not more. But Matrix needs to put a clamp down on non supportive, wasteful and potentially poorly located posts. Its not about Guidelines, its about superior command and control at the helm.

Fabs -> (7/22/2001 11:33:00 PM)
I really think that too much sensitivity to criticism is being displayed here. Let's look at a few facts: 1) SPWAW is the best WWII tactical simulation ever. 2) The guys at matrix work very hard to continue developing newer and better games for the enjoyment of their gamers community, who enthusiastically supports their efforts. 3)They want to move from providing free product (an excellent initial marketing idea) to charging for new, better products, and again they are supported by the vast majority of their existing and potential customers in this. All of us want to give matrix our money. 4) Their early efforts at distributing their new products were plagued by problems. This is a small matter compared to the rest, but it needs fixing. The supportes and customers who are suffering need attention ,however few they may be. The best way open to Matrix to eliminate the possible negative effects of that small but important aspect of its history is to fix the problems so that the perceived level of service is as close as practically possible to that of other Internet Worldwide distributors to all their customers. We are all rooting for Matrix, and if it's true that only a minority of unfortunates has had problems with their deliveries it won't hurt if they wait to get their first order before making an new one. I had posted my order in April, after several unsuccessful attempts over a few weeks. That is persistence. I did not complain when the info I received via e-mail did not allow me to track my order as indicated. I simply worked on the basis that I trusted Matrix and it would turn up at some stage. I didn't even bother to contact the help desk, as I thought they would be very busy. I lost the use of my computer for 13 hours while it downloaded v.5.0, so that I could start playing it without waiting for the disk. I ordered 5 MCNA with the intention of introducing a number of friends to the game by making a present of it to them, and I ordered 5 MCNA T-shirts that I don't really need just to make a contribution to Matirx's commercial success. I accepted to pay an obscene amount for shipping, (every single item was billed separately). Only now do I start grumbling, but perhaps after all that it is not unreasonable. I am not even asking for my over US$ 250 back, just wondering where the hell the stuff is and whether I'm ever going to see it, and is this going to happen to every other future order, of which I would eventually like to make several (I want the new Mega Campaign, and I will want Combat Leader modules and Close Combat modules when thay are released). David's reply was just right (my info is in the office, David, I'll e-mail you first thing Monday morning), and Wild Bill's words were also spot on. Here I feel that I am being indirectly attacked for daring to complain. You can imagine how that makes me feel. I don't care how strong the choir of approval is, I'm a strong supporter of Matrix but I have the right to voice my concerns without being made to feel that I'm somehow spoiling Matrix's chances or "betraying the cause".

David Heath -> (7/22/2001 11:53:00 PM)
Hi Guys For the record No at Matrix has a problem I with unhappy people. Except the fact that they are unhappy. We want to keep every customer and not lose one! I admit that is almost impossible. Part of the problem we are having is the CRAP service by USPS. Gamers upset that its 10 days and no game. Some of them have taken 20+ days to get to them. This is NOT our fault. Things are so bad with USPS, no tracking and long delays that we have stop using them altogether. We now have much cheaper discount rates for for FedEx and UPS. We are doing our best and have been working the weekends to clear up the few gamers who are still having problems. We started work on both Mega Campaigns at the same time and will be selling the second Mega Campaign in about 2 weeks (this is not official). I expect all of these issues to have been cleared up. Let me also make this clear anyone who order the game and paid for it early and has not recieved it yet has every right to be mad at us. No one at Matrix feels differently about this. All I can say is wait to Mega Campaign Lost Victories and from the start there will be no problems. Also if you Order Desert Fox 1941 I am sure you will also find it much easier experenice. Thanks to everyone for the support and understanding.

Figmo -> (7/23/2001 12:10:00 AM)
With all this positive feedback somebody has to post the warning: -------------------------------------------- CAUTION!! SPWaW IS addicting!! Life as you knew it will NOT be the same after playing this game. -------------------------------------------- If I don't play a scenario or part of a campaign every few days I get grouchy!! :eek: Back to the war. Figmo

KG Erwin -> (7/23/2001 10:35:00 AM)
Posted by Figmo:"CAUTION!! SPWaW IS addicting!! Life as you knew it will NOT be the same after playing this game. " I wholeheartedly agree. I sometimes think this forum is as much a support group for obsessive-compulsive gamers as it is for sharing opinions, gripes, and kudos to the Matrix company staff. I'm course I'm kidding...at least I think I am. I still have plenty to time to share with my wife and daughter...whatever their names are. :D

sinner -> (7/23/2001 10:58:00 AM)
I'm another one that loves SP series. In fact, I bought two MC CDs and two T-shirts. Yes, I have good friends who also love SP and have a slow modem connection. And SP is the best ever WW2 wargame on PC. The detail given, the historical accuracy, the ability to use tactics from FMs (field manuals), the chance to use weapons in the same way they were used... unbeatable. Also, the amazing speed of game patches only rivals the patches made for Linux . For all of you that don't know, the fastest you get a patch, the better the product is: it means that the manufacturer/developers are "on top of the product" and want it right, right now. Customer support heaven, I must say. And, of course, SPWaW runs great on Linux! :D :D

darroch -> (8/11/2001 3:41:00 AM)
BUMP!!! Happy Friday to All!!! Feeling a sense of jubilation because I just spent some of my tax refund from Dubya on a couple more MC CDs (to get some friends hooked) and some FIREFIGHT... I wanted to be able to put "my money where my mouth was" when I posted my sincere appreciation to the gang at Matrix and all the beta testers who have labored so long and hard to resurrect SP and develop this wonderful and addictive game called SPWAW... It is also great to be part of such an awesome community of gamers... Way back when David said he needed 3500 copies of MC to get "the train" moving... I hope my 3 copies help you hit get a little closer to the mark....I am truly eager to see what you guys can do with CA/CL and am impressed with the way other goodies keep spinning out: just for example: SPModerna and the gang doing the Civil War adaptation...Goodonya, mates!! So, thanks and keep up the good work - I can't wait to buy my next 3 MCs!!!! Cheers :D :D

AbsntMndedProf -> (8/11/2001 3:53:00 AM)
I can't say enough good things about Desert Fox/Steel Panthers! It goes way beyond the board gaming experience. It reminds me of the years I spent playing WW II miniatures on diaramas. Everything about DF/SP is just great! Anyone who enjoys wargaming should get Desert Fox. It's great! Keep up the good work!

Alexei -> (8/12/2001 4:02:00 AM)
I have just read that item... looks like Paul was right, the "good news" may be a little submerged. Anyway I am not sure that negative (hum, let's say constructive) comments are that harmful. Please let me explain my own story: all right, I am not exactly a newbie, I have been playing SP since the first version. Until MCNA I had no possibility to get SPWAW and you can imagine how disappointed I was. All that I could do was browsing the forum and trying to imagine the day where I would have it on my computer (connexion is so slow and expensive here in France for those who do not have ADSL...). Well actually the forum did not discourage me at all. It was exactly the opposite, I was greatly impressed seeing that there are really some experts here. My feeling was that, in case I would encounter any problem, there would be somebody soon to help me... and that's true. Moreover, it is great sharing ideas with all of you! Now that I have SPWAW 6.1, I am happy to be able to post on the forums ; I hope I do not give too much "constructive" feedback ;) . And of course I completely agree with Paul: positive feedback is really a necessity too. Maybe that my first post should have been something like that: ""SPWAW is totally fantastic, it is the best game I have played ever". And that's true... A drawback? Well, I spend a lot of time at work remembering the map and planning where I will deploy my units :).

Belisarius -> (8/12/2001 4:40:00 AM)
quote: Originally posted by Bing: "...with the proliferation of broadband access to the Internet (cable and DSL), people are not concerned about the big downloads anymore." Sorry, but this is just not the factual situation. Talk to the gamers in Europe who cannot get a fast connection in any form. And have to pay for their oxcart connection by the minute. John Dvorak, resident guru for Ziff Davis publications, recently quoted a industry survey of Internet users. Better than half of them are in the 34 K connection category. I'm lucky to get 33.6 because of a small town phone system, most of the time it is 31.2. File size beyond question is important to myself and I am certain a great many gamers. The entire world is not comprised of people who have DSL or modem cable. The reverse happens to be the case. Bing Just to get the record straight; Altough a lot of users here doesn't have a fast connection, a lot of us do. :D

john g -> (8/12/2001 5:09:00 AM)
quote: Originally posted by Bing: "...with the proliferation of broadband access to the Internet (cable and DSL), people are not concerned about the big downloads anymore." Sorry, but this is just not the factual situation. Talk to the gamers in Europe who cannot get a fast connection in any form. And have to pay for their oxcart connection by the minute. John Dvorak, resident guru for Ziff Davis publications, recently quoted a industry survey of Internet users. Better than half of them are in the 34 K connection category. I'm lucky to get 33.6 because of a small town phone system, most of the time it is 31.2. File size beyond question is important to myself and I am certain a great many gamers. The entire world is not comprised of people who have DSL or modem cable. The reverse happens to be the case. Bing I just got cable a week ago, I downloaded spwaw v1.0 on a 56k modem that took 28 hours of connect time to get the file. In addition to that large file I also downloaded 22 episodes of the tv show Blakes 7, done as 300+ meg mpeg files, (got the other 30 episodes with cable modem) it is all a matter of how commited you are to getting what you want. If it was my only way of getting it, I would even hook up my antique 300 baud modem and just take a month or two to get it. thanks, John.

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