[mpipes]

Oh for Pete's sake.

Is it really so overwrought to ask a company, on a forum devoted to its "product" with hundreds of fans wanting to spend money on said "product", to actually produce and sell what was promised on that forum.

In effect, what we have here is a company that bought the right to sell "pears" and went to the "pears" fan base and supporters promising they were going to sell "pears." Company solicited money, which fans invested. Company solicited talent, which responded by donating hours of time to grow "pears." When the time came, and the company rolled out the product - IT WAS NOT PEARS. Instead, it was "spinach." Now I don't know about most people, but when I am all excited about the bushel of "pears" promised and instead get a bale of "spinach," I have a right to get upset and point out that this is not the "pears" as promised, but instead is "spinach." Furthermore, I should be allowed to point exactly why the bale of "spinach" is in fact not
"pears" and log my complaints among my fellow "pear" lovers, who like me, really don't like the "spinach" that was offered up.

In a somewhat different analogy, don't go promising a Harley and instead produce a Vespa. That will get people upset. Some perhaps violently so if they were induced to invest in a Harley and instead received a Vespa (depending of course on the MC they belong to).

In short, FL DID NOT deliver what it promised to forum members. And lets be honest, forum members were induced to help on this project and were sold a bill of goods. There is no 4th addition here. It is a game FL came up with and slapped a "Twilight 2000" moniker on. NDAs are in effect, so effectively many are muzzled, but you can be sure many forum members feel DUPED. And they are not happy. And they are letting it been known what the problems are as they see them. AND most important, they have every right to do so under the circumstances and even, dare I utter the word, BE UPSET.

All that said, the game looks professional and uses mechanics popular with many (though I believe GDWs are much better). The artwork and graphics are a selling point! Very good. The background is atrociously badly written in my opinion, but at least gives a player a background setting forth where they are and their predicament. FL at least succeeds on these points, so at least they may be able to attract some fans despite the flaws being aired out. However, older players with more than a cursory knowledge of history, NATO, Russia, and the PACT, are going to have a decidedly different view of the background. and for that reason it will suffer. Virtually anyone with even a minimal degree of knowledge as to the doctrines and abilities of the belligerents will laugh themselves silly and likely move on; its that bad. Does FL really want that? Or are they willing to listen, AND FOR GAWD'S SAKE, hire consultants that really understand military matters and listen to them.