I'm on my soapbox, so forgive me:
I bought HOI3, it must be 3 years ago (August 2009). It was my first Paradox game. I tried to play it, but found it way too complicated and put it aside. A year later I picked it up again and determined to play it. It was a mess, I complained on the forum and was told to go buy Semper Fi, which had just been released, and it would solve all my problems. I bought Semper Fi, had a blast, enjoyed it and eventually went on to buy and play lots of other Paradox games. But the original "bad" experience with Paradox remained with me, associated with HOI3.
Go forward to now. In the interim I've bought FTM and all the sprite packs, my intention to get back and play HOI3 again, sometime, when I have "time". I see HOI3 Collection on sale...GREAT! This will save me all the time, trouble and effort of having to reinstall HOI3-patch it... Semper Fi-patch it... FTM-patch it and all the sprite packs. I bought HOI3 Collection.
It said it contained Semper Fi and FTM and all the sprite packs. On installation I DID expect to see, on the menu, a choice for Semper Fi or FTM and the various scenarios of HOI3. No there. Oh! so it must be that they are there "under the hood" grand! It all installed fine, no problems.
I then wanted to install those "extras", "dlc's ?". So I installed Gottdamnerung(?), and half way through installing either Dies Irae USA or Common Weapons of whatever, I noticed with alarm, that the game was asking me to overwrite the previous "dlc", so I stopped and went to the forum to check things out...
EDIT: What Paradox don't seem to realise is this: If I (as a customer) have to search through forums to find "fixes" and patches for games...it is like "a bad thing" to have to do... I can feel my desire to play the game diminish as the minutes tick by... Paradox need to realise THIS!
..............................................................
In the meantime, we've ALL had a LIFT with the high-quality QA and launch effort with Crusader Kings II, and for me it was a case of :"Great! these guys are finally getting their act together". CKII is a great success, and all Paradoxians are delighted, including me!
..................................................................
I went back on the HOI3 forum, looking for information about HOI3 Collection. There wasn't any.
No sticky, nothing. It was as if the game didn't exist?
BUT for me, because of my previous HOI3 experience (bad!), it was like a dejavu moment.. "Ah XXXX! here we go again... my heart sank... I just couldn't believe that it was the same... DESPITE THE MASSIVE EFFORTS of very good and excellent Moderators, so I posted a request for information.
A moderator came back to me and a friendly gamer also helped me. Good, Thanks.
....................................................................
So I thought, why is it still like this, after all this time...?
I looked at the Forum, and thought, you know it could very well be, that despite everyone's extreme efforts and professionalism, the Forum is just too big. If these guys still have to cope with old games, their patches, their whatever, AND still be expected to cope with the current games.. including HOI3, which is really 3 games.. this is ridiculous... AS .. I'm a customer, and I'm pissed off (again).
Hence this post.
I think the Forum is way too big. I think the old classic games should be either dumped, or put off on some other forum, so the main effort can be concentrated on the Current and upcoming games. If people have less to deal with, then I'm sure they can do a better job. And idiots like me, can be better served, with "stuff" clearer and easier to process.
My point about making stuff clearer:
I bought HOI3 Collection, it contains Semper Fi and FTM.. so I thought, I'll be able to install the "dlc's" and whaterver extras there are also. NO! One installation messes up the previous and you end up being pissed off and having to reinstall. That's IF you do reinstall...
So another point: Paradox should be making it crystal clear what works with what. And as far as HOI3 Collection goes, it should clearly state this, as this is a new game version. It doesn't.
My point being, that if Paradox can do it for CKII, then they should be gearing up to do it for ALL future games. Hence the comment about a QA guy or department, or better QA.
So, overall I've complimented the Moderators, as I DO see the efforts they make on all our behalf's. THANKS. But I also make the point that things can be better, and need to be. EDIT: And as someone else has reminded me, elsewhere: Forums are meant for communication between people about a common subject (games). They aren't suited for storing games, patches, whatever. The Hoi3 forum contains DEAD, stickied mods, yet there isn't room for information about a new game...
Anyway, I've said my piece. I'm done.
So, Agree/Disagree?
I bought HOI3, it must be 3 years ago (August 2009). It was my first Paradox game. I tried to play it, but found it way too complicated and put it aside. A year later I picked it up again and determined to play it. It was a mess, I complained on the forum and was told to go buy Semper Fi, which had just been released, and it would solve all my problems. I bought Semper Fi, had a blast, enjoyed it and eventually went on to buy and play lots of other Paradox games. But the original "bad" experience with Paradox remained with me, associated with HOI3.
Go forward to now. In the interim I've bought FTM and all the sprite packs, my intention to get back and play HOI3 again, sometime, when I have "time". I see HOI3 Collection on sale...GREAT! This will save me all the time, trouble and effort of having to reinstall HOI3-patch it... Semper Fi-patch it... FTM-patch it and all the sprite packs. I bought HOI3 Collection.
It said it contained Semper Fi and FTM and all the sprite packs. On installation I DID expect to see, on the menu, a choice for Semper Fi or FTM and the various scenarios of HOI3. No there. Oh! so it must be that they are there "under the hood" grand! It all installed fine, no problems.
I then wanted to install those "extras", "dlc's ?". So I installed Gottdamnerung(?), and half way through installing either Dies Irae USA or Common Weapons of whatever, I noticed with alarm, that the game was asking me to overwrite the previous "dlc", so I stopped and went to the forum to check things out...
EDIT: What Paradox don't seem to realise is this: If I (as a customer) have to search through forums to find "fixes" and patches for games...it is like "a bad thing" to have to do... I can feel my desire to play the game diminish as the minutes tick by... Paradox need to realise THIS!
..............................................................
In the meantime, we've ALL had a LIFT with the high-quality QA and launch effort with Crusader Kings II, and for me it was a case of :"Great! these guys are finally getting their act together". CKII is a great success, and all Paradoxians are delighted, including me!
..................................................................
I went back on the HOI3 forum, looking for information about HOI3 Collection. There wasn't any.
No sticky, nothing. It was as if the game didn't exist?
BUT for me, because of my previous HOI3 experience (bad!), it was like a dejavu moment.. "Ah XXXX! here we go again... my heart sank... I just couldn't believe that it was the same... DESPITE THE MASSIVE EFFORTS of very good and excellent Moderators, so I posted a request for information.
A moderator came back to me and a friendly gamer also helped me. Good, Thanks.
....................................................................
So I thought, why is it still like this, after all this time...?
I looked at the Forum, and thought, you know it could very well be, that despite everyone's extreme efforts and professionalism, the Forum is just too big. If these guys still have to cope with old games, their patches, their whatever, AND still be expected to cope with the current games.. including HOI3, which is really 3 games.. this is ridiculous... AS .. I'm a customer, and I'm pissed off (again).
Hence this post.
I think the Forum is way too big. I think the old classic games should be either dumped, or put off on some other forum, so the main effort can be concentrated on the Current and upcoming games. If people have less to deal with, then I'm sure they can do a better job. And idiots like me, can be better served, with "stuff" clearer and easier to process.
My point about making stuff clearer:
I bought HOI3 Collection, it contains Semper Fi and FTM.. so I thought, I'll be able to install the "dlc's" and whaterver extras there are also. NO! One installation messes up the previous and you end up being pissed off and having to reinstall. That's IF you do reinstall...
So another point: Paradox should be making it crystal clear what works with what. And as far as HOI3 Collection goes, it should clearly state this, as this is a new game version. It doesn't.
My point being, that if Paradox can do it for CKII, then they should be gearing up to do it for ALL future games. Hence the comment about a QA guy or department, or better QA.
So, overall I've complimented the Moderators, as I DO see the efforts they make on all our behalf's. THANKS. But I also make the point that things can be better, and need to be. EDIT: And as someone else has reminded me, elsewhere: Forums are meant for communication between people about a common subject (games). They aren't suited for storing games, patches, whatever. The Hoi3 forum contains DEAD, stickied mods, yet there isn't room for information about a new game...
Anyway, I've said my piece. I'm done.
So, Agree/Disagree?
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