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To: Charles Hughes who wrote (464)	3/30/1998 2:05:00 AM
From: Spektor	Respond to of 633

Hi All, Am horrified by the response to M1 Tank Platoon 2 (M1TP2) on the internet and newsgroups. And the net presence of the M1TP2 is seriously lacking. Why don't they take a look at how Andy Hollis' team are doing Janes EA F-15?! The F-15 team have at least 3 members posting EVERYDAY to the newsgroups, each answering at least 5-10 msgs personally. The M1TP2 team should learn from their peers who are also in the simulation business. Most of the msges about M1TP2 in the newsgroups are very negative. Here are but a few more constructive ones... Spektor Gamer/Investor ====================================================== From radiospace@eSartPhliAnk.nMet Mon Mar 30 00:14:59 1998 Date: Sat, 28 Mar 1998 23:38:28 GMT From: radiospace <radiospace@eSartPhliAnk.nMet> Reply-To: radiospace@SPAMearthlink.netOFF Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.flight-sim Subject: Re: M1TP2: ARRGHH!!! On Sat, 28 Mar 1998 12:04:20 -0600, "Brett I. Holcomb" <bretth@txk777.com> scribbled with the virtual quill: >What are some of the bugs you've seen? I have been considering buying it >and would like some input. > >Thanks. > It's just plain not finished. It's not even close to finished. This game makes Red Baron 2 looked like a polished product by comparison upon its premature release. The first things that come to mind: ---no usable outside view ---no binoculaurs in the hatch view ---no night-vision goggles in the hatch view ---friendly ai half missing (you can't use hunter-killer mode because your gunner won't respond...i.e., you have to shoot the gun yourself) ---about half the commanders electronic gadgets in the cockpit don't function The game isn't finished. It's a pity. I'm not certain that Microprose has a financial situation that will allow them to support this product. Big fat "don't buy it" Patrick ========================================================== From blurr@aa.net Mon Mar 30 00:19:51 1998 Date: Sat, 28 Mar 1998 16:41:11 GMT From: Gary R Eng <blurr@aa.net> Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.flight-sim Subject: Re: M1 Tank Plt II 1st cousin to BC3K On Fri, 27 Mar 1998 23:36:49 -0600, Michael J Andress <werewolf@telepath.com> wrote: >After my experience with M1 Tank Platoon II today I am seriously >reevaluating whether or not to buy F4 when it comes out or wait 6 months >for it to be fixed. > >I knew Microprose was in deep financial shit but I never suspected it >was so deep that they would release an unfinished product into the >marketplace. > Oh yeah. I have pretty much the same feeling about M1 Tank Platoon 2. It feels grossly unfinished. I'll add what I found to your stuff: >1. No binocular view in TC open Hatch >2. Loader will only load the ordered ammo from the gunner position >otherwise he loads staff. 2a. Loader will often load MPAT immediately after you tell them to load something else, overriding your commands. >3. No difficulty setting option in the options menu. >4. Game does not recognize joystick button 2 nor the POV hat on a >Thrustmaster Top Gun Joystick (and it isn't the js - every other game I >have sees it just fine). 4a. Hell, it also doesn't recognize #2 or #4 on mine. 4b. They didn't "debounce" the buttons, meaning that buttons that toggle things (like thermo) get triggered multiple times with one press. >5. The game requires Quicktime be installed to see the War College >movies. Quicktime is not supplied with the game. 5a. Neither are Glide 2.43 drivers, which they say must be downloaded from the video card manufacturers, in order to use 3dFx mode. 5b. But [5a] isn't much concern to me, as it the game doesn't support Voodoo-Rush cards like mine (something they DIDN'T warn me about on the outside of the box <!@#$!>). 6) CITV "hunter-killer" mode doesn't work. You can designate all you want, but the AI-gunner pretty much shoots what he likes: it pissed the shit outta me that while he was plinking BRDM's 500m in front, we had T-80's to our right flank at 1200m, and TOTALLY ignored my designations. A few seconds later, the T-80s pumped sabot into my tank's soft rear. 7) Turn Hull to CITV/Gun command doesn't work either. A factor I noticed when I found out about bug #6 above :p 8) CITV Search keyboard command doesn't work. 9) CITV Autoscan keyboard command doesn't work. 10) CITV/GPS toggle keyboard command doesn't work. 11) The IVIS map in the commander view doesn't update constantly. I have to go to the full-screen view, and back again to force a refresh. 11) The Damage-report screen doesn't work in the commander view 12) The Vision block viewpoint isn't available in all of the pre-made scenarios (I don't know why, I don't recall this being absent from particular models of M1A2's). 13) External view isn't very fun. It just rotates around uncontrollably looking at the vehicle. No panning controls :( 14) No "hull-down" command, and no driver view makes it difficult to get hull down. This was surprised me. I heard from Beta testers that there was either a command or the driver could figure it out himself: he can't. I'm losing tracks left and right. I'm personally very disappointed, as are you.

To: Charles Hughes who wrote (464)	3/30/1998 2:13:00 AM
From: Coy Lynn Gullett	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 633

Repost for Charles...... <<<Subject:Note from M1 team From:"Tim Goodlett" <timgoodlett@microprose.com> Date:1998/03/26 Message-ID:<6feu1m$9e5@world6.bellatlantic.net> Newsgroups:comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic [Subscribe to comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic] [More Headers] Hi, Thanks for all the posts. We have been reading them and considering all input during our planning stages of our upgrade and expansions. As the game's designer I want to take this opportunity to let our audience know what the future holds for M1 Tank Platoon. Yes, the Manual has errors in it. I apologize for this. Instead of giving a lengthy series of events and excuses, I will say that the development team has learned several valuable lessons for the future. The manual has been corrected in the second printing and an Errata will soon be posted on the MicroProse website. The team has been reading the posts to this site and paying attention to the various points made about the game, much like we did prior to the start of the development cycle. Since the completion of M1, the team has been working on an enhancement to add Direct3D graphics support to the game. This is nearing completion and will be posted to our website within the next few weeks. In the meantime, the team will evaluate both your feedback and our internal review and include fixes to most of the problems with the Direct3D upgrade. It does not end there. We plan to add on to M1Tank Platoon II with one or more expansion sets that will add additional equipment and more playercontrolled vehicles. The design of these expansions will take your feedback into consideration as well. I am not guaranteeing that every suggestion will make it into the game, but it will be considered. Feel free to email me at tgoodlett@microprose.com, or Sergeant Dubose at mdubose@microprose.com with your feedback or wish list. From the M1 team, we hope you enjoy our game.>>> Coy