Open letter @ Data Realms: CC & needed fixes (constructive)

[NIL0S]

/Sign this with a post if you agree.

This is supposed to be constructive criticism, not flame bait, so if you have anything sensible to add to this list please do, if you're just here to be a fanboy, please don't, you won't help to actually improve anything by wearing pink glasses and defending the status quo to the death.

Here we go:

1) Fix RESOLUTION PROBLEMS—it's absurd that a modern game has this many problems with simply adapting to different screen resolutions. For some people the game is completely unplayable, if i hadn't messed around with the game files i probably would have had to accept the perma-black/pink screen and call the 17 euros wasted entirely... A release quality game should not require the user to get into the game directory and fix things on his own.

2) Fix FONT SCALING—partly connected with the above, the fonts should change with resolution and scale, sounds banal but is direly needed for readability. Very difficult to read item descriptions etc. during the heat of battle.

3) Fix WRONG/ABSENT DESCRIPTIONS—this goes both for scenarios AND the Tradestar Midas buy interface. Quite hilarious that on scenario maps coming WITH the game the description tells you to ask the maker to put in a description; hint taken... But really it's frustrating to start a local multiplayer only map, pain stakingly build a sprawling death trap of a bunker, only to realise 40 minutes afterwards that there is no AI support for the map.

4) Fix THE TUTORIAL—i realize that it cant take you too much by the hand, also because of engine's limitations, but at the very least try to find a way and convey ALL the necessary information to the player, otherwise you're left to figure simple things such as some of the key bindings on your own and that just adds to the frustration. Try to make it more in-depth, more than fixing it just needs expanding!

5) Fix THE CAMPAIGN—winning/losing conditions are still buggy, make sure the game over/victory conditions really get registered and possibly add a win/lose screen for the player, doesn't have to be anything fancy but at the very least it would be an ending. The planetary strategic layer also could use some fine tuning; why do i need to click "continue" buttons multiple times to get through one single turn?

6) Fix THE INTERFACE—As i said in my review the radial menu is pretty smart, but i would like to have an easier time deselecting an unit, have free scrolling on the map, cancelling a bunker module that i didn't want to place or selecting multiple units OR having a key shortcut to have Midas drop another of what i ordered last time (would make ordering multiple units or carpet bombing much more user friendly).

7) Fix THE AI—i know it's probably very challanging to build an AI for such complex physics based terrain, but atleast have auto gold mining work as intended and get the units not to die for absolutely no reason; it's a game breaker when the brain (both yours and enemy) kills itself for absolutely no reason (i'm not talking about the funny and completely warranted deaths, like by dropship to the head, etc.)

8) Fix THE FRAMERATE—i realize this is a performance issue and may vary from rig to rig, but even if you play CC on a fairly modern computer, it tends to slow down A LOT after a while of combat. Settable limits on actor numbers, both AI and player, could help fix this issue.

9) Paradoxically, take away the in-game "this is a work in progress and needs polishing" and the "play this with friends on HD TV!" messages, by having them there you're actually ruining the suspension of misbelief and making users more aware of little bugs they otherwise would just happily ignore admidst all the mayhem. It's enough you warn people about the beta status on your site and on Steam (...)... Actually if you take the above steps to heart and fix the issues i think you could truly call it 1.0!

Some of these things are potentially VERY SIMPLE to fix... Like the descriptions; just a matter of adding text... Yet it would add a lot to the polish and douse some of your users frustration! I want to like CC, otherwise i wouldn't have spent money on it! Please make the game all it could be (your words, Data).

Thank you.

[Fizban Frobozz]

I would absolutely love to see the dev respond to this post stating the feasability and maybe a potential timetable for these fixes. Nothing concrete, just an idea of what his paying customers can expect from him.

As far as suggestions, how about automatically pausing when you bring up the radial menu? This would greatly ease newcomers in to the game, as when you are under fire and need to do something simple like change weapons you may be dead by the time you find it on the menu.

[Tleno]

You know, you can just set them an e-mail, that will have a much greater chance of them to notice it.

Anyways, godd points, and I think they're prioritized pretty well, too!

[MrStevns]

Originally posted by Evecque:

I would absolutely love to see the dev respond to this post stating the feasability and maybe a potential timetable for these fixes. Nothing concrete, just an idea of what his paying customers can expect from him.

As far as suggestions, how about automatically pausing when you bring up the radial menu? This would greatly ease newcomers in to the game, as when you are under fire and need to do something simple like change weapons you may be dead by the time you find it on the menu.

i think that's a matter of knowing what's in the menu and find good spots to be when doing these things.
you can't you pause a battle.

although i think OP has some fairly good points, but i don't want the interface to change
it would be much less challenging trying to beat the opponent with hotkeys than selecting them in a menu.

[Fizban Frobozz]

I agree about the email, but this way more people can join in and see any responses. Plus, we have seen the dev in this forum, he is likey to see it, especially with the thread title not being filled with hate.

[Fizban Frobozz]

Originally posted by CandyFace*o*:

Originally posted by Evecque:

I would absolutely love to see the dev respond to this post stating the feasability and maybe a potential timetable for these fixes. Nothing concrete, just an idea of what his paying customers can expect from him.

As far as suggestions, how about automatically pausing when you bring up the radial menu? This would greatly ease newcomers in to the game, as when you are under fire and need to do something simple like change weapons you may be dead by the time you find it on the menu.

i think that's a matter of knowing what's in the menu and find good spots to be when doing these things.
you can't you pause a battle.

athough i think OP has some fairly good points, but i don't want the interface to change
it would be much less challenging trying to beat the opponent with hotkeys than selecting them in a menu.

I think the challenge should be the difficulty of the enemy, not the difficulty of the interface. Just my opinion, I guess.

[MrStevns]

Originally posted by Evecque:

Originally posted by CandyFace*o*:

Originally posted by Evecque:

I would absolutely love to see the dev respond to this post stating the feasability and maybe a potential timetable for these fixes. Nothing concrete, just an idea of what his paying customers can expect from him.

As far as suggestions, how about automatically pausing when you bring up the radial menu? This would greatly ease newcomers in to the game, as when you are under fire and need to do something simple like change weapons you may be dead by the time you find it on the menu.

i think that's a matter of knowing what's in the menu and find good spots to be when doing these things.
you can't you pause a battle.

athough i think OP has some fairly good points, but i don't want the interface to change
it would be much less challenging trying to beat the opponent with hotkeys than selecting them in a menu.

I think the challenge should be the difficulty of the enemy, not the difficulty of the interface. Just my opinion, I guess.

i don't see the challenge in the menu, i think it's quite fast to operate in if you get used to it.
but yes i believe it's a matter of choice.

[Tleno]

Well yea, interface needs some time to get used to, but it's not hard after that, at all!

[Fizban Frobozz]

My original statement was to help new players. I didn't say it couldn't be grasped over time. It was just a suggestion, and will probably not come about anyway.

[NIL0S]

Originally posted by Evecque:

(...) this way more people can join in and see any responses. Plus, we have seen the dev in this forum, he is likey to see it, especially with the thread title not being filled with hate.

My thoughts exactly. Should i send an e-mail too? Hoped this would have more visibility.

[Fizban Frobozz]

Not a bad idea, but post your response here if you get one?

[Tleno]

Originally posted by Evecque:

My original statement was to help new players. I didn't say it couldn't be grasped over time. It was just a suggestion, and will probably not come about anyway.

Still, I think you got a point here - expanding the tutorial would be crucial! I think a new mission introducing to, for instance, aircraft piloting, picking up units with aircrafts, giving commands and such would come in handy!

[NIL0S]

This is the e-mail:

Recently Cortex Command 1.0 has released on Steam and as you've certainly noticed it sparked quite some controversy. There has been much gratuitous flaming on the forum, both between users and against you, but i think there IS a grain of truth on both parties' sides, the haters and the fanboys. What i'm trying to do with this open letter ( http://steamcommunity.com/app/209670/discussions/0/882962066670591376/ ) is to unify the two camps and channel things into a more constructive format. It would be great if you'd take the time and check it out, as i feel i'm not alone with the suggestions/input given in the thread. Thank you for your time and continued support of Cortex Command!

—Signed, one of your very vocal customers :)

[James Lister]

agree on each and every category
especialy item 1 - as i can't play this game on my laptop
after playing some time on my PC i regret to agree the game is very, very poorly written piece of code, very amateurish. it's amazing the game survived for so long with that level of performence and controls.

re refund, you can forget about it, it will never happen.
but as someone in the forum suggested, this game can be rewritten fully in 6 months tops.

[moroz1999]

sometimes enemy units cannot be harmed - they count as allies i presume.

[camoir]

i also would call for the ability to change current weapon with keys,
the radial menu is great for everything else