Joe 98
Immersion comes from gameplay not graphics. Look at Tornado for instance - I would hazard a guess to say that most would consider the graphics to be "obsolete", but it remains one of the greatest sims out there, due to campaign mechanics and the depth of gameplay. The same could be said of the Harpoon series or other wargames. To be blunt, the sound and graphics in Harpoon ( pick a Version ) suck ! But gameplay is what keeps us gearheads drooling.
As far as the rest of your comments go they are based on your opinion and you have every right to espouse those views, but others who are also wargamers may not care about the size of the community. They care about the quality of the games (read gameplay), thus high-end graphics and massive sales are not a priority - hence the existence of Shrapnel Games to begin with.
I'll take BCT or ATF over GI Combat any day - and let there be no doubt - the latter is much better looking, but in the end it means nothing. You don't make people into proper wargamers - they are either interested in the conventions and games associated with the genre or they are not.
Lastly, you've got to be careful in classifying what is "obsolete". You are making assumptions based on your standards and without seeing any final code. I understand your point regarding graphics, but remember that most games now undergo a multi-year development process. Does this make them obsolete upon being released ?
I can understand your point of view, but you must also appreciate that others may think such concerns have little relevance in the face of getting the gameplay right.
Andy "MIGMaster" Mills
CombatCanada.Com
[ June 10, 2003, 20:34: Message edited by: MIGMaster ]