There is a question I have been dying to ask for ever, and I am asking now!

[Gunnyhighway]

How come, there was not a multiplayer version of "Steel Fury - Kharkov 1942" ever developed.

As all the PC WWII Tank simulator made, it is the only one that would make sense to develop in MP.

I actually asked in SimHQ in the past when SFK42 came out, but never got a satisfactory answer.

[lockie]

How come, there was not a multiplayer version of "Steel Fury - Kharkov 1942" ever developed.
As all the PC WWII Tank simulator made, it is the only one that would make sense to develop in MP.

As I know MP in the Graviteam games is impossible.
There are two reasons, as my point:
1. MP is not popular between users (means - no profit)
2. infantry is too much smart(means, too many data should be transfered between users)

[frinik]

My own view, based partly on comments made by some Graviteam people and based on my own raeding of what make Graviteam people tick, is that MP:

1) requires a lot of technical support which Graviteam, consisting of 4 or 5 persons who have full-time jobs and can only dedicate their free time to making games, simply cannot afford to provide.

2) I think since they are self funded and have been unable to rake in money from selling their games( distributors who went belly up or simply screwed them)their financing is very limited and they can only and want only to focus on SP.

3) As well I think they don't like or may be only don't care about MP.For them making sims is a passion which transcends money making .I think they are pretty much in the Soviet time mindset where profit was a dirty word and everything that reeked of commercialism, capitalism was frowned upon. It's hard to free yourself of such a mindset when it's all you've known when you grew up. I think MP is so popular in the West and increasingly in the East because of its money making potential. The people at Graviteam wanted to have a solid fan base which they originally recruited from the former Soviet Union countries mostly the Ukraine, Russia and Belarus and the Western market was of secondary importance to them. SP was first and foremost what their fans from Eastern Europe were after t and they never got any pressure to do any MP. However as Steel Fury and their other games started becoming popular in the West to the point that their fan and commercial base is increasingly tilting westward they are now facing calls and pressure to address the MP issue. They have so far been able to push it aside but it's not going away and I think they realizing that ion order to achieve commercial success and be able to fund their future projects they will have to satisfy their Western fans somehow. So it will happen with their RPGs but as they said they are not going to make more SIMS I think it's unlikely we will see a future MP offshoot of Steel Fury.

Just my own take.

[lockie]

The people at Graviteam wanted to have a solid fan base which they originally recruited from the former Soviet Union countries mostly the Ukraine, Russia and Belarus and the Western market was of secondary importance to them.

It's subject to discus, but I agree that mostly Graviteam games designed for the former USSR ppl. Of course, it's my personal point of view. Though, mostly money goes from the West, as I've understood.

[Tanker]

They are young people with flexible minds.  If they thought they could make a successful game with MP, I don't think commercialism would stop them.  I don't think they wish not to make money for ideological reasons.

[frinik]

Oh I didn't say they were motivated by ideology I said they had the mindframe of the people from the former SU. That ain't the same! But anyway I mentioned as first and foremost the lack of human and financial resources.

[Gunnyhighway]

Frinik,

I like your cultural analysis, it certainly played a role in decision making and definition of marketing strategies!

It does make sense to me, now.