A Theory

[blackdog~ 0]

Before, I doubted that one million copies of Operation Flashpoint were sold. But the more I ask around, the more I believe it is true.

I have been playing a modification for Battlefield 1942 called Interstate 82 - a racing game - and occasionally I ask around on the not-so-crowded servers and ask if anyone played Operation Flashpoint. To my suprise a lot of players responded "yeah, that was a great game, too bad it was so buggy" - and that's the response I got over, and over, and over again. I tell them did you just play CWC or did you play the expansion pack too? And they say "expansion pack? what? WHAT expansion pack? When I played there weren't even any patches out!".

I even played a few games with Sgt. Nathan from these forums without knowing it!

So now I sit today and I have a theory why OFP has such a small multiplayer community:

• Lack of advertising, an utter failure on Codemasters' part

• Lack of participation by BIS in big conventions like E3 - they were there but not in any significant numbers.

• Lack of participation by BIS with US PC gaming magazines.

Most people I asked only had played the original game before any of the upgrades came out. But it was buggy so they quit. And then they never heard about the game again. But now that I tell them about all the addons and it being updated up to version 1.98 I have reason to believe that I have lead quite a few people into rediscovering this game.

This also proves that not all people playing BF1942 are idiots... and though a large majority still is, I think a lot of them have the same thoughts that we have about the game.

Anyone else agree with me?

And BIS, you gotta take things into your own hands if Ubisoft makes the same mistake. Run your own ads in PC gaming magazines, in the long run it WILL pay off...

PS: Those warning boxes really clash with my stars & uncle sam. I think they need to be turned into sad faces since it would still be 'bad' and also show how depressed I am.

[stgn 39]

I like the 1.98 thing

well isent this a bit to late I don't know but I don't see alot of OFP:R boxes in the shops I come in now I live in Denmark but it would surprise me if there where enough so that every potentialy player could get one? but it could be cool whit some new faces.

STGN

[blackdog~ 0]

Well I buy all my games online anyway but when I do visit the local computer store I don't see OFP either

[Baron Hurlothrumbo IIX 0]

I have noticed a similar trend when playing other games- a lot of people had played CWC and thought OFP was very buggy, although most were aware of resistance.

[hellfish6 7]

I think that STALKER has done almost the opposite... they've hardly advertised at all but they do let the product speak for themselves. It was because of the initial screenshots they released and responsiveness to the community athat they've become so popular - gaming magazines/sites go after them for interviews and scoops. I haven't seen a single ad in print, on the net or on TV, yet it's still quite popular.

I think quality speaks for itself.

[benu 1]

I can only say that all friends that bought the game with have quit it in the early versions due to bugs. I am the only one of our early group still playing it. So there could be something to this...

[Colossus 2]

I always thought that OFP has it's own little community where you can meet the same players over and over again in one day.

On BF1942 and CoD I rearly meet the same person more then twice in one day.

I had(e?)n't heard about OFP before many weeks after the release of the GOTY pack and I often go to a computer shop just to see whats new, but I didn't want it becouse I didn't know much about it (except whats on the box)

For OFP2:

So my suggestion is to make a diary on gamespot.com like TheSims 2 people did (just an example)

My other suggestions is just regulary advertisments on the net and newspapers (which has a reporter working on games and data)

Make OFP2 BIG. Get some PR

[gandalf the white 0]

but don't go bragging around with the stuff in it, just a ingame screen that just breathes so much atmosphere people will die to learn more... that's when they see the screens, go mad, come to the forums, and see what you can do with it... and the history (military training simulator)

[Harnu 0]

If OFP2 get's very little PR, I say we all make promo's and spread them around forums.

[korax 4]

If OFP2 get's very little PR, I say we all make promo's and spread them around forums.

I'm sure we'll do that regardless  

Although, it really should be the developers or publishers job to advertise the game... I really hope that CM (Ubisoft?) puts some effort into making OFP2 recognized.

[SpeedyDonkey 0]

Yes I’ve seen this Phenomenon in practically every online game. And yes, those are some very interesting ideas.

It would be very practical to have a website with an easy address that you could give people when talking about the game in servers and so on.

The page itself doesn’t have to be big. Just some pictures (maybe a teaser) to show the best sides of Resistance (the water reflection, new explosions, addons etc. This page could also have a link to Amazon or some other resellers to make the whole thing easier.

Btw does the Interstate 82 thing work with the basic Bf1942 or do I need a fancy BF Vietnam for that?

[Mister Frag 0]

I can only say that all friends that bought the game with have quit it in the early versions due to bugs. I am the only one of our early group still playing it. So there could be something to this...

Ditto.

I never stopped playing it, but some of my friends did. I had to drag them back into the game kicking and screaming.

The biggest early complaints among my friends were related to the constantly changing and temperamental SafeDisc copy-protection engine, collision detection problems, and just plain weird physics, such as bouncy or sliding tanks etc.

Once I convinced them to give the game another try, they had to go through the hassle of applying half-a-dozen patches starting from V1.10 to get ready for Resistance, and then patch that. Then they had to install and patch a couple of phantastic but large addons.

Of course I'm disappointed that the community isn't growing, and that OFP2 seems to be delayed. But I'm not going to stop playing OFP because of any of that -- I'll still be playing it the day OFP2 arrives.

[Commando84 0]

Yeah most of the bugs in the early versions scared off people i think and also i've heard complaints that the sight wasn't what they where used to and that they didn't like the standing still and reloading your weapon

Another thing was the lack of ingame server browsing and the bugs and some of the weird physics back then

ofp should have been promoted more and advertised, this is like standard for most games both good games and boring games like "the sims" But some people i have spoken with still remeber that ofp was a awesome and fun game to play in lan despite the bugs

for me i had ofp before i had internet to my computer and thats like 4 years from now i think

[pajama 0]

Well...Computer Gaming World (CGW) did give it GotY...

But for me even though I started playing when the demo came out, it was just that the scope of the game was way too big and many were still stuck in there simple 90" levels mentality.

I was also occupide with the Dark Forces: Jedi Knight community( The Massasi Temple ) and then later moved onto the Half-Life scene and then got addicted/tied up with the CS skinning/modeling community (a very talented group of people). After a few weapon hacks and player model packs releas (Pajama a.k.a El Jackal), I was fed up with the lack of realism that CS portrayed and saw the light that was OFP. I mean hundreds and hundres of skinner and modelers labor countless of hours making these beautiful peices of gun art trying to improve the realism of CS but in the end, a 21,000 poly weapon is'nt going to make a game any better (And people found ways to exceed that 21,000 poly limit btw, its insane ). Ofcourse I don't think thier efforts was wasted since every fricken military gaming mod communities used those skins and not give a single credit to them . But what can you do?

In the end the CSS community had to move somewhat underground (DL CSS), although for the better or worst, I had already lost intrest in the game.

So why do people still go to CS? Perhaps its the "cool" thing do just like playing HALO. No matter how crappy or boring it is or gets, your still going to play it because you just want to be cool, part of a trend. Dare I say a cult?

I'm really sorry for my pointless rambling

-PJ

[blackdog~ 0]

I think a nice, bright, full page ad with NO enhancements... portraying EXACTLY what the game is with "Operation Flashpoint 2 - Flashpoint2.com" in the lower right hand corner would be the best way to gain more players.

None of the fake CGI crap that other companies use.

[ozanzac 0]

If so many people bought OFP, but thought it was so buggy that they'd let it gather dust, then.......here's a thought.........employ some of us as beta testers for OFP II!

Actually, scratch that......I'd do it free of charge!

No doubt we'd come across the bugs in next to no time!