So, word on the street is that Combat Mission Shock Force 2 (CMSF2) has arrived on Steam. I'm as surprised as everyone else is at this as Battlefront always seemed to be a holdout against 'corporates', insisting on using their own anti-piracy methods and requiring players to jump through hoops to update.
They actually lost me as a customer for a while after Combat Mission: Afrika Korps where the game CD had such a weird copy protection system that the only way I was able to get it to run was to download a cracked version!
They drew me back in with Combat Mission Shock Force, and then again when Shock Force 2 arrived on the scene. However, when the last update for SF2 came out it took me back to the old days as the update installed to a sub-directory first and then kept looping, creating sub-directory after sub-directory. Eventually, after spending some time on the forums, I got the update to work only to find all the unit names were screwed up!
The only reason I'm nursing my grudges against Battlefront is that, to me, the move to Steam (and to Slitherine) seems to be a really great idea that I wish they'd done sooner. The steam update system works brilliantly without any user intervention and I've never had a problem with any of the games I've bought there. Current owners of Shock Force 2 will be issued with Steam keys and I really can't see a good reason why they won't move across. I know there are some folk who detest Steam, but I'm OK with using it if it gives me an easier life.
RELATED LINKS:
Combat Mission: Shock Force 2 is out on Steam today - here’s how existing owners can get a Steam key
Broadening Horizons: Why Combat Mission: Shock Force 2 is making the leap to Steam
Review: Command: Shifting Sands