CAV to undergo changes....again

Like I said over on Reaper's message board I'm fed up with being fed up with CAV. It's a great game, the miniatures are awesome IMNSHO, and I enjoyed the community of players around the game. That's what really suckered me into hanging out in Reaper's little online community. Now that there's been an announcement of Things To Come Soon I'm frustrated with Reaper, but on the other hand I'm glad to some interest from the company again, and again it's been so long since I've been able to play it and they've done anything with the game I can't help but to feel a bit ambivalent as well. (Yeah, they used the "s" word. Folks that have been around CAV for a while will know what I mean.) In short I'm somewhat of a conflicted geek on the subject.

First, I realize that CAV has been nothing like a cash cow for Reaper. Quite the opposite, they're probably losing money every time they pour a CAV mold. It was obvious that they couldn't keep up a line just because a die hard few occasionally bought miniatures. But with certain things it seems like a slash and burn approach is being taken with the game. The time line is getting a total reset and even certain facts established in the original version of CAV are being "tweaked." The miniatures are being reduced (more on this later) and it sounds like some core mechanics are being monkeyed with (this could be good, could be bad). What I'm really afraid of though is that the game will be more about CAVs being the most powerful thing in the game and everything else on the board are merely targets there to warm up the Gauss Cannons.

On the issue of the resizing. Tin has become rather expensive, got it. 8mm seems like an odd scale. I know his reasoning is that most other companies have creeped up to 8mm with their 6mm ranges. That may be the case, if so, just call yours 6mm so you don't confuse people not familiar with the line if they are looking for "6mm compatible" figures. The odd scale size (for wargaming anyway) has always been stumbling block for CAV. At N scale (1:160) they were too big to use with 6mm and too small for 15mm. 10mm would work with them if you squint. Calling the models 8mm may end up causing them a self-inflicted gunshot wound to their locomotive appendages. I hope not, I don't wish ill will on them, I like the folks at Reaper. I'm just callin' it like I see it.

The retcon of the background has me irked for some reason. I usually don't get wrapped around the axle about background stories, but I liked the GW2 as a backdrop. Liked it better than mercenaries fighting proxy wars for the UCORs. It may just be the human nature to resist change, but I'm not excited about this part of it.

It's no secret that CAV2 needed some more work. Chrome and crew over at Mil-Net had been doing a bang up job with CAV2. I wish they had had more capital available to them when Reaper offered them CAV. I understand why they turned it down. Any good business person would've done the same thing if in their circumstances when the offer was made. And also from the business side of things, their license lapsed some time ago and I suppose it wasn't feasible to renew it. But I digress, the biggest issue was "the huddle." While I haven't seen what Chrome was going to do, he had made statements that the huddle effect around the ECM/ESM models wouldn't be so prevalent. I believe him, have no reason to not as I liked what he did with the Rage Chronicle supplements for CAV. Indirect Fire attacks still continues to be a part of the confusion today. If this can be streamlined then fine.

The retcon. I don't know why, but this rubs me the wrong way. Guess I'm just going to have to wait and see.

Keeping CAV feeling like CAV is what is worrying me. I don't want this to devolve into Battletech by another name. I don't want vehicles and infantry there just to be there but to serve a purpose.

I find myself wanting to be more vitriolic than I really am, and even now, my heart isn't into it due to the aforementioned ambivalence. And like I said earlier, I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired.

P.S. I know I said I'd provide links, but I'm feeling tired. All of this information can be found on Reaper's site. I'll update this with links tomorrow sometime.

Update: I added some links to the pertinent items.