SFC-3 was unique and offered a lot of good ideas. Some of the later developed MODS were even better. Where SFC-3 and BC went wrong were the way the missions were set up: "drafting", the game maps. What some use to call "hex flipping" while not always the "best" idea .. was one of the most affective as far as multiplayer games at that point in time of PC gaming development.
Unfortunately some of those ideas that should have carried over to the next game level did not. Equally as unfortunate some of the same arguments that wen on 10 years ago still persist leaving any doubt as to some of the darkest times in the community. Me personally: I've learned to try to grow with new ideas. I see some of the benefits of BC (yes BC) as well as SFC-3.
IMHO: take OP (hex flipping): tweak some of the balance issues (some will never agree with this .... and that is fine) and it's Dynaverse concept in drafting other players (both friend and enemy alike) . Actually there was a LOT of OP that was good as it was (even the magic photon).
.. add some of the 3-D benefits of BC and maybe a couple more,
.. most of the ship list of SFC-3 (eliminate the Borg except for joint team missions) . .. along with a couple more benefits from the game. Yes there are very clear benefits of joint team missions.
.. add all of it together??? (just saying the possibilities).
When developing a game we must look at the bigger picture. I did not care for BC in it's entirety ... yet if I were to build a new game (call it SFC-4 or 5 if needed) ... I would seriously consider a few of the aspects that BC made available to the consumer to see what merits it might bring to the game table. I would definitely want at it's core SFC-OP as an OS of sorts (if that makes sense).
This is not fan-boy crap. This is looking at what is best for getting larger groups of todays players involved and keeping them.
Having multiple servers with differing themes: SFB only, role play (yes I now know what that means), "big screen" ( possibly movie related) and
possibly others ideas ... (again just more thoughts to consider).
Look folks: I know that some of you are not only going to disagree ... but you would rather I simply move on! And in time I probably will. That's OK too.
I know what this game meant to me and to Nanner. I know what changed (and why). Just the same I will always appreciate those experiences, what we learned, the mistakes we made (and what we learned from those) ... and the friends we made literally around the world (some just across the big pond ... and some from as far away as Australia). Back in my high school days .. playing games with friends around the world ! WOW ! That was just another crazy dream. Yet I not only lived to see it happen, I was there!
Even still the possibilities of the above game would not make everyone happy. Some would no doubt get mad if it DID happened ...just because it did. You can't please everyone. I guess that is just the way some folks are wired (bless their hearts).
I'll still be around.
And yes I still appreciate each of you ! (for whatever that is worth)