GoodGuy
Posts: 1506
Joined: 5/17/2006
From: Cologne, Germany
Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Banquet
Apart from the extra costs and development time, you also have the problem that the game is so much harder to mod. ........ [] If Harpoon were 3d probably none of that would exist due to the difficulty modelling this stuff in 3d.
Hi Banquet....
Nah, it's not necessarily harder, look at Silent Hunter III, a 3D game that had plenty of mods/improvements created by users, since it allowed for adding/changing scripts for vital parts, even the AI scripts could be accessed. Incorporating a 3D engine is rather a question of costs/manpower than anything else, in the wargame sector.
Most of the Wargame developers either don't have the funds to license existing 3D engines, or they don't have the knowledge/tools/time to create a 3D-approach, as the time for developing fancy 3D stuff might take more than 2-3 yrs, keeping in mind the low amount of manpower present in these companies.
If you look at games like "Westfront" (3D, Normandy theater IIRC), you see some 3D engines even in this genre, but most of these gfx in such games have kinda ancient looking gfx, they use to look pretty outdated already upon release. Ppl who support 3D gfx in wargames are convinced that such games could pull additional customers, if they'd have a minimum standard regarding presentation/visual quality, which, quite frankly, 98% of them just do not have. Since the developers stick to use 2D, hexes, stacks of small counters, etc, they won't be able to attract a broader customer base. Sometimes, it feels like a show meant to entertain a limited amount of ppl, where these ppl have to show their invitation at the entrance to get in, if u know what i mean. :D.
quote:
Wargames are not like other games, where better graphics often mean a better playing experience (flight sims are an example of a game where better graphics always helps!)
It depends on the type of approach. The general approach in TOW is very interesting (it seems that it has various bugs + shortcomings which have to be fixed tho), 3D does a good job to reenact armored warfare here, nevertheless.
EDIT: Another example: If you consider the Close Combat series to be simulations, then you'd have to agree that it was one of the most successful games that simulated warfare on a platoon level. Interesting enough, the first 2 games of the series featured what I'd call "fake" 3D (top-down view, using sprites - not 3D objects) and the engine was very demanding, ppl needed fast rigs. The game managed to deliver a pretty authentic (for the most parts) simulation of ... guess what... close combat. And we all know what other wargames/sims looked like when the first CC was released.
< Message edited by GoodGuy -- 6/25/2007 9:22:13 PM >
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December 22nd, 1944
Bastogne
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Printable Version
Review @ Out of Eight - 
) 
, since I, probably just like the author, overlooked that part when I took a brief look at the article. Such things happen if you change your plan right in the middle of a paragraph/sentence. I've been online editor for a few yrs, it's a typical oversight which happens if you don't have proofreaders. No reason to bash him. The article brings up some valid points, so good job.
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