An option for thick 3-D cylinders with a simple NATO symbol on top (like the markers Von Rundstedt uses at the start of A Bridge Too Far, for example) could attract a lot of the more grognady/boardgame types, and should be a very simple job with the graphics engine and would give a very good feel of operational command. I for one instinctively look for fields of fire when I see small soldiers and I could never shake that out of my head :)
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Joined: 4/2/2002 From: Melbourne Australia Status: offline
Scrap the 3d - this isn't a tactical game or Civ.
Provide a simpler playing map and get rid of the need for Ogre.
Enable screen resolution and anti-aliasing to be set in the graphics options of the game.
Add name labels to towns and objectives.
Get rid of childish achievement pop-up's when securing objectives. I received one to tell me now that I'd captured a bridge all wonderful things would happen to my side including the ability to capture a town. I captured that town 2 turns prior.
Allow the map to be zoomed entirely out, this game does not need to be played close up, unless you want players to ooh and ah at wonderful 3D pictures. This game should be operational and grand tactical.
Why does infantry move faster than armor?
Add a player's available resources for spending on all screens - I looked and could never find it. It should go up and down on screen based on the player's investment decisions (apologies if I've missed it).
When buying or refitting provide a "confirmed" or "done" message at the end of each action.
When loading a save, let the weather at the time of the save apply.
Don't let a scenario start until a player has deployed all units.
The AI rarely attacks its objectives. But that's AI's huh?
< Message edited by Adam Parker -- 9/12/2009 9:30:50 AM >
Scrap the 3d - this isn't a tactical game or Civ. LOL, I think the suggestions in this thread should be reasonable. Provide a simpler playing map and get rid of the need for Ogre. I don't think you understand what Ogre actually is. It is the actual game-engine. Again, what you suggest isn't feasable.
4. Fix Ogre ie phantom units and flipped units I would have liked to stomp out this issue as well, but as mentioned, the problem seems to be with Ogre as I understand it. It is comparable to having Firaxis make a Windows Vista patch, because of something that MS hasn't quite handled properly.
I agree with Obsolete - scrapping 3D and Getting rid of ogre = new game. Making a 2D option is a huge task. But making 3D cylinders with NATO Icons on top as an option is an easy task that can be done within the Ogre 3D engine and indeed should improve performance for people who play with that option because the mesh models will be simpler.
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We'll definitely look into some kind of counter/symbol option. I don't know what's possible now, but the request has certainly been heard.
As noted above, getting rid of Ogre is not an option and having played through all the campaigns a few times, the number of issues I've personally run into was fairly small in beta and zero right before release, so I'm not sure why people see Ogre (the 3D game engine) as a problem. Based on some of the reports, it looks like we did miss some things, but I'm hopeful the bulk can be corrected quickly if we get saves and logs from the reporting customers.
< Message edited by Erik Rutins -- 9/12/2009 2:25:05 PM >
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The Ogre screen is just a graphics configuration screen. We have a similar one (though it does not say Ogre, but otherwise is a pre-launch graphics configuration pop-up) in our Panzer Command games and never received a single complaint on that.
We'll definitely look into some kind of counter/symbol option. I don't know what's possible now, but the request has certainly been heard.
My cylinder solution is couple of hours work in Ogre and hey presto NATO operational map. Do that, sort out the mouse drag issue (ask the devs to check the cursor model as too many points and this will cause a drag on video power), one more level of zoom-out (easy in Ogre or any 3D environment), fix the nation colours and the unit move speeds and it sounds to me as if you are moving rapidly to having a winner on your hands.
I haven't a clue what might be causing the spinning/disappearing units except that the meshes might be too dense?
Don't worry about the Ogre screen. Many is the multi-million dollar game I have bought and you have to go through 3 or 4 screens of graphics intros :)
I also wouldn't think the Nato models should be much problem. If enough demand is sought, perhaps in a couple months the Devs will release this in a patch. I can't really speak on their behalf of course.
Sooner the better. Want to catch the fence-sitters while this is still hot, or all their $$$ will go into BOTB instead! It's a pity it was released like this, but judging from the feedback it's not a million miles away from being a popular release.
PS- Now i come to think of it, CEAW and OP BARB are much alike in having the same easy feel to them, but CEAW covers every front (East/ West/ Italian/Desert) and therefore needs much more time and concentration to play
< Message edited by Poor Old Spike -- 9/12/2009 8:03:41 PM >
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Adam Parker
Get rid of childish achievement pop-up's when securing objectives. I received one to tell me now that I'd captured a bridge all wonderful things would happen to my side including the ability to capture a town. I captured that town 2 turns prior.
Just found out that you can turn them off in the options - game window
< Message edited by Wolfe -- 9/12/2009 8:59:27 PM >
1. Adjustable mouse scroll speed: I think I'm just used to hyper-speed mouse scroll and, while I don't find the current scroll speed unacceptable, I still would like it faster
2. Change the color or shape of the German victory objective flags/staffs/whatever you call them. They look too much like the Soviet ones at a fast glance.
3. Make the open/close window boxes significantly bigger. Trying to click on that little "x" in the right hand corner of a window is difficult and annoying on a 14" laptop screen.
4. Panzer general style 2d would definitely be my preference but I could come to enjoy the 3d if the units looked as detailed on the map as they do in the recruitment/upgrade screen when they are rotating around on that black background. The color/contrast of the map seem to bleed away the details of the tanks for me (with my computing rig) if that makes any sense? I've seen some screenshots from other people's games and the units look pretty amazing but not so much with my system (except for the planes).
5. An adjustment to some of the unit's ratings. As it stands right now, I think the artillery units are using 1 pt of ammo even when defending themselves against air attacks. With some of the artillery units only getting 3 pts of ammo, this can mean a reload of ammo every other turn.
Honestly, there are no show-stopper bugs for me with this game. I am definitely enjoying my time with it but everyone (including me) has their preferences.
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Joined: 4/2/2002 From: Melbourne Australia Status: offline
Got a question re adding NATO icons to replace the 3D.
Wouldn't this make the game a real clickfest? The whole beauty of Panzer General is that just by looking at the map, you can see exactly what each unit represents from its 2D picture.
That's the only reason why I recommend 3D being scrapped: a) The art isn't clear at the max zoom out and b) To really play as a commander, we really need even more zoom out and the 3D engine will no allow this without totally revamping the current art.
By having NATO icons, how do we see what a unit is at glance?
Where is the intimiate feel of moving cherrished units of a certain type. Where is the easy decision making of - there's my PzIV and there's my PzIII etc? We'll need to keep clicking each hex to see where specific units are, what units are?
NATO icons aren't the answer for this type of game - easy to recognize picture icons are.
The third picture, at the bottom, shows the BF109 in the window. You need not click the unit, just place the mouse pointer over the hex with a unit, friendly or enemy, and look at that bottom window.
Edit, also in that window is the total resource points available.
< Message edited by junk2drive -- 9/12/2009 11:28:35 PM >
If you're used to NATO icons from previous games you may want them here. I for one like to role-play being a general in front of a map, in many ways that is an important part of *operational* level war-gaming for me. My mind gets too *tactical* when I see the individual soldiers, trees, tanks! When I see the little men I think dead ground, fields of fire, weapon ranges. The difference is like that between CM and TOAW.
Re: using NATO icons and seeing what units are at a glance... don't understand this. Never had a problem with TOAW etc. I assume military professionals don't either, for whom they were designed to be used.
Re clicking each hex. Again, don't understand this. You can have the unit name beneath the icon. There are NATO icons for heavy, medium and light tanks which are basically what "PZIV and PZIII" represent in this game.
Adam, I think you want a perfect duplicate of PzG :-)
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Joined: 3/28/2000 From: Vermont, USA Status: offline
quote:
ORIGINAL: Adam Parker Where is the intimiate feel of moving cherrished units of a certain type. Where is the easy decision making of - there's my PzIV and there's my PzIII etc? We'll need to keep clicking each hex to see where specific units are, what units are?
On my system, I can tell the unit type at a glance. I realize your mileage may vary.
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