I think it depends on the $$$ Matrix is willing to invest.
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Chancellor Gorkon to Captain James T. Kirk: You don't trust me, do you? I don't blame you. If there is to be a brave new world, our generation is going to have the hardest time living in it.
A new engine in C# based on Unity or Godot engine.
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Chancellor Gorkon to Captain James T. Kirk: You don't trust me, do you? I don't blame you. If there is to be a brave new world, our generation is going to have the hardest time living in it.
I don’t want anything similar to panzer Corp 2. I still rather play the original game and play it each day. I just don’t like the panzer 2 graphics, just too difficult to see the different units
A new engine in C# based on Unity or Godot engine.
Then similar can be said about War in the East&West series. No guarantee it will work better in modern computer. But scenario choice for player is at least solid.
A new engine in C# based on Unity or Godot engine.
Then similar can be said about War in the East&West series. No guarantee it will work better in modern computer. But scenario choice for player is at least solid.
I don't know. Bugs that I find easy to correct are not yet solved since years. So, I am wondering if this is linked to an old engine running on a latest OS. Since I don't have any answer, maybe the engine is so old that it can't be changed.
My personal impression is that this is time for a redesign.
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Some of us have been involved in preliminary work on a new program. The main issue has been finding anyone willing to do the programming, or program writing, or whatever that part is called.
Edit: I should have said 'had been' as it has been a few years.
< Message edited by sPzAbt653 -- 10/24/2021 4:22:34 PM >
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quote:
ORIGINAL: ncc1701e Bugs that I find easy to correct are not yet solved since years. So, I am wondering if this is linked to an old engine running on a latest OS...maybe the engine is so old that it can't be changed.
My personal impression is that this is time for a redesign.
I suspect that the the bugs haven't been fixed because of a lack of programming resources rather than it just being an "old engine". pzgdnr fixed many bugs in EiA during his work on it. The fact that at least three people have worked on the code (Norm, Ralph, Bob) probably doesn't help, as at this point no one seems to fully understand the code.
Starting over would be a daunting task, something similar to what 2x3 seems to be doing with Steel Tigers. Would be great if it happened, but I'm not holding my breath.
Starting over would be a daunting task, something similar to what 2x3 seems to be doing with Steel Tigers. Would be great if it happened, but I'm not holding my breath.
Yes and back to my initial question, how many $$$ Matrix would like to invest in it?
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Chancellor Gorkon to Captain James T. Kirk: You don't trust me, do you? I don't blame you. If there is to be a brave new world, our generation is going to have the hardest time living in it.
ORIGINAL: 76mm I suspect that the the bugs haven't been fixed because of a lack of programming resources rather than it just being an "old engine". pzgdnr fixed many bugs in EiA during his work on it.
Starting over would be a daunting task...
I'll say it is non-trivial to pick up someone else's massive source code and try to figure it out. It took me a couple of years and several fits and starts. I'm a bit more savvy now but I have scars. Anybody who thinks Matrix Games does all of the programming for all of the games and all they have to do is throw some resources at it doesn't understand what's involved. Except for a couple of in-house projects, all they do is publish some other developer's work and it's up to the developer (original, or some new guy) to do the work.
Considering that Marshall Ellis spent a half dozen years working on EIA prior to its release and another half dozen years trying to fix it and improve it, and then I've spent another half dozen years making bug fixes, AI improvements, and other game enhancements (and STILL some players are not satisfied), to start over AGAIN from scratch coding in C# or something else would be a daunting task indeed. And, oh look, here comes Windows 11 with more surprises. Yeah. And they ask me why I drink...
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quote:
ORIGINAL: pzgndr I'll say it is non-trivial to pick up someone else's massive source code and try to figure it out. It took me a couple of years and several fits and starts. I'm a bit more savvy now but I have scars.
I didn't mean to imply that it would be trivial, just that it is possible--you've shown that, notwithstanding the scars. That said, given that TOAW is even older than EiA, and has passed through more hands, I would expect that fixing TOAW would be even more difficult.
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quote:
ORIGINAL: pzgndr Except for a couple of in-house projects, all they do is publish some other developer's work and it's up to the developer (original, or some new guy) to do the work.
I've heard that Matrix actually owns a significant stake in TOAW; if so, TOAW would seem to qualify as one of their in-house projects, at least in theory. That said, they haven't demonstrated much interest in the game in recent years--hence the thread title, I suppose.
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We'd very much like to do more with it, but the road on this project has been unusually bumpy. I hope we'll be able to do more in the future, it's not a game we'd like to see retired.
We'd very much like to do more with it, but the road on this project has been unusually bumpy. I hope we'll be able to do more in the future, it's not a game we'd like to see retired.
Very much agreed on that. If it was only about money, I think the community would come forward to support a renewed project. But it seems like extraordinary skills are required for this one.
I wonder what ever became of Norm Koger? Last I knew some years back he was doing the Distant Guns/Jutland series with I think Jim Rose, but that's a pretty much dead issue now, that didn't end well.
He seems to have disappeared (maybe moved on and got out of entertainment programing?) but I hope he's still with us and doing OK.
As far as TOAW itself is concerned, while some have given a really huge and valiant effort to keep it going, I'll bet the source code is pretty convoluted after all these years. It might be better to start with a clean sheet of paper and design a brand new product that retains the spirit and concept of TOAW.
We'd very much like to do more with it, but the road on this project has been unusually bumpy. I hope we'll be able to do more in the future, it's not a game we'd like to see retired.
I tried getting back to it, as it is one of my favourites, but it's just too aged. What are the chances of OPART V? It needs considerable interface updates/redsign. Not to mention that if somesort of industry model (copy from WitE 2 please) is added that would really take it to the next level.
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It's basically a digital board-game. Just move onto board games. Losing the editor sucks, though, I agree. But a lot of the scenarios are based off of board games, anyways.
I don't remember TOAW'4 has solid naval game, so uncheck naval game. I remember "Fire in the East" or Directive'21 as most popular scenarios recently. GG War in The East&West has those somehow covered anything about WW'2. I remember playing Brusilov Offensive whether it was in TOAW'3 or 4. Anyway TOAW series as mainly a WW'2 game at most in recent. I don't know the quality of these scenarios whether it needs news designers or about engine bugs, for a new player it was a mess honestly. "Hades" as rogue-like game hit the nail about clear design something more dynamic about history telling wargaming needs.
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TOAW is really much more than a digital board game. I love board games and board wargames, but I don't see them as able to replace computer wargames, or vice versa.
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