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If you had a magic wand... - 7/8/2005 6:40:49 AM   
CapnDarwin


Posts: 8467
Joined: 2/12/2005
From: Newark, OH
Status: offline 		What would you add/change to the game to make it more enjoyable/replayable. We are always looking for a few good ideas.

_____________________________

OTS is looking forward to Southern Storm getting released!

Cap'n Darwin aka Jim Snyder
On Target Simulations LLC
Post #: 1
RE: If you had a magic wand... - 7/8/2005 7:07:58 AM   
jjhouston4


Posts: 17
Joined: 3/27/2005
Status: offline 		Break the scout platoons down into sections so that they can actually screen.

(in reply to CapnDarwin)
Post #: 2
RE: If you had a magic wand... - 7/8/2005 2:22:00 PM   
CapnDarwin


Posts: 8467
Joined: 2/12/2005
From: Newark, OH
Status: offline 		I like the idea. I'll see if I can squeeze this one on the 105 plate. I want to split up the Helo fomations for the same reason.

_____________________________

OTS is looking forward to Southern Storm getting released!

Cap'n Darwin aka Jim Snyder
On Target Simulations LLC

(in reply to jjhouston4)
Post #: 3
RE: If you had a magic wand... - 7/8/2005 8:43:58 PM   
hank

 

Posts: 623
Joined: 8/24/2003
From: west tn
Status: offline 		1. ... a small thing ... : I think it would be nice to be able to increase the message text that flashes on the map indicating one of many actions going on like "NATO artillery firing", or "Rested", or etc. etc. The text is sort of small for old eyes.

Is there an .ini file or some other type of setting file where I can increase the font size for these messages?

2. On one of the start up dialog boxes, the text runs together on my laptop. I have a nice wide screen laptop and I run it at its highest resolution (which means nothing in FG). Just an observation. Maybe all you need to do is test the game out on a laptop and see what happens to the graphics.

3. Have the ability to separate the mech infantry from the IFV's and use them separately but with some degradation of the fighting strength. (I think this has been suggested before)

... I've been playing V1.04 quite a bit and its a big improvement over the original. I've started up a new PBEM game and the turn resolution even seems to be more improved ... maybe I didnt notice before but in artillery strikes I really like that you get several shots and explosions one right after the other ...

... can't complain any more than I have

thanks
hank


(in reply to CapnDarwin)
Post #: 4
RE: If you had a magic wand... - 7/9/2005 12:36:14 AM   
asdf12

 

Posts: 71
Joined: 8/14/2001
Status: offline 		1. How about expanding OOB's for areas where potential conflicts were/are possible for example China/North Korea with accompanying maps.
2. I was hoping to see a site where FPG Fans could submit some of their work; scenario's, mods ...

(in reply to CapnDarwin)
Post #: 5
RE: If you had a magic wand... - 7/9/2005 1:20:32 AM   
cbelva


Posts: 1843
Joined: 3/26/2005
Status: offline 		1. Wrecks, wrecks and more wrecks. The map is just too sterile. Wrecks are a critical factor in a battle. They can obscure LOS and hinder movement.

2. Infantry which can fight separate from their carriers. used to hold towns and other critical terrain. Can also be airlifted in via helos.

3. Maps, maps, and more maps. Ok, I will settle for a map editor

(in reply to asdf12)
Post #: 6
RE: If you had a magic wand... - 7/9/2005 3:03:47 AM   
IronManBeta


Posts: 4132
Joined: 2/25/2002
From: Burlington, Ontario
Status: offline 		I would like more recon assets period! Correct me if I am wrong, but neither side was terribly keen to just swan off into the great unknown no matter how much of a rush they were in. The forces were too fragile and precious to just lurch off into unexplored space unless there was some assurance that the enemy was far away. This happens too often still in most scenarios for simple lack of adequate recon assets. We will see about providing some more soon.

Cheers, Rob.

quote:

ORIGINAL: jjhouston4

Break the scout platoons down into sections so that they can actually screen.


(in reply to jjhouston4)
Post #: 7
RE: If you had a magic wand... - 7/9/2005 3:07:18 AM   
IronManBeta


Posts: 4132
Joined: 2/25/2002
From: Burlington, Ontario
Status: offline 		These are all good ideas. You ought to see all of them at some point but it might take a little while for the larger things like a map editor and larger maps. Rewriting existing code over and over (I should be good at it by now) is more time consuming and sometimes harder to test then just writing new code from scratch!

Thanks, Rob.

(in reply to IronManBeta)
Post #: 8
RE: If you had a magic wand... - 7/9/2005 7:19:47 AM   
Poliorcetes

 

Posts: 140
Joined: 11/5/2004
Status: offline 		I have to hand it to you guys, this is the best investment in a game I've had in a long time. I usually burn through a game in a month or so. But between good PBEM players and the spectacular programmer support I am still playing. With the new artillery rules you changed the entire feel of the game (and all my old tactics went to waste).

My only nitpick has been the lack of need for SOP changes once set and the utter uselessness of Radio reports (other than to draw enemy counterbattery fire). Seems strange to have options like "radio if roadblocked" when there isn't much you can do about the report. I have turned off everything except "notify when in contact with enemy" and not seen any downside. Its rare for me to see I or my opponents get above yellow now on Electronic warfare, as we all have learned to turn everything off. Not a problem but it does make me wonder why you have a set of options that don't do anything "good" (ie. there is no downside to turning off all reporting options except 1). And the SOP can be devestating if you get it wrong, ruining a whole game because you set your "keep distance" range longer than your weapons range (rendered my entire helo assets useless in my last game with that mistake). Maybe consider warning signs if you start putting in obviously suicidal SOP orders?

I'd also like ghost markers or something on the screen indicating recent contacts. Nothing more frustrating than "spotting" enemy units, and then the screen shifts to another unit before you can memorize where on the map that unit was, and then it disappears (such as when your recon unit gets vaporized, or Counterbattery on HQs)

Spotting reports from Airstrikes would be nice.

Wonderful game as it is though.

Poliorcetes

(in reply to IronManBeta)
Post #: 9
RE: If you had a magic wand... - 7/9/2005 6:22:04 PM   
Viper6


Posts: 211
Joined: 6/20/2005
From: Morris, MN
Status: offline 		Yah, spotting reports for airstrikes would be really nice, I know I would certainly grill my pilots when they got back as to what they saw and didn't blow up.

Mabye add a notation in the TOC or something telling you what was used to kill a unit, like mabye "unit sufferd 1 x T-80 losses from TOW-2B" or something, expecially when you have mech units firing all kinds of weapons at a time; it would help with emersion.

I would also like to see airbone/airmobile infantry, nothing like dropping a bunch of troops into a city behind enemy lines to piss poeple off!

VIPER

(in reply to Poliorcetes)
Post #: 10
RE: If you had a magic wand... - 7/12/2005 2:16:48 PM   
CapnDarwin


Posts: 8467
Joined: 2/12/2005
From: Newark, OH
Status: offline 		Great Stuff!

Does anyone else have anything to add? Come on... a magic wand, cant beat that.

Thanks for the inputs.

_____________________________

OTS is looking forward to Southern Storm getting released!

Cap'n Darwin aka Jim Snyder
On Target Simulations LLC

(in reply to Viper6)
Post #: 11
RE: If you had a magic wand... - 7/14/2005 6:00:42 AM   
hank

 

Posts: 623
Joined: 8/24/2003
From: west tn
Status: offline 		OK

Here's another regarding the flash messages that appear on the map as the resolution is in progress.
Beside wanting larger text ... or the ability to make it larger; I wish the casualty figures would have a line for each type of weapon or vehicles destroyed (a carraige return instead of a ";") ... and have the ability to control how long the message stays up

ex:

1xBMP-2
2xT80U
1xT80UK

AND, if artillery fire lands in one map grid over a specific number of times (i.e., 10 times), the terrain turns to rubble with a resulting decrease in movement through the grid ... increased movement points to pass through that grid for both sides (it doesn't matter who's picking through rubble ... its rubble)


thats all for now

hank



< Message edited by hank -- 7/14/2005 6:02:11 AM >

(in reply to CapnDarwin)
Post #: 12
RE: If you had a magic wand... - 7/15/2005 6:12:08 PM   
MikeToth

 

Posts: 73
Joined: 9/15/2000
From: Cleveland Ohio USA
Status: offline 		I agree about the scount recon forces... and the Parachute troops......

(in reply to hank)
Post #: 13
RE: If you had a magic wand... - 7/27/2005 2:20:37 PM   
opum


Posts: 4
Joined: 7/27/2005
Status: offline 		Hi all

I have been playing this game for about a week now and I would like to give an alternative solution to the problem with recon forces.

From my p.o.v. the problem is that the recon forces behave as if they where ordinary line units. I would love to see the recon units having a special movement that has the following characteristics:

* Speed is slow
* Chance of spotting enemy units before they spot you is high
* If engaged by the enemy the chance of serious losses is low unless the enemy assaults you.

I think this would create some intresting problems for the defender since he has to work actively not to give his positions away. I he does not try to chase the enemy recons away his positions will be quite clear to the enemy within a couple of hours.

It would also be nice if all unit types could perform this recon-move with a suitable reduction in spotting and survival factors.

comments?

(in reply to MikeToth)
Post #: 14
RE: If you had a magic wand... - 7/28/2005 9:06:24 PM   
IronManBeta


Posts: 4132
Joined: 2/25/2002
From: Burlington, Ontario
Status: offline 		We have something already called 'stealth mode' that is available to units with Move orders. Look for a little checkbox on the unit description panel that appears while you are giving Move orders. It reduces the chance of your being spotted by 1/3 at the cost of reducing your speed by 1/2. This is definitely recommended for all recon units! I would like to model in a lot more recon-specific behaviour and your list is a great starting point. I agree that they do behave a little too much like line units right now. Good recon is an art all its own and is absolutely vital on the modern battlefield.

I am also interested in getting unarmed helicopter recon units into the game. The sheer speed of these units could really make life interesting for the other side! It is not that it is hard, but even the simplest thing seems to take forever to design, construct, test and document when so many other things are going on too!

Thanks, Rob.


quote:

ORIGINAL: opum

Hi all

I have been playing this game for about a week now and I would like to give an alternative solution to the problem with recon forces.

From my p.o.v. the problem is that the recon forces behave as if they where ordinary line units. I would love to see the recon units having a special movement that has the following characteristics:

* Speed is slow
* Chance of spotting enemy units before they spot you is high
* If engaged by the enemy the chance of serious losses is low unless the enemy assaults you.

I think this would create some intresting problems for the defender since he has to work actively not to give his positions away. I he does not try to chase the enemy recons away his positions will be quite clear to the enemy within a couple of hours.

It would also be nice if all unit types could perform this recon-move with a suitable reduction in spotting and survival factors.

comments?



(in reply to opum)
Post #: 15
RE: If you had a magic wand... - 7/28/2005 11:40:06 PM   
themattcurtis

 

Posts: 287
Joined: 2/9/2005
Status: offline 		While it's a band aid approach, I've also made sure to adjust the range at which my recon units will engage targets and the distance they will strive to maintain between themselves and enemy assets.

If you have your recon troops ignore anyone who isn't in PB range, and have them withdraw if an enemy is detected within a set radius, they're less likely to sit still and try to duke it out.

Not something a lot of folks won't have thought of for themselves, but I thought I'd mention it.

(in reply to IronManBeta)
Post #: 16
RE: If you had a magic wand... - 7/29/2005 2:43:51 AM   
opum


Posts: 4
Joined: 7/27/2005
Status: offline 		I'll try to be a little more strict about using stealth mode when moving my recon.

I still want to say that this is a great game and I had a great time playing two LAN games tonight with a friend. The best game was me playing brits on "red hammer". Where I spotted my friend trying to cross the river south of the western town. Me, who likes an active defence, of course shifted my forces and ordered a full assault on the bridgehead, combined with some mortar shelling of the bridge itself.

The battle ended with a decicive victory for my frient since my heroic lads arrived one turn to late and met 3 companies of dug in mech-inf. I think there is a big "fun factor" in this intelligence war that the recon units should be used for.

And at last, as a fellow programmer I know the deal with thoose TODO lists. I have one myself that I doubt will disappear during my vacation.

EDIT: And this was in response to RobertCrandall...

< Message edited by opum -- 7/29/2005 2:54:25 AM >

(in reply to themattcurtis)
Post #: 17
RE: If you had a magic wand... - 7/29/2005 2:51:25 AM   
opum


Posts: 4
Joined: 7/27/2005
Status: offline 		Yes you're right as long as the distance between my recon unit and the spotted enemy is beyond the effective range of the enemy. Due to the maps in the game that doesn't happen very often. Most of the time an enemy unit just pops up some 500-1000 m away and the recon unit is no more.

A small bonus in 1.04 though is that the recon unit mostly takes at least one unit down with them :)

EDIT: Not in response to myself of course, but to themattcurtis.

< Message edited by opum -- 7/29/2005 2:52:46 AM >

(in reply to opum)
Post #: 18
RE: If you had a magic wand... - 7/31/2005 7:57:44 PM   
MikeBrough


Posts: 260
Joined: 1/30/2005
From: Scotland
Status: offline 		I'd like to be able to set up conditional orders:

If the recon squad reports enemy troops ahead, maybe the HQ unit should stop where it is instead of continuing right down the road...

(in reply to CapnDarwin)
Post #: 19
RE: If you had a magic wand... - 7/31/2005 11:54:33 PM   
Embiss


Posts: 66
Joined: 2/7/2005
Status: offline 		I would like to see an option to have maps that looked like.....err Maps!

Dont get me wrong The artwork in these is superb, but I would like to feel like I was viewing something more like a map, contour lines is what I really want. so i can see at a glance how high that high ground really is.

Ironically, I think a map is easier to read and understand than a more "artistic" approach.

_____________________________

"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm."
Winston Churchill

(in reply to CapnDarwin)
Post #: 20
RE: If you had a magic wand... - 8/1/2005 2:02:55 AM   
CapnDarwin


Posts: 8467
Joined: 2/12/2005
From: Newark, OH
Status: offline 		embis,

Word is the new version (2.0) will have all new maps based on a tile system. The very beautiful rendered maps will be a thing of the past. The idea is to have a system where maps can be easily made by both players and the in game engine. Easier to visualize LOS and elevations. Variable map size will also be looked at too. Many enhancements are planned at the moment.



_____________________________

OTS is looking forward to Southern Storm getting released!

Cap'n Darwin aka Jim Snyder
On Target Simulations LLC

(in reply to Embiss)
Post #: 21
RE: If you had a magic wand... - 8/1/2005 1:22:34 PM   
Emilio


Posts: 122
Joined: 8/1/2005
From: Valencia (Spain)
Status: offline 		Hi,

I'm new with this game. Just bought a month ago and trying to play in holidays.

As said before, a good improvement could be to use leg infantry armed with anti-tank weapons (M72 LAW, RPG-7 for short distance, ATGM TOW, AT-3 SAGGER for medium-large distances) plus infantry weapons (M-16, AK-74, light morters...). It would be great to have a small force (a platoon or section of leg infantry assigned to a M113, BMP or whatever) to ambush a tank force.

Also I miss more advanced aircraft for the soviets, like Su-27 Flanker or MiG-29 Fulcrums. They were deployed in the mid 80s.

Besides that, it is a great game. 2 thumbs up!!!

_____________________________

Emilio

(in reply to CapnDarwin)
Post #: 22
RE: If you had a magic wand... - 8/1/2005 3:28:57 PM   
CapnDarwin


Posts: 8467
Joined: 2/12/2005
From: Newark, OH
Status: offline 		Emilio,

Leg units will be showing up in the next major release in the game series. Each Mech Infantry carrier in the game is loaded with weapons that "dismount" when the unit is not moving. This is an abstration of having the leg units. Once dismounted these Mech unit becomes tougher to "kill" too. In early versions the APC's were speed bumps. Now they can fight to hold ground ( until large amounts of arty hit the square). Upclose the Mech units can hurt you. One's with long range ATGM's can be deadly at range vs armour too.

As for the Mig-29 and the Su-27, they would have spent most of their time in the air superiority role. We have some ideas of adding a layer in the next game to reflect this but it is an idea right now.

Thanks for the feedback!

_____________________________

OTS is looking forward to Southern Storm getting released!

Cap'n Darwin aka Jim Snyder
On Target Simulations LLC

(in reply to Emilio)
Post #: 23
RE: If you had a magic wand... - 8/11/2005 12:48:59 AM   
Siljanus

 

Posts: 35
Joined: 1/27/2005
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Poliorcetes


I'd also like ghost markers or something on the screen indicating recent contacts. Nothing more frustrating than "spotting" enemy units, and then the screen shifts to another unit before you can memorize where on the map that unit was, and then it disappears (such as when your recon unit gets vaporized, or Counterbattery on HQs)

Spotting reports from Airstrikes would be nice.

Wonderful game as it is though.

Poliorcetes


I'd like to second (or third) this. Highway to the Reich has a pretty good system of cycling through intel reports and showing last known positions of enemy units. Also (and my apologies if this was previously mentioned) would it be possible to make light recon units harder to spot if they don't engage enemy units? I don't want them to be an uber unit that can see all on the battlefield without consequences but at the same time it would make them more than just cannon fodder or a crude tripwire for enemy forces.

Edit: Yes! What Opum said regarding recon units!

< Message edited by Siljanus -- 8/11/2005 12:53:28 AM >

(in reply to Poliorcetes)
Post #: 24
RE: If you had a magic wand... - 8/13/2005 2:27:07 PM   
Embiss


Posts: 66
Joined: 2/7/2005
Status: offline 		How many more charges have we got left on this wand?

I would like to be able to move a formation of companies forward and maintain formation.

eg: I have three companies of Warrior APC's arranged with two companies forward and one behind,with the HQ behind them all. I want to order them to advance but retain that formation.

At the moment I can do this only by shift clicking setting three waypoints and then going back to each unit and editing their individual waypoints....messy and time consuming.

Perhaps "Retain formation" might be an option when I right click on the HQ for those companies?

It might be even more useful to be able to do this for each level of HQ, so I might keep a regimental formation, as well as a battalion formation. This certainly might be useful in scenarios with large numbers of units....maybe I am getting a bit carried away now

_____________________________

"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm."
Winston Churchill

(in reply to Siljanus)
Post #: 25
RE: If you had a magic wand... - 8/13/2005 4:38:42 PM   
Embiss


Posts: 66
Joined: 2/7/2005
Status: offline 		...Just use up another charge whilst i think about it....

Experimenting with some scenario design has brought this to mind:

Its great being able to add reinforcements and withdrawals, but it would sometimes be useful to have some units that were only around in a midpoint phase, for example, I might want an airstrike to be available only from 60 minutes after scenario start until 240 minutes from scenario start.

At the moment this isnt possible a unit is either a reinforcement or a withdrawal, I would like some units to be both

_____________________________

"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm."
Winston Churchill

(in reply to Embiss)
Post #: 26
RE: If you had a magic wand... - 8/13/2005 5:17:47 PM   
CapnDarwin


Posts: 8467
Joined: 2/12/2005
From: Newark, OH
Status: offline 		embis,

Happy to tell you both ideas are on the list. So I think the wand is still good for a few more charges.

_____________________________

OTS is looking forward to Southern Storm getting released!

Cap'n Darwin aka Jim Snyder
On Target Simulations LLC

(in reply to Embiss)
Post #: 27
RE: If you had a magic wand... - 8/13/2005 7:45:22 PM   
gardan

 

Posts: 4
Joined: 6/20/2005
Status: offline 		I would like a German Version of FPG...

gardan

(in reply to hank)
Post #: 28
RE: If you had a magic wand... - 8/13/2005 7:45:33 PM   
Embiss


Posts: 66
Joined: 2/7/2005
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Capn Darwin

embis,

Happy to tell you both ideas are on the list. So I think the wand is still good for a few more charges.


Thats good to hear...in both respects!!


_____________________________

"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm."
Winston Churchill

(in reply to CapnDarwin)
Post #: 29
RE: If you had a magic wand... - 8/13/2005 8:38:00 PM   
CapnDarwin


Posts: 8467
Joined: 2/12/2005
From: Newark, OH
Status: offline 		gardan,

I'm sure a few others out there would love language specific versions of the game. If we were a big company instead of hobby game designers your wish would be easy to grant. Flashpoint coding is done by Robert Crandell a single coder with support by me and a handfull of playtesters. Converting the text and modifying the interface in some cases is not a trival function I'm afraid. Someone would also have to be fluent in German (or any other language for that matter). Heck, English is hard enough on me at times.

Who knows what the future could hold.

_____________________________

OTS is looking forward to Southern Storm getting released!

Cap'n Darwin aka Jim Snyder
On Target Simulations LLC

(in reply to gardan)
Post #: 30
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