WEGO Road Ahead--What Direction?

[bcgames]

WEGO fans turn out to be a very small population when it comes to payback for the level of work we do. This brutal assessment comes from the two game topics we have published using this method. So...Maybe Monty's Front isn't our next endeavor. I am open to pursuing other periods of warfare if there is good money that follows it.

Given that Numbers Count. What WEGO topics will make you buy WEGO?

[bcgames]

What period of warfare do you think would best be addressed by the BK WEGO game system?

What period of warfare do you think the WEGO community wants addressed?

What periods of warfare do you reject as a WEGO game topic?

What WEGO topic will you commit to paying cash money to buy?

[Remmes]

WEGO fans turn out to be a very small population when it comes to payback for the level of work we do. This brutal assessment comes from the two game topics we have published using this method.

That's a brutal conclusion indeed; but maybe a bit premature. Why not wait until this game and Desert war are released on Steam for your final assessment? It will surely attract more buyers there, throw in some non-Germanic playthroughs (no offense meant Hobbygeneral, love your vids, watched 2 of them last evening) and you should see more ROI.

[Zovs]

Make a poll with a list of titles, type and era and let folks vote, the forum software allows you to make a poll.

So fort example:

Poland 39
France 40
France 44
Bulge 44
DDay 44
Smolensk 41
Kursk 43
Iwo Jima 45

Allow multiple selections, the % will show you what fols are interested in.

[gagnradr]

What period of warfare do you think would best be addressed by the BK WEGO game system?

Everything in a rather modern setting since the beauty of your system rests on the Fire+Movement+LOCs.

What period of warfare do you think the WEGO community wants addressed?

Not sure about community, but I personally would like to play or at least mod something more recent:

• Afghanistan '78-'01 (books out there like "Bear went over the mountain" and "Other side of the mountain". Maybe too tactical though I think I remember some operations)
• Afghanistan '01-'21 (books out there, but likely filled with wishful thinking about COIN)
• Iraq '03 and the insurgency (There should be plenty out there, though same COIN-bias)
• Syrian War '11 ongoing (not sure whether there are some sources besides OSINT-community and tons of text in wikipedia)
• Ukraine '14 ongoing (maybe too recent for reliable sourcing?)
• Vietnam, of course (Sources available, but maybe a bit overused)
• Israel's wars (Sources should be available and it gives the sweet mobile combat feeling)
• Alternate History mostly around Cold War like Fulda Gap, Operation Unthinkable and so on

What periods of warfare do you reject as a WEGO game topic?

I personally don't get American topics like 1776, the civil war, indians and so on.

What WEGO topic will you commit to paying cash money to buy?

After I burned through 4 campaigns and being too lazy to go for suffering all the soviet disadvantages... anything, really, from Early Modernity until today.

Since Remmes mentioned Steam and you already ask in some other thread... if your game would be out on Steam, I would wish for "Desert War" as an DLC to "Stalingrad" (or vice versa). Currently the price is too high for me. The engine expanded but it's not that different, so you could think about implementing something like that. Would mean you don't ship a whole new game, but rather polish your core engine and ship DLCs on different periods for small price (though I'm put off by some publishers like paradox).

[Zovs]

Before anyone goes to far, just please make a real poll, and then we can discus our choices and we can all see the percentages of what folks are looking for.

[Okayrun3254]

WEGO fans turn out to be a very small population when it comes to payback for the level of work we do. This brutal assessment comes from the two game topics we have published using this method. So...Maybe Monty's Front isn't our next endeavor. I am open to pursuing other periods of warfare if there is good money that follows it.

Given that Numbers Count. What WEGO topics will make you buy WEGO?

Maybe taking a step back and reassessing the approach based on a return on investment. How about looking at smaller scale battles that could be developed with less development effort, and released as a stand-alone product. As an example, the battle of Arracourt. Both sides fun to play, some small scenarios, and one bigger all-in scenario. I think this may be a starting point for how to decide where to go next, and hopefully a better return on investment (ROI).

[AbeMuc]

First of all I really think a Steam release is worth a try. It just takes of some kind of burden and barriers for the customers. Everybody got Steam and the most players use Steam. Also for discovering games. Outside the hardcore wargaming niche the game is not knwon and discoverable.
Even among wargamers there is quite some barrier buying games on the matrix store itself. I can't count how often I was asked on YT and during stream where you can buy the game. The answer that it is just available through Matrix, was mostly followed by "OK, I will wait for a steam release".
But of course I am no expert on the business side. Just my obersvations. Even for Combat Mission the port over to steam was a big sucess. At least that is what I heard.

Second, as the US is the biggest market for wargames (followed by the UK) my opinion is to offer a game really involving US troops. Yes, we all fought our ways countless times through Normandy. Or trying to capture the bridges in Market Garden. And fot the grogrnards this is often just repetition of previous games. But obviously that is what especially US players are looking for. Leading "their" troops to victory.

Regarding Market Garden. I think it is a perfect background for your WEGO system. You address Americans and British customers and the scenario is prefectly suited as both sides Axis & Allies get their share of offensive and defensive operations and lots of action.

There is a urgent need for adressing not just the wargamer hardcore crowd. Because of this I would never advise scenarios like Afghanistan 78, Isreals Wars, Ukraine 14 or stuff like that. To special. Even for the grognards in many cases.

So just my 5 cents on this topic. And highly subjective.

- Der Hobbygeneral

[bcgames]

Thanks to all for the feedback. Thanks Zovs for the poll idea; I did not know that was a feature on the forums. Onwards!

[Zovs]

Your welcome, I am a big fan of them, you can ask folks and get results and design accordingly. SPI did this back in the 70s a big part of there success.

[kevinkins]

Maybe the focus should be on the best scale for wego. I think the actual battles are secondary. Does a strategic game highly dependent on supply need wego's level of granularity when turns simulate several hours and not minutes? Perhaps a game with modern graphics and interface on the scale Tiller's WWII Panzer Battles using a wego combat system. Platoon scale with shorter timeframes. Four years ago, I recommended Flashpoint Campaigns bring their system to WW2 and start counting the money. Wargamers enjoy nostalgia. I have been waiting for a modern PC version of Panzer Blitz using wego for 30 years. But this does not address the question. How best to deploy the current system? I tried designing and then posting a few small scenarios but they did not feel right given the supply system which is at the heart of the game. And they took a lot of time to create. So I would stay with large campaigns where supply lines matter. This is why Stalingrad works well at the strategic level. Although they can be created, division scale battles seem too small within the current system. Most of the proposed WWII campaigns have been simulated already by existing games. Potential new players need to understand how the supply system combined with WEGO produces a brand new experience.

Kevin

[benpark]

I do agree that a smaller scale would help potentially draw new players. Company-level seems a good fit for WEGO, and units are generally divided into OOB groupings that make sense to people coming from "light" wargames.

The other areas that could use some further attention to draw new players would be the 2D artwork, and the UI. The artwork stuff is a crucial component to player immersion and engagement. The Stalingrad game is a great advance in that direction, but a more detailed map would go far in making the objectives instinctively "matter" to the player. The Company-scale would also help open the possibilities up for interesting maps of specific places. The UI could use another pass, but is probably worth another discussion of the changes since Desert war.

It's a completely solid system, people just need to catch up and be given a few more incentives to take the leap.

[bcgames]

….The UI could use another pass, but is probably worth another discussion of the changes since Desert war.

As always, thanks for the thoughtful feedback. Describe the criteria to judge the success of “another pass” at the UI.

[wodin]

The major problem I see with your WEGO games is that because the units don't all move animated at the same time it kind of loses that WEGO feeling.

I know you said ti would be difficult it is something that would make a HUGE difference. ALso I don't think it's the WEGO part why maybe sales haven't been as big as expected.

Oh and if the smaller scale map was redone and looked like Stalingrad city layout i.e make it a beautiful map this again will help sales I'm certain.

[ham17]

I too am surprised and disappointed that there is not a more active community creating mods, including graphical ones.

[bcgames]

I too am surprised and disappointed that there is not a more active community creating mods, including graphical ones.

I think the day of free-wheeling modders and scenario creators for 2D wargames has ebbed. I know I don't mod anymore (except WEGOWW2), and I don't do scenario creation anymore (except WEGOWW2). I'm sure their are guys drudging away on some game editor that are still producing great content. We haven't attracted any here. I understand that...I left the modding/scenario creation world before I even knew it. Cost is high, benefit is low.

[bcgames]

The major problem I see with your WEGO games is that because the units don't all move animated at the same time it kind of loses that WEGO feeling.

Everybody. Describe the "WEGO feeling"? What is it? Don't use "animation" in the description cuz WEGOWW2 is not a real-time strategy game. Go.

[wodin]

But watching all the movements is a major part of the WEGO experience. Units jumping from hex to hex just feels like IGOUGO

[Saint Ruth]

But watching all the movements is a major part of the WEGO experience. Units jumping from hex to hex just feels like IGOUGO

I hear ya, something that can definitely be looked at.

[Firebri]

The only thing I would ask is. If the game is tweaked, for all units to move at the same time.

Can we please have a speed adjuster ? for us slow folk