Anyone seen or played this? Thoughts?

itsjustme0770 · Post by **itsjustme0770** » Fri Oct 04, 2002 11:46 pm

http://www.igorlab.com/download.htm

Rex Scaniae · Post by **Rex Scaniae** » Sat Oct 05, 2002 10:15 am

Can't open the page. What is it?

davewolf · Post by **davewolf** » Sat Oct 05, 2002 5:03 pm

Originally posted by Rex Scaniae
Can't open the page. What is it?

Download "Soldiers of Empires" (september 9, 2002) - 3.12 mb

Rex Scaniae · Post by **Rex Scaniae** » Sat Oct 05, 2002 9:31 pm

Originally posted by davewolf

Download "Soldiers of Empires" (september 9, 2002) - 3.12 mb

Can't open that one either and the image don't work. Well, never mind...

davewolf · Post by **davewolf** » Sat Oct 05, 2002 10:16 pm

Originally posted by Rex Scaniae

Can't open that one either and the image don't work. Well, never mind...

I'm known for my failed trials...

However I dare to guess you have a local problem, since the web site loads down well and the game file too.

But if you won't be able to download it yourself, I'd sent you the file (2.98 MB) by email, if you want.

U2 · Post by U2 » Sat Oct 05, 2002 11:55 pm

HI

Tried it and its not much to have. I have a feeling that they have used all their Division info from Gary Grigsby's War in Russia, 1993. Well thats the first thing that struck me......

Dan

WarLover · Post by **WarLover** » Wed Oct 09, 2002 12:18 am

Just downloaded it.
An interesting looking game. Looks to be Strategic in Scale. I'll give it a go with the demo, and let my friends know about it so i can get their input.
Do u know if there will be expansion into the western front at a later time?

thx for the url.

Rex Scaniae · Post by **Rex Scaniae** » Wed Oct 09, 2002 1:35 am

Finally managed to get it. Looks interesting, a bit too difficult to get a good overview of maybe... Air forces yet to be implemented if I understood the poor english right... and there must be some ulterior motive for including the entire map of Europe in a game that only covers the eastern front.

It has potential.

Vasquez · Post by **Vasquez** » Sat Oct 12, 2002 9:41 am

Yeah. looks nice. But the oppenent (AI) turn is so fast that u have no idea what is going on .. you hear only "peng, puff, pling" hehe

If the key would not be so expensive I would order it, but 30$ is too much for the game current state. but I will keep an eye on this game.

Muzrub · Post by **Muzrub** » Sat Oct 12, 2002 4:03 pm

It would be fantastic to have a game at this level- but this aint the game........

Too cartoonish, and the ability not to stack is a problem etc etc.......Something like this would be good though, but a little more refined would be nice.

Vasquez · Post by **Vasquez** » Mon Oct 14, 2002 12:13 pm

hehe Muzrub,

A WIR player who has complaints about grafiks?!?

Ive played some turns. The game is not so bald like it looks.

Also the missing stackig is not a real problem. After a few days your frontline is spreaded is russia..

But a problem are the independent units (panzerbrigades etc.). Due to the fact that the units in this game dont operate in korpslevel, smaller units are nearly useless. If you attack a sowjets division with a panzerbataillon your bataillon will be crushed..

The biggest problem is the lightning speed AI turn sequence.

Ive also got a reply from Mr. Igor Kulakov. The western/north africa front will be implemented in one of the next versions!

Well. The game is nearly not completed but I think I will buy a key to help this boys to finish their project. I will play this until Mr.Grigsby released WIR II ( in 2009 :p )

Rex Scaniae · Post by **Rex Scaniae** » Mon Oct 14, 2002 2:33 pm

Originally posted by Vasquez

Ive also got a reply from Mr. Igor Kulakov. The western/north africa front will be implemented in one of the next versions!

Then the sheer scale of the game would make it interesting enough to buy...

One thing that will have to change though is the terrible help function. The english is just barely intelligible and then it doesn't really offer much actual help. Another thing is city names that seem to be transcribed directly from russian. Le Gavr = Le Havre.

...maybe not a biggie game-wise but it looks strange.

Vasquez · Post by **Vasquez** » Mon Oct 14, 2002 3:03 pm

Originally posted by Rex Scaniae

Then the sheer scale of the game would make it interesting enough to buy...

One thing that will have to change though is the terrible help function. The english is just barely intelligible and then it doesn't really offer much actual help. Another thing is city names that seem to be transcribed directly from russian. Le Gavr = Le Havre. ...maybe not a biggie game-wise but it looks strange.

Hiho: This is also cleared:

Dear Mr. Kulakov,

the most citynames in europa are spelled wrong in SoE!

And the answer:

We are aware of this problem, that caused our bad knowledge of english. Several users already have offerred help for us on the spelling of text in the game.

Sincerely yours,
Igor Kulakov (ik@igorlab.com)
IgorLab Software
http://www.igorlab.com - wargame "Soldiers of Empires"

Rex Scaniae · Post by **Rex Scaniae** » Mon Oct 14, 2002 4:20 pm

Goodie!:)

MG3 · Post by **MG3** » Mon Oct 14, 2002 4:29 pm

I bought this game because I was somehow fascinated by its detail. Sure, it has many shortcomings, including a terrible interface, but there is always hope

I wrote two mails to the designer, I will post them here:

Hello!

Thanks for your remarks and advices. At given time we prepare FAQ.

Our developers start work on project "SoE-2". This is big work (many new). Our group really 4 human and work to be not less
1 year. We planned next: railroads, airforces, fleet, other scenarios, etc...
Technical:

- is there a plan to support other resulutions than 800x600 pixels?

- Is the game compatible to multitasking (I can tab out, but when I get back in the game I have a black screen)

- why is the registration key displayed every time when I start the game- after I successfully entered it

in SoE-2 we planned 1024*768.
multitasking... - on computers where we tested final release of game, we did not find this problem... Configuration Your computer?
regkey -in "SoE-2" we will change viewing regkey.

Gameplay:

- How can I unselect the current unit?

- Why can I move my units not over friendly units?

- Can I undo a move?

- Can units be cut off from supply by advancing troops?

- What effect has experience and moral on combat?

- What is the maximum possible experience for an unit?

- What kind of combat value has the other equipment (men, horses, cars, ect.)

- Can green units be trained before combat?

- What is the point in having small units like an assault brigade when they tend to get elimated quickly?

- Can you attack with more then one unit at once?

- Do extern artillery units (or air defence) give indirect support to attacked friendly units (a bit like SSIs Panzer General)?

- Can units dig in?

- Can I somewhere see a calculated attack and defense value of the selected unit?

- Is there something like a prediction for the estimated kills/losses when I want to assault an enemy unit?

- Is there somewhere a screen where the battle results are shown?

- How does replacement work? Are units automatical supplied with new tanks, men and ammo?

- When I form a new unit and want to allocate equipment, is there a way to see the available number of the selected equipment in the same screen?

- How does the production sheet exactly work?

- The computer changed my production, why?

- What is up with the economy points, how do they work, how are they calculated?

- Is there a way to design an own unit stucture (like a new Tank division)

- I am seeking my HQs, arent there some?

- Is there something like possesion of a piece of terrain

- How do I supply an unit?

- Is there something like “fog of war”?

- Are there other Allied troops at the moment?

- Are there no railroads?

- Do I have to watch out about Partizans when playing for the Germans?

- What are the winning/losing conditions of the game?

1. for unselected unit - click on other unit or terrain, inaccessible for moving.
2. this principle (from PG and others?) we consider wrong - one sell of map (20km*20km), this must block a possibility of displacement if in nearby cell enemy unit??
3. Function "UNDO" to be released in "SoE-2"
4. Experience and morale make bonus for combat, but also result of combat depends on vehicles in units.
5. max exp =600, max morale =600 , but really... lost and recruits.... h-m-m...
...
answers to other questions I in the nearest future place on web-site in the FAQ...
...

As a last note: most cities in Germany and European countries are wrongly spelled, or are these the names in Russian?

We aware of grammar mistakes... To be corrected in "SoE-2"

Sincerely yours,
Igor Kulakov (ik@igorlab.com)

Really bad things are the useless units, the missing query functions for equipment, the terrible map scale (you get lost faster than a fresh lieutenant with a map in the woods) and the
complete lack of documentation.

Vasquez · Post by **Vasquez** » Mon Oct 14, 2002 4:41 pm

Hallo Deutscher

MG3 · Post by **MG3** » Mon Oct 14, 2002 5:18 pm

Hallo Bayer

Vasquez · Post by **Vasquez** » Thu Oct 17, 2002 3:11 pm

I have bought the key now too.
All I can say is, that this game is great. The production management is the best I ever saw in a WW2 strategy game.
Of course the grafik and music is not so good and some options are not implemented yet, but at the current state of the game it is fun. Therefore it will be more r0xx0rs

from update to update.

MG3 · Post by **MG3** » Thu Oct 17, 2002 3:16 pm

Yes, it is great, but they really need to do a sort of filter funciton. What do you think will happen when there will also be 500 aircrafts added to all that stuff???

Vasquez · Post by **Vasquez** » Thu Oct 17, 2002 3:26 pm

btw. I have reworked for igorlab all citynames. They will correct the names in one of the next updates.

I have also send this wishlist:

Renewal screen:

The unit renewal screen need more informations. It would be important to have the information how many of the selected eqipment is in the storehouse if chose a equipment from the renewal list. At the moment I have either to look all times into the store or I have to quit my decision and chose the unit again for renewal if I am not happy about the amount of avaiable equippment.
Also it would be nice to see in the renewal screen what is the maximum of eqipment which I can assign to the unit (like in the "new unit" screen).

Economy screen:

The economy/production and store screens should be reworked a little bit.
It would be important to have categories (Tanks, Assault guns, howitzers, field guns etc.)
It would be enough to make lines between all catergories.
At the moment the players have no idea which gun is for example classified as a field gun and which is classified as a howitzer in the production/store list.

Move units over friendly units:

I have heard from another german that he asked this question to you and this was your answer:
"this principle (from PG and others?) we consider wrong - one sell of map (20km*20km), this must block a possibility of displacement if in nearby cell enemy unit??"

You have a good point with your arguments.
But we should can move over a friendly unit if it is only a brigade (or smaller). A brigade is not so large, that another unit can not pass them. It would be better if only Divisions can block a hex.

Maps:

This little feature would be nice:
If I choose (klick) a unit from the battlefield modus and change then to the Map 1 this unit shall "flash". It is hard to keep the overview.

Create new units:

As I mentioned some days ago. Giving names to the units would be nice.

Disband units:

Very important in my eyes. The player should have the option to disband units (for example if they are nearly destroyed). The eqipment and humans should go back to the storehouse.

Change equipment.

As I mentioned in my other mail. All equipment in the units (tanks, guns etc.) should be changeable.
The old stuff should go back to the storehouse of course.

(at the moment for example you have to wait until one slot in a panzerdivision is free to assign new tank modells to this unit).