New Features over Advanced Tactics?

[V22 Osprey]

I've been playing advanced tactics for awhile, really love that game, but it seems to me this new game is just be a First-Blitzkrieg-Only version of Advanced Tactics. Considering the power of AT's editor, I would like to know what makes this game unique besides specific graphics. Not degrading game, just speaking my thoughts and concerns. I guess this could be a cheaper alternative to War in the East, but we'll see.

[Vic]

I could reply with an enormous posting but I will focus on the main points:

-New AI
-Historical realism (in scenario design as well as rules)
-Smoother GUI & Better looks

All in all i think it is a better game, especially for versus AI play, but granted with a more narrow scope.

Best regards,
Vic

[Szilard]

Wish it had an editor

[bwheatley]

Yea are there plans to add an editor to it? I remember reading your posts on AT about the new game and hope scens would be able to be played with the new engine. I know sometimes things happen and it's not on the plate for launch now. But i am wondering if there are long term plans to include an editor or even make a Advanced Tactics 2 with this new engine plus editor? I'll buy both I just want to know where we are headed.

[TPM]

ORIGINAL: bwheatley

Yea are there plans to add an editor to it? I remember reading your posts on AT about the new game and hope scens would be able to be played with the new engine. I know sometimes things happen and it's not on the plate for launch now. But i am wondering if there are long term plans to include an editor or even make a Advanced Tactics 2 with this new engine plus editor? I'll buy both I just want to know where we are headed.

I second this...I would buy both. Can't help repeating it, but Advanced Tactics was one of the best wargames I'd seen in years.

[bwheatley]

Yea i had hoped to be able to port some of the scens i'm working on in AT over to a new engine

[Erik Rutins]

ORIGINAL: TPM
Can't help repeating it, but Advanced Tactics was one of the best wargames I'd seen in years.

I believe this is as well, though its charms are in a more realistic combat system and more polished, historical gameplay with a hefty amount of research behind it. While it's not AT2 in terms of the editor side, it is AT2 in terms of the gameplay and AT2 will be better when it comes around as a result of the additional development on this and future Decisive Campaigns releases.

AT2 will advance the state of the art for "wargame construction set" games like AT, but Decisive Campaigns will IMHO be a definitive new operational series of wargames with even better gameplay than AT, albeit without the construction set aspect. I see this release as the wargame that will become the definitive "early Blitzkrieg" wargame on my computer. If I want to play through Poland, France and possibly Sealion, this will be the game I fire up and while the AI is excellent, the multiplayer system is also superb.

Regards,

- Erik

[Hexagon]

The problem with no editor is for example the number of scens and their lenght is short, at least for me, to short, and for example expand their turn number adjusting unit features (if is necessary) isnt possible, i prefer play case white with or day turns of hald day turns.

The key is that fans cant made their own variants with more historical features (you know in the 2nd squad Hans have a little cat armed with an AT mine hehehe) for example. For me give a game with no editor is kill fan comunity and reduce it to expansions/new games and not all people buy all... another question is even the game dont have a feautre to made custom battles (like FoG DAG) and finally the game is reduced to 3 scens + 2 variants.

[Widell]

I think Eric needs to post a sticky soon [;)]

Sounds like both Eric and Vic stated quite clearly the NO, this is not AT2, YES, some (all?) new features may become available for a future AT2, and finally, NO, there will be no editor. So far no response to if the potential future expansions will be sold as separate games, sold as add ons, or provided as free patches. To me it sounds like they'll be sold in one way or another, but I may be wrong. Also, no clarification if "limited modding" is possible, i.e. changing a few graphics etc. Personally I like the boardgame feeling, but as we see in the thread on "cartoonish" counters, it's impossible to satisfy everyone. Looking forward to some kind of official statement on these two open questions.

Other than that, this game looks great IMHO, but personally, the limited scope makes me reluctant until I at least have an idea of how the possible expansions will be provided....

[V22 Osprey]

Vic, any TCP/IP play added yet? The was my only complaint about Advanced Tactics.

However, thanks for the response. By the screenshots from erik it seems you put alot more information on the unit counters and overall seems easier and more intuitive to work with. I will definitely buy, though I will admit I have more interest in AT2.

[Vic]

ORIGINAL: V22 Osprey

Vic, any TCP/IP play added yet? The was my only complaint about Advanced Tactics.

Nope still not done. I still feel PBEM is more suited to playing these games online. I guess i have dinosaur tendencies..

[DBeves]

Why is it when a new game is announced these days all people do is find reason to complain about what they dont have rather than what they do have. It must be blatantly obvious to anyone that providing an editor for this would limit future sales opportunities in that likely users would create campaigns that matrix wanted to sell infuture. To me its great to have a game system I liked getting a more reasearched and historical paint on it. I wont miss an editor and am pleased to leave matrix to provide any future battles and to keep the golden age of wargaming going. Never had a more varied and quality choice of games and I for one dont want to see it end.

If the three campaigns arent enough dont buy but please give the - we must have virtually limitless content to make it a worthwhile buy line a rest - its getting very tiresome and ignores reasons for not doing so that are so obvious even a monkey can see it[:@].

[Plainian]

ORIGINAL: Vic

ORIGINAL: V22 Osprey

Vic, any TCP/IP play added yet? The was my only complaint about Advanced Tactics.

Nope still not done. I still feel PBEM is more suited to playing these games online. I guess i have dinosaur tendencies..

Vic don't knock yourself out here. This game isn't a clickfest by the looks of it. It requires serious thought to play. In another thread it said that a turn can take 20-30 minutes to play a turn. TCP/IP play? I think not? This is a PBEM game.
It sounds like an HPS Panzer Campaign game...... on steroids.

[Ola Berli]

I only hope they could post an AAR now when the news are hot!

[Hexagon]

DBedes sorry but you are wrong, a basic editor dont kill future releases because basic editor means change scen features and made variants like for example add in case White a British/french force or play with a diferent turn lenght expanding scen time. You refer to have a map editor (if isnt possible edit OOB could need an OOB editor) this prevents you to use the game as base and move it to another campaign or even war (i know games that cover wars in a mod that you never see in a "professional" game and dont see this as a bad thing) and if you think that this reduce future releases is like you say that amateur do a better job free than they with money in the table and sorry but i know many games with basic editors and have more than 2-3 titles (see HPS PzC, 17 titles and have aditor from the first day and the same for other series) where scen creators expand game experience and dont kill new games in a serie and for example i buy a game that have a mod based in a previous title in the serie because if you have a good game i buy it and mods only add more interest in other title, even have a mod for a title can made this more interesting and you can buy something that you dont like to have the mod.

No editor is a bad thing because is me, the buyer the "victim" not the seller and if they want do a serie i think that have fear of modders/scen creators is... well, isnt a good thing.

PD: dont understand me bad, i like support buying games that i like to see more but dont like buy cut games or "censored" versions because i know games that even with a full editor are dead and with no editor is even worst [:-]

[Barthheart]

ORIGINAL: Hexagon

... made variants like for example add in case White a British/french force or play with a diferent turn lenght expanding scen time. .....

Just a quick not to point out that both of these variants are already included in the game. [8D]

[Ron]

ORIGINAL: Vic

I could reply with an enormous posting but I will focus on the main points:

-New AI
-Historical realism (in scenario design as well as rules)
-Smoother GUI & Better looks

All in all i think it is a better game, especially for versus AI play, but granted with a more narrow scope.

Best regards,
Vic

This is very good to hear and hopefully it is successful in practice, ie better AI and historical gameplay. I really liked the play of AT, I don't know how to put my finger on it, but it captured the feel of operational combat quite well. I stopped playing because the AI opponent was woefully dissatisfying. I'm looking forward to your work here.

I second DBeeves.

[Hexagon]

Barthheart thanks for the info, well, this 2 variants are one of the most clear for Fall Weiss in Poland i think that other covering an early attack from France (15-21 of september) is another classic but are many options like soviets attacking germany using polish ass allied with british and french support and even Mussolini doing one of his typical stabbing movements because he want a Von in his name [:D]

Well, wait for the AAR (expect a tutorial AAR) is now our job, of course more screenshots and know more features are wellcome but i think that the AAR could be or Fall Weiss or Sealion becuase are the shortest scens that are not battles, full game features need a campaign hehehe.

Again thanks for the info [&o]

[Widell]

ORIGINAL: DBeves
Why is it when a new game is announced these days all people do is find reason to complain about what they dont have rather than what they do have. It must be blatantly obvious to anyone that providing an editor for this would limit future sales opportunities in that likely users would create campaigns that matrix wanted to sell infuture.

The reason for all the asking is that AT has limitless possibilities in terms of editing and modding, and many are waiting eagerly for AT2. It was not obvious in the first posts that this was not AT2, hence many questions (and a few disappointments perhaps).

As for editor versus no editor, it's a choice of which business model to use. Vic has opted for an open solution with AT and closer one here. It will be interesting to see what happens if/when AT2 comes out. Based on the same concept as this and AT, plus a "limitless" editor.

[decaro]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

ORIGINAL: TPM
Can't help repeating it, but Advanced Tactics was one of the best wargames I'd seen in years.

I believe this is as well, though its charms are in a more realistic combat system and more polished, historical gameplay with a hefty amount of research behind it. While it's not AT2 in terms of the editor side, it is AT2 in terms of the gameplay ...

As apparently one of the few who hasn't played AT2, what else could this game compare to?

From what I saw of the screen shots, it certainly looks interesting.