Quick development update

[Joel Billings]

Just wanted to let everyone know we are still heads down on WitP. We've been making good progress, but we've still got a ton of work to do. Mike is just finishing up changes to the editor that will allow us to set up things better in the scenarios, including allowing players to use the editor to make their own changes to ship, aircraft and weapons data files (not allowed in UV). We are a few days from getting another pass on the artwork for the map. Here's a not quite complete version of the map around India/Burma (without the bases-I posted the wrong file here, see 3 messages down for the correct file). We've recently added bombs to all the fighter units and made an adjustment so that fighters can fly any of the missions that fighter bombers can fly (actually there is one more change needed to the interface to allow this to work as we want it to, but that will be done soon). Gary is beginning to make some headway with the AI. Rich is cranking threw an amazing amount of scenario data (with some help). I can't believe just how much data is in the campaign game (Gary said he spent 2 months getting the basic database together and even with that it was probably less than 1/2 done given all the work Rich has been doing.

We have a list of 32 scenarios that I'd like to see done, but no guarantees on how many will get into the game before it ships. One new addition is that we are adding features to the editor to allow the scenario designer to give instructions to the AI in any small map scenarios (those scenarios can include up to 4 major HQ's per side - UV had 2 major HQ's per side in the game). We hope to have many of these small map scenarios to cover many of the important campaigns of the war (the intent is that they will be no more than 9-12 months in duration - so South Pacific May42-Feb 42 is an example of one of these).

Don't bother to ask me about a possible release date, as I'm not willing to commit to any particular date at this time. This continues to be the monster of all monster games. I just wanted to let you know we have made some significant progress in the past few months.

Joel

[herbieh]

This sounds fantastic!, buy this game and get a bucket load of Uncommon Valour games to boot!
And Ill be able to tell the AI to do this!, or that! in my scenerio.
How good will that be!

Man, retirement cant come soon enough!, buggar the round Australia trip, Im hunkering down.

This is going to be good........

Beer is good, (and Im going to need a lot of it!):D

[wobbly]

Beer is good, (and Im going to need a lot of it!)

As long as you drink plenty before doing turns in our game!

[Joel Billings]

I somehow posted the wrong map. Hopefully this is the newer map I meant to post. Sorry about the mix up.

[Raverdave]

Great stuff Joel! Thanks for the update!

[Mike Scholl]

Joel,

That Map looks good..., makes me drool to see more. One
question does come to mind in seeing it though. What kind of
controls/restrictions are you going to put on Railway usage
based on track weight, rolling stock, engine availability, signals
blockage, gauge, and the like? Not much trackage in East Asia
that could handle even half the volumn or tonnage as the equivilent
mileage of the NYC or the UP or even most European Lines. I
assume you will be putting some limits on how many troops or
aircraft can be moved/supplied on these lines.

[Feinder]

You da man Joel!

Man I wish I could help you guys somehow. I know it doesn't work that way, but geez, your map(s) and OBs have shown to be a valuable reference in and of themselves. I thot UV exploded my brain in it's thoroughness, I can't imagine what y'all must be going through for WitP. I can't say enough how impressed I am with you team. Great job to all of you!

-F-

[James Taylor]

Thanks, Joel. And I am going to help, in addition to WitP, I plan to purchase "Battlefields", "Europa Fleet Actions", and "Combat Leader". Also planning to live to be 140.