I can dream

[Tazak]

FCRS & VR

With the next evolution in gaming almost here I can day-dream what FC would be like in 3D, replace counters with animated vehicles, zoom down and follow them into an attack only to bang my head off a table when I duck as incoming arty starts exploding around me

[ivanov]

I wouldn't exchange those sweet counters for any fancy 3D. Current counter style reminds me my old board games and appeals and appeals to me most.

[CapnDarwin]

It's a wonderful dream...if we only had infinite resources. [&o]

[Vikingjohn]

When games start putting time and money into graphics the game starts to suffer ,, The total war series was a good game , then they decided to put all their resources into eye candy instead of game play

[wodin]

As long as it stays a choice..because animated vehicles etc just don't do it for me at this scale.

[CapnDarwin]

Trust me, we don't have the time, talent or want to add animated units. Not at this level of scope. Having some nice animated FXs is where we stop. [&:]

[pkpowers]

I agree with the counters ; love the board game feel with nato counters

[Geredis]

While I'll agree that I'd love to see animated models...at a certain scale, counters really is the only way to go in order to accurately and succinctly show a wide range of information.

I mean, to use your example, how do you make a 3D model really look distinct at a glance without the units becoming charicatures of themselves?

By that I mean, what is REALLY the difference, in physical appearance, of an engineer soldier model and a generic rifleman? Not much; unless as a game designer you make the conscious decision that your soldiers run around and fight with their shovels instead of rifles or something ridiculous like that. Similarly, with various tank models; the physical, outward, appearance changes of one tank model to another within the same design can be relatively subtle to the uninitiated. I mean, in the heat of the moment with 3D models, will anyone really notice while trying to get a lay of the land the fact that the ERA pattern on a T-80BV is just a little different than that of a T-80U, or notice how the range-finding aperture on a T-80 is different than that of a T-80UM because the Buran thermal imager is shaped a little differently compared to the Luna IR system? I don't mean to say that these are small, or minor, changes. No, they all have great effects on the unit in combat...but they are the sort of things that are best shown through different stats, and are often hard to visually convey to the uninitiated. This is especially true of a lot of tanks, both East and West where the biggest changes are the sort of things you can't easily show on a physical game model since they are internal - rearranging tank layouts, or upgrading computer systems and armor thicknesses, more efficient engines, stuff like that - things you can show with stats but not a physical model.

These differences are the sort of things that can't faithfully be shown on a model, as they would have to be if the game went 3D without comrpomising its realism in my opinion.

Now, if you were to do a 3D map where it is played on an actual tabletop in a command tent or something with wooden NATO-counter blocks...that could be different, but that's clearly not what is being asked for here.