First impressions...

[Kelm]

I will try to give my first impressions of the game (with my limited knowledge of all of the games rules).

Visual aspect of the game,

First, i was agreeably surprised to see such a beautiful introduction with this game. It's maybe not very important, but the videos files (intro and in game) are very good quality, and immediately gives desire (for me) to play with the game. The menus of interface are very clear, and perfectly readable. The whole of the screens of the game are very look after, that it is for the general chart, the icons of interface, or the icons of units. I have for this last point two regrets. Why for the icons unit, not have proposed a choice of icons who show the technological evolution of a particular units during the war, by exemple for infantry or tanks. It's a little disturbing to see at the beginning of 1940, a tiger units icon, or B25 or P51 units icon...

The other regret, i would prefer to have a NATO symbol units icon on the map, and leave in the table which shows the whole units in a particular country or during the combat phase, the graphical one. Last point, the music, not as good as the music found in WitP or UV.

But the interface of the game is simple to understand, and very intuitive. Each icon of function posts its name on the screen and also his keyboard shortcut, and it is the more important.

The game,

My first play was to make the two tutorial proposed by the game. There is one for the movement phase, and another for the production and the research phase.
They are not very long to play, and describe all actions who are possible in a small windows with an arrow who show each icon function. Sometimes the windows who explain a function hide a tooltips for a particular windows.
(BTW I have bought the DD version, and i can easly witch between the game, and the PDF docs).

Each aspect of the game, if he is taken separately, is very simple to understand. That can same give a false feeling of too great overall simplicity. But after two turns of play, the player quickly will start to understand, that he must for each part and according to his objectives, there is very delicate choice to carry out, and which to find a right balance between its conquests, its points of repairs, production and research.
I have the feeling, that the game is easy to understand in terms of mechanics, But it is more interessant, and much deeper than it does appear in the first time of play.

Here is my first impression of the game, and i'am sorry if my english is not very good to share it.

[Paul Vebber]

Thanks - a very nice summary!

Once people start getting comfortable with game play, I think you will see branching out into looking at the text files. You can't make the icons change with different values (though that would be a cool thing, it might prove tough to account for all the differnet variables that might change...)

the icon assignments are made in the gamedata.txt file I'm sure somebody with some graphics savvy will make some cool "NATO icon blocks" or the like. (I would love to see someone make a set in the style of the Columbia block games.

[Marc von Martial]

Glad you like the visual aspect of the game [:D]

Why for the icons unit, not have proposed a choice of icons who show the technological evolution of a particular units during the war, by exemple for infantry or tanks. It's a little disturbing to see at the beginning of 1940, a tiger units icon, or B25 or P51 units icon...

Units are abstracted, that´s how the developers planned it.

However, 2by3 games added the possibility to attach new unit icons to evolution steps. This is fairly "easily" modable in the data TXT files. It only needs a few dedicated modders to do this [;)]

not as good as the music found in WitP or UV

I personally find it much better. Castles Music did a great job on sounds and music IMHO.

[Kelm]

For the choice of the dev to have abstracted icons units, i understand it, like i believe that when a player choose to improve the reseach option for a particular type and aspect of a unit, when its done the overall progress bonus is automatically given for all units at the end of the production phase.

But maybe, with more icons units choice, depending on with their technological advance, it will help the player to visually measure balance and value of its forces, at the time of a choice of confrontation between 2 icons of identical infantry units, by example. I understand that it's not decisive, like there is before each combat a window who show the attacker and defender predicted losses, and the rate of success for an attack.

...For the music, it's just a personal comment, and it's true that i like a lot the music found in WitP or in UV.

[dobeln]

Yup - nice production values on this one - especially like the Soviet music!

[Paul Vebber]

However, 2by3 games added the possibility to attach new unit icons to evolution steps. This is fairly "easily" modable in the data TXT files. It only needs a few dedicated modders to do this

I looked - how you designate the values to trigger new icons? I may not have been looking closely - it looked like a lot of values related to "hit" and such - is it in those?

I like the music too...to each his taste!

[FrankBoy]

deleted, creating new account. sorry

[TheHellPatrol]

ORIGINAL: Marc Schwanebeck

Glad you like the visual aspect of the game [:D]
I personally find it much better. Castles Music did a great job on sounds and music IMHO.

Marc, you really have outdone yourself! The game screams quality right from the beginning: the logo, movies, artwork etc. [:D] I appreciate the fact that the movies are not some random footage, but a little "capsule" of storytelling.
As far as music goes, it's hard to compete with the bamboo wind instruments of Witp...they are just so peaceful[:)].

[Franky513]

Hello,

I just downloaded (via DD) the game and I am really very impressed, since good turn-based strategy titles are very rare nowadays. The only thing I miss is a LAN-based multiplayer mode. Perhaps this may be added in far future with a patch.

Greetings from Germany.[:)]

Ciao Frank

[Kelm]

OK i have made my first real steps in the game...

I started a game with the german side (which lack of originality) in normal difficulty mode, with fog of war and normal rules supplies conditions.

In the first turn, i send one infantry unit in Denmark, four others and two artillery units in Netherlands. For france, i choose to send my 7 seven "panzers" units, with in support, one unit of stukas, and 2 He111. In all these cases without any damaged units or any losses. After that, i send the Italian fleet, 3 Heavy and Light cruisers and 2 sub in central mediterranean for blocking a small allied fleet posted in Eastern Mediterranean.
At the ends i send one of my sub posted against an alone allied transport, with just a damaged result at the end.

I send also in austria several infantry and artillery units, for the Yougoslavia campaign planified for the next turn.

Before the end turn, i choose to repair all the infrastructures damaged by the war, so at the turn end it left me only 37 SP.

For the production phase, i choose a mix between having several new tanks units ready for spring 41, for the URSS campaign, several militia units for occuped country, some new supplies trucks. I also try to focus and add several point in research for the tanks infantry, and Tactical Bomber, like i think thez were the primary units i will use during the war...

AI Turn , i will pass the Japan action, but it seems that in prevision of landing invasion in China, it start an aerial campaign for damaging or destroying some ground units.
The allied, have started their turn by destroying the alone italian unit posted in Eastern Africa. After that, they tested by twice driving out the fleet which I had posted in central mediterannean. I have during these attacks, only a have just a damaged Light fleet unit. The allied have lost for their part a sub and a Light fleet unit. The only real losses was the sub posted in NA, quickly destroyed by a small allied task force.

Now i'am at the beginning of the next turn...in summer 40 with 76 SP, not a matter like for this turn, i will just use several limited action, now for yougoslavia, and in the next turn for greece.
like i start to have a better view of the game, before any action, i look at the military forces screen for having an overall feelings of the "balance of power". After that, i check the unit data screen who give a state of the actual technological evo for each type of units, with an icon of research in the case of. I check one more time, the production screen who help me, to predict when and where i will dispose of my new units, in prevision for my actual campaign and movement.

.............................

Just this little description of my actual game, for saying that the more i play with this game, the more i realize the incalculable number of choices i must face.
Like i said the game mechanics are simple, but when all is linked, all becomes more subtle, and it is to the player to try to use this mechanics, so that it last was the most effective possible for its objectives of war.
Before purchasing this game, i was a liitle afraid by the game description, like the "small" number of turn needed to run a full war. But each turn is different, each choice run in a new situation, and each turn need a full readjustment of its choices of production, of research, and need in supplies...and like we can play with the Allied, or China, URSS and Japan...it seems that the game have really a good replayability.
Last word, i'am nearly sure to have understand maybe 20% of the overall games rules, and it seems for me, that after each turn i made, i understand another thing, who give me some new choice available which i dont see before. In fact now, i also switch with the PDF doc, for a better learning for several point...
In fact, the more i play this game, plus this one becomes captivating... and same if that does not have really anything to have with it, that points out the good memories of parts which I had on the first Panzer General.

[smdodd]

You may be concerned about your english skills, but I appreciate reading how a new player goes about playing the game. I haven't played it yet, but keep checking back to get my brains in gear for the drive.

[mjswoltjer]

My first impressions of the game are very positive. It has been a while since I have been so excited about a new title and not be disappointed. The gameplay does seem pretty natural and easy to learn, but the game depth seems very high. Great work!

I have played both tutorials and am now trying my first game with China (you have to start small [:)]). I did have some mixed feelings about the first action in the first tutotial. I had to invade my own country with Germany [:(]. But in the real game I will make sure that 'we' are liberated soon [:)].

I have quite some time to play the next few days. Looking forward to it!

Marcel Woltjer

[jpinard]

I love the music.

[aletoledo]

I just downloaded (via DD) the game and I am really very impressed, since good turn-based strategy titles are very rare nowadays. The only thing I miss is a LAN-based multiplayer mode. Perhaps this may be added in far future with a patch.

I was a little put off too by not multiplayer, but now I understand why there isn't. can you imagine someone spending 5 to 10 minutes waiting for someone to plan their production phase, all the while staring at nothing happening in the monitor!

I suppose when we're all experts it won't take that long to do production turns, but I'm sure there will usually be one person that takes a little extra time and all you have to do is stare at a map.

[Marc von Martial]

ORIGINAL: TheHellPatrol

ORIGINAL: Marc Schwanebeck

Glad you like the visual aspect of the game [:D]
I personally find it much better. Castles Music did a great job on sounds and music IMHO.

Marc, you really have outdone yourself! The game screams quality right from the beginning: the logo, movies, artwork etc. [:D] I appreciate the fact that the movies are not some random footage, but a little "capsule" of storytelling.
As far as music goes, it's hard to compete with the bamboo wind instruments of Witp...they are just so peaceful[:)].

Credit where credit is due, it was not me alone [;)]

ART AND GRAPHICS
Marc Schwanebeck, Jorgen Vasshaug

ADDITIONAL GRAPHICS
Aniway, Nicolas Eskubi, Taro Inoue, Wayne Cassel,
Michael Isom, Louis Saekow

VIDEO DESIGN AND LAYOUT
Barry Munden, Marc Schwanebeck (only a little bit)

MUSIC COMPOSED BY
Scott Cairns (Castles Music)

SOUND EFFECTS & CINEMATIC AUDIO
Simon Castles (Castles Music)

VOICE TALENT
Marc Biaggi (I love his voiceovers in the movies!)

[Adam Parker]

I want to know how you got a young Robert Duvall on the box cover?

The guy on the left [;)]

[Marc von Martial]

ORIGINAL: Adam Parker

I want to know how you got a young Robert Duvall on the box cover?

The guy on the left [;)]

It´s some russian general, I can´t remeber right now but starting with an "B"

[Erik Rutins]

Bumping this for new posters...

[Becket]

ORIGINAL: Marc Schwanebeck

ORIGINAL: Adam Parker

I want to know how you got a young Robert Duvall on the box cover?

The guy on the left [;)]

It´s some russian general, I can´t remeber right now but starting with an "B"

Is that Batov? Hard to tell as the only photo I have is when he was younger.

[Marc von Martial]

ORIGINAL: Becket

ORIGINAL: Marc Schwanebeck

ORIGINAL: Adam Parker

I want to know how you got a young Robert Duvall on the box cover?

The guy on the left [;)]

It´s some russian general, I can´t remeber right now but starting with an "B"

Is that Batov? Hard to tell as the only photo I have is when he was younger.

Sorry bout the "B" it was in fact an "A", it´s Alexandrov.