Screens

[sol_invictus]

Go naval, let these wacky uniform fanatics do the mods for free; don't waste your valuable time on it.[;)] I will certainly appreciate and use all the beautiful work done by the aforementioned wacky uniform fanatics, so when the game is released get cracking gents.[:D] Just don't pull a CA with RTW and release a half finished product and expect modders to finish your work. I know you won't do that to us.[:-] Le Tondu is just begging to do the work.[;)]

[ericbabe]

For the record, I didn't mean to pit detailed naval combat against the uniforms per se, I was merely trying to give an example of the sort of trade-offs need to be made.


Eric

[sol_invictus]

Sure, I'm just being silly. The anticipation is making my brain go squishy.

[Marc von Martial]

ORIGINAL: ericbabe


We have taken the uniform concerns to heart. Mr Barish has come up with a sketch for a system that would allow for customizable color-replacing uniforms using 6 different colors on 14 different uniform templates that he believes represents most of the uniforms of the period. The notion is that players could pop-open a sort of "dress your soldiers" screen and could customize the look of each individual unit under his control.

The system would also allow for customizable heads (different helmets). This is all still quite in the prototype stage, so we would only consider it for a sequel product, or in an expansion to COG. Also, as such a thing would involve a not-small amount of work, I would like to get a better sense of the demand customizable uniforms might have among players relative to other ways in which we might improve the game: for instance, would players rather have customizable uniforms, or be able to play naval actions using detailed-level rules?


Eric

That´s is not detailed enough. I want to also call the number of uniform buttons and boot nails. Oh yes and the lenght of the moustache, which is extremly important for Napoleons Guards. [;)][:D]

[ericbabe]

It would entail having the detailed naval actions (great idea), simply doing nothing with the uniform thing and then simply allowing mods. To me, that brings even more detail to a wonderful game with an added bonus -the option to change things as the gamer would like it. Why go through all that work on the uniform thing? We don't need any fancy mod utility.

All our graphics and alpha channels are layed out in straightforward cells in .pcx files that are easily accessible. So it will be possible to modify any graphic in the game.

The only graphical element that is not easily accessible, I believe, involves the graphics that specify the regions of the map. Players can draw a new map, but the province shapes on it are not easily modifiable absent some serious programming work.


Eric

[wayne19563]

ORIGINAL: ericbabe


We have taken the uniform concerns to heart. Mr Barish has come up with a sketch for a system that would allow for customizable color-replacing uniforms using 6 different colors on 14 different uniform templates that he believes represents most of the uniforms of the period. The notion is that players could pop-open a sort of "dress your soldiers" screen and could customize the look of each individual unit under his control.

The system would also allow for customizable heads (different helmets). This is all still quite in the prototype stage, so we would only consider it for a sequel product, or in an expansion to COG. Also, as such a thing would involve a not-small amount of work, I would like to get a better sense of the demand customizable uniforms might have among players relative to other ways in which we might improve the game: for instance, would players rather have customizable uniforms, or be able to play naval actions using detailed-level rules?


Eric

Age of rifles had this feature

[Reiryc]

ORIGINAL: Marc Schwanebeck

ORIGINAL: ericbabe


We have taken the uniform concerns to heart. Mr Barish has come up with a sketch for a system that would allow for customizable color-replacing uniforms using 6 different colors on 14 different uniform templates that he believes represents most of the uniforms of the period. The notion is that players could pop-open a sort of "dress your soldiers" screen and could customize the look of each individual unit under his control.

The system would also allow for customizable heads (different helmets). This is all still quite in the prototype stage, so we would only consider it for a sequel product, or in an expansion to COG. Also, as such a thing would involve a not-small amount of work, I would like to get a better sense of the demand customizable uniforms might have among players relative to other ways in which we might improve the game: for instance, would players rather have customizable uniforms, or be able to play naval actions using detailed-level rules?


Eric

That´s is not detailed enough. I want to also call the number of uniform buttons and boot nails. Oh yes and the lenght of the moustache, which is extremly important for Napoleons Guards. [;)][:D]

[&o] [:D][:D]

[Reiryc]

ORIGINAL: ericbabe


We have taken the uniform concerns to heart. Mr Barish has come up with a sketch for a system that would allow for customizable color-replacing uniforms using 6 different colors on 14 different uniform templates that he believes represents most of the uniforms of the period. The notion is that players could pop-open a sort of "dress your soldiers" screen and could customize the look of each individual unit under his control.

The system would also allow for customizable heads (different helmets). This is all still quite in the prototype stage, so we would only consider it for a sequel product, or in an expansion to COG. Also, as such a thing would involve a not-small amount of work, I would like to get a better sense of the demand customizable uniforms might have among players relative to other ways in which we might improve the game: for instance, would players rather have customizable uniforms, or be able to play naval actions using detailed-level rules?


Eric

My vote is for the detailed naval rules....

[Reiryc]

ORIGINAL: Arinvald

Go naval, let these wacky uniform fanatics do the mods for free; don't waste your valuable time on it.[;)] I will certainly appreciate and use all the beautiful work done by the aforementioned wacky uniform fanatics, so when the game is released get cracking gents.[:D] Just don't pull a CA with RTW and release a half finished product and expect modders to finish your work. I know you won't do that to us.[:-] Le Tondu is just begging to do the work.[;)]

Exactly....

More time spent on gameplay, less on uniforms please.

[steveh11Matrix]

Uniforms, shmuniforms, I want my Navy!!!

Seriously, Gameplay comes first, last and always. The uniforms should only matter if they improve the gameplay - and provided I can tell (by mouseover, for example) what a particular unit is, and my Frenchmen have blue tunics while my Englishmen have red ones, I couldn't care less. So, and especially if it interferes with the Naval expansions, I'd give the uniform stuff a low priority. Nice for a later expansion, not a requirement at all.

My £0.02, worth about half...

Steve.

[wayne19563]

Lets recap ...

A) Where is the AAR with screen captures?

B) Include an "Age of Rifles" type uniform editor

C) Everyone loves the idea of Detailed Naval Battles

[&o]

[Le Tondu]

ORIGINAL: ericbabe

All our graphics and alpha channels are layed out in straightforward cells in .pcx files that are easily accessible. So it will be possible to modify any graphic in the game.

The only graphical element that is not easily accessible, I believe, involves the graphics that specify the regions of the map. Players can draw a new map, but the province shapes on it are not easily modifiable absent some serious programming work.


Eric

Thank you Eric. You da man.
[8D][8D]

[Mr. Z]

Ok, as promised, here's a brief AAR. Maybe there'll be some time next week to put up a more extensive one.

Began as Austria, standard campaign (1805), normal difficulty level.



Here, you can see the various Austrian armies represented by flags. A flag can represent more than one army (called a "stack") Total stack size is represented by the small green squares below the flag.

Two diplomats are in Austria as well (they slightly straddle the border), and you see a few generals scattered throughout. A merchant ship is in Venetia, and a rather small fleet in Carniola. French armies are in northern Italy and southern Germany.

More to come.

[Mr. Z]

Here I have assigned my generals to the armies in Austria:

[Mr. Z]

Now we're on the move. I have moved an army of Grenzer units up from the border with the Ottomans, and redistributed my armies after assigning my generals. I have also dispatched Metternich to Prussia to maintain the support of F. Wilhelm, and for kicks I've sent Marie-Louise to Hesse to charm them up (the names of diplomats do not strictly represent the actual diplomats working in the field, but rather they represent the influential members of the court pulling the strings behind the scenes).

You can see a stray unassigned infantryman divison in Baden.

A note about the shading: the dark shading on the edges is fog of war. The stripes represent protectorate status. However, "protectorate" should not always be taken to mean a legally dependent relationship. We use protectorate striping to represent actual protectorates, but we also use it to grant a player nation control over the units and armies of an independent country (who otherwise would be acting independently). At the beginning of the War of the Third Coalition, the southern German princes were allied with Napoleon, hence we have given them the protectorate striping, even though the Confederation of the Rhine had not yet been formed. So, think of "protectorate" as meaning "political protectorate" as well as "allied independed country for the scenario"

You can also see that I have built a depot in Carniola. I will need this to feed my armies, since they exceed the Forage value for their respective provinces (you can see the Forage value for the province of Prague in the control bar at the bottom of the screen. You can also see the province of Prague highlighted in green.)

[Mr. Z]

Now I'm turning on my various experts and advisors so I don't have to worry about some of the game details--in this case, my Development experts. My development advisor at the lower-right-hand corner is telling me (using body language) that I'm not doing terribly in terms of development, but I'm not doing all that great, either.

[Mr. Z]

On to battle! I fought a quick combat in Tyrolia--the French surrendered immediately, and I captured several thousands in pursuit:

[Mr. Z]

I almost forgot--I need to give the Russians permission to use my depots! I should have proposed this treaty last turn, since it takes a turn for it to go into effect:

[Mr. Z]

Fought another battle in Austria which I won handily. The French seem to be behaving irrationally right now, but it's because they didn't know I would win the initiative--I was able to place all my armies where I wanted them before the French could get there. The main French army, with Napoleon in command, has not yet arrived, but when he does, I'll need to be prepared.

Here's how things stand at the beginning of the second turn. My Grenzer units didn't quite make it to Linz--perhaps they got slowed down by weather. However, they can now move into Vienna and maybe get rid of that depot the French built there (there is also a Russian depot, which hopefully they will no longer need after next turn. You can see the string of depots the Russians have built along the Capathians--very expensive. That's the cost of war for you.)

After shuffling my armies a bit, I end my turn.

[Mr. Z]

The French kept up their strange small attacks, but they made an amazing suicide run on Vienna and managed to defeat my Grenzers! However, I am moving back in with another army, and hopefully should run them out (I better; otherwise, I will be forced to surrender in only a couple of months)

Furthermore, they took Tyrolia, much to my chagrin. I shall now attempt to punish them.

Russians have removed their excess depots, but apparently they decided I was insufficiently supplying them in Carniola.

Styria is producing a military unit.