I just hope this game lives up to the name: Battles of Napoleon

[jpsherfy@yahoo.com]

Okay so I am an old guy. I remember when SSI's Battles of Napoleon came out. Anyone else here play that game? I thought it was a materpiece. Yes there were a few issues, but it was just so deep and at the same time incredibly playable. I think its my favorite computer game of all time. I wish it had gotten the same treatment Steel Panthers did, but oh well. Anyway one of its best features was its cavalry charge and counter charge. Unlike most other napoleonic games BON got this right. During your movement phase you could set up a cav unit to charge. You faced it the way you wanted it to charge and then in a separate execution phase this unit would indeed charge (if it passed a morale check). The cav unit would march across the computer screen as you watch, units in the way, enemy units, would attempt to form square (if they passed a morale check). If successful they would stop the on coming charge and an attack would be resolved and pity the horsemen in this case. If the infantry didn't pass the check they might, stand in place and defend in whatever formation they were in or, they might disorder and in that case pity those poor soles. Players of BON leaned how deadly a cav charge could be. But on defense you could set up a cav unit to counter charge an enemy cavalry that came in its facing. This was the ultimate. When the execution began its hard to convey how exciting it was to see cav units charge and enemy units react. The coolest was to be sitting on the defensive with your cav units in counter charge mode and to see them head out to meet a charging cavalry unit headon or maybe if you did a good job, in the flank. So for any of you out there that have never played BON and might be awaiting this new game, you might look around on the internet for SSI's BON and give it a try. I know for a fact it will work in XP. I am really looking forward to Matrix's new game and hope it might live up to what I think, to date, is the best game on the subject.

Here is a neat link where you can see that BON was a best game nominee of 1988

http://www.classicgaming.com/gotcha/tdg.htm

[Moltke71]

I too remeber BON and all its add-ons. Superb game. It's a pitty David Landry left the business for personal reasons.

Of course, the new generation of players wouldn't like it; no animation, no 3D, just incredible gameplay.

[jpsherfy@yahoo.com]

Well, I think newer wargamers would like it. I think most wargamers look at the game first and at the graphics as gravy. I even played BON by email. Since you could save the game after each execution phase it worked just fine. The only problem was that you had to rely on your opponent to tell you want happened in the execution phase you didn't get to see. In smallish scenarios that was no problem..........I actually remember talking to Frank Hunter years ago because he expresseed interest in producing a Napoleonic game along the lines of his Civil War game. I suggested he check out BON if he wanted to see what I thought was a great tactical game engine. I am hoping he did that and has incorporated some of it in this new game.

[Moltke71]

I hope you're right. Lately, though, I've fought with too many editors and other writers who thought graphics made the game. One player I've dealt with thought a game wouldn't be worthwhile because the interface buttons on a screenshot looked "ugly".

[jpsherfy@yahoo.com]

Well, I think the success of HPS games is an indicator that there are plenty of folks that rate the graphics as less important. HPS 3d graphics are something I rarely look at. It would be interesting to see if you took a poll about that how many HPS game players play in 2d vs 3d. I would think 2 der's greatly outnumber 3der's.

[Moltke71]

I know you're right in that. At Tillercon, most played 2D. I only use 3D when I need facing or terrain clarification.

[Le Tondu]

While I am waiting for this game, I too only play HPS in 2D and like Bismark, I only use 3D when I need facing or terrain clarification.

Remember that Tim (a.k.a. Double Shot Design) also plays the HPS games and has stated that he likes to play them in 2D as well.

Don't forget that until hopefully the near future, the HPS games will be the only game on the block. There are MANY nagging issues regarding gameplay with them that leave a LOT to be desired, IMO. The big problem was that incredible mistakes were made from the get-go way back in the Talonsoft days. Tim, et al are aware of them and are working to bring a much, MUCH better product.

My view is that if they did it during the Napoleonic Era, we should be able to do the same, tactically speaking.
[:)]

[jpsherfy@yahoo.com]

While I enjoy the Talonsoft Napoleonic games, I can't help thinking they don't "feel" like a Napoleonic battle. Maybe that partially because I have not played them a lot. I know there is a online club that has a number of "gentlemans" rules to make them play more like they should, but its too bad that you have to have that. I remember thinking that most of SSI's Battles of Napoleon "felt" right. You are right, Talonsoft started things out on the wrong foot. I remember that it took forever to get them to add a cavalry counter charge phase to the system. The skimishers in the HPS games don't seem to work right, at least for me that is. I think one other issue is that the more I have read of Napoleonic battles, the more it seems to me that actual melee's did not happen that often. That in the heat of battle, one side retired. Most games seem to tilt the game to one of a lot of melee's.

[Le Tondu]

The part of the HPS games that work really well is when you play a scenario on the big or HUGE maps. Moving more than one Corps around is really cool. Recon is very important. Sadly, its the tactical model that needs an entire overhaul, IMHO.

They're really not a tactical level games. One thing that helped me some is to move the units by Brigades and Divisions instead of by battalions. The feeling of it being a Napoleonic game works much better that way.

[Zap]

Reading in the general discussion it was mentioned that Matrix is taking over the Talansoft battleseries. This is good news. Matrix can also update the games!