Matrix Games Forums

morvael

We try to arrange some PBEM games now, to see if the balance is totally ruined or just altered a bit

Why not release it to public rather sooner than later, so we will be able to do beta-testing like we did for year after release

As long as balance is relatively ok publishing patch might actually be quickest way of fixing possible (and inevitable) imbalances - more people paying, more available and reliable data to assess and address problems.

We just want to find out whether balance is relatively ok, or completely tossed out of the window [:)]

carlkay58 did some good test vs AI in Smolensk scenario.
Pelton is playing GC 41 with himself 24/7 to reach First Winter before the end of the weekend.
I'm waiting for a turn from timmyab in Moscow 41-42 PBEM.
Some others offered their feedback and so must have played the game a bit too.
My laptop completed GC 41 in 43 hours.

edit: Yes, we know that public betatesting will be the best, we just have to catch worst problems first. The problem is we can't pester 2by3 and Matrix for compiling the game and publishing beta installers every two days, when major bugs or total lack of balance will be discovered. For the private beta it's up to me whether to build new exe and upload it for the testers. Sometimes I made 2-3 per day. My archive folder tells me I made ~106 versions of the game for the testers since May 18th (when the first one was made), includng 15 comprehensive versions (with updated data files, not just the main .exe). This feat can't be repeated in public beta mode.

Hi all, IMHO

1) Doing public betas gets too much "noise", ie errors in feedback, incomplete or confusing feedback, etc which burns a lot of time to sort through.
2) Better (more efficient) to use a dedicated cadre of experienced beta testers, or alpha testers if possible.

Some others offered their feedback and so must have played the game a bit too.

How can I get my hands on this beta?

Thank you for your prompt and in depth answers.

ORIGINAL: Oshawott

Some others offered their feedback and so must have played the game a bit too.

How can I get my hands on this beta?

You could volunteer for it, as for Joel's approval, sign an NDA with Matrix and wait to get access to dev forums. Might take longer than the time to publish public beta. Or it might take less time. Who knows? [:)]

To make your wait time easier (or harder), some screens. Spot the differences between 1.08 and 1.07:

And also:

Another:

And the last one:

As posted before...Thank you for the detailed update and the previews, which look great!... [&o][&o][&o] We can wait until it's ready.

Different air and ground equipment percentages? So no more stockpiling of thousands of German planes? Hooray!

Production for Bulgaria and Yugoslavia?

Separating of AFV and SP & AC? Finally a tracker showing the men returned? Hooray!

I love you all. [:D]

There is still many more differences to spot, but SigUp has found some.

However, the separate air percentage (based on ground percentage*0.75) for Germany and Italy was always there, but this time it's visible.

In the Losses screen SP & AC losses is new along with Men Returned and Vehicles Captured. There is also 4 more Vehicle Losses categories and a total of all vehicles lost.

The combat screen is more detailed giving you the names of the commanders of both forces engaged.

Good. But there is more [:)]

The Battle report date format is different, the modified CV is now inline with with the normal CV and HQ names are now bold.

BTW, not having played WITE in a few months (and now eagerly awaiting this patch to get into it again), will it be possible to assign non-Security divisions or brigades to RHG HQs? I never understood that restriction, presumably to discourage players from using RHGs as front armies, but several scenarios have non-Security units attached to RHG

Hmm, okay, let me see

1) Different date display
2) Commander shown below the unit counter on the right
3) Motor pool changed to Vehicle Pool
4) Supply and Fuel Depots changed to Supply and Fuel Dumps
5) Panzer III L
6) Added another digit for the combat odds

No more penalities for different HQ ???

Sorry, it'n not a feature of 1.08, that's only because it's an AI vs AI game and AI doesn't suffere these penalties.