Matrix Games Forums

I also wouldn't think the Nato models should be much problem.  If enough demand is sought, perhaps in a couple months the Devs will release this in a patch. I can't really speak on their behalf of course.

Sooner the better.  Want to catch the fence-sitters while this is still hot, or all their $$$ will go into BOTB instead!  It's a pity it was released like this, but judging from the feedback it's not a million miles away from being a popular release.

Incidentally, Matrix's 'Commander:Europe at War' has an excellent 3D/2D unit icon toggle option, compare the two styles here-

http://www.thefewgoodmen.com/FGMForum/showthread.php?t=2743&page=4


PS- Now i come to think of it, CEAW and OP BARB are much alike in having the same easy feel to them, but CEAW covers every front (East/ West/ Italian/Desert) and therefore needs much more time and concentration to play 

ORIGINAL: Adam Parker



Get rid of childish achievement pop-up's when securing objectives. I received one to tell me now that I'd captured a bridge all wonderful things would happen to my side including the ability to capture a town. I captured that town 2 turns prior.

Just found out that you can turn them off in the options - game window

My wishlist:

1. Adjustable mouse scroll speed: I think I'm just used to hyper-speed mouse scroll and, while I don't find the current scroll speed unacceptable, I still would like it faster

2. Change the color or shape of the German victory objective flags/staffs/whatever you call them. They look too much like the Soviet ones at a fast glance.

3. Make the open/close window boxes significantly bigger. Trying to click on that little "x" in the right hand corner of a window is difficult and annoying on a 14" laptop screen.

4. Panzer general style 2d would definitely be my preference but I could come to enjoy the 3d if the units looked as detailed on the map as they do in the recruitment/upgrade screen when they are rotating around on that black background. The color/contrast of the map seem to bleed away the details of the tanks for me (with my computing rig) if that makes any sense? I've seen some screenshots from other people's games and the units look pretty amazing but not so much with my system (except for the planes). 

5. An adjustment to some of the unit's ratings. As it stands right now, I think the artillery units are using 1 pt of ammo even when defending themselves against air attacks. With some of the artillery units only getting 3 pts of ammo, this can mean a reload of ammo every other turn.

Honestly, there are no show-stopper bugs for me with this game. I am definitely enjoying my time with it but everyone (including me) has their preferences.

Got a question re adding NATO icons to replace the 3D.

Wouldn't this make the game a real clickfest? The whole beauty of Panzer General is that just by looking at the map, you can see exactly what each unit represents from its 2D picture.

That's the only reason why I recommend 3D being scrapped: a) The art isn't clear at the max zoom out and b) To really play as a commander, we really need even more zoom out and the 3D engine will no allow this without totally revamping the current art.

By having NATO icons, how do we see what a unit is at glance?

Where is the intimiate feel of moving cherrished units of a certain type. Where is the easy decision making of - there's my PzIV and there's my PzIII etc? We'll need to keep clicking each hex to see where specific units are, what units are?

NATO icons aren't the answer for this type of game - easy to recognize picture icons are.

Adam you keep bringing up having to click a unit to tell what it is.

Look at Erik's AAR tm.asp?m=2237314

The third picture, at the bottom, shows the BF109 in the window. You need not click the unit, just place the mouse pointer over the hex with a unit, friendly or enemy, and look at that bottom window.

Edit, also in that window is the total resource points available.

If you're used to NATO icons from previous games you may want them here.  I for one like to role-play being a general in front of a map, in many ways that is an important part of *operational* level war-gaming for me.  My mind gets too *tactical* when I see the individual soldiers, trees, tanks!  When I see the little men I think dead ground, fields of fire, weapon ranges.  The difference is like that between CM and TOAW.

Re: using NATO icons and seeing what units are at a glance... don't understand this.  Never had a problem with TOAW etc.  I assume military professionals don't either, for whom they were designed to be used.

Re clicking each hex.  Again, don't understand this.  You can have the unit name beneath the icon.  There are NATO icons for heavy, medium and light tanks which are basically what "PZIV and PZIII" represent in this game.

Adam, I think you want a perfect duplicate of PzG

Ok junk, so we take the pictures out and replce them with NATO symbols.

My question was, by doing so aren't we taking situational awareness away from the gamer?

Click fest, scroll fest, mouse fest - it's all the same. It's not a play fest which PG was!

ORIGINAL: Adam Parker
Where is the intimiate feel of moving cherrished units of a certain type. Where is the easy decision making of - there's my PzIV and there's my PzIII etc? We'll need to keep clicking each hex to see where specific units are, what units are?

On my system, I can tell the unit type at a glance. I realize your mileage may vary.

Back to the wishlist...

A readme (that is what us old timers expect, not a what's new pdf) that explains how to setup the configuration screen before you start.

ORIGINAL: junk2drive
A readme (that is what us old timers expect, not a what's new pdf) that explains how to setup the configuration screen before you start.

Yes, this will definitely be added to the readme and I'll post the same info in the forum as soon as I get a chance to discuss this with the developers for their input as well.

ORIGINAL: Kipper

Adam, I think you want a perfect duplicate of PzG

Yup - except I knew it was restricted to the East Front [:D]

ORIGINAL: Kipper

If you're used to NATO icons from previous games you may want them here. I for one like to role-play being a general in front of a map, in many ways that is an important part of *operational* level war-gaming for me.

That's cool I see where you're coming from.

But PG which this game offers itself as emulating, was all about players seeing their units - seeing the Wespe's and the Hummel's, the Pz38's and the MkIV's, the HE111's and the Stuka's - and growing them to elite status, worrying about Green reinforcements, balancing decisions in investment and research.

Operation Barbarossa imo lost its focus. It's first aim became its 3D art - which properly set up graphically looks really nice. It then bacame hobbled in this art in only allowing for top down-tilt zoom - not very useful for seeing the whole map. Not very useful for making out units on a highly colored map unless very close up which is silly when units represent divisions.

If this game just purports to portray operational warfare on the East Front with no relation to PG, oh my goodness, it will never return to my HD. This type of game it just can not seriously believe itself to be. As a wargame it is very poor. It's like Commander Napoleon at War - a very age 7-12 attempt at portraying Napoleonics. At age 13, we move on.

Re: using NATO icons and seeing what units are at a glance... don't understand this.  Never had a problem with TOAW etc

I never understood why TOAW III had such a small fan-base when it was re-given new life.  I thought for sure this would take over the whole gaming community by storm.

1. Improve interface, if clicking on units isn't spot on the unit wanders off to a undesired direction
2. Half tracks can't fire after moving.
3. It appears the german campaigns are too short, don't go the length of the historic campaign

1) Allow us to rename units. I really find it hard to empathize with the Nebelwerfer unit.
2) Put a circle under a unit that is getting low on fuel or ammo.
3) I'm not sure what the Ogre is capable of, but I have a hard time selecting units and I'm constantly scrolling up, down to either side to get the pointer on the right unit.

ORIGINAL: desert dawg

2) Put a circle under a unit that is getting low on fuel or ammo.

Great idea.

I forget. How did this get indicated in PG?

I think you can change units names, I'm off to check

yep u can from the unit detail panel "current tab"

1) Allow us to rename units. I really find it hard to empathize with the Nebelwerfer unit.

A quick 10 seconds of playing would have shown you that this is already included.  Perhaps you disabled the right-clicking on your mouse?

I forget how did this get indicated in PG?

It didn't.  Unless you mean manually checking your stats, and even then all it did was change the coloring of your fuel numbers to red.

Good name for a dog.

Nebelwoofer.