Matrix Games Secures Rights to Publish Talonsoft Line

[bradfordkay]

I just noticed that AOS II was not on the list in the David Heath interview. My guess is that Akella acquired the rights to that and have continued to produce their extremely buggy product. I did make the mistake of buying Privateer's Bounty and found it to be merely an expansion pack without getting the major bugs fixed.

[Adamo]

Can't wait for the BG games involving the Civil War!

[hadrian132]

I loved playing BTR but after a little while it would get trying to keep it going. I found the constant need to keep reconing a pain plus the ground attacking troops a little tedious. I would like to see matrix games simplify the recon element. The AI in the game never handled that aspect well enough to be left on its own. Other then that the game was great one time i was able to get almost 5 months of bombing time in until it got to bogged down.

[Mikekiller16]

Own and played for years everything published by Talonsoft (ACW, Napoleonics, CS, TOAW,COW, AOS, AOS2...), if you need a betatester for any of them....

Miguel

[Heartland]

Absolutely amazing news, as TOAW: Century of Warfare is to my mind one the finest wargames of all time. Yet it could do with some fixes and improvements to make it even better.

Of course, getting hold of Norm Koger might be a good idea, since he apparently is sitting on improvements that Talonsoft didn't let him release as a patch, including hexside rivers and whatnot...

[Erik Rutins]

We are working together on a contract basis with the original developers on these updated versions, we made sure those details were ironed out first. [8D]

Regards,

- Erik

[Bombur]

-What wonderful news. Thanks a lot.

-Any chance of incorporation BioEditor to the future matrix version? -What about improvements of the air and naval engines? -Correction of the troubles with speed/scale? -Rules for across the sea supply??

[macgregor]

Like everyone else here , I'm ecstatic over this news. I've been busy posting on the armchair general , laying out my ideas on how to add a naval and strategic warfare component to TOAW that's the equivalent of the land. I'm dying to post my ideas, so hopefully they'll open up a thread for TOAW soon. I believe that in a relatively short time, an upgraded version of TOAW could be released that would be the envy of all operational and strategic level wargames.

[Ostfront]

I've been waiting five years for someone to buy up Talonsoft so they can continue developing the concept behind the Campaign Series. Because I am extremely patient, I don't mind at all the IGo/UGo turn-based system. This is because I am interested in wargames that combine extreme realism with massive scale. I want to be in the command level of a Patton, Zhukov or Bock, controlling a theatre of operations. The many first-person squad-level shooter games don't appeal to me, as they place the emphasis on physical reaction time rather than long-term strategy, and are small in scale. I get the greatest kick from creating my own scenarios, and maximizing the scenaro building engine's capabilities; which are still far beyond any other games I have seen. I am currently building a scenario that will pit 54 Russian CORPS vs. 21 German, and would last a scale 18 days! Should a team of Matrix programmers wish to upgrade the Campaign Series, here is a ( incomplete ) list of suggested improvements:

1- So far there appears to be no limit vertically to the number of



hexes you can have ( my biggest scenario is 2100 hexes high ),



but there seems to be a fixed horizontal limit of 512 hexes. I would



like to see this expanded to at least 1200.

2- The quality of the graphics, of course. Many more building types



should be available, to relieve the visual monotony. The ability to



have German-style structures in East Front like they are in West



Front. Better smoke, explosion and moving water graphics, and



much better rendered detail. Some structures are downright UGLY,



particulary bridges. Bridges should be expandable with lengthened



pillars to fit the depth of the gap they are spanning.

3- More realistic and expanded equipment for each nationality. I can't



figure out why the Russians have landing craft that can carry tanks,



but not the German. Armoured trains that can move on more



realistic railroad systems, including in some cases massive



railroad guns like 'Anzio Annie' or even 'Gustav Schwere'.

4- Expanded Fortification structures like those at the Maginot Line,



the Stalin Line, the Atlantic Wall or the West Wall, with tunnel



systems through which units can move.

5- Increased capability of air and sea units. Warships of all historical



types that can move on ocean, lake or river terrain. Aircraft that



can do realistic damage to ground targets as well as each other,



with attention paid to historical capabilities of each aircraft type.



Anti-aircraft guns that can actually hit their targets.

6- More realistic capability for certain ground units. Engineers that can



also BUILD pontoon bridges ( taking much longer, of course ) in



addition to destroying them, and can do other tasks such as



improving existing fortifications or helping tank crews dig 'hull



down' entrenchments for their AFV's, or cut down trees to build



bunkers or 'courderoy roads'; or even in extreme circumstances,



blowing up dams to flood territory the enemy must pass through.



Artillery that can control sections of terrain with harrassing fire



even during the opponent's turn. Flamethrowers that actually



visually burn their target in flames, and mines that actually



blow 'up' their victims. Tanks that burst into flames when hit



by a big enough shell, or 'tip their hat'.

7- For scenarios lasting more than a few hours, alternate periods of



night and day, with different weather conditions for long scenarios.

8- An extensive and historically accurate selection of leader's pictures



that you can use, rather than the current random unidentified



pictures. Many of us know what Zhukov, Guderian, Montgomery



or Yamashita look like, and don't like the random images.

9- A more comprehensive supply system, where front-line troops



are not only affected by their distance to their supply dumps, but



also by the condition of their nation's factories, infrastructure and



strategic materials. Example, if the Germans lose one of their



synthetic oil refineries, more of their vehicles will have to sit, and



more horse-drawn transport will have to be used.

10- The ability for Americans to be on the same scenario as the



Russians and British, or the Chinese and Japanese.

I also should suggest that any upgrades occur in gradual phases, so that those like myself, who have spent countless hours creating large scenarios, can have these old EastFront II v 1.3 files accepted by the new program. Then we can use the new scenario editor to update what we have already created to fit the new program. I realize this may not be possible, but it would save a lot of agony. Some kind of 'interpreter' program that can recognize the basic elements in a hex, and extrapolate them onto the new platform.

[demonterico]

Hey this is very interesting news. Congratulations Matix.

I've got a shelf full of Talonsoft stuff, but spent most of my time play Battleground games. Just counted I've got 34 different mod scenarios on CDs for the Napolionic games that cover battles in Germany, ie: Eylua, Jena Auerstadt, and Friedland, some in Austria, ie; Auserlitz, Asspern-Essling, and Wagram, and some in Spain, ie; Corunna, and Vittoria. There is also a CD labeled Egypt, and another labled Crimean War, plus alot more. This is not my own work these are just different mods a freind downloaded, and burned onto CDs for me. I'm sure there are many more mods out their for all the Talonsoft releases. If anyone at Matrix wants a look at these mods let me know.

Dave

[06 Maestro]

I’ve been a “lurker” on this site for a couple of years while keeping an eye on the development of CA. I have never spent a dime on Matrix games to date, but with your purchase of the Talonsoft titles, you have gained my loyalty. I will no doubt be spending a few hundred dollars on your games over the next year. I may even try some non Talonsoft titles. (I would buy CA tonight if I could) Thanks for your dedication to this type of gaming.

[Erik Rutins]

If you have any independent mods or scenarios to suggest for inclusion, please e-mail them to davidh@matrixgames.com with a description and contact info for the author. Thanks.

Regards,

- Erik

[jwilkerson]

The first fix I'd like to see is enabling it to run on XP OS !!! I haven't been able to play it for several years .. but still look at the CD longingly almost weekly !!! Can't say that about any other game I've ever played !!!

[Rik81]

Fascinating News. I logged about a zillion hours with the original CS games!

[Cmdrcain]

ORIGINAL: jwilkerson

The first fix I'd like to see is enabling it to run on XP OS !!! I haven't been able to play it for several years .. but still look at the CD longingly almost weekly !!! Can't say that about any other game I've ever played !!!

Which of the games?

you don't specify which..

[m10bob]

ORIGINAL: bradfordkay

Alex777 wrote:

"In all the excitement over TOAW and the Campaign & Battleground series, let's not forget Age of Sail. This John Tiller design is STILL the best computer sim of late 18th/early 19th century naval warfare. Unlike all of its successors (Age of Sail II, Privateer's Bounty & now Salvo!), it had decent AI, a sensible UI, and was pretty much bug-free. My wish list for this one includes:

land areas & shallow water shore batteries anchoring ability to set waypoints updated graphics"



I will second this motion quite heartily. Actually, what I would like to see is AOS II with no bugs and the original AOS campaign system. IMO, AOS II still ranks as one of the most beautiful wargames ever created, and the interface was excellent. I had to bail because of the bugs. Did they ever get the grappled ships being ground into a hulk bug fixed?

Using the engine of AOS, I would like to see a ACW version, with ironclads and river gunboats !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Halsey]

ORIGINAL: jwilkerson

The first fix I'd like to see is enabling it to run on XP OS !!! I haven't been able to play it for several years .. but still look at the CD longingly almost weekly !!! Can't say that about any other game I've ever played !!!

JW, you can play these games by changing the compatability. Right click on the exe file. Then click properties. Then change the compatability to WIN95 or 98.

Been playing these titles for years. Even after upgrading to XP.[;)]

[Terminus]

Doesn't work for every system. I've found this out to my own disadvantage; that's why I'm looking forward to the Matrix Editions...

[Halsey]

Just trying to help someone who might not know, Mr Wizard.[;)]

[tsimmonds]

ORIGINAL: Halsey

ORIGINAL: jwilkerson

The first fix I'd like to see is enabling it to run on XP OS !!! I haven't been able to play it for several years .. but still look at the CD longingly almost weekly !!! Can't say that about any other game I've ever played !!!

JW, you can play these games by changing the compatability. Right click on the exe file. Then click properties. Then change the compatability to WIN95 or 98.

Been playing these titles for years. Even after upgrading to XP.[;)]

[&o]Thanks, dog, you just saved my marriage. I've been trying unsuccessfully for months to get one of my wife's apps to run on the new machine. A wave of this magic wand and twenty secs later she's in.