PzC Game Engine: Popular Embrace?

[Mraah]

Well, here's my story to as to why I didn't buy PCOWS a few years ago. It's quite long-winded but I'll make it short.

Basically, it was all in TIMING.

At the time, the 3D game I was playing was Silent Hunter IV. Sure, I had CM on my hard drive but it was getting old. I didn't need another 3D tank game and I was too busy with SH4.

Then, Matrix released the John Tiller Campaign Series. I've been mainly playing that since the release. For now, I'm taking a break since v1.03 is being wrapped up. Well, I spotted the advertisment here that PCK was coming out soon and checked the forums and I'm SOLD!!

I decided to go back and check out what all the hub-bub is about PCOWS. I downloaded the demo. At that moment I kicked myself in the butt for letting this game slip by my radar!!

I bought the full version of PCOWS yesterday. I wanted to support this game and allow myself time to play out the game mechanics etc, not to mention the ability of using these maps for the random campaign.

Well, I read the manual from cover to cover. On page 97, CREDITS, under SPECIAL THANKS, last line reads ...

Steve Lorenz for allowing us to adapt his Panzer War Micro Armour Rules.

I kicked myself again!!! I've been looking for a computer version of a miniature game for years!!

So, I Google'd Panzer War and found his website full of goodies to download. Here's the link if not previously posted :

http://www.panzer-war.com/

I now have an idea of the details that went into this game. It's unbelieveable!!!!
As a matter of fact, I need to ask Mobius why rule 9.17 HULL DOWN isn't in the design? It would have been perfect for the flat terrain. I know the subject is mute now since PCK appears to have added some vertical components to the ground, ie hills.

Anyway, I like Matrix. I have many of their games. I can always count on their support. Every day on this website there is something new, whether it be a patch, a new game annoucement, or something in the forum .... it's alive.

Thanks for reading,

Rob

[ravinhood]

Yeah I'd say Erik is one of the most community active publisher/developers I know of. And he's not arrogant either like some of them we know. YOU guys should definitely BUY all the games you can from him/them. I'm buying Kharkov just as soon as it's released. Just something about those KOIOS guys they make the games "I" want to play.

[elmo3]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

...Also, you didn't mention the Pacific. Assuming all goes well and development continues for many more releases, I would definitely like to do a Pacific version.

Regards,

- Erik

The Pacific leaves me cold unless you plan to morp the engine into doing naval action. [;)] The island battles other than maybe Guadalcanal strike me as having little or no maneuver to them. Blasting away at entrenched Jap defenders sounds boring. And looking at it from their side where you are in caves waiting for a Yank to move into your sights sounds equally boring. Maybe there is more to that part of the war but I'd take the Eastern Front over the Pacific any day.

[Phenix]

Also an another thing i remember now, it was alot of talk that infantry warfare was underdeveloped in PCOWS, especially compared to CM.
The idea of just a tank game with no realistic infantry combat or atleast where infantry couldent have any visible impact on the outcome didnt appeal to me.
And there where also talk about a bad AI if i remember correctly, that also put me off and alot of other i would think.

These things seem corrected in Kharkov.

[Erik Rutins]

Hey Elmo3,

ORIGINAL: elmo3
battles other than maybe Guadalcanal strike me as having little or no maneuver to them. Blasting away at entrenched Jap defenders sounds boring. And looking at it from their side where you are in caves waiting for a Yank to move into your sights sounds equally boring. Maybe there is more to that part of the war but I'd take the Eastern Front over the Pacific any day.

Well, it doesn't all have to be about the attack on Okinawa or the island-hopping campaign. There's Burma, China, Singapore, the Dutch East Indies, New Guinea and the Kokoda Trail, Guadalcanal, etc. Plenty of situations where the combat was more dynamic and less about busting caves and bunkers.

Now as far as doing ships and naval combat - well, the engine could handle it. Interesting idea for the much farther future...

Regards,

- Erik

[ravinhood]

ORIGINAL: elmo3

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

...Also, you didn't mention the Pacific. Assuming all goes well and development continues for many more releases, I would definitely like to do a Pacific version.

Regards,

- Erik

The Pacific leaves me cold unless you plan to morp the engine into doing naval action. [;)] The island battles other than maybe Guadalcanal strike me as having little or no maneuver to them. Blasting away at entrenched Jap defenders sounds boring. And looking at it from their side where you are in caves waiting for a Yank to move into your sights sounds equally boring. Maybe there is more to that part of the war but I'd take the Eastern Front over the Pacific any day.

Lol LEAVE ELMO and never return. Knocking Pacific War land battle games?? Well I'll take them ANY day over repetitive same ole same ole Eastern Front games. Pulverize the Russian for a year and then get pulverized oh boy that's fun....not. lol Now Pacific Land battles like Guadacanal and Burma and all those others Erik mentioned those are what most of us have been waiting for. Can't wait till they get to the Pacific and leave the eastern front games behind in the dirt, mud and snow.

[Erik Rutins]

ORIGINAL: ravinhood
those others Erik mentioned those are what most of us have been waiting for. Can't wait till they get to the Pacific and leave the eastern front games behind in the dirt, mud and snow.

I'll grant you there won't be much snow in a Pacific land battles game, but I don't see how you get away from the dirt and mud. [;)]

[Mobius]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins
Now as far as doing ships and naval combat - well, the engine could handle it. Interesting idea for the much farther future...

And the data and rules have long been assembled for this.

But first I'd like to see small craft (armored gun boats, E-boats, landing craft) and armor trains added. A system for handling progressive damage to large units that hasn't been thought through yet.

If doing island fighting a tunnel movement system has to be developed. That in turn could be used for a sewer movement system for city fighting.

[elmo3]

ORIGINAL: Mobius

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins
Now as far as doing ships and naval combat - well, the engine could handle it. Interesting idea for the much farther future...

And the data and rules have long been assembled for this.

...

The map is done too. Just take any WS map, remove the trees anfd buildings and change to ground color to blue. You'll have a perfectly flat ocean! [:D]