PWM Revisited

[DeadInThrench]

I hadn't been playing PWM lately but then had the opportunity to go back in again and started playing it again and..... interesting re comments we had already made... and thus some fresh comments.

First.... IMO.... ya gotta do something re how long it takes for the scenarios to load. Really takes a long time on my machine (2.2 GHz) compared to other games. IMO, the problem here is ... too many small files ... From my experience in programing things along these lines.... compiling all the smaller files into larger ones.... would probably cut down the load time in half... maybe more. It just takes the system a lot of time to open and close all these files. We are talking about the unit artwork here, and compiling all the artwork for each type of unit (e.g. Prussian line, etc) into one large file would, IMO, eliminate the load time problem. You might end up loading a flagbearer (or whatnot) that you might not load otherwise but, significantly reducing the load time would be more than worth it. Could compile all the WAV files into one file, etc, as well but the main thing is probably the unit art.

Next.... yeah... at least at first pass... the unit art looks a bit too big for the squares. But, IMO, the unit art is a major plus in HnM and.... looking closer.... the problem isn't that the unit art is too big.... it's that the OTHER art is TOO SMALL. We have been down this path before.... and the problem there is that Magnus has to keep the other art... things like trees and buildings... within the hex they are in and that is why the other art looks so small. In other words..... there has to be a program enhancement to allow art like trees and building to overflow into the hexes above and possibly to the side... and intermingle with any units in the hex.

IMO... along with Erickson's original design... the interface (Michael Cooney's?) are the strong points of HnM2. So, improvements here are not as important as in other areas. But, IMO, if there are gonna be any improments here it has to start with the program enhancement with the artwork to allow the other terrain to overflow into the hexes above and intermingle with the unit art. Although this would be a plus, IMO, not as important as enhancements in other areas (yes, we have discussed this at length here in these forums).

Beyond this.... IMO... good initial design and nice interface.... the only thing that is really needed is improvements in the playability of the game. In other words... better AI and possibly more battles covered in each game and possibly better scenario development. More options that are reasonable from a historical perspective, allowing deployment in situations where it is reasonable, etc.

Really... bringing up PWM again after playing that other series of games... the PWM interface is SOOOO much nicer. Even showing the ranges for artillery with multi-colored areas for each range. But.... then (playing Mollwitz) there is the matter of the computer controlled Austrians 'dithering' back and forth. In other words, the basic design and interface of PWM are much better than the other games but.... the AI... is just as primitive.

IMO... Erickson did his part... then Cooney did his... now we just need someone to take the game from here and make it a truely great game. Yeah, hoping Tim is that next person here but... whatever.

DiT

P.S. Oh, the other thing that is needed... IMO... and I mentioned this before... a complete plan as to what HnM3 games are gonna be available (at least for the 7YW period) so everyone will know what they should be expecting down the line and what is the focus of each game.