Impressions ... for what they're worth
Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 3:14 am
Some impressions.
1) 3 zoom levels are a seemingly nice feature to have, but I find the closest zoom useless because then too few hexes are visible. The furthest zoom is a bit disconcerting because then the unit graphics change. So I spend pretty much all my time in the middle zoom level. But even here, hexes and units are a little too small for my liking.
2) Related to the above, the resolution restriction 1024x768 needs to be changed in the next version of this game. Fix the interface elements to a particular size if you like, but let the map be as large as the user wants, i.e. dynamic. Fortunately, graphics drivers these days allow you to specify exactly how the image is to be stretched, otherwise the game would look really crap on my wide-screen. Windowed mode is useless, as it often is in games like this.
3) Resource heavy game. I suspect this is a by-product of the graphics engine and the fact that this game was written in Java. But I'm sure there are a lot of AI calculations going on, can't be too harsh on this.
4) Convoy system is a great aspect of the game. Like a mini-game within a game.
5) Took me a bit of manual searching to work out how to launch a sea-land invasion.
6) I rank the AI somewhere in the top half of wargames. Better than average, but you know that still means it's pretty stupid. It's something gamers will have to live with for a long time. Holy grail of AI is decades away, perhaps even never to be found.
7) I don't understand how to effectively use my air power. Nice to have strategic bombing. I don't like how tanks and ground units inflict so much casualties on adjacent air units. Is that realistic? What does that simulate? Ground-air attacks?
8) Land combat is very well done. Honestly I don't miss unit stacking at all. The eastern front in this game is absolutely enthralling. As the German, early on you think you're on top, it's going to be a cakewalk, but the Soviets hang in there, and produce an endless supply of units.
9) Oil rules well done! Brings a new aspect to the game. Man, the Axis has it tough.
10) I like being able to focus on certain research areas within a particular subject. For armour, early on the Germans will want Blitzkrieg focus, but if they get bogged down in the East, they might want to focus on tank destroyers. That's a nice touch.
11) Trains! Really quick way to get your troops to the front line. It's on the unit panel.
12) I take Paris and France falls? I dunno, I would think one more city on the coast somewhere should be required. In general, maybe an extra city should be need to be captured for most countries. I think Battlefront's SC did this better.
Excellent game, a shame about the interface restrictions, hopefully that will be fixed in the next version. Please release a demo, Slitherine, some people aren't as impulsive and impatient as me. I didn't expect the game to be this good, so I'm sure that a demo would garner you extra sales.
1) 3 zoom levels are a seemingly nice feature to have, but I find the closest zoom useless because then too few hexes are visible. The furthest zoom is a bit disconcerting because then the unit graphics change. So I spend pretty much all my time in the middle zoom level. But even here, hexes and units are a little too small for my liking.
2) Related to the above, the resolution restriction 1024x768 needs to be changed in the next version of this game. Fix the interface elements to a particular size if you like, but let the map be as large as the user wants, i.e. dynamic. Fortunately, graphics drivers these days allow you to specify exactly how the image is to be stretched, otherwise the game would look really crap on my wide-screen. Windowed mode is useless, as it often is in games like this.
3) Resource heavy game. I suspect this is a by-product of the graphics engine and the fact that this game was written in Java. But I'm sure there are a lot of AI calculations going on, can't be too harsh on this.
4) Convoy system is a great aspect of the game. Like a mini-game within a game.
5) Took me a bit of manual searching to work out how to launch a sea-land invasion.
6) I rank the AI somewhere in the top half of wargames. Better than average, but you know that still means it's pretty stupid. It's something gamers will have to live with for a long time. Holy grail of AI is decades away, perhaps even never to be found.
7) I don't understand how to effectively use my air power. Nice to have strategic bombing. I don't like how tanks and ground units inflict so much casualties on adjacent air units. Is that realistic? What does that simulate? Ground-air attacks?
8) Land combat is very well done. Honestly I don't miss unit stacking at all. The eastern front in this game is absolutely enthralling. As the German, early on you think you're on top, it's going to be a cakewalk, but the Soviets hang in there, and produce an endless supply of units.
9) Oil rules well done! Brings a new aspect to the game. Man, the Axis has it tough.
10) I like being able to focus on certain research areas within a particular subject. For armour, early on the Germans will want Blitzkrieg focus, but if they get bogged down in the East, they might want to focus on tank destroyers. That's a nice touch.
11) Trains! Really quick way to get your troops to the front line. It's on the unit panel.
12) I take Paris and France falls? I dunno, I would think one more city on the coast somewhere should be required. In general, maybe an extra city should be need to be captured for most countries. I think Battlefront's SC did this better.
Excellent game, a shame about the interface restrictions, hopefully that will be fixed in the next version. Please release a demo, Slitherine, some people aren't as impulsive and impatient as me. I didn't expect the game to be this good, so I'm sure that a demo would garner you extra sales.
