When?

[Canuck_jp]

Sorry to have to ask this! Surprisingly, there seem to be no other topics with this question. I've browsed the stickied threads but didn't see any mention of it there. Anyways I own HTTR but I skipped COTA as it wasn't really my theatre of operations so I'm looking forward to the next installment with all the new additions. If it's not too much, is there any rough guesstimate of when this game is coming out?

[Arjuna]

Canuk35,
 
Thanks for enquiring. My answer to this question is usually the same "when it's ready - ie robust and complete". We're getting there. The Data Design Team have all but finished the scenarios. Though playtesting has highlighted some issues that we are working on. However, progress this last month has been sidetracked by a defence contract to provide a modern warfare demo. I gave the presentation today and should complete this at the end of the week. So it should be full steam ahead for BFTB from next week. My best estimate now is August...but see my usual response above. [:)]

[Arjuna]

PS do yourself and us a favour - buy COTA. You won't regret it.

[JudgeDredd]

I second it...buy COTA. I was not interested one iota in the campaign in COTA...but when I bought it, each and every one of the scenarios are designed fantastic...great fun, every one.

[ETF]

ORIGINAL: Arjuna

Canuk35,

My best estimate now is August...but see my usual response above. [:)]

Thanks for the estimate..........I hate developers who have no idea on when they are "estimating" a target date.

Cheers

[goodwoodrw]

The time line on this title is looking like a Christmas present now, is that a fair estimate Dave?
Ron

[Arjuna]

Ron,
 
I have been out of action the last two weeks with the worst flu I have ever had. I hope to be back in the saddle later this week. I would hope to wrap things up well before Xmas. I'm hoping we can sign off end of September / early October. It takes another 2 to 4 weeks for Matrix to put it on sale.

[goodwoodrw]

Gee thanks, but one thing you need to know, you need to move to country Victoria, we never get sick down here [:D]
I hope your feeling better
Ron

[Tzar007]

Hello,

Haven't been around in a while since I did not play COTA and HTTR for a few months. But last week, I fired up COTA and started on a couple of scenarios I didn't yet tried. Currently playing the small but fun "Tanks at Platamon".

No matter what other wargames I do also play, I always, always come back to the Panther Games engine. It is just THE BEST in all wargaming. It never disappoints, and it always gives you that surge of the excitement and adrenaline in every game.

So I just wanted to give you a slap in the back and encourage the Panther Games dev team and playtesting in this last stretch before release. No matter when it is going to be released (seems it is going to be soon now), I will be a definitive customer, count on it !

[:D]

[06 Maestro]

ORIGINAL: Arjuna

I have been out of action the last two weeks with the worst flu I have ever had.

Clearly, you are not drinking Red Beer yet. [;)] Remember; 50/50 your choice of brew, vegetable juice (better than tomato juice) on the rocks, a twist of lime and a Spanish olive or two. Drink until full (not at work though).

Of course, a good multi-vitamin won't hurt either. So, rest up and don't kill yourself for this new title. If you were to meet an untimely mortal end, just who is going to get Campaigns of North Africa, and Eastern Front completed?[;)]

Get well, and take care.

[bosbes]

Is it allright to ask the BIG question? When will ...........this game......be released?[:D]

[sterckxe]

ORIGINAL: hoe ist?
Is it allright to ask the BIG question? When will ...........this game......be released?[:D]

Als het af is zekerst ? [:D]

Seriously : Arjuna is currently on his way back to Oz from an extended Bulge tour to scout the terrain himself. So, he'll be on the forums again in a short while and might be tempted to give some more information regarding this and other issues.

FYI : I'll be demo-ing the beta version of BFTB at the Crisis wargaming convention in Antwerp in November. Come on over and have a look for yourself how the game is coming along.

Greetz,

Eddy Sterckx

[Llyranor]

You guys wouldn't be aiming for a December 16 release now, would you? [&:]

[bosbes]

Well, well, Eddy, a guy from the old country. Als het af is, wanneer is dat dan? [;)] Meaning 'I'm getting impatient'.... [:D] No seriously, I was in the understanding that this game would be published this fall.   Oh,well, during the wait I can amuse myself with putting in some smiley's ![;)]

[Arjuna]

Hi all,
 
This is my first day back in the saddle down under. I really enjoyed the Band of Gamers tour of the Ardennes organised by Richard and his brother Mark. Had a ball.
 
The game is nearly done. However, there are still a few niggling issues to address, like getting the Germans to be more aggressive at the start. Taking the time to go and see the terrain has helped in a number of ways. First I got to appreciate just how few places within the Ardennes there are that armour can deploy cross country. It's very much a case of sticking to the roads. This awareness led me to ponder that one possible reason for the current delays with the German advance is that the AssessToChangeFormation code is forcing the German motorised elements to deploy into non road column formations in terrain they shouldn't consider doing so. I'll be looking into this directly.
 
The trip also gave me a wonderful opportunity to discuss a whole range of options and issues with Richard. I continually raised matters in a vain attempt to slow down Richard's driving, especially around those dog leg bends that hug the precipitous slopes. This tactic of mine was only marginal successful, though. I kept my cool except on one occassion when I yelled out "Sh*t" as I swore we were headed for the drink below the bend. Richard, as cool as a cucumber, asked me if I had said "shift" and remarked that yes he probably should have changed gear as we narrowly made the bend. [:)]
 
Anyway it's full steam ahead now. I will be addressing the remaining bugs and making a few tweaks to improve the AI. Paul is working on the demo version and a few other issues to help us migrate our development environment to VS2008. Richard and the other beta bunnies will be testing and refining the scenarios. Supply stocks and repleneshment rates need to be reviewed.
 
A December 16 release would be both nice and poignant, but I'm not sure the game will be rock solid by that time. We will see.
 

[Llyranor]

ORIGINAL: Arjuna
However, there are still a few niggling issues to address, like getting the Germans to be more aggressive at the start. Taking the time to go and see the terrain has helped in a number of ways. First I got to appreciate just how few places within the Ardennes there are that armour can deploy cross country. It's very much a case of sticking to the roads. This awareness led me to ponder that one possible reason for the current delays with the German advance is that the AssessToChangeFormation code is forcing the German motorised elements to deploy into non road column formations in terrain they shouldn't consider doing so. I'll be looking into this directly.

Heh, that's pretty neat!

And cool, a demo. I'll make my friend play that and try to convince him to get into the series.

[simovitch]

ORIGINAL: Arjuna


I kept my cool except on one occassion when I yelled out "Sh*t" as I swore we were headed for the drink below the bend. Richard, as cool as a cucumber, asked me if I had said "shift" and remarked that yes he probably should have changed gear as we narrowly made the bend. [:)]

Oh man, that's a true story! It was on the road between Ettelbruck and Cafe' Schumann. I really thought he yelled shift![:D]

[ETF]

Dec 16th would be fine..............Hey it would have to be more rock solid than World War One

[06 Maestro]

ORIGINAL: ETF

Dec 16th would be fine..............Hey it would have to be more rock solid than World War One

Whatever do you mean?[8|].

I think it is a safe bet BftB will be playable out of the box. There is even a good chance that it will have a tutorial that works.

[Arjuna]

Hi all,
 
I am currently working on the automated bridge construction code. This feature is critical for BFTB. The German AI in particular must be able to automatically build whatever bridges it needs to reach its objectives. This will make it an extremely powerful opponent with a lot of flexibility. The alternative is to try and script a set of bridges that must be built. This leads to very predicatable and boring game play. In any case the AI needs to be able to handle in a reasonable fashion cases where a force is split by an unbridged river. After all that's what happened to Peiper at Trois Ponts. In BFTB that may happen in a number of places as the US blow bridges based on their own decision making processes.
 
Perfecting this code has taken some time. I thought I was done the other day but subsequent testing indicates that further work is needed. Once I have it up and running, we then need to re-test the scenarios for game-play balance. We also need to finish the manuals and tutorial movies. Matrix need 4 to 6 weeks after we're done before the product can be released. Consequently a pre Xmas release is not going to happen. I would punt for a February release.
 
Rest assured that we aim to release rock-solid software. BFTB will be worth the wait.