Matrix Games Forums

Today, 10 years ago, one of the best games, in my opinion, for modding was released: Advanced Tactics Gold.

On this day, I see no real competitors. That is why I stay. [:)]

Since then the fantastic engine (AT) used by VRDesigns has inspired the three Decisive Campaigns series of games, as well as Shadow Empire. In development is the a 4th Decisive Campaigns game, covering the Ardennes.

On this day, I want to bring a toast to this engine, ATG, that is part of the family of games made by VRDesigns. Thanks Vic for the many months (maybe years) I've spent playing and modding this game.

Thanks for your work as well "ernieschwitz"!! I have put thousands of hours into this game.
No other game can pack so much enjoyment in a random game.

I got the game just 3 weeks ago, and my first impression about it was quite good. However, I find individual counter pushing kinda tedious and I find myself missing stack move of multiple counters that is present in Sid Meier's Civilization IV and a number of other games. Another good feature would be reinforcing of a unit (or stack of the units) that have took casualties with a single click of the button (it works in the Hearts of Iron games). Stack limitation of units in a given hex or a transport unit don't help either: to get more metal to the border, I need to combine smaller units to bigger ones, then divide them back to small ones. I do like the game and I'm looking forward to playing history based scenarios. Already I managed to stonewall (AI) Germany's invasion of Netherlands that comes with the game. But I feel playing the game is hard and repetitive work that has been streamlined in a number of other games that came before.

Developer & play testers need to play more games and take a notice of the features present in them.

Koukkanen, I think you have some excellent points, however it might be asking a bit much to have a game that is 10 years old be upgraded at that point. Vic has done some upgrades over the years, and thanks for those btw, but I am not sure you are going to get what you are asking for, or maybe even get it noticed here.

In any case I am going to continue my celebrations.

danlongman, thanks for your words. They help quite a big to keep me going

Continue celebrating. Any time you want some praise let me know.
It might be cool to see the Ancient Europe mod as a random discovery/4X
type of scenario.

This is one of my most played games of last 10 years. Very happy to have bought it and quite appreciative of the modders.

Koukkanen, I think you can create standard formations (forget the term for them as I don't use them) that will be reinforced automatically as they take casualties.

edit: looked it up, it's the third button from the left on the bottom right of the screen. Model Designer. Really should be called OOB designer as models are vehicles/planes that you can modify through research.

Still play this more than any other game

ORIGINAL: bobarossa

Koukkanen, I think you can create standard formations (forget the term for them as I don't use them) that will be reinforced automatically as they take casualties.

edit: looked it up, it's the third button from the left on the bottom right of the screen. Model Designer. Really should be called OOB designer as models are vehicles/planes that you can modify through research.

I know it. I used it to make couple units. The units stay within Model Designer and don't come to the map.

ORIGINAL: Kuokkanen

ORIGINAL: bobarossa

Koukkanen, I think you can create standard formations (forget the term for them as I don't use them) that will be reinforced automatically as they take casualties.

edit: looked it up, it's the third button from the left on the bottom right of the screen. Model Designer. Really should be called OOB designer as models are vehicles/planes that you can modify through research.

I know it. I used it to make couple units. The units stay within Model Designer and don't come to the map.

This may sound like a stupid question, but have you applied it to the units you want to be of that type?

on the main row at bottm the last Icon allows you to select the predesigned units to assign to that counter.

It's one of the best games ever. The mods are just icing on the cake

I agree it´s a wonderful game. I have bought it twice- the AT CD long time ago and the ATG download version a while back.

One thing I wish I could do is combine most of the new features with a couple of the old ones. I love the unit templates and the enormously improved AI of ATG. On the other hand, I prefer the Random Map Generator of AT Classic -less fair, but more unpredictable, even though you have more influence on their creation, and the maps feel more realistic. As a matter of personal taste, I also prefer the photographic unit pics over the drawn ones.

I´d love to have the new ATG features with the old RMG and unit photos. Any way that could be done?

It might be cool to see the Ancient Europe mod as a random discovery/4X
type of scenario.

danlongman: I guess with some heavy reworking it could be done. A lot of the code is something that depends on the order of the nations. So once that has been replaced with something else, there is less that makes it hard. But there are still some troubles if I recall correctly, like how to determine which kinds of mercenaries you can recruit where...

I´d love to have the new ATG features with the old RMG and unit photos. Any way that could be done?

sIg3b: Yes, this could be done. I am not sure which random game file is easier to work with and modify to your desires, but I would guess it would be the old one. One thing that strikes me as necessary to replace graphics wise, would be the officer portraits. They are too cartoonish if they were to fit in with the style of the old unit graphics. Also you need to make the choice of which terrain you'd want to use. There are landscapes that simply don't exist in the old Random games, and vice versa.

I think Ormand would be best to ask how it could be done, as he has most experience with Random games. I have none really.

Some people don't seem to like the "cartoonish" unit graphics but I thought they were cool, a bit like a war comic, or a cover of an old wargame like Panzer Blitz. But that's just me and I can understand why people might prefer more realistic pics.

It's one of my favorites! And loving Shadow Empire too. GD1938 is a game unto itself and one of the best at modeling the Global effects of WW2. Congrats on 10 years and on the further games and mods it's produced so far.

I bought Advanced Tactics Gold so I could play GD1938.

Kudos to "the hardest working man in mod business" : our inimitable ernieschwitz!

He continues to polish his gem.

Chuck