To Buy or not to Buy...This game

[The Dude]

I loved Red Devils and would have liked HTTR except for one thing.

Is this game going to have a full campaign with map or is it going to be like HTTR and have secenarios that ccant be joined together.

When I bought HTTR I thought it was one map and was so excited. When i found out the horrible truth i pretty much chucked it.

Please answer[:)]

[Banquet]

It will be the same as HttR in respect of the campaign.

I would urge you to re-try HttR though. I like campaigns too (the more dynamic the better) and will often not buy a game if it's only offering single missions. However there is so much more to HttR than that. Campaigns in a game like this are definately nice to have, but there are more important things to get right.. and Panther makes sure they are right.

Hopefully linked campaigns will make an appearance in a future release.. but if you can see past that in the current games, there is so much to like [:)]

[MarkShot]

Originally, COTA was to have a linked campaign system; not one big map. However, other new features required for correctly modeling the battles ended up consuming development resources such that COTA is the same as HTTR (no campaign). Instead there are many, many improvements in the game engine.

Most noteable are:

A realistic supply system.

Mixed-mode movement - meaning more than just bodies of water are impassible to motorized units.

The result is that the road network is much more important and it is a very different (more realistic) game.

I believe BFTB (the Bulge) will have a campaign system.

It's a great game. Take some time and read through the AAR thread (mini-guide) and make your own decision. No one wants you or anyone to feel that they wasted their money; no matter how much the developers and testers love the game.

[wodin]

WOw!

Are you missing out here.

I have all three and I can tell you HTTR is a massive improvement on RDOA.

COTA is going to be even greater. You sure are missing out jut because you want a campaign game.

[Arjuna]

Hi,

I just want to correct something that Mark said in his post above. BFTB will NOT have a campaign feature.

As Mark correctly noted we started to add a Campaign feature to COTA but had to shelve this in order to implement the more important feature of mixed mode movement. This proved critical due to the terrain in Greece and Crete. The mixed mode movement feature alone has consumed over a year of our time. So the Campaign ferature will have to wait.

One thing we have learnt is that we must give priority of development to those features which are required to accurately simulate the particular battle we are focusing on. We have set up afive Data Design Teams and hope to release a new title every six months or so. This means only one big new feature per title.

For BFTB this will be Minefields/Roadblocks and the engineer tasks to clear them. This was a critical aspect to the Bulge battles. Similarly for the first in our North African series we will be looking at Vehicle Breakdown and Repair - again a critical aspect to these battles. For the first in our East Front battles we'll have to address Soviet doctrine, as this was quite different to the western doctrine we curently model so well. And for the Pacific battles of Guadalcanal and Finschaffen we be adding in off-map fire support as this too was critical to these battles. For the first in our Modern series we'll be adding in Helicopters.

Until we can address these "foundation" features we really cannot afford to focus on a Campaign feature. Having said that, if sales really take off we may be able to employ more staff and then we may be able to devote the considerable resources required to do a proper Campaign feature. I for one would love to have the Campaign feature, just as I would love to do Team Play. But both of these must wait till we get the basics right. A grand building rests on sound foundations.

[Tactics]

I was about get mad that it's now February and I was expecting to be playing COTA in late December, but now that I read Arjuna's post -- I'm not so mad. Something about all those great foundation type things that makes me think it's worth the wait.

Tactics

[The Dude]

Thanks everyone for answering the question I put forward but without a unified campaign I am just not interested

[Arjuna]

ORIGINAL: The Dude

Thanks everyone for answering the question I put forward but without a unified campaign I am just not interested

Fair enough. Perhaps we'll see you back in a few years time. All the best.

[ravinhood]

What about 'random generated battles' will it have that feature?

I've never been one that really likes simulations of a particular battle unless the engine comes with a random battle generator that can create something not so historical. Historical units yeah, but, the same ole battle situation over and over and over again...that gets very boring after 1 or 2 plays of it.

[MarkShot]

No random battles or battle generator in COTA.

There is a decent list of battles with various permutations that can be applied to them in terms of options.

The game ships will map making and scenario designing applications. So, there is plenty of room for expansion.

I play CM which has a quick battle generator. I have rarely used it or replayed a battle. At the moment, I have about 4,000 user designed battles on my PC for CMBO/CMBB/CMAK.

I guess time will tell as to what extent community designed material becomes available for COTA.

[Arjuna]

ravinhood,

One thing to keep in mind is that with the AA game engine scenarios do tend to play differently each time as the AI selects different courses of action. Moreover, the ScenMaker application allows the scenario designer the ability to provide multiple reinforcement schedules for each reinforcement level. So even if you choose say Standard reinforcements the AI will randomly choose one of the Standard schedules provided at game startup. Thus not only the arrival times and locations can vary but also the entire force mix. So in those scenarios utilising this feature you won't know what you are up against from one play to the next. This adds quite a lot to the replayability of scenarios.

Your suggestion for a scenario generator is a good one though. This would be a BIG feature and hence will be a way off at the moment.

TT2758 - SM - UI - Scenario Generator - to generate random scenarios

[Fred98]

ORIGINAL: Arjuna
So in those scenarios utilising this feature you won't know what you are up against from one play to the next.

Fabulous! All games ought to have this feature ! [&o] [:)]

[hank]

Its good to hear the business plan includes a regular release of battles ... I will most likely buy CotA, not for the theater of operations but for the improved engine and features. This is such a fine wargame engine even as it is in HttR. I look forward to driving the new one as soon as its released. I haven't read too much about the battles around the Aegean but I will very soon.

hank

[ravinhood]

Lol I'm in the same boat with you Hank. When I saw the word Aegean I thought it was just another naval battle game. You don't find many computer games that deal with parts of the war that weren't considered major battles by the norm. I'm so used to East Front/West Front/Africa Korps/Italy that anything outside of that I don't have much knowledge of. I was familar with Market Garden, but, it's just never been a popular battle situation for me. Battle of the Bulge now that is different. D-day, All of Africa and Anzio and of course (cough) Barbarossa (I still don't like East Front games). Then the land battles of the Pacific. I'm a nut for those. But, don't care for the naval battles of it, cept an old game "Carrier Force" and SSG's "Carriers at War". I also greatly prefer tactical over strategic or operational. I like to get down there with the grunts not just push around a counter with a bunch of numbers on it or a counter that represents 1000's. But, HTTR sounds like a lot like it. So it must have it's appeal to some out there. Course they like WitP too and I would never even attempt to touch that game to play it. Will buy it someday when it finally gets to a "reasonable" price.