Matrix Games Forums

Hi all,

Please keep in mind we are still in beta and these screens are not final, but you asked for a peek, so here it is. [8D]

A few more to go...

More coming...

I bet you were all wondering about Bulgaria...

An overview shot...

Dread nought!

We can build a better gun...

And finally, the flyboys...

Well, I hope these whet your appetite a bit. Feel free to discuss and ask questions! [8D]

Just like to say that I CAN NOT WAIT!
 
? - how is the naval war modeled?  Does a German victory over Britian at sea reduce supply? ( Like it would happen [:D] )
How about the air war?  What does it accomplish ( search, intel, ground support, terror bombing? )

Thanks!

The screens look pretty good to me, and the quality of the map art appears high. Judging from the information displayed it would appear that the game system accounts for a lot of details I would deem necessary and appropriate to WWI.

A couple of deficiencies strike me initially: (1) Counters: The basic, "typewriter" style font used for the text looks pretty weak. Something maybe a bit more substantial, and also adjust the text positioning as some of the numbers on the bottom of the units appear to be cut off. I also don't care for the "soldier art" on the shots here (and the ones in the earlier screens). The art quality of these images is too inconsistent across the board, and if this sort of depiction is desired I'd have another go at a different, more screen-friendly style. And I would prefer an option, at least, for military symbols only such as what is used for the HQ units already shown (which look good).

(2) I'm a little disappointed not to see actual depiction of rail lines on the map -- even though the scale is fairly strategic -- because in this war advances were tied to viable rail lines and they were not so prevalent as to be deemed present in every hex on the map, especially in the east. Railroads are also some of the chrome I look for in WWI strategy games, so I consider it highly important to my impression of a game on the subject. N.B. I can see the game accounts for RR's abstractly, so kudos for that; I just like to see the actual "major" rail lines at this scale.

 
 Airships?,Stratigic use of?

ORIGINAL: Capitaine

The screens look pretty good to me, and the quality of the map art appears high....

A couple of deficiencies strike me initially: (1) Counters: The basic, "typewriter" style font used for the text looks pretty weak. Something maybe a bit more substantial, and also adjust the text positioning as some of the numbers on the bottom of the units appear to be cut off. I also don't care for the "soldier art" on the shots here (and the ones in the earlier screens). The art quality of these images is too inconsistent across the board, and if this sort of depiction is desired I'd have another go at a different, more screen-friendly style.

Just to prove that you can never get people to agree, I actually think the counters look very sharp but was thinking that map is fine, but nothing to write home about, with the resource overlays being especially weak.

wow this looks awesome! I cant wait
 
You guys are gonna send me to the poorhouse

Generally, I like the looks of the game. I agree that it would be nice to have an option to use NATO unit symbols for all units. Maybe it is a coincidence, but is there a statement being made by the depiction of the Austrian unit symbols on the counters? The Germans appear to be moving smartly in the advance, while the Austrians appear to be milling about.[:)]

I guess that Strategic Rail Movement being abstracted is not only fine but preferred, imo, but I agree that it would be nice to have the major rail lines depicted on the map. I imagine that rail lines are assumed to exist between all major cities and supply is traced from cities, so major advances will need to be within supply radius of cities. This would in essense tie major offenses to rail lines in a somewhat abstract way.

I am really looking forward to this game as I have never played any computer games dealing with WWI other than flight sims. Care to give any hints as to a projected release window? Early August would seem appropriate.[;)]

Still dont like the map.

I'd like to get some sort of 1914 - 1918 atmosphere from the graphics and text etc but I dont.

The background to an info box on the first screenshot has a distorted American flag on it...........Odd as America only really got going in the last year of the war.

Germany research and development info box has a Tommy on it.

I hope it has some good intro music at least to give a feeling of the era.


I agree about raliways. Im reading a book " Secrets of Rue de Roch Street" at the moment which is about British intelligence and the watching of railway stations in Luxemburg. However they watched them all over Germany to see about units transfering from the East to the West front. Railways were the main way of transporting troops quickly so its odd that there not shown.

Anyway enough of all that.

I hope it exceeds were it matters and thats in the gameplay.

Hi!

I had a chance to test this one long ago before it looked so nice.

Personally I think it's going to be kewl, and is a definate buy for me.

Ray (alias Lava)

I hope it has some good intro music at least to give a feeling of the era.

One of the features I liked about Hearts of Iron was the fact that you could stick MP3 formatted music/audio files into the music folder, and the game would play those files in game. I downloaded a whole bunch of appropriate music to stir the blood.

Respectfully request this, or similar feature. (I know it's kinda late in the cycle, but what they hey...)

A couple more things; while the city graphics look improved, I would prefer a different font for the names on the map. How far south does the map go? It appears to go farther north than need be. I think it could be moved in a southerly direction to cover more of the Caucasus Mountains, Syria and Northern Mesopotamia and less of the North Sea and the Nordic countries. Ideally it would cover almost all of the Middle East but I can understand having to make some compromises. I would like to see it go at least as far south as Aleppo and Mosul, though Jeruselem and Baghdad would be even better.

Hi!

Just as an aside.

Do not judge this game by its graphics (although I think they are kewl). This is one of those cases where you have an innovative gaming system which makes you forget about what the cities look like.

It will also rock at PBEM, I believe, because of the verity of ways to actually approach the strategic context of the war.

Ray (alias Lava)