First Impressions

[Rucker1959]

First Launch Impressions:

• Clean look
• Graphic splash screen is very good
• No graphic problems at all
• No video settings available on Settings menu, but fit my screen perfectly, no issues

5 Minutes Play Impressions:

• All Campaigns default to player as Axis – is that what you plan for the general release?
• Pictures for campaign selections are very good, very representative
• Side, Difficulty and Computer Bonuses well laid out and easy to understand
• Delay in zooming in and out on map is a bit disorienting. Would be good to show some feedback when you’re scrolled in to max?
• Without being able to adjust resolution size, map text is too small at my resolution (xxxx x xxxx). Will this be able to be set in the general release?
• Switching to NATO counter set helped me a LOT. Very difficult for me to see the 3D counters on the green map

30 Minutes Play Impressions:

• Map visibility much better with Text Heavy Shade turned off
• The tabs at the top of the screen (War Map, Purchase, etc) – would seem more intuitive if you clicked them a second time to close their associated windows. Right now, you have to go to their window and click “Close”
• Love the right click “Properties” on units.
• In settings, can I get control over the font colors? As an example, yellow/orange text on Properties (right click on units) very tough to read.
• Very easy to understand how to move and attack
• Animations for strength reductions due to combat are very well done
• Odds displayed before an attack (or most likely reductions?) aren’t intuitive, but I’m sure will be better after a few rounds
• Fog of war, with units disappearing as they move beyond contact with my units is a very nice touch.

Very impressed so far. Thanks for including me.

[corneliul]

You're right, with fow off is better, i play with base on for units and 3D (with the base i acctually spot them better). Can i suggest you some things...try to lighten the colours of the map a little bit (for ex in summer light green) and darken a little the colours of 3D base troops...for ex dark brown base for german troops (darken more when action point depleted), dark green the italians, etc...this way the contrast will help more easily to identify own troops in mixed situations when various nation troops are close to each other (see capture).
True, middle zoom level can drag with mouse...
Exactly, a fine outline will help them look more polished.For ex. I always liked how the unit change icon after un upgrade, but now the difference from a PzIII and PzIV is bearly noticeable, and if you permit me a joke my PzIV cannon seems like a small penis in half-errection...haha, plz gimme a real PzIV H cannon...is a bit more longer than that one...or is a Pz IV G still and i need more research?

[Blond_Knight]

Im a little put off that isolated units can be reinforced. Is that right?

[FF_1079]

The game downloaded quickly and installed without a hitch - great start.

I worked my way through the start screen and options, and chose the 39' scenario. The game came up without the overlay "hud" menu, so after browsing the map I just started attacking/moving the AXIS units. Combat and movement was intuitive, and I liked the quickly updated zoc showing up on map.

I eventually right clicked out of frustration and got the HUD UI to show up - nice option to be able to toggle it on and off, would have been better if it came up the first time in an "on" state. Perhaps I right clicked earlier without knowing. Liked the zoom options, the are functional. I only got to play 15 minutes, but looked like a game I will certainly buy. Will put a few hours into it this weekend after going thorough the manual a bit.

Thanks for letting me test it.

[BillRunacre]

ORIGINAL: Blond_Knight

Im a little put off that isolated units can be reinforced. Is that right?

Hi

It depends on their supply level, proximity to resources and friendly HQs.

Resources that are cut off from friendly Capitals, Industrial Centers etc will provide less supply, meaning that the units in or near them will be able to reinforce to a lesser degree than those in good supply.

There is a section on supply in the Manual that gives more detail and might be worth checking out.

Bill

[Mountaineer]

Im a little put off that isolated units can be reinforced. Is that right?

Cut off is relative. It is amazing how resilient units can be with local resources and the ability to reinforce by air or infiltration.

[Blond_Knight]

ORIGINAL: Mountaineer


Cut off is relative. It is amazing how resilient units can be with local resources and the ability to reinforce by air or infiltration.

Sorry Bill, I really should read that manual.

Mountaineer, OK I did wonder if it was an abstraction.

[Marvin88]

Here are some of my first impressions:

Download and installation was easy.

I started by skimming the manual. It's complexity was scary.

I found the music and splash screen enjoyable. I especially liked the Fall of France map of the splash screen. Where did you guys get that? (I'm a map collector).

After a few minutes reading the tutorial and following along I found the interface quite easy to navigate. I did notice the tutorial asked to set the game to Beginner(0%), but there is no Beginner option and only Intermediate has a 0% setting. I chose Intermediate for the tutorial test.

After about an hour of play I found my initial fear of complexity given the manual size went away. I found movement and combat easy to handle. The supply rules were clear. I am especially enjoying the naval aspects of the game and am looking forward to attempting an Axis concentration in naval research in an upcoming test.

I did find myself wishing there had been one additional level of zoom out between being completely zoomed in and the first level of zoom out.

More to follow....

[Blond_Knight]

splash screen enjoyable

I didn't want to gush about the splash screen but since you mentioned it yeah I really like it. And the way the scenario appears in the lower left corner is very aesthetically pleasing.
I know it sounds silly but the game has a very nice 'feel' to it.