Even the crickets are falling asleep in here

[SlickWilhelm]

So, am I to take it that nobody is playing the Matrix version of this game, besides the beta testers? If someone has, please give us some feedback.

[sabre1]

chirp, chirp, nobody here but us crikets, move along...[>:]

[Alan Sharif]

I am planning to purchase this game but lack the funds at present. Hope to purchase it prior to Xmas.

[Stilletto]

I really want to buy this game, I'm just worried about it for some reason. Matrix has never let me down, but this one worries me. I'm still chewing on the idea of buying it.

[SlickWilhelm]

I hear ya, Stilletto. I sat in front of my computer last night with debit card out, ready to pull the trigger on Officers, but I just couldn't do it. There's a nice video out there on youtube that shows the game off pretty well, but it just seems like too many units for my small brain to keep track of.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgFH6FBb63Q

I think I'm just not into RTS anymore, unless it's small numbers like what are found in the Close Combat series. Which is really a shame, because if you look closely at the video there's some really detailed combat going on in Officers.

I dunno, I'm still on the fence....

[Stilletto]

I went even farther than that. I actually had the game in my cart and my billing info in it, but couldn't bring myself to push the last button.

The post about the patch for the editor and multiplayer is a good sign, but my money dollars are too few to lose on a bad game.

[gillmant]

Well that's sorry to hear, but i think you should give it a try! The game is not bad if you are into a fast paced but also in a way a tactical game. You need to plan and prepare your forces. You will loose badly if you go for a RTS type of attacks aka tank rush. So don't get fooled by the RTS look! The AI will keep you on your toes and you need to use your forces in the appropriate way. The scenarios is now well balanced and the ai will keep you busy with local counter attacks and defend their positions with skill. I myself had the same feeling as Slick before testing this game, but i can assure you that the game is good and you have to spend hours on the scenarios before beating the AI.
gillman 

[Stilletto]

I really want to give it a try. Maybe if it was included in the holiday sale? Yes, that's it! Include it in the holiday sale and I'm in!

[Chris Bisson]

I bought it the week before last and I like it. I am not into a click fest type of game. I do prefer turn based games best, but I really do like this game! I give it a thumbs up. I was worried myself before I bought it. I figured what the hell, Matrix doesn't offer a bad game and call it good in my experiance.


The things that I heard that I liked were that the AI is good, the scenario can last many hours to play out, the maps are huge, the reinforcements are limited and you must use realistic tactics to win or at least have a chance to win. I have been very unpleasantly/pleasantly (depends on your point of view) surprised by the enemy AI several times. I say buy it.... you know you want to.....

[Alan Sharif]

As posted earlier, I have now come into some funds and purchased the game. Thus far I have played only the tutorial but will start playing the game proper soon. 

[SlickWilhelm]

Any updates for us, Alan?

[Alan Sharif]

Hi Gents

I must report when I played the tutorial I was not sure this was a game I was going to enjoy much. I thorght it somewhat unhistorical. Happily, I did not say so at the time because as far as enjoying the game is concerned I have changed my mind totally.

I think Platoon Crusher and Gillmans comments hit the nail on the head. The AI will keep you very busy indeed. I am playing my first game with the AI on normal. I dread to think what is like on hard. I have landed on Omaha Beach, fought off various counter attacks, defended convoys of supplys, well, a third of them got through anyway:(, supported my allies on a neighbouring beach, called in artillery support and air strikes , but never have enough of either. Once the game starts you hardly ever stop facing one challenge or another and somehow you need to find the time to advance inland!

Now, this is NOT a totally accurate simulation of the campaign in Western Europe, and if that is what you are after you will be disappointed. However, it does give you a flavour of what it must have been like to have to command units in WW2. I must confess I am having a whale of a time playing this and have no regrets what so ever purchasing it. I should point out there are games I have been disappointed with in the past, I am not a Matrix Fanboy, nor do I play RTS type games. But if you want a CHALLENGE and FUN then this title is worth every penny.

Thanks Matrix for another great game.

[Qwixt]

I just tried the demo from a thread listed below, and I spent most of my time hating the camera. I couldn't tilt or get the camera high enough. Tried looking in the key binds too. Then what makes me leery of the game now; I thought I told some platoon to take a trench, then I went on to do some other stuff. When I came back to the trench, the whole platoon was simply standing there instead of automatically taking cover. Curiously, the few men in the trench from the other platoon, about an inch away, were getting fired on, but this platoon standing up in the middle of the war was not.

Is there a way to pull the camera out more or rotate it?

[SlickWilhelm]

Thanks, Alan!

Some random questions:

1) Can you assign groups using the typical RTS ctrl-1, ctrl-2. etc system?

2) Can you assign waypoints to your units?

3) Any comments about the pacing?

4) How are the controls/UI?

[Eagle_Four]

Hello,
i try to answer

1) Yes, but you can only switch to the unit with camera jump, not only selection. Sometimes you want give orders without jump to the position of the selected unit, because you are in fight on the other side of the map and this needs attention.
2) No
3) Sorry,I dont understand
4) The controls are a little poor. You can use hotkeys for the most orders from the UI, but you cant select Units like in other RTS Games.I miss controls like this: select all units on the map or better on the screen , select infantry or tanks or ari and so on with hotkeys. These standard controlls are completely not in the game. You cant give support orders with a hotkey.

Here is a way to zoom more out :

open the file 'defaultsets.cfg' in the folder /Officers/bin with an editor.

change the value 'set cam.max_height' to '1000.000000'

and save.Thats it.

[SlickWilhelm]

Thanks for your answers, Eagle_Four. What I meant by "Pacing" is how rushed or relaxed the feeling of the game is. I understand that the game speed can be adjusted, but from reading Alan's notes above, it sounds like there is not much time to actually watch the combat unfold. It sounds like you're kept so busy with different tasks, that I'm worried that this game would be too much like work, and not fun. What do you think?

[Alan Sharif]

Hi Slick , you can group units and will need to. There are no way points. You can slow the game down and will need to, not just to watch combat but to issue commands, unless you chose to pause instead. I find the controls fine once you get used to them, and you soon will. 
 
I must confess I would like to be able to both zoom out, and zoom in further. Any chance of this in a future patch Matrix?
 
     

[Qwixt]

Check out the last portion of Eagle_four's post above.

[paulfras]

I was one of the matrix beta testers. I had played some of the demo when it first came out in 2006, and had no intention of buying it.

I play a ton of war games, all WW2 and some modern. I look for games that focus on tactics or strategy instead of mass rushing, and where I can figure a way to beat the AI or multiplayer games with an unusual strategy or tactic.

I actually ended up being very interested in this game, much more to it than I orginally thought.

I play this game very much in the mode of looking at how I want to approach different capture target areas, I move untits in small pieces using terrain, and given the terrain what units types I will use for the attack. I move units in steps very piecemeal, but with an attack plan. I play the game at the half speed setting.

The enjoyable parts of the game for me are the large maps, the ability to use artillery, air force and paratroops in conjunction with my main land force, the need to be careful not to pointlessly waste units, and the way the AI will counterattack from the flank or in rear areas.

Much to my pleasant surprize I've found it very interesting to work through how to plan for the counter attacks and how I want to conserve the available forces and use the force mix.

I suspect many people will play the game using the bull rush methods, and not see the other pieces.

I expect to be playing it for a while, and getting into the editor. For me it fills a niche, that I haven't found in many games.

[vonRocko]

Do the missions in this game have time limits? Do I have to rush to objectives,or do I have as much time as I need?
Thanks