The Ultimate Civil war Game wish list.

[Saddletank]

Mazikainen: You should try the Kaunitz Project for Empire: Total War.

It only works as multiplayer human vs human because the mod designer changed so much of the game engine that the AI simply can't play it! But with player vs player online it is amazing.

Its the only TW mod ever, AFAIK, that uses a correct ground scale based on the frontage of a regiment of SYW infantry deployed in a 3-deep line (some 122 yards) and then sets the speed of infantry so that they cover that distance in the correct time (about 2 1/2 minutes). All solid proven wargame conventions.

The animations look a little weird but the gameplay is astonshingly good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFA60tr9Wqw

There's parts 2 thru 5 of that battle report as well.

[RebBugler]

I've always enjoyed TW games for the visuals and there's not denying that they're the best that money can buy. The AI in NTW isn't half bad either.. What I don't like in TW games is that they're very fast paced and hectic. No time to think, only to sling your mouse around. Also, formations are a pain and the scale of the maps too small.

This is very good feedback as we plan for future SOW productions. The downside of matching TW visuals, 3D Modeling, is limited sprite numbers...I recollect 2000, whereas now, 15000+ can be represented.

So, you prefer the better 3D visuals, you don't mind the smaller battles, brigade sized, but you would like the pace to be SOW-like, with big maps? Anything else?

Thank You Sir

[Saddletank]

What I like about SoW is:

1) Correct formations limited to the drill manual (instead of TWs drag and drop style).
2) Proper military organisation - brigades, divisions, corps.
3) Scenery that looks like N America. Even TWs pretty scenery can be too generic at times.

What I would like in addition is:

4) A user-friendly simple map editor so players can fight campaigns, even a random map generator would be good.
5) Ditto an easy to use OOB editor.
6) More accurate movement speeds and formation change times and weapon effects - in other words more maneuver and combat realism
7) Remove some of the buggy silly stuff such as column charges and the ability to order units to occupy the same space without penalty. Some stronger morale effects too.
8) Thicker FoW with more reliance on scouting and patrolling before contact.
9) Proper brigade, division and corps 'zones' with no overlaps and intermixed units (at least initially). The French wargame Histwar: Grognards does this very well.

And last (but definitely least): Some nicer visuals - while the TW franchise looks georgeous you don't need to go quite that far and given the choice I'd rather have 15000 2D sprites than 2000 3D models in my battles - however a regiment- or company-level skirmish version using 3D models could be interesting.

[Davinci]

So, you prefer the better 3D visuals, you don't mind the smaller battles, brigade sized, but you would like the pace to be SOW-like, with big maps? Anything else?

Now, that is one question that will probably split the community in half.

Better graphics but smaller commands…. I'll stick with the larger command structure that already exists.

Now, I’ll probably change my mind if you said that instead of 2000, there would be approximately 8000, but that’s sort of wishing a lot!

davinci

[Mazikainen]

There is no way Norbsoft can ever match Creative Assembly for their battlefield visuals. You don't have the money or manpower to compete on their arena. What you can compete on is by doing what you currently do: Offer big, complete battles in realtime and with proper groundscale (The NTW "historical" battle maps are just ridiculous) with an emphasis on good AI. SOW does look dated, sure, but visuals are hardly the reason people play your games. I think sharpening up the textures and perhaps making the transition to simple 3d models would go a long way. With visuals, the most important thing in my opinion is that the battle looks and feels big instead of a small skirmish.

[Braxton Bragg]

I agree Mazikainen, NTW look at the Waterloo Battlefield, it so out of proportion as to be ridiculous!
As I said before, the control of troops which btw are far too small in numbers, is very difficult to control especially when the fight hots up,seems to me you have no time to do much except watch!

Sow and TCM2 is a very different sim which gives the user a much better feel for the battlefield.

Braxton Bragg

[Amish John]

complete battles in realtime and with proper groundscale (The NTW "historical" battle maps are just ridiculous)

If I remember correctly from past discussions, I believe the ground scale for SOWGB is compressed, i.e. the map objects such as houses, fences, soldiers, etc. are several times larger than they should be compared to terrain scale. This was done, I believe to accommodate game play. Also, again trying to remember older posts, the compression is for ground distance but not for elevations. That's why, for example, Big Round Top appears higher than it does in real life. If I remembered wrong on this subject, someone from NSD please correct me. Memory at my great advanced age is sometimes an issue.

[Michael Slaunwhite]

RebBugler Wrote:

So, you prefer the better 3D visuals, you don't mind the smaller battles, brigade sized, but you would like the pace to be SOW-like, with big maps? Anything else?

I want both... I'm a stickler for wanting the best...I will accept nothing less but Great graphics, and great AI. If I don't I curl up in a ball in the corner shaking uncontrollably.
:sick:

Seriously though I have games with the worst graphics imaginable, but the game play is outstanding...

I take game play over graphics any day of the week, except Sundays. :blink:

[SouthernSteel]

I think sharpening up the textures and perhaps making the transition to simple 3d models would go a long way. With visuals, the most important thing in my opinion is that the battle looks and feels big instead of a small skirmish.

I think this might be the best option. Press forward as much as you can on the visuals but don't risk downsizing the battles. If you consider MP alone, battles limited to 2000 troops or so just wouldn't work very well (unless you're only wantin 1v1 or 2v2). As we're currently often hosting 20 players in MP battles, that's 100 troops per player, and that's not going to be fun for anyone.

[Michael Slaunwhite]

You know the only thing I would like to ask for is that Norb, and the team can make the graphics look more along the lines that tilt shifting software makes the screenshots look like. I would love to have the graphics fed through a filter that would make it look like your playing with tabletop figurines (graphics only).

If you don't know what I am talking about then check out these screenshots...





I would pay extra for that...

Also one more thing. Anyone else here play R.U.S.E? If so it would be very cool if NSD would adopt the zoom in/out table top aspect...because man that is one cool game.