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Re:Welcome to Gettysburg, PA

Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 1:47 pm
by GlobalExplorer
Sure if you have not put any limit to theoretical size of maps, large maps will be created when they time is right. They are more stressing but a lot of people have the hardware, or will in the next years, for example TC2M runs like a dream on my Core 2 now.

Personally I hate games with to small maps, in fact restricting map size is part of the handholding in most contemporary games (Theatre of War comes to mind). Being able to maneuvre a lot is an important immersion factor for me! I already take TC2M as a showcase for that kind of freedom, but the maps could definitely be even bigger.

But anyway you did a good job on visibility range in that particular shot.

P.S. I will try to spread the word as much as I can on likeminded forums, this franchise needs more publicity!

http://www.norbsoftware.com/NSDTeam/scr ... 1gbs21.jpg

http://www.norbsoftware.com/NSDTeam/scr ... 1gbs21.jpg[/img_size]

Re:Welcome to Gettysburg, PA

Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 1:55 pm
by Anthropicus
Wow, this looks fantastic! It looks to me like the game uses companies for manouvering now, while keeping control on the regimental level. That's a brilliant idea, in my opinion. Can't wait.
B)

Re:Welcome to Gettysburg, PA

Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 2:03 pm
by GlobalExplorer
Just one thing, sky could be improved imo, or at least let this open to modders. In every screen it appears to be very dark like on a cloudy day, which is fine if it is indeed cloudyx but of course not ideal if it's supposed to be sunny :)

Re:Welcome to Gettysburg, PA

Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 2:04 pm
by norb
Our scenarios still call the lowest level regiments, but we have made enough freedom to do whatever you want on the modding side. So if you want companies, you can do it.

GE - Thank you for spreading the word, we certainly appreciate all the word of mouth. That's how we got started and how we keep close to the gamers desires.

The map size thing is so touch and go, many people hate exploring the map, they want to fight. The entire strategic game though depends on a large map. So we just try to create the freedome to do what you want, how you want.

Re:Welcome to Gettysburg, PA

Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 7:47 pm
by kellysheroes
For me this is the game I've been waiting for all my life. I'm one of your biggest fans of the Mad Minute engine, but, not so big a fan of Manassas. ;) Not the game just that battle. But, since I've now played it about 1000 times (more than the Civilization series total) I'm starting to like it. ;)

I wish you were using Gamers Gate or Impulse/Stardock or something besides Steam. They don't get a lot of good words about how they do things either. But, I understand you have to go with what you can afford or make deals with.

Now just a few questions as I've mostly played...heck it's all I've played is OPEN battles and what I'm wondering is if you will have a more random map generator and/or open battles again? I just like playing with the OOB's on different map situations myself. But, Gettysburg map is one I've always wished for with this engine. I can't wait to deal with Little Roundtop. ;)

The other wish is something like the Total War series where you have a turn based campaign and all the battles will be fought out with this battle engine. I've always wished you guys could team up with Creative Assembly and make the best turn based/real time tactical battles game ever made because you literally have the best rts tactical battle engine I've ever played and I've played them all. Every other rts games has too fast of battle action and you never get to really watch the battle because you're always having to jerk around doing this or that. I hate em for the most part.

Anyways that is all and it looks fantastic already I wish it were released yesterday cause then I'd already have it. ;)

Oh one more thing while I'm thinking about it. Is there some way you can change the time limit of the open battles? Reason I ask is nearly every one of them that I play a medium battle or long one always comes down to just artillery left as it seems all the infantry units want to do is charge the artillery units until they (the infantry units) are all routed and then as I said it ends up just artillery vs artillery and there's no infantry left to charge them and the timer is still ticking away. It is rather funny watching a single infantry unit charge about 10 artillery batteries and just getting smashed to piecemeal before they get there, but, I think this part is highly unhistorical or even sane acting on their part. ;) Especially since there is a forest they could run through an attempt a flanking or rear attack on same artillery batteries, but, they never use this method.

Re:Welcome to Gettysburg, PA

Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 8:32 pm
by louie raider
GlobalExplorer wrote:
Just one thing, sky could be improved imo, or at least let this open to modders. In every screen it appears to be very dark like on a cloudy day, which is fine if it is indeed cloudyx but of course not ideal if it's supposed to be sunny :)
the first day of battle was cloudy, indeed, which is what you're seeing... but the sky map will be easily replacable, as it is just a DDS image file.

Re:Welcome to Gettysburg, PA

Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 9:04 pm
by Hancock the Superb
I'm gonna see what I can do in Washington.

Re:Welcome to Gettysburg, PA

Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 9:29 pm
by norb
kellysheroes wrote:
For me this is the game I've been waiting for all my life. I'm one of your biggest fans of the Mad Minute engine, but, not so big a fan of Manassas. ;) Not the game just that battle. But, since I've now played it about 1000 times (more than the Civilization series total) I'm starting to like it. ;)

I wish you were using Gamers Gate or Impulse/Stardock or something besides Steam. They don't get a lot of good words about how they do things either. But, I understand you have to go with what you can afford or make deals with.

Now just a few questions as I've mostly played...heck it's all I've played is OPEN battles and what I'm wondering is if you will have a more random map generator and/or open battles again? I just like playing with the OOB's on different map situations myself. But, Gettysburg map is one I've always wished for with this engine. I can't wait to deal with Little Roundtop. ;)

The other wish is something like the Total War series where you have a turn based campaign and all the battles will be fought out with this battle engine. I've always wished you guys could team up with Creative Assembly and make the best turn based/real time tactical battles game ever made because you literally have the best rts tactical battle engine I've ever played and I've played them all. Every other rts games has too fast of battle action and you never get to really watch the battle because you're always having to jerk around doing this or that. I hate em for the most part.

Anyways that is all and it looks fantastic already I wish it were released yesterday cause then I'd already have it. ;)

Oh one more thing while I'm thinking about it. Is there some way you can change the time limit of the open battles? Reason I ask is nearly every one of them that I play a medium battle or long one always comes down to just artillery left as it seems all the infantry units want to do is charge the artillery units until they (the infantry units) are all routed and then as I said it ends up just artillery vs artillery and there's no infantry left to charge them and the timer is still ticking away. It is rather funny watching a single infantry unit charge about 10 artillery batteries and just getting smashed to piecemeal before they get there, but, I think this part is highly unhistorical or even sane acting on their part. ;) Especially since there is a forest they could run through an attempt a flanking or rear attack on same artillery batteries, but, they never use this method.
I was about to write my campaign piece, I had it all designed, for Shiloh. But the situation just became so bad I couldn't continue there. It is turn based at the campaign level and it will be in a future expansion. I've added so much code that is just waiting to be activated, to handle some really cool features. When I play games I try to think about how the things I like would fit into this game and then find a way to add them. I've got the campaign and rpg stuff just waiting for the final piece, but having to start over has set me back somewhat.

I thought that there was some way to change the time limit, but I can't remember. If anyone knows it's ADukes. You can change the score required in the options I think. I'll make sure to make this friendlier in this game. Maybe rather than picking a time length, we'll just let the player choose the time limit. Good idea as I'm working on this now. I need to make sure that the engine can figure out when the game is over and also add the ability to end the game without resigning in Sandbox (that's what we call openplay now). One thing that you can do is take the files that open play generates from the op folder and put them in a new scenario folder. Then you can edit the events and set the time limit to whatever you want. I believe that all the required files are written out in that folder. Not as conveinient, but possible.

One of the great things about Steam is the Multiplayer support. They have so much stuff there that they give you for free, even if you don't publish with them. As soon as I finish up this SB stuff, I'm getting right back on multiplayer and seeing how to work it with steam. We will probably look into other avenues for publishing as well. I honestly don't even know if Steam will accept us yet, so it's far from a done deal.

I know that the two TC games were not of popular battles. I've never really worried that much about the battle, just like writing the AI :) When I worked with Wrangler he had a rule to never make a game that doesn't have a movie. I thought that was good advice. Maybe expansions without movies, but not major titles.

I'm sure it won't be the game of anyone's dreams out of the box. But this team is dedicated for continued support and expansions until it has every feature possible.

Re:Welcome to Gettysburg, PA

Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 8:07 am
by kellysheroes
The Manassas's were definitely good movies as many times in open play I would just take an artillery detachment just so I could watch and pan around the battlefield and get an idea of how different the ai played with the different leaders stats and personalities. But, they all seemed to eventually fall into this line of code:

and this is old basic cause I can't write new script:

IF there are no infantry in front of then go attack artillery lol

IF 100's of artillery in front of don't worry still go attack artillery. hahaha

IF rallied then turn around and go attack that artillery until decimated. lol

I guess that was only my major beef about the ai as it kinda gets like the combat mission ai, it's ahead, it's winning, but, if there isn't something to attack in front of it it will come out of entrenchment and go get itself massacred and end up losing the battle. Of course if the objective is being held by 100's of artillery I suppose that is what the ai needs to do, but, not piecemeal. Maybe some way for it to group up all its available assets when it sees that in front of it and pull a Gettysburg Pickett charge to try to "take that hill". lol Fact is the ai does a pretty good Picketts charge, but, only as a single unit most of the time.

Re:Welcome to Gettysburg, PA

Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 12:46 pm
by MadMan
I've never used Steam.
Here is my question.
My current rig will not run TC-2M at highest settings.
Am looking to get a new rig, sometime in the near future.
If the new game comes out before I get the new rig:

1)Will it be available on CD/DVD?
2)If only on download, will I be able to switch it to the new rig when I get it?