Question on Matrix Games and 'Horse and Musket'

[Krautman]

Hi lads,

I am an 18th century uniforms enthusiast, and ever since getting the hang on wargames (the CM series hooked me up, CMBB being my most favourite game ever), I have a deep yearning to play men in brightly coloured coats, tight pants and knee-high gaiters, whose officers, as true men of valour, wear make-up and powdered whigs, waving perfumed hankies in battle. Maybe once there will be a 'Combat Mission: Lobositz to Hubertusburg' (CM:LH)? BFC, please fix or do somefink. After all, Wehrmacht greatcoats and Red Army officers' caps look nice and such, but they can't even remotely stand up to Zieten's parade dress with the leopard skin and the yellow boots.

Until CM:LH, there must be other alternatives. Recently, I stumbled across Matrix Games, and they have this "Horse and Musket: Volume I" Game which really looks nice. Does anyone know whether this game is worth the purchase? And can you create own scenarios from scratch with a comparable liberty as the CM editor offers (i.e., completely open design of terrain, forces, victory conditions)?

Furthermore, I live in a remote region and might have to download the game. My problem is that I don't have an internet connection at home. Is it possible to pack the downloaded game files onto a CD and get them to another PC, or does the downloaded game only work on the PC you downloaded it to?

Finally: Could you recommend other strategy/tactics games on 18th ct warfare or the WWII eastern front of intermediate to advanced complexity? And will there be a new eastern front CM (who cares for Normandy anyway)?

BFC: I know this is not really the right forum to post this, sorry, but the Matrix Games forums are not well frequented, and guys around here always seemed willing to help.

[Gunfreak]

I had to check the game, as I hadn't heard of it, at first I thought it was a old game you couldn't get anymore, but it's only 6 months old.

The graphics look very old, I mean you can bearly tell whats is infantry what is cavalry.

Also in todays games I expect higher model ratio then 1:100 Atleast 1:10

But if the ai is cool and the battles are realistic it might be fun, but honeslty it's seems a bit "cheap" but the price is not.

[Elmar Bijlsma]

Never heard of Horse and Musket either. So no help there.

I think BFC has not too long ago commented that they aren't likely to develop a musket age title. It's probably their prejudice against horses. They've got a nice modern combat engine, so why start over while their is a veritable clamour for all sorts of conflicts in the era that their current engine is designed to handle.

AGEOD have a Frederick the Great game due out soon. I'd definitely check that out if I were you.

As for the question of downloaded gamefiles, typically the downloaded file of such a nature as to allow burning on a disc for later use, so should be portable. But that's the installation files, be sure to check out any DRM that might not be so accommodating. Quite a few seem to assume some sort of internet, at least once or at startup.

[Sergei]

Apparently, Horse and Musket 2: Prussia's Glory, originally sold by Shrapnel Games, was released in 2005 so it doesn't just look dated. And if not many in the closely knit wargamer community have heard of it in the last four years, well... maybe that speaks for its noteworthiness?

But if that doesn't put you off, you might Google for "horse and musket demo". For questions regarding Matrix's game activation scheme you really should ask them, though.

[Gunfreak]

There Horse and musket 2 and horse and musket Volume 1 are aperantly two diffrent game series. that confuseingly use the same name.

[Sergei]

No, "Horse and Musket Volume 1" is compiled H&M 1 and 2 with some updates, according to Matrix's website. Apparently Volume 2 will have new scenarios and stuff.

[Gunfreak]

Ah ok, it might be good, but I'm not paying 190NOK to find out, the old demoes dosn't nesecraly paint the right picture of the new game

[Krautman]

Thanks all for the replies. I checked the AGEOD game and it looks promising, maybe a bit too much complexity for me. I also found a Horse & Musket 2 demo. Works fine, and in the editor, you can change each and every single parameter you would ever think of. The graphics are very basic - that's no concern for me. Yet the game itself is strange. The initiative system is WEIRD, I'm not sure I like it.

As to BFC not wanting to publish a musket age title, that's a shame. Supreme manliness is not crawling on the ground in camo dress, hiding in a trench or an armoured tank, but showing yourself erect and openly to the enemy in a fancy bright uniform with laces and quillings. Maybe AndrewTF could be prevailed upon to do a powdered whig mod for the CM infantry skins.

[Affentitten]

. Supreme manliness is not crawling on the ground in camo dress, hiding in a trench or an armoured tank, but showing yourself erect and openly to the enemy in a fancy bright uniform with laces and quillings.

Well especially when your opponents are unlikely to hit anything specific beyond the 100 yard effective range of their muskets. Bit different when they're armed with an MG42!

[Michael Emrys]

Maybe AndrewTF could be prevailed upon to do a powdered whig mod for the CM infantry skins.

But to be fair, it was not only the Whigs but the Royalists too who were powdered.

Michael

[John Kettler]

Krautman,

Apparently, they're now up to H&M 3, with this thread providing some info on what's included.

http://www.gamesforum.ca/showthread.php?t=275917

Michael Emrys,

Good one!

Regards,

John Kettler