First impressions

[Desert Dave]

PROS:

- Tiles is not as confusing as feared. Although they create some strange situations, hexes definately better but the impact of the tiles is not a game-breaker.

- Game is enjoyable, lots of things are going on. Im glad I bought it.

- Plenty of options, new amphibious landing system is working fine.

CONS:

- Paratroopers are possible exploits as in hearts of iron. They are powerful units.

- Feels more like playing Panzer general 2 than SC1, more like a tactical than strategic approach due to larger map, crowded feel, 3d units

- CLICKING is much more frequent. Maybe it's possible to reduce some of those.

More pros than cons, it would appear.

Just like in baseball,

BUT, alas,

Not so in football these jail-bird

Days, though,

Baseball is trying awful hard

To play catch

Up!

Gotta wonder... can modern dungeons

Even BEGIN to restrain

Them enraged "Roid Boids?"

Ok my impression after playing the two scenarios for a while...this will probably change

For the better I am guessing,

Not-nearly-Kafka's K, today,

As you are likely to discover

So many small intrigues and devices

That escape an apparent, or obvious

And untutored glance.

Good thing too, I'd say,

As - who?

Would want to know EVERY tiny thing!

Before they even got... gold game? :confused:

BTW,

Ever figure out Loki?

Not that you need to,

Just wondering.

[Gen. Zeitzler]

I don't know where I read it or for that matter if i read it but I thought some time back the tiles were to be 25 miles instead of 50 miles as the manual says! An added feature could have been to put a number of troops in units or/and number of tanks, planes, etc. I think there was only one strategic computer wargame that had that feature. I can't remember the game though. I guess i could do a mod of 25 miles per tile if i had some ambition. Any way good job hubert!!

[Ike99]

@fantomas

Those screen shots look pretty good there. I think your on to something. You'll have to post your mod somewhere.

[Sombra]

Played around with D-Day. Its really fun seeing the paratroopers start the assault , americans storming the beaches etc. Alas the computer has a slight disregard for its officiers. Somehow the computer landed its headquarters besides german armies and still well defended german positions. Long story short within three turns the allied headquarters could count four generals less within their excalted ranks.

Question I like the next unit button is it possible to set a unit to guard modus though I don´t have to cycle through the units which I don´t intent to move?

After playing a bit D-Day I think I will really enjoy SC2. Somehow reminds me of playing PG again only with a much wider scope.

[Moon]

Keep in mind that the two demo campaigns are really on two totally different scales. D-Day is operational, with units representing Regiments and the action being limited to Northern France (and with diplomacy and many other options disabled by default) whereas Weserübung is strategic, with all of Europe as the map, units being Corps and Armies and diplomacy, research etc. playing an additional roles.

There are several campaigns that come with the full version and are of both scales, and a lot more can be made with the editor.

Martin

[Blashy]

I ran it on an 800mhx system with an old 32mb card with no slowdowns.

Those hexes are all good but the engine itself works on a tile basis so what good are they but for visuals? Not to mention the icons blank out more than half the hex.

Anyways, I'm sold big time on the tiles, much more difficult to make a straight line of troops and end up with the bunched up feeling as in SC.

[J P Wagner]

Too bad the game cannot hold up on my laptop... though I know I have a meager video chipset, there are so many games that I can play that I hoped to squeek this one through...no luck...

[Guest Mike]

My first impression, having bought, played heaps of and given up on SC1 a couple of years ago, is along the lines of...so it's prettier but what has actually changed?

Bearing in mind I have no followed any in-depth discussions here there just doesn't seem to be a lot of difference - it's pretty underwhelming.

I saw a screen shot of the Third Reich PC map in the general forum yesterday, adn that loks more interesting - I'm more likely to pay my sub to an abandonware site and run DOSBOX than to buy this at the moment.

[Blashy]

Diplomacy, paratroops, amphibious units, individual tech upgrades, new tech, production queue, new techs, weather effects, attack and pull back, readiness, morale, engineers, more countries.

Just to name some changes from SC.

[Guest Mike]

Only a few of them are actually NEW, and those are in support areas for the game mostly - IMO they do not impact on feel much if at all.

The game feel is much more obvious in retained features such as corps & armies, airfleets & ships, 10 point basic full strength, etc.

As someone else suggested in another thread - it's SC on drugs - he suggested heroine (sic) - I reckon steroids is enough to explain it!

[Hubert Cater]

Stalin's Organist,

One of the problems with the demo is that it does not give the full game play justice... but unfortunately there is no real way around that without giving the entire game away for free.

Now I do realize it is one thing for me or any of the testers to say "trust us, it plays very differently and that your overall strategy will require more careful consideration", but I would strongly suggest to take a look at the manual and/or wait until the game ships and you hear back from a few players on how the full game plays... in the end I think we are just saying that the subtle changes/enhancements, like the ones Blashy listed above, should not necessarily be dismissed so quickly... well until at least everyone has access to the big picture and how much they change game play overall.

[Guest Mike]

As in the other thread - this is a "First impressions" thread!

[Blashy]

Originally posted by Stalin's Organist:

Only a few of them are actually NEW, and those are in support areas for the game mostly - IMO they do not impact on feel much if at all.

Well you can't really have an opinion on them yet as they are all for the most part not part of the demo.

Demos for this type of game are always difficult as they limit alot of a game's features.

Quake to Quake 4 could be called on steroids, so could Half Life to Half Life 2, Halo to Halo 2.

A sequel is supposed to be very familiar with new options to add and change the gameplay tactics. These new features that you unfortunatly can not play with in the demo most certainly do.

[heretic]

i loved the original. i'm an old grognard.hexes and turns are the first things i look for in a new game.

i liked your mod, fantomas, and hope i can do the same. i think this should have been an option with the game. it's part of what i loved about the original.

the game is similar enough to the original to allow me to jump right in and start getting used to what's new about it. there seems to be quite enough to keep me busy for the next few months. i played the demo a few times and can't wait for the full game to arrive.

[Mockylock]

First impressions: Really nice!

Played the demo till late night. It will be hard to wait for the final product. Played the d-day scenario, it was like going back to the good PG days.

One thing though... It would have been nice if you could see your opponent's units which was revealed during his (human or AI) turn, in your own turn. So that you don't have to follow his turn in order to remember where the air fleets are. And thereby make in easier to do the alt-tab a.k.a. gf-lurking-around-button to a greater convenience.

But it's a little thing

Keep up the good work! Glad I preordered

[Timskorn]

From my experience as well, demo's can be far from indicative of the actual game. I felt Rome: TW's demo was terrible, but I had faith the full game would be much better (As I thoroughly enjoyed Medievel TW).

Have faith!

[Jeff Gilbert]

Played out Normandy as Allieds for a bit and then as Germany.

I am really liking this. i may have to break my own rule and "pre-order." :eek:

I loaded the Demo on one of my big XP boxes [one that runs AoE III & Quake like movies] and it obviously runs fine.

So, for the heck of it, I loaded the demo on an old IBM ThinkPad 600 laptop. Yes, the old one with a PII 266MHz, 192MB ram, 2MB video, 1024x768 native resolution. Guess what ... runs fine ... slowly, but fine.

Ahh, playable on the road ... I may just have to stick a crowbar in my wallet and spring for a new laptop.

[Blashy]

There you have it, the game plays on a p2 266 with a 2mb vid card.

I'm not surprised. Use the 2D icons it will help with the speed.

[Justanotherwargamer]

My thoughts, regarding first few turns of D-Day.

Played German (makes the AI need to be the agressor).

AI seemed ok (not making blankets statements just yet).

System running the game just fine (despite my earlier troubles).

Mouse finger is constantly running amok and risking forcing me to pre order the game

My initial thoughts on SC took me about 5 minutes, and I was right. I suspect my first 5 minutes with SC2 will bear up too.

Can't save the game? have I missed something?

Won't be the end of the world of course, it's just the demo.

[Dirtweasle]

I liked it.

The buttons and UI are a little odd at first, no big deal(to me anyhow), and overall the demo game is fun enough that it leaves you wanting to see how the full version plays.

[Exel]

I can only say this: Hubert has done it again!

To be honest I had mixed expectations about the game, I was afraid that after all that has happened and been discussed here since the publication of the project, it might turn out to be a disappointment.

Not so after 5 minutes with the demo. It hooked me instantly, caught me off-guard just like the SC1 demo years ago. It so fresh while at the same time so familiar. The tiles turned out far better than I had expected, it didn't have a dramatic effect on gameplay at least in any negative sense.

Bravo, Hubert, bravo!

[Codename Condor]

For the first impressions, the game looks great and its really cool to see its reminds SC a lot. i dont see why any old SC player wouldnt like this game (apart from those hexes lovers...)

The atack-move sequence its very nice and in my opinion makes the subs a mighty weapon. Battle for the atlantic looks very possible.

Weather is great, of course, but i dont see why the AF on denmark cant reach to attack Norway because of the mud. i dont think mud should effect planes range.

The interation with the game , buttoms and controls, feels right. Fast&easy.

Im still waiting for the complete game to give a more substancial view but the demo has just convinced me enough (not that i had any doubts hehe).

On the other hand, I think the retreat option woulda been a great addition to the game.

[Hubert Cater]

Thanks guys . For the question on mud, this is more or less the formal result and graphical represntation of Rain/Fog like conditions etc. which would in turn hinder overall Air Fleet range.

[Blashy]

You can change the MUD title to MUD/Fog/Rain once you have the complete game. Pzgdr can tell you where, somewhere in the localization.txt file.

You can probably do it in the demo as well.

You can name it whatever you prefer... Bad Weather.

[Codename Condor]

oh yes, understood, im still readin the manual and its pretty clear there.

Weather effects based on unit start tile "generally". But what happens if AF attacks from a CLEAR tile to a MUD tile? no penalties?