Panzer Command screens

[Dr Zaius]

Yesterday SZO posted a new set of screens from the upcoming 3D tactical wargame, Panzer Command. Anyone planning on buying this one when it is released?

http://www.xtreme-gamer.com/articles.php?p=724&page=1&cat=52

 

[Aries]

Too early to say for me.

It will depend on the interface and the controls.

Currently the screenies I am seeing, are looking a little wanting in the graphics department. I hope those get a bit more polish. Right now I haven't seen anything that would get a person to opt for this over CM.

CM is old, but it's still the yardstick everyones going to use.

 

[liuzg150181]

I am quite skeptical with the phrase 'upcoming',though what i like is an OOB function with which the player can have an overview of the units avaliable~~~

 

[Wodin]

If the game plays well and is fun I will buy.

The only issues holding me back is the 3 men squad. Its something that really niggled me with CMBO and CMBB.

The graphics look much better than the CM ones. I also like the idea of it being focused on one particular campaign. That could work in its favour. A campaign system is good too.


I hated street to street fighting in CM. The graphic engine just didnt work well at all. I had terrible problems with LOS issues. Hopefully PC can simulate this better.

 

[Double Deuce]

I also liked the mentioned idea that users could edit not only the bmps's BUT possibly unit data as well if I read it correctly.

 

[liuzg150181]

I had terrible problems with LOS issues. Hopefully PC can simulate this better.

I have a lot of axes to grind with this particular issue in CM series,it is so counter-intuitive and illogical that it totally spoils the gaming experience~~~:shock:

 

[Patrocles]

Yesterday SZO posted a new set of screens from the upcoming 3D tactical wargame, Panzer Command. Anyone planning on buying this one when it is released?

http://www.xtreme-gamer.com/articles.php?p=724&page=1&cat=52

thanks for the info! This game appears similar to the combat mission series (not a comment but an observation) and I think we need more games in this genre!

from the manufacturer website:
"Panzer Command: Operation Winter Storm is turn-based (each turn consists of two 40 second phases, the first for orders, the second for reactions and targeting) and has a great PBEM system for head to head play. There is a German and a Soviet campaign and all the campaign battles can be played as set battles as well."

I don't plan on buying PC when it is released. I will wait for reviews and player comments. I've heard good comments about Matrix Games so I hope this game is a winner.

 

[Ivan Rapkinov]

not buuying it simply because it's set in WW2 - have too mnay WW2 games that I'm yet to start, let alone get bored with, so for now this will wait.

 

[Redwolf]

There is no question that I buy and play this.

CM was such a great game spoiled by so easily avoided (if they had chosen to do so) annoyances.

I'll do any game of that kind even if it just trades these annoyance for new ones. It would take some time for the new annoyances to "become effective" and until then it's popcorn central.

I would also expect Matrix to have a thumb on the developers to not piss off users too much. BFC clearly suffered from having development, QA and user feedback in the hands of the same four people. Good for coming up with an innovative game that nobody did before, bad for polishing it. Not to mention they didn't have the programming manpower to change anything fundamental after feedback, strictly staying with one coder.

 

[Dr Zaius]

There is now an official Panzer Command site with additional information and screens of the game.

http://www.koiosworks.com/Panzercommand/

 

[Aries]

Vehicle graphics appear a bit better in that selection.

Still, I was pondering the matter of 3d games the other day, and this game is no different where the muse was going, why is it, in 3d games, the view looks too much like the armour, is having no impact effect on it's surroundings?

You can't drive a 30 ton tracked fighting vehicle across what is ordinary soil, and leave no impact. And poorly drawn tracks marks that make one wonder if the vehicle was actually 30 tons, ruins the suspension of disbelief.

I want deep ruts that stay, I want dirt flying in the air. Great clods of soil being dug up. What's the point of 3d, if it looks like you are playing with toy tanks on your dining room table during a miniatures game.

The terrain of PC still looks too pool table flat.

 

[Dr Zaius]

I want deep ruts that stay, I want dirt flying in the air. Great clods of soil being dug up. What's the point of 3d, if it looks like you are playing with toy tanks on your dining room table during a miniatures game.

The terrain of PC still looks too pool table flat.

Interesting comment.

As long as significant numbers of wargamers continue to chant "graphics don't matter," that is exactly the way developers will treat the genre. Other niche gaming types, flight sims for example, have excellent graphics. Wargames continue to be the 'weird uncle' that is kept locked in the attic and rarely mentioned.

When war and strategy gamers start demanding higher standards and back it up with their wallet, some developers will move to cover the demand. Until then, we will be saddled with hand-me-downs and standards that gamers of no other genre would accept.

 

[Aries]

Interesting comment.

As long as significant numbers of wargamers continue to chant "graphics don't matter," that is exactly the way developers will treat the genre. Other niche gaming types, flight sims for example, have excellent graphics. Wargames continue to be the 'weird uncle' that is kept locked in the attic and rarely mentioned.

When war and strategy gamers start demanding higher standards and back it up with their wallet, some developers will move to cover the demand. Until then, we will be saddled with hand-me-downs and standards that gamers of no other genre would accept.

Graphics don't matter, if the game isn't about graphics.

I think the graphics in Strategic Command were great. But it's a turn using board game emulating wargame. Pretty graphics don't add squat to that style of game.

3d is another matter. With 3d, it ALL about the graphics, otherwise, while give a damn that it's in 3d? Real time or turn using, the second you go 3d, the visual appeal is what's being sold.
Otherwise, I'd rather play Steel Panthers.

 

[Dr Zaius]

3d is another matter. With 3d, it ALL about the graphics, otherwise, while give a damn that it's in 3d? Real time or turn using, the second you go 3d, the visual appeal is what's being sold.
Otherwise, I'd rather play Steel Panthers.

I don't agree with you on that. There are tons of pretty games of every genre the die a quick death at retail because, although they look great, they are not good games.

Let's look at FPS games for a moment. This is a super-competitive market, with many games sporting "cutting edge" graphics. But only a handful will be successful and last for more than a few months. Want to know which ones it will be? Yep, the ones with great gameplay.

Not so different than any other type of game.

Contrary to the belief of some "grognards," every game is about the gameplay. Don't believe that? Then go ahead and invest your next $20 million into a game with cutting edge graphics and poor design. We'll see just how fast your $20 mil goes right down the drain.

 

[Redwolf]

Still, I was pondering the matter of 3d games the other day, and this game is no different where the muse was going, why is it, in 3d games, the view looks too much like the armour, is having no impact effect on it's surroundings?

Any kind of live modification to the terrain or static objects is very expensive computationally, all for the CPU, for main memory (remembering all the modified places) and for the video card (because it draws more textures over already drawn objects).

I want deep ruts that stay, I want dirt flying in the air. Great clods of soil being dug up. What's the point of 3d, if it looks like you are playing with toy tanks on your dining room table during a miniatures game.

Dirt flying is also quite expensive, although much more doable (no memory required and you can do it in one 2D plane).

The terrain of PC still looks too pool table flat.

Question is - how much would you pay in PC hardware to fix it?

 

[Mark17]

Here's a write-up of all the new games (some are already out) that are on the horizon.
http://www.gamespot.com/forums/show_msgs.php?topic_id=24145969

I'll be waiting for Wartime Command myself. Panzer Command reminds me of Codename Panzer series and another game (which slips my mind). Huxley looks like a interesting game.

Mark

 

[airBiscuit]

What might work well for a visually appealing wargame is to have an effective mod of a well-executed 3D RTS engine, adding in more grognard-guts to it so that you get closer-to-realistic behaviors of units.

This would also mean that you need to create more accurate art assets for the sake of authenticity.