Not sure if anyone saw these, but noticed these screenshots posted for the upcoming Scourge of War - Waterloo game.....
Link to web page if better able to view
http://www.norbsoftdev.net/articles-mainmenu-59/news-mainmenu-2/latest-news-mainmenu-57/193-new-years-update
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.norbsoftdev.net%2FNSDTeam%2Fscreenshot%2FWaterloo%2F1-1-15%2Fwl_1_15_1_thumb.jpg&hash=4af482ceba59d7ffeb590d5530ee5f719d9232de)
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.norbsoftdev.net%2FNSDTeam%2Fscreenshot%2FWaterloo%2F1-1-15%2Fwl_1_15_2_thumb.jpg&hash=993f30728089a6b418c957b4a68c8426aa3e81fe)
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.norbsoftdev.net%2FNSDTeam%2Fscreenshot%2FWaterloo%2F1-1-15%2Fwl_1_15_3_thumb.jpg&hash=678550226395fafaa4fc39ebb38ade8c02b056c3)
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.norbsoftdev.net%2FNSDTeam%2Fscreenshot%2FWaterloo%2F1-1-15%2Fwl_1_15_4_thumb.jpg&hash=2222ffdacae4c63406cc31bd04a87f4cd5daa6dc)
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.norbsoftdev.net%2FNSDTeam%2Fscreenshot%2FWaterloo%2F1-1-15%2Fwl_1_15_5_thumb.jpg&hash=38d81ad255b4112c78c3f544c36b346b51f5ecbb)
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.norbsoftdev.net%2FNSDTeam%2Fscreenshot%2FWaterloo%2F1-1-15%2Fwl_1_15_6_thumb.jpg&hash=ce0ead999e4cfc99295aab489713aef90d627f85)
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.norbsoftdev.net%2FNSDTeam%2Fscreenshot%2FWaterloo%2F1-1-15%2Fwl_1_15_7_thumb.jpg&hash=11004c9719a09f889529b2d9e85a24fac897698e)
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.norbsoftdev.net%2FNSDTeam%2Fscreenshot%2FWaterloo%2F1-1-15%2Fwl_1_15_8_thumb.jpg&hash=e6d41802d42126e28155da168417ee00d89afc2f)
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Can't wait for all the fanboy flame wars!
No flame war for me....I'm looking forward to this release. SOW Gettysburg is one of my favorite wargames.
:smitten:
O0
Looking pretty great!
Can't zoom in the pics. Gotta go to the website.
Quote from: Rayfer on January 10, 2015, 03:36:17 PM
No flame war for me....I'm looking forward to this release. SOW Gettysburg is one of my favorite wargames.
This x 1000!
Let me start the critique. Game play is great and all but, after all these years, they are still using 2D sprites. Not that it's a game breaker but it would have been nice if they enhanced the engine to use 3d people. Even the "esoteric" Les Grognards have 3d models. http://jomnisgames.blogspot.sg/search?q=histwar
Perhaps, but I have histwar:napoleon and frankly, unless you zoom in close, it doesn't look much better. I don't care for the jerky animations but I'm not sure moving to 3d models is worth it since most rarely zoom in like total war games
1st day buy
Quote from: jomni on January 10, 2015, 10:50:01 PM
Let me start the critique. Game play is great and all but, after all these years, they are still using 2D sprites. Not that it's a game breaker but it would have been nice if they enhanced the engine to use 3d people. Even the "esoteric" Les Grognards have 3d models. http://jomnisgames.blogspot.sg/search?q=histwar
SOW was a bit of a system hog in the past, during the large scenarios. There can be many units being depicted, each one being given instructions by the AI to some extent. I think the engine originally used the current setup in order to depict much larger battles with the same AI routines without bringing those older computers to a stop. My previous computer still got a bit sluggish when playing the large Corp sized command scenario. If all those were 3D units, it would've died. From what I read, the Total War series has always limited the amount of battlefield troops and the number of men in each for the same reason.
As for their look, I agree with Mikeck. The slight jerkiness noticeable in some of the animations isn't good but overall I think the unit art looks decent. I'd say more so than the versions of Histwar I've attempted playing - I thought it's graphics were pretty bad. *shrug*
Haven't played SOW for a long time. Is it 1:1 representation?
My only disappointment about the game is the fact they have now abandoned the American Civil War...hoping at some point they return to it...would be nice if they could keep both series going. However with that said, I am still looking forward to this title and will certainly be a day one purchase, interesting to play/learn about battles that I am not as familiar with. Although graphics can always be improved, I would sacrifice graphics to have a ton of soldiers included, which gives it a big battlefield feel (like they do now with the sprites). Not that I want to compare any games, but I have owned HistWar (newest version) and haven't really been impressed, just seems clunky to me and development progress is really slow. I suspect SOW will pass it by once it is released, assuming the game mechanics represent the period of time well with tactics and such. Its a shame since I really wanted to like HistWar and still hope it turns out well in the end.
Quote from: jomni on January 11, 2015, 02:07:45 AM
Haven't played SOW for a long time. Is it 1:1 representation?
This was posted in their forums in the past by one of the development/testing team members...the game has a sprite ratio setting (believe it goes up to 20)....
0 = Default. 4 troops to one sprite.
1 = 1 Troop to one sprite (SR1)
2 = 2 Troops to one sprite
etc.
There is a limit to the number of troops that will represent one unit - so even with 1:1 don't expect 900 troops for one of the big regiments.
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on January 11, 2015, 02:09:49 AM
My only disappointment about the game is the fact they have now abandoned the American Civil War...hoping at some point they return to it...would be nice if they could keep both series going.
On their forums the devs have made several statements that they've not abandoned ACW and will be returning to it. They just don't have a dev team large enough to be turning out two games at once. They've also released a few free battles like Lynchburg that can be downloaded from their site.
Taking a quick look at my game, in addition to the purchased modules of Gettysburg, Antietam (which includes South Mountain), Pipe Creek, Chancellorsville and Brandy Station, I have:
- Lynchburg
- Prairie Creek
- Pea Ridge
- Secessionville
- Red River Campaign (four battles)
So, while I'd certainly love to see Shiloh, Chickamauga, and other battles, I certainly have enough stuff to keep me occupied for awhile. TBH, I've yet to touch Pipe Creek or Brandy Station, let alone most of the free stuff Norbsoft released.
Releasing Waterloo this year is mainly being driven by the 200th anniversary of the battle. Like the raft of WWI games we saw last August, NSD needs to get this out while there's a window of interest.
The max limit of sprites displayed per regiment in the SOW engine is 120, regardless of ratio. The other thing to be aware of is that many (not all!) of the maps have been scaled for the regimental frontages to be correct at the default 4:1 ratio. On those maps if you try 1:1 things can get very crowded. There are a few maps that have been scaled for 1:1. The East Cavalry Battlefield at Gettysburg is one, IIRC.
Quote from: panzerde on January 11, 2015, 11:47:52 AM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on January 11, 2015, 02:09:49 AM
My only disappointment about the game is the fact they have now abandoned the American Civil War...hoping at some point they return to it...would be nice if they could keep both series going.
On their forums the devs have made several statements that they've not abandoned ACW and will be returning to it. They just don't have a dev team large enough to be turning out two games at once. They've also released a few free battles like Lynchburg that can be downloaded from their site.
Taking a quick look at my game, in addition to the purchased modules of Gettysburg, Antietam (which includes South Mountain), Pipe Creek, Chancellorsville and Brandy Station, I have:
- Lynchburg
- Prairie Creek
- Pea Ridge
- Secessionville
- Red River Campaign (four battles)
So, while I'd certainly love to see Shiloh, Chickamauga, and other battles, I certainly have enough stuff to keep me occupied for awhile. TBH, I've yet to touch Pipe Creek or Brandy Station, let alone most of the free stuff Norbsoft released.
Releasing Waterloo this year is mainly being driven by the 200th anniversary of the battle. Like the raft of WWI games we saw last August, NSD needs to get this out while there's a window of interest.
My use of abandoned probably a little too strong, but "on break" at least for the foreseeable future.....
Glad you mentioned those other free battles released, never saw them in their mod sections until you mentioned them (except Lynchburg, I knew about that one).
I tried the Demo for Gettysburg and just couldn't get past the UI and controls.
But will most likely work through that to get into Waterloo. I'm very pleased that they're doing it because I couldn't get into HistWar either.
Son down the line, after Waterloo I'll know they game and likely pick up an ACW title.
Quote from: fabius on January 11, 2015, 04:26:11 PM
I tried the Demo for Gettysburg and just couldn't get past the UI and controls.
But will most likely work through that to get into Waterloo. I'm very pleased that they're doing it because I couldn't get into HistWar either.
Son down the line, after Waterloo I'll know they game and likely pick up an ACW title.
Keep in mind that SOW is a
very different sort of game. Its focused on 18th century command. As such, unlike pretty much any other period game, your troops and commanders do not always do what you want when you want them to. Even more confusing, different commanders will react to the same order differently - issue an order to attack to two different brigade leaders and one may charge all of his regiments and another may hang back, cautiously advancing a single regiment and then pull back when he meets determined resistance.
For a real treat try HITS or "headquarters in the saddle" where your view is looked to your actual commander's view and you have to send your orders to your units via courier. Either way, it isn't at all like more mainstream games where you have godlike control over all of your troops and they do what you tell them to, all of the time. That frustrate some people no end who really want complete control, but it's great fun if you're interested in a more realistic experience.
It's a brilliant system...the only one that's been able to wean my UK Kriegsspiel friends from their red and blue lead blocks.
They also care more about frontage than just about any other game on the period out there...it -- and about 1,000 other smaller things -- is what finally made me perma-delete N:TW.
And it's funny, I love the system so much that I played ACW games, but am pleased beyond reason that they've drifted into Napoleonics.
As for Histwar, I've been a cheerleader since the game belonged to Matrix and JMM, for all his trying, has never quite been able to get the UI, the AI, and the game as a whole to "click". Pity.
Do we have a dev. note on whether there will be a full-battle scenario? I want to see it, but, even though I'm pretty facile with the engine, I can't imagine actually doing it...
Best,
Jim
"Cyrano"
:/7)
Had forgotten about this game....
One of the few games i am going to get this year (at least this is what i am telling to myself ::) )
Quote from: panzerde on January 11, 2015, 06:10:07 PM
Keep in mind that SOW is a very different sort of game. Its focused on 18th century command. As such, unlike pretty much any other period game, your troops and commanders do not always do what you want when you want them to. Even more confusing, different commanders will react to the same order differently - issue an order to attack to two different brigade leaders and one may charge all of his regiments and another may hang back, cautiously advancing a single regiment and then pull back when he meets determined resistance.
Hey, I love it when that stuff is simulated. Hmm... may give it another go.
Quote from: fabius on January 18, 2015, 04:14:18 PM
Quote from: panzerde on January 11, 2015, 06:10:07 PM
Keep in mind that SOW is a very different sort of game. Its focused on 18th century command. As such, unlike pretty much any other period game, your troops and commanders do not always do what you want when you want them to. Even more confusing, different commanders will react to the same order differently - issue an order to attack to two different brigade leaders and one may charge all of his regiments and another may hang back, cautiously advancing a single regiment and then pull back when he meets determined resistance.
Hey, I love it when that stuff is simulated. Hmm... may give it another go.
Even the tutorials are fun. :)
On their Facebook page they quietly announced release candidate one is complete....still no announcement as to when the game will be officially released but certainly looking in good shape to be out before the battle's anniversary. Nothing mentioned at matrix in a long time so release probably a little ways off to increase hype.....I just hope they don't hold back the release to specifically be on or near the anniversary, release it now:)
https://www.facebook.com/sowgb
Nice...I like the infantry square screenshot.
Originally I wasn't looking forward to it and wished they continued to put primary focus on American Civil War, but after really thinking about it, I am actually looking forward to battles that I don't have a lot of knowledge on where I can learn something new. First day purchase for sure.
This is looking really good.
I tried hard to be a Histwar fanboy (I even began to like the interface), but in the end, the AI's inability to be dynamic broke Histwar for me. So hopefully this game will go where no game has gone before.
Of course I will sorely miss Histwar's editor.
I'll be all over this baby, in a heartbeat.