Participated in the "Welcome Back Soldier" promotion, after not having played WWII Online since... 2006 (I actually still have the original box from when it was called "Blitzkrieg"!).
Unfortunately, I still find the game disorienting, and the learning curve is still impossibly steep (unless, as before, you devote tons of time to squad training exercises, and stuff). The trouble is... I find that I still really want to like this game, but I'm skeptical that I'll ever be able -- or want -- to be more than a casual player (which is what basically finished my interest in WoW back in the day, too, come to think of it).
Anyone have any thoughts or experience with WWII Online over the last five years or so? Is it worth dabbling in, or does it really require as much dedication as it seems?
WW2OL is very much a team or squad based game and when I had the time to devote to staying integrated with a squad the game was a blast to play. If you lone wolf it the game can be a bit confusing because the squads are usually the method used to assign missions and to pass on vital intel as to enemy actions and perceived intentions. The mission based spawning system in use now does get a player to the action faster than the old system that basically allowed you to enter the game world anywhere there was a friendly base, capture point, or forward base. Back then you might spawn in and end up spending 15 minutes walking out to a contested area just to die at first contact due to lack of intel. Same goes for the air and naval component. As far as the basic controls go, I didn't find the game difficult to play, though the operating of vehicles and use of weapons is much more realistically 'analog' than games such as WOT or the Red Orchestra related games. The big hurtle for most folks is integrating their gameplay into the mission and command system, both of which are much more structured than any other multiplayer game I've taken part in. I have not played much in the last 6-7 years due to lack of time but from late 2001 to about 2007 I spent a lot of time on WW2OL.
Quote from: nht on October 23, 2015, 09:26:49 PM
Anyone have any thoughts or experience with WWII Online over the last five years or so? Is it worth dabbling in, or does it really require as much dedication as it seems?
I played regularly from 2001-2009. Haven't looked back since, and there really hasn't been much improvement since 09-10. Sadly, this game was much better in 03-05, when the game rules/mechanics were much different. I think the developers made several, sequential poor decisions and thats how the game came to land where its at.
I like the premise of the game VERY much, but I can't get over the visuals. I wish they would either try to bring that into current day spec, or a new game with this scope would be in the making. Alas.
Quote from: Yskonyn on October 24, 2015, 08:19:18 AM
I like the premise of the game VERY much, but I can't get over the visuals. I wish they would either try to bring that into current day spec, or a new game with this scope would be in the making. Alas.
Yeah, it still has a ton of potential - and I think it still holds the record as the largest, continuous MMO map.
The game engine was developed in 1998. Not much work through the years. In fact, I think they're pushing it beyond what it really should be doing. Several years back they added Speedtree to the mix, and since then frame rates are in the crapper for most people, even with high-end systems.
If I had more time, I would go back to WWII online...
Unfortunately, Cornered Rat Studios, the developers of WW2OL, probably don't have much in the way of financial resources to develop an entirely new game engine. CRS is a very small company in relation to the scope of the game itself. They probably just get by on what they take in with subscriptions. To do more would probably require a large influx of new subscribers. Even though I don't play much anymore (read: hardly ever) I still maintain my sub in an attempt to support the game's continued existence. I owe it that for giving me a much needed stress/sanity outlet during the years I played as I was going through a divorce at the time.
*sigh*
That's pretty much what I thought, alas. I'm glad they made it (marginally) easier to get into the battles -- I'll never forget one time back in 2007 or so when I was playing, and I got picked up by some guy driving a truck who was taking infantry to the front. He drove around aimlessly for maybe 10 minutes before charging directly at a tank and getting us all killed.
I don't much mind the lousy graphics, truth be told -- they're serviceable, I suppose. I'm just concerned that I'm going to be throwing money away if I subscribe and then don't have the time to devote to squads, to trainings, etc.
Thanks for the feedback!
Haven't played this since 2001 and the "Phat Pipes" release catastrophe. Wow, stunned its still around.
Quote from: nht on October 23, 2015, 09:26:49 PM
Participated in the "Welcome Back Soldier" promotion, after not having played WWII Online since... 2006 (I actually still have the original box from when it was called "Blitzkrieg"!).
Unfortunately, I still find the game disorienting, and the learning curve is still impossibly steep (unless, as before, you devote tons of time to squad training exercises, and stuff). The trouble is... I find that I still really want to like this game, but I'm skeptical that I'll ever be able -- or want -- to be more than a casual player (which is what basically finished my interest in WoW back in the day, too, come to think of it).
Anyone have any thoughts or experience with WWII Online over the last five years or so? Is it worth dabbling in, or does it really require as much dedication as it seems?
I played it most recently in early 2013. My impression then was that the Germans were not as good as they used to be. There was a time when you would get picked off a roof as soon as you stood up. I used to do it to gauge the nearness of the attacking Germans. I got on a roof in early 2013 and just stood there picking off scampering Germans (with an ordinary rifle, in most games I formerly could out-shoot snipers with the basic infantry rifle). So that was sad -- the efficiency of the Germans used to be extra-ordinary. then I hunted down and destroyed a PZIII with a Hotchkis. That was such a beautiful half-hour that I just quit because nothing in the game was ever going to be better than that.
So, sure the game used to be pretty intense -- I flew the Hawk a lot and eventually did some serious slaughter with the Hurricane II (with 2 20mm guns -- a total killer -- especially since the 109s had learned that they could do a firing pass and then pull up and stall and let the plane pivot in midair and then make another pass -- this robotic procedure, while not very dangerous versus the Hawk, was instant death versus the Hurricane since I would just hit them with 20mm while they were flopping motionless in the sky -- not very realistic, but for once, not very good for the 109). I would not waste any time on WWII Online these days. CLOD pretty much fills the early war fighter space for me and I no longer have the time to get good with a rifle in an online environment these days.
September 2018. Another year...another set of 'come back' to WWII Online emails...
This time I took up Cornered Rat's offer of a free rifleman account.
It is amazing, and somewhat comforting to see that this game is still around.
I did a few hours running around as a French "poilu." It was a little frustrating when the spawn point was camped by some German tanks and infantry, but I just changed battle areas, and problem solved.
One very nice thing, was that the players were very friendly, and I saw none of idiot behavior that has ruined so many other MMOs for me...
As far as I can tell, graphics and gameplay have changed very little. Sure there are new toys...and I am certain folks who play the game regularly could write a tome about what has improved and changes...but IMHO the basic flow of the game seems the same as it did when I first played in 2002.
I very much appreciate that the game is not a frenetic twitch jockey experience...with players bouncing around like rabbits so they are harder to hit.
More than 10 years ago...back in my youth...;) when I did a little writing for ACG...I did a nostalgic visit and review (heck, the game was old then). After all this time, the game still feels the same. Frankly there is something "nice" about that.
http://armchairgeneral.com/battleground-europe-revisited.htm (http://armchairgeneral.com/battleground-europe-revisited.htm)
But at the end of the day...I probably won't go back to WWII Online...except as an occasional tourist.
The reason has more to do with me...MMOs just don't do much for me anymore.
If I am going to put time into a first person shooter experience, I will look for one that allows for a unit based campaign...Arma or Mount and Blade-like...and then there is VR
So when WWII online sends me an email that says they support VR, and they will give me a squad of bots to command, I would definately pony up the monthly subscription...
But something tells me...in another 10 years I will just be copying, pasting then posting this message again... And as a guy who loves computer wargames...that is not a bad thought at all...
So here is wishing WWII Online all the best!!!
What's with all this WW2 shooter threads? :uglystupid2:
Had no idea that was even still around - I was one of the first group of pre-release beta testers (maybe 1999 or 2000 iirc) - back when they would call a load test and get like 7 guys logging on at the same time.
I did some other stuff there too... heck I did stuff for ACG too... happy enough where I landed in the gaming world. ;)
I also took another look at this one recently after 8 years off. Didn't look like there were many players online during the times I played. I was still in my old squad, 644th Wild Boars, but there were never more than one or two guys playing. Pretty sure I was killed at least twice by guys hacking as I was prone in cover and was dead before I could even raise my rifle to shoot, both times to enemies who came around a corner and immediately zeroed in on me. I might come back if they ever figure out a way to stop the cheaters.
I remember seeing a boxed version of this for sale in a PC game store, when we still had PC game stores. Never tried it. Funny to see the name come up again, what's old keeps becoming new again.
EDIT: *redundent*
My favorite memories of WWII Online are somewhere near release date trying to get a squad in a truck towing an AT gun to town and watching squad members fly out of the truck until only the driver was left, and the great forum censorship disaster. They added some automated censor program to the forums but it kept censoring commonly used words and phrases if they contained potentially dirty words within them. So "hello" became "hecko", "cockpit" became "chickenpit", "armor slope" became "armor asian", "circumstantial" became "cirbodilyfluidstantial" and on and on. Was more fun than the game itself.
The game was a great idea, but it just didn't pull it off. Planetside did it better IMHO.
The current state is just so pathetic.
"Developers" still talking about adding the same things promised 10+ years ago, and begging it's even smaller remaining player base for even more money to keep a dead game on life support.
I cringe whenever I get an email from CRS.
I was talking to someone today about this game and he said that the flight models were really good. Now, I found this hard to believe, but didn't want to argue. Does anyone know what the flying portion of this game is like?
Back in the heyday I remember hearing some folks praise the flying part. My computer couldn't handle it back then so I stayed on the ground.
The flying was decent for a combined-arms sim. It's not comparable to a dedicated flight sim but it had enough features to make it feel satisfying and believable. The biggest drawback was the limited draw distance. You couldn't see other aircraft until they were quite close.
Thanks for that guys. The chap I was talking to is the leader of the course (computing) at my son's college. This chap is of a groggy sort of age and we discussed many games which we had both played, which was quite a surreal experience.
Quote from: Apocalypse 31 on September 12, 2018, 08:53:02 AM
The current state is just so pathetic.
"Developers" still talking about adding the same things promised 10+ years ago, and begging it's even smaller remaining player base for even more money to keep a dead game on life support.
I cringe whenever I get an email from CRS.
That is certainly one way to look at it. But I tend to see the positive side of the coin.
It takes resources to run an MMO, and I doubt that CRS is making much money. There is something to be said for the continuity, and there is some comfort that I can pick up in WWII online where I left off six or seven years ago. Also, I think the old traditional subscription model means that you don't see some of the blatant "buy gold coins to get a decent tank" model in other games. Those games quickly become "the haves" vs. "the targets who don't want to pay". Other games that had "free" community servers rarely last long...a subscription just means paying someone to keep the thing going.
Of course...all this philosophy from a guy who does not subscribe to WWII Online...:)
I can't believe it's still a going concern after all these years. I remember the "pink" screen of death. I thought the flying didn't feel too bad. I was only around for a free month I think, not really my thing. I think my dial up connection back then was better than my "high speed" connection now. lmao
WWII Online still going.
Here is the 2022 roadmap.
https://www.wwiionline.com/game-news/development-notes/16913-2022-roadmap-for-wwii-online?mdrv=www.wwiionline.com?mdrv=www.wwiionline.com?mdrv=www.wwiionline.com?mdrv=www.wwiionline.com?mdrv=www.wwiionline.com?mdrv=www.wwiionline.com?mdrv=www.wwiionline.com?mdrv=www.wwiionline.com?mdrv=www.wwiionline.com?mdrv=www.wwiionline.com?mdrv=www.wwiionline.com (https://www.wwiionline.com/game-news/development-notes/16913-2022-roadmap-for-wwii-online?mdrv=www.wwiionline.com?mdrv=www.wwiionline.com?mdrv=www.wwiionline.com?mdrv=www.wwiionline.com?mdrv=www.wwiionline.com?mdrv=www.wwiionline.com?mdrv=www.wwiionline.com?mdrv=www.wwiionline.com?mdrv=www.wwiionline.com?mdrv=www.wwiionline.com?mdrv=www.wwiionline.com)
They have to be winners of the methuselah award.
Looks like the team is finally working on a new engine using Unreal technology. Should be good.
https://www.wwiionline.com/component/sppagebuilder/?view=page&id=17 (https://www.wwiionline.com/component/sppagebuilder/?view=page&id=17)
This is amazing to me.
Hoping the air portion has HOTAS support.
I played this from literal day one when they had the disastrous "Phat Pipes" launch.
I even chided the devs of CRS at GenCon that year when we stat next to them at a Kobe Steak Milwaukee (when Gencon was still in Milwaukee).
It was really fun back in the day. I remember the endless back and forth of both sides trying to take Dinant.
It'd be neat to revisit it with a new engine. I flew an Bf-109 a ton in that game, doing it again with my HOTAS setup would be amazing.
I spent alot of time with the game shortly after its original launch as well.
Heck, when I was a reviewing type of guy, long ago and far away, I even did a review for Armchair General back in 2008. As you know, the game was called Battleground Europe then. At that time I expressed amazement at the game's longevity even then.
http://armchairgeneral.com/battleground-europe-revisited.htm (http://armchairgeneral.com/battleground-europe-revisited.htm)
So I am very tempted to jump back in for a bit, just to see how the old gal is holding up.
I can't explain it exactly, but the game is still my favorite FP tank simulation.
Quote from: Geezer on September 08, 2018, 06:15:54 AM
I also took another look at this one recently after 8 years off. Didn't look like there were many players online during the times I played. I was still in my old squad, 644th Wild Boars, but there were never more than one or two guys playing. Pretty sure I was killed at least twice by guys hacking as I was prone in cover and was dead before I could even raise my rifle to shoot, both times to enemies who came around a corner and immediately zeroed in on me. I might come back if they ever figure out a way to stop the cheaters.
It's funny how cheating comes and goes in different games. In WWII Online at one point (around 2004 maybe?)there was a little change in the server code to exclude
the cheat where you multiply hits so that in theory your weapon would no longer pour out infinite hits or at least those hits would be excluded as hits even if they showed up as visuals so
I remember a few days wherein i could walk across vast battlefields bathed in flames
from thousands of hits without being touched in my inner being. The only problem was that it was very hard to see and I ran out of ammo so I had to walk
up to those 88s full of bewildered cheaters and
kill the cheaters with a knife that must have emerged (from their point of view) from a walking pilar of fire.
I REALLY miss Armchair General. :'(
Quote from: Sir Slash on October 21, 2022, 11:13:00 AM
I REALLY miss Armchair General. :'(
Maybe Grogheads should start a front page or somesuch. It might be a good addition to the content here.
^That old gag.