In Australia, it's Friday...

[Strela]

I welcome any comments...

David

@Strela
"Fantastic!" springs to mind. O0

I love the icons - very "Squad Leader" in spirit. I love the new terrain tile set too. I'll be d/ling that when it comes out.

I really hope JTs will retro this style to its older games. Bloody brilliant! O0

Flare to Gus - check this out for your Eastern Front fix! O0

Thanks Boggit,

For anyone that hasn't seen Panzer Battles Kursk before please note there are actually three different selectable icons in game. Top down, side on (same as the unit card) and classic Nato.

Here are some examples;

Top down, old on the left, new on the right (note all top down icons do not rotate - they always point north-east - this is a platoon/company level game and facing is not a consideration in the time scale);





The same units with Side on (based off the unit card) on the left & Nato symbology on the right. These can all be changed on the fly in game;






Also if you have not seen the original game you can see a lot more screen shots and download a large amount of the games reference material for free from here;

http://www.johntillersoftware.com/PanzerBattles/BattlesOfKurskSouthern.html

You can even buy the game if you want!!!!   :P




An example of the free reference material is the 57 page 'Visual Order of Battle Guide' created by Mike Avanzini. Here is an example of Peiper's battalion at Kursk;







Here are the 110th Tank Brigade part of 18th Tank Corp;






Another example covering the attached units in 18th Tank Corp. All graphics are from within the game.






We are planning to have similar material available with the second Panzer Battles game as well as for free so that people can see what they are getting before they buy.


David

[bob48]

That looks excellent. I could go for that!

[GJK]

Does this mean that the units are going to be larger than 3mm in the top-down view on my screen now?  As in I can actually tell what something is without having to mouse over it???  I might actually play a Tiller game if that's the case!

[Ubercat]

Thanks, Ubercat. I'll give vassal a shot. I can try to be available after 8:00 EST on weekdays, but weekends are definitely better.

Just let me know what I need to do. Thanks!

PM sent.

[Boggit]

@Strela

GJK makes a good point. For almost all my JTS/HPS Tiller games I have to increase the text size to 150% if I want to read the map without getting eyestrain.

You asked for comments, and on reflection a further zoom level would be really neat especially when you're focusing on a small section of the battle.

I've been playing Southern Flank this afternoon, and if you Strela are David Freer, I'll say you did a damn fine job with it. Great game, and it looks like you're making it even better. Just out of curiosity is there any way to link all the campaign elements together similar to the way Ed Williams did  in France '14 and East Prussia '14, so that the success in one sector can be reflected elsewhere - or am I being too hopeful?? ;)

[Gusington]

Looks like a lot of love was put into this work.

[Father Ted]

I just spend about 3 hours playing ARMA 3 multiplayer on a king of the hill server.  I totally suck at this, too, but it is fun.  Kind of RO2-like, but with modern kit.  Doing the tactical airdrop thing out of a helo was freaking cool!

King of the Hill is a blast.  Do you find that the game is a bit glitchy though?  I get put off when it takes a second or two to bring up optics, or when I see people warp about the landscape.

O/T : that ACDC track is from their new album

[Toonces]

It's a little laggy on my end, but my internet connection isn't that great.  I'm in Hawaii, so it has to travel awful far to get to the server and back.

I almost got some MP in with Jarhead, but I couldn't get a stable connection.  Maybe later...

Also, that Panzer game looks very nice indeed.

[Strela]

@Strela

GJK makes a good point. For almost all my JTS/HPS Tiller games I have to increase the text size to 150% if I want to read the map without getting eyestrain.

You asked for comments, and on reflection a further zoom level would be really neat especially when you're focusing on a small section of the battle.

I've been playing Southern Flank this afternoon, and if you Strela are David Freer, I'll say you did a damn fine job with it. Great game, and it looks like you're making it even better. Just out of curiosity is there any way to link all the campaign elements together similar to the way Ed Williams did  in France '14 and East Prussia '14, so that the success in one sector can be reflected elsewhere - or am I being too hopeful?? ;)

Hi,

Strela = David - guilty as charged. I had a years break from work and Panzer Battles - Kursk was the (only) result of my time off. Gainfully employed again now.

There is a campaign engine that will be included in Panzer Battles 2. This is similar to what has been included in Tiller's Civil War and Napoleonic games. We have asked for a number of changes to give us more flexibility beyond just linking scenarios.

As far as an additional zoom level, I can ask. We have gone to the larger natural hex size (aligned with Squad battles) and I have used the largest possible counter size (60 x 60 pixels with some image overlap). John created the Panzer Campaigns zoom by doubling the existing graphics (ie no additional graphics were required). I can see whether that technology is possible. I do agree with you all - it feels like it needs one more zoom level, though I do play on a hi res display (2400 x 1920). The middle zoom level in Panzer Battles is the same as the normal Panzer Campaigns.

Most of the images of counters that I have posted in this thread are at 200% so this is what you would see if we added a new zoom level.

Strela

[southern_cross_116]

Fwiw,  PzB comes with 3 native states of 2d graphics, whereas the other series only have 2. What Mr Freer mentioned is correct, in that when the extra 2d xoom level is applied to titles other than PzB - that it is simply magnifying the 2d Zoom in by another 50%.

It does sort of make me wonder if the extra native set of graphics is something that can be applied to other series, so I guess I will have to ask (posting this here is not me asking them  -just to be clear ;).

I really doubt that it is a matter of 'technology being available' -as what it is really is about applying the extra coding to another set of graphics which would have to be created, then finding someone willing to put together the applicable new set of bmp files that align with the style of the remainder of a title.

Now considering that there is only one title available that uses the 3 levels of native graphics- I guess that means it could be time to practice on PzB -to see how a holistic set of graphics can turn out. Considering that I have a couple with 2 levels under my belt it would be pretty interesting to see that third level. My guess is that it would involve first starting with the biggest level and then take it from there. It would take a little time, and if I were to do this it would only be limited to the map.

Ok -and on another note - Rock or Bust? The first single off of the album Akka Dakka released this past November I think (might have been early December)... keep on the Oz theme and I will see if I can dig up some other Aussie-centric tunes in the future.

[Boggit]

One other change which would be nice is to have the random end that you have as an option in Squad Battles - maybe 2/3 turns max. I've played the Gertsovka scenario several times now, and no matter how aggressive I am as a German still get a minor defeat due to running out of time. (I'm also running out of men too, but that's another story...) :-[ ;)

[Strela]

One other change which would be nice is to have the random end that you have as an option in Squad Battles - maybe 2/3 turns max. I've played the Gertsovka scenario several times now, and no matter how aggressive I am as a German still get a minor defeat due to running out of time. (I'm also running out of men too, but that's another story...) :-[ ;)

Boggit,

You're not alone re. Gertsovka. The first patch for Kursk is to be released imminently.

Here is the changelog for Gertsovka;

#0704_01 Gertsovka   

•   Additional AI hold orders included
•   All Soviet units begin in fixed status.
•   +2 turns to 12 turns long
•   VP's dropped by 10 for each victory level
•   New supply source in NE corner
•   Supply source in (5,4) removed


I also checked on the zoom function. It's planned (ie future development) to port the continuous zoom function in - similar to that used in the mobile platform's currently.

Strela

[Boggit]

One other change which would be nice is to have the random end that you have as an option in Squad Battles - maybe 2/3 turns max. I've played the Gertsovka scenario several times now, and no matter how aggressive I am as a German still get a minor defeat due to running out of time. (I'm also running out of men too, but that's another story...) :-[ ;)

Boggit,

You're not alone re. Gertsovka. The first patch for Kursk is to be released imminently.

Here is the changelog for Gertsovka;

#0704_01 Gertsovka   

•   Additional AI hold orders included
•   All Soviet units begin in fixed status.
•   +2 turns to 12 turns long
•   VP's dropped by 10 for each victory level
•   New supply source in NE corner
•   Supply source in (5,4) removed


I also checked on the zoom function. It's planned (ie future development) to port the continuous zoom function in - similar to that used in the mobile platform's currently.

Strela

That'll balance it much better, although it will still be tight at 12 turns, but at least you'll get a fighting chance to get a draw or better. O0 I don't expect my awful losses to drop that much though - nature of the beast. ;)