Heroes of Normandie - Im waiting

[Nefaro]

And now the PBEM++ server has gone rogue...

First it wouldn't let me in at all.

Now it's trying to log me in as some other user which, of course, results in me not being able to log in.

Far superior to being able to e-mail turns to my opponents or, you know, play them live.  Far superior...

I'm not getting the Slitherine Forums at all.  Something must've 'sploded over in Slitherine Server Land.

I was extremely happy with their PBEM+ setup, for games that obviously needed PBEM.  Less hassle, more play time AND far easier to find opponents.  But if their servers are on the fritz, that will obviously be a problem.  :(

I hope the previously mentioned PBEM+ feature, in which it automatically loads any new turn/phase sent through the server while you still have that game open & waiting, works fine for HoN.  Because it's a pretty quick back & forth.

[Arctic Blast]

I agree the unlocks suck. Over at slitherine they said they would be unlocked next patch. The game is well presented and fun and plays quick but your right the small maps kind of limit the strategies, i would think that would of come out in beta testing. Maybe spoon feeding for mass audience. I wonder what the map size limit is, if the editor is as easy as they claim there shouldn't be any lacking of maps. I guess making map is just putting tiles together.

Nice! I think I may shelve it until that happens, though perhaps I'll mess around with some MP before then.

[Barthheart]

I agree the unlocks suck. Over at slitherine they said they would be unlocked next patch. The game is well presented and fun and plays quick but your right the small maps kind of limit the strategies, i would think that would of come out in beta testing. Maybe spoon feeding for mass audience. I wonder what the map size limit is, if the editor is as easy as they claim there shouldn't be any lacking of maps. I guess making map is just putting tiles together.

Nice! I think I may shelve it until that happens, though perhaps I'll mess around with some MP before then.

Anytime you wanna match let me know.  O0

[Cyrano]

I will not pile on...I will not pile on...I will not pile on...

BOTH of my PBEM++ games were erased from the server.

I have set up new ones for my opponents (Vance and Geek) using the same sides and scenarios...and passwords...

I guess I should repeat:  I actually really like the game...a lot...and will happily buy DLC for this one.  I certainly hope they eventually issue the D-Day and St. Mere Eglise stuff that's recently out.

This method of approaching PBEM, though...I dunno...

[Barthheart]

I could not even log into the MP server this morning....  >:(

Will try later

[Nefaro]

Sooooo.... server go "boom" as suspected?

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

The second Commonwealth campaign has a progression killing bug.  In the 5th mission, the AI freezes on its turn and refuses to activate when it wants to assault an objective but has no units capable of doing so.  I've had the bug come up 4 times now and can't get past it.

[Cyrano]

I've seen nothing official, but every indication was that the server did, indeed, fall, but then came back up.

On the positive side, both of my games that I had thought lost were recovered and intact so credit to them for that.  The more I play, though, the more I do want the cards to make a real mess of things.

It's a good game well worth the price.

[Greybriar]

I just saw this post over on the Slitherine forums and thought I would share it here:

I'm a french Player of HoN (gameboard) and aside a 3d modeler for videos game...
Buying Hon Pc Game on steam Yesterday, I'm very disappointed...
The game has been developped for Ipad without any consideration about screen sizes on PC or consoles...
So the gui (interface) is oversized accordingly to the real game area : you must scroll to have a view of this one , never a global view...
Button, dice and so on give a "70's " look of the game and not sure that deserve the borad game.
Logo pictures of terrain are not displayed and you have to right clic on it to see different properties. Here, too, each "popup" are too big and mask a great area of the screen...
No comment about setting resolution missing in options, bad location about area explanation of each assault or fire (on right , why not on bottom ?) and the way to leave it (a timer deleting it about X second would be a better idea)...and so on...
The Skirmish mode is very poor (3 small maps) and the most important, all features about cards player are missing in this game ...This last is one of the most important "mood" in the game board giving to it the "hollywood" way wanted by their creators...
I Have conflict of heroes on PC and the game board ...this one was an excellent adaptation of original game... Here, for HoN, is quite a shame.

Is what he posted about Heroes of Normandie being designed for iPad as significant as he thinks it is? Are the rest of his opinions cause for concern?

I haven't bought Heroes of Normandie yet and time is running out. Every time I read something like the above it makes me wonder if the game is worth buying.

[sandman2575]

It seems folks who are familiar with the HoN boardgame are having a somewhat different (overall more negative?) response to the "PC port" than those of us (like me) who have no experience with the boardgame.

Overall, my impressions are very positive. I had no intention of buying this until I looked more closely at footage of the gameplay, and was impressed. I thought, hell, it's only $20 and I can always return it via Steam's return policy if I hate it. But I've had a good time with it so far.

I *really* like the way it mixes a simulated board-game experience (physically manipulating the markers, flipping them over when hit) with a more video-gamey combat experience -- the way the chits actually fire their weapons and explode when hit, etc. It's a purely aesthetic thing but I think it's done really well here.

I also like the goofy, spoofy early 70s-era WW2 movies vibe. Echoes of all sorts of movies here -- Dirty Dozen, Kelly's Heroes, Where Eagles Dare, as well as more 'serious' movies like The Longest Day and Bridge on the River Kwai. It's mostly ridiculous but in a fun way.

Word is that the devs will unlock some of the bigger maps and that the boardgame's card system will be coming as well -- both of which will be good additions.

Anyway, my feeling is that this is already a nifty title that has room to grow. If you're looking for some easy-going, fun but also challenging WW2 fare, I don't think you can go wrong here, esp. for $20.

[spelk]

Sooooo.... server go "boom" as suspected?

On Twitter earlier today

"Heroes of Normandie overloaded our servers and crashed the system. Sorry to everyone affected and we'll get you up ASAP later today."

https://twitter.com/Iain_Slitherine/status/650962984722919424

[Barthheart]

I just saw this post over on the Slitherine forums and thought I would share it here:

I'm a french Player of HoN (gameboard) and aside a 3d modeler for videos game...
Buying Hon Pc Game on steam Yesterday, I'm very disappointed...
The game has been developped for Ipad without any consideration about screen sizes on PC or consoles...
So the gui (interface) is oversized accordingly to the real game area : you must scroll to have a view of this one , never a global view...
Button, dice and so on give a "70's " look of the game and not sure that deserve the borad game.
Logo pictures of terrain are not displayed and you have to right clic on it to see different properties. Here, too, each "popup" are too big and mask a great area of the screen...
No comment about setting resolution missing in options, bad location about area explanation of each assault or fire (on right , why not on bottom ?) and the way to leave it (a timer deleting it about X second would be a better idea)...and so on...
The Skirmish mode is very poor (3 small maps) and the most important, all features about cards player are missing in this game ...This last is one of the most important "mood" in the game board giving to it the "hollywood" way wanted by their creators...
I Have conflict of heroes on PC and the game board ...this one was an excellent adaptation of original game... Here, for HoN, is quite a shame.

Is what he posted about Heroes of Normandie being designed for iPad as significant as he thinks it is? Are the rest of his opinions cause for concern?

I haven't bought Heroes of Normandie yet and time is running out. Every time I read something like the above it makes me wonder if the game is worth buying.

Well... the first thing he says about it being designed for the iPad seems to be right to me. It definitely has that iPad shape and feel about the UI. Also the methods for moving and firing, dragging markers with the cursor, are absolutely touch screen designs.

As already said all the skirmish maps are going to be unlocked in the first patch and the cards will be added... at some point.

I'm really enjoying the game for what it is, a light turn based squad level combat game with some cheeky humor and great animations. I'll probably even buy the iPad version... if it'll run on my old iPad2.

[Nefaro]

It's obvious the UI was created with a tablet in mind.  That said, I think it's one of the least annoying ones on the PC.  There could be a couple of improvements but, overall, it didn't bother me a bit (unlike other tablet ports tend to do).  Then again, I've only played it at my notebook's 1366x768 resolution, so the guy complaining about it was probably running some ridiculously high screen res, fit for a 52" screen or something, and the interface wasn't scaled?  I dunno.

I also don't understand the guy's complaints about the look of the graphics, and especially the dice.  They look exactly like the tabletop game components, which is really cool.  Doubly so for being able to drag & drop them as such.  This is even more confusing when the critic says he owns the tabletop game.  Not sure WTF he's complaining about regarding the digital version looking "like it's from the 70s". 

As before, the missing card play and larger maps are the biggest issues.  Everyone familiar with the original rightly mentions this.  It's still pretty fun without them but it's still missing the more dynamic game play from the cards, and wider areas on the maps.  So he's right on those points.

[Barthheart]

Game just updated on Steam to v.1.03. All the skirmish maps are now open.
O0

[Apocalypse 31]

Editor?