Ultimate General: American Revolution

[Destraex]

Games Labs is the publisher which did the games you mention. However I am not sure what actual dev team under their banner is creating the game.
As for the sandbox aspect, I think half the point of this new game is to bring sandbox. The map is supposed to be seemless zoom in and out right into battles like the strat and tactical maps are one and the same? At least that was the impression I got.

[Grim.Reaper]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is by the same outfit that did Ultimate Admiral: Dreadnoughts? I am right in this? Also, being from the pedigree of Ultimate Admiral: Civil War and Age of Sail means it is NOT a sandbox, rather 'on rails', do each set mission one after another game style, right?

Grateful advice on both these assumptions regarding this upcoming game.

The opening line on the website says the following:

American Revolution is a sandbox strategy game featuring the epic historical period during the rebellion of the American colonies against the British Empire.

So it implies sandbox but to what degree and how it works, probably anyone's guess until release.  Within the actual battles, I wouldn't be surprised to see timers/objectives like the previously Civil War title, but not sure if that is what you meant by being on rails.  Based on reading the descriptions, gives the impression the over all campaign is open ended but I guess we will see.

[apoll]

'On rails': you know, linear set of missions (or very limited options) and you have to successfully complete one to move onto the next one. Fail to win a battle, as in Ultimate Admiral Civil War, and you cannot progress: have to try again. Opposite of sandbox mode where you are not stuck to a set story line and you choose where to engage or not.

Ok, I note sandbox feature in the advertising blurb. Thank you. That's encouraging. Hopefully, not stuck to a set story line with set missions to complete before can advance. Great.

Yea, I fear it's the same mob that did Dreadnoughts. I really hope there is no repeat of that release disaster. I swore I'd never buy another title from them again after being burned over Dreadnoughts, but I have to say, this looks very tempting, especially if sandbox.

Thank you for advice. Appreciate it.

[undercovergeek]

Was following this a few months ago then rumours of project been abandoned started - is there new news or has someone just picked up on the original game news again

[Grim.Reaper]

Was following this a few months ago then rumours of project been abandoned started - is there new news or has someone just picked up on the original game news again

Developers announced on their facebook page that they updated the site and people indicated this is being discussed on a discord channel with the developers.  Saw another strategy site indicate the same.  Seems real and sounds like early access might not be too far off.  Developers have commented in the forums as well, so seems safe this has not been abandoned.  Prior to the recent news, there wasn't even an official forum, now there is.

[Gusington]

 

I love Dreadnoughts and Game Labs style of games.

I have been playing their games on and off for years. I haven't gone back to Dreadnoughts since its full release and the implementation of the campaign, and while there have been some issues with the newer components of the game I don't think it's launch was a total disaster. It's a fun game and I have been looking for a game like it for 30+ years. Game Labs is a supportive, innovative group...I haven't seen anything from them indicating that they are 'a mob.'

Maybe I am wrong. But I'm very much looking forward to this American Revolution game and will be playing more Age of Sail in the meantime.

[W8taminute]

I hear what you're saying apoll regarding game on rails and getting stuck on a mission preventing you from finishing the campaign.  That's how Ultimate General: Civil War is.  I like that game but found that I had to give up on it when I reached maybe the fourth or fifth mission and couldn't get past it. 

Like taking the wind out of your sails.  In any case I hope this new game is different but we shall see.  I'm still keeping this one on my radar.   

[JasonPratt]

In my case, I always kind-of rage-quit UG:CW at the Shiloh mission -- not for failing but because I always beat the linked missions early and then the program doesn't know what to do about that so just resets me to where it expected me to fail!    DAMMIT I EXHAUSTED MYSELF TAKING THE UNION POSITION AND HOLDING IT, WHY ARE YOU INSISTING I GO BACK WITH MY DEPLETED EXHAUSTED UNITS AND TAKE IT THE HELL AGAIN!?!

[W8taminute]

In my case, I always kind-of rage-quit UG:CW at the Shiloh mission -- not for failing but because I always beat the linked missions early and then the program doesn't know what to do about that so just resets me to where it expected me to fail!    DAMMIT I EXHAUSTED MYSELF TAKING THE UNION POSITION AND HOLDING IT, WHY ARE YOU INSISTING I GO BACK WITH MY DEPLETED EXHAUSTED UNITS AND TAKE IT THE HELL AGAIN!?!

That is kind of where I ended up in UG:CW.  I got to a point where the only way out was to start the whole campaign again but play it differently hoping for a better outcome. 

The other annoyance was you had to win battles decisively in order to gain the cash and rewards needed to upgrade your stuff properly.  Minor victories simply don't generate enough cash to have a chance of winning in the long run. 

A true sandbox, which is what I hope UG:AR will be, allows you to build up your economy and infrastructure enough to handle a few minor defeats here and there and still have a chance of eventually winning. 

haha!  UG:CW's ai pretty much is telling you that look, you're a loser so you might as well stop now or I will stop you.  Start the campaign over again until you git gud.  You know what I have to say to the ai?  $%$@@^^@$ and the horse you rode in on.

Ok rant off. 

[Grim.Reaper]

I typically only played the battles themselves versus the campaign.  Either way, buying this no matter what:)

[glen55]

In my case, I always kind-of rage-quit UG:CW at the Shiloh mission -- not for failing but because I always beat the linked missions early and then the program doesn't know what to do about that so just resets me to where it expected me to fail!    DAMMIT I EXHAUSTED MYSELF TAKING THE UNION POSITION AND HOLDING IT, WHY ARE YOU INSISTING I GO BACK WITH MY DEPLETED EXHAUSTED UNITS AND TAKE IT THE HELL AGAIN!?!

Wow, I've played that game a grunch and never had that happen. Maybe because I play a little bit cautious and don't just try to hornswoggle the AI.

[JasonPratt]

I'm not even trying to hornswoggle the AI; my mission was to take that walled base area, I took that walled base area and held it -- just sooner than the game's mission structure thought I should take it. I played the game extremely well on managing my troop buildup and composition, and on beating my missions including all side missions, up to Shiloh.

What made me rage quit (two or maybe three times) at that point, was realizing I would have to reload and play that part of the mini-campaign again trying to FAIL taking the objective with no clear idea how I was supposed to fail it (much less with minimal damage to my troops) and yet proceed.

I replayed a couple of times thinking I had to win the fight a different way, but nope no matter which way I won it, I wasn't supposed to win it, so the game penalizes me by insisting I win it again with the troop losses and exhaustion I took in winning it early.

[Sir Slash]

What would be the actual definition of a, 'Hornswoggle'? An actual cheat, or just a confusing move for the AI? I'm in favor of anything to win that doesn't either cause the game to crash, self-destruct, or report me to a Game Moderator for perpetual banishment. 'Hornswoggle' or just a regular, 'Swoggle' is fine by me. 

[JasonPratt]

I think hornswoggling would in this case be playing outside what the AI expects or otherwise trying to trick the AI, not cheating per se (though the term more broadly used could include cheating).

But I wasn't trying to trick or play outside the AI at all. I just did what I was told the objective was, and ta-daa, surprise, the mission structure wasn't taught to even allow the possibility that I would achieve the objective.

[SirAndrewD]

I had the same experience with it with Jason.  I still enjoyed the game but I look forward to the new system in the Revolution title.