"undo" button

[gchristie]

According to the Wargamer review of Commander the Great War http://www.wargamer.com/article/3278/pc ... -great-war, the Lordz Studio is releasing an "undo" button for the game in an upcoming patch. Will such a button also be availalbe for CEaW at some point? I think this would be a great addition, as zone of control is very tricky to determine in CEaW and often I think a unit can move into a hex when it can not. Had I known that it couldn't move there my strategy would have factored that in.

[gsmart04]

I agree with you. An 'undo' button is needed and would increase my enjoyment of the game for the reasons you mentioned about zones of control.

Alas, I have a feeling we'll never get this patched though.

[pk867]

Hi,

This was discussed in the past actually back in v2.0 , but there were other priorities at the time.

One item that came up that with an undo button a player could use this to get possibly get good results during their side of the turn.

How do you determine how many undo's does a player get. Then you also have the game reloading ( replaying) issue coupled with an 'undo' option how can you control the possibility

of cheating?

Also whether the game engine could handle it. Then it would have to be playtested to see how it affects balance.

So it was decided back then that the players just need to get familiar with how the game plays.

[gchristie]

How do you determine how many undo's does a player get. Then you also have the game reloading ( replaying) issue coupled with an 'undo' option how can you control the possibility

of cheating?

Also whether the game engine could handle it. Then it would have to be playtested to see how it affects balance.

So it was decided back then that the players just need to get familiar with how the game plays.

To this I would say:

One, I suggest that if game reloading could be prevented then an undo button would make sense. Are you saying it is impossible to prevent reloading?

Two, some of us have been playing this game for quite a while and still all the nuances of ZOC elude us. I don't think it a question of becoming familiar with how the game plays, I think it would be more helpful to make mechanics of ZOC a bit more transparent.

Three, I assumed that since the company that made this game figured out how to include an undo button for a patch to another of their games that they could also figure out how to do it for this one. I'm assuming they run on the same game engine, so I could be wrong. As to whether Slitherine would devote resources to adding an undo button to a game that is years old now is another question and one that will be settled by economics. Slitherine does not engage in DLC for cash, I'm wondering if folks would pay for improvements to the base game?

Regards

[gsmart04]

I wouldn't want to pay for fixes but I'd be glad to pay for new content or features.

[Kragdob]

Undo could be done for movement only and available only untill next unit is selected. If you discover any hex with FoW then undo would not be possible.

This could at least allow for some mind-changing during the turn.

What I miss in the game is also possibility of selecting units that already were activated and enemy units. Although this can be done now if you are fast enough.

[gchristie]

After thinking on pk867's post I don't think an undo button is what is needed. Rather, a way to make ZOC a bit more transparent would be preferred.

Either of the following would help.

Allowing the player to reselect a unit. Say my inf corps destroys a unit and can enter the vacant hex but I'd rather select an adjacent unit to enter the hex to exploit the opening. But none of them can enter the hex so we should be able to reselect the attacking unit and order it to move into the hex. Never understood why we loose contact with a unit when we click on another.

Or the illumination of units that could move into a hex vacated by the enemy.While I still have the attacking inf corps selected the nearby units that could enter the hex are temporarily illuminated in some way (similar to the way a commanders influence is now portrayed with a colored outline of the units he commands). I then know if it's possible to exploit the gap or not and can make a better informed decision. Once I take my "finger" off of the inf corps I can't reselect it.

While I'm at it it would be great if the player can choose some or all of the tech upgrades that a unit is eligible for, rather than the all or nothing decision. Sometimes I want the AT upgrade for armor but not the oil consuming upgrades.

Consider this my letter to Santa

Regards.

[pk867]

The decision to enter a hex after combat for the unit that made the attack comes from way back since the early board game versions. So it is use it or lose it.

I have done that many times I clear a hex and have to decide to take the hex or leave it empty. It goes back to what was the original battle plan for that area.

Is it to destroy and capture territory or just drain the enemy. As far as upgrading it would be nice, but your example of just wanting the anti-tank upgrade would mean a different model or more armor. So more armor means more oil consumption to travel the same combat radius as before.

I know that is simplistic, but the game is to allow playability without getting into a supply consumption nightmare. There are always trade-offs.