Game impressions

[nikivdd]

I purchased the game on day one of its release but, unfortunately, i was only able to play on and off. Hence the fact that i have only 18 hours of gameplay till today. Even so, it seems to be enough to form an opinion about Order of Battle: Pacific. Still, i guess that Order of Battle should suffice, just in case you guys take further paid additions to a different theatre of war.
The boot camp was fun. It appears to be a series of well designed tutorials, providing enough information to assist the player in both campaigns.
Here is my personal list of what i find really great about the game.
- Unit traits
- Action packed scenarios (blowing up bridges is cool)
- Unit graphics (give Bebro a pay raise!)
- Mass attack bonus
- Supply system
- The heavily underrated theatre of war: the Pacific with the US and Japanese campaigns. Justice has finally been served!
- The amount of units
- Ships in one's army core (finally!)
- The price of the game
- The animations keep blowing me away
- What-if scenarios are included, but not overdone
- A great game engine, able to offer variety in scenario objectives.
- Mod integration

The only thing what i do miss: when ship A fires on ship B and ship A is in range of ship B, ship B should return fire in the same turn. Naturally, this is only a minor thingie.

Sorry, there is really nothing negative i can say about the game. Frankly, i am afraid to learn how to use the scenario editor

Personally, OOB is the best game i purchased this year.

[BiteNibbleChomp]

Personally, OOB is the best game i purchased this year.

I think you mean to say best game of all time!

- BNC

[bebro]

Glad you like it And I agree with your proposal....

[adherbal]

Happy to hear. And yes, many different expansions are still planned - including some often overlooked theatres of war

In the next patch, we're changing the campaign selection screen to prepare for future content :

[calmhatchery]

great!!!! When can we expect new patch and MORNING SUN? november I know but exactly which date?

[nikivdd]

Happy to hear. And yes, many different expansions are still planned - including some often overlooked theatres of war

In the next patch, we're changing the campaign selection screen to prepare for future content :

Smart move!

Although i am eagerly looking forward to future content, i sincerely hope that community ideas for possible expansions will be taken into consideration.
Don't get me wrong, i am overly thrilled by the current content, but an elaborate Desert Fox campaign would be a dream come true

[Shards]

Also, we're still accepting applications for the Morning Sun Beta test

http://www.slitherine.com/beta_test

[KeinGeneral]

Although employees praise a game in the skies, you do not always join the fun. So also here.
In my opinion, Panzer Corps is the better game, and if you want to play the Pacific, the SSI classic "Pazific Admiral" is many times better. Here's a comparison of what is better in the other games:

Panzer Corps

+ Fast loading scenarios / savegames
+ An editor in German, easy to use
+ Realistic fights, destruction information Vedas respected
+ Units are workable
+ Inadvertent made coatings can be withdrawn (undo button)
+ Game as saving and loading with name + keyboard possible
+ Artillery can proceed and shoot a hex field


OOB - Pazific

- charging takes up to one minute
- only in English, much remains for German speaking a secret
- 4 aircraft do not make it, shoot / Infantrie a flier to destroy off another unit / tanks, etc
- Changes units are not stored or transferred
- this function is missing completely, you must Scores prestore
- only F5 + F8 as QuickSafe - or load possible, no writing in GameSave folder
- Artillery can not shoot by Movement

These are only the most important juxtapositions. Below are a few things that I found from the time of bewunderndswert SSI Pazific Admiral:

+ Start of all flight units of aircraft carriers / Airfield (there was never a landing needed refueling was carried out as in Panzer Corps)
+ Different loss models (eg submarine to hit fire in the battery compartment, aircraft carrier elevator etc for Hangar TT)
+ Total of 4 campaigns (2 x 2 x + Ami Japan, here the peculiarity, it starts in China and divided later in the Pacific or further west)
+ International troops longer in use (for Australians Americans Eisatz in Guadalcanal)

So, I hope you're not angry that I was not as limitless parts as you nikivdd your euphoria ... but I'm on the other side where we know each other never has been.

Greetings Andreas

[adherbal]

Although i am eagerly looking forward to future content, i sincerely hope that community ideas for possible expansions will be taken into consideration.
Don't get me wrong, i am overly thrilled by the current content, but an elaborate Desert Fox campaign would be a dream come true

Can't be too specific yet but it's no secret that we plan to cover the whole of WW2 with the Order of Battle engine. Eventually that campaign selection map should fill out nicely

4 expansions are scheduled to complete early next year so hopefully it won't take us too to include these additional nations & theatres either!

[nikivdd]

Although employees praise a game in the skies, you do not always join the fun.

So, I hope you're not angry that I was not as limitless parts as you nikivdd your euphoria ... but I'm on the other side where we know each other never has been.

Greetings Andreas

It is not because i have a contract with Slitherine (not Aristocrats or TheLordz), that i am praising every game published by Slitherine.
My expressed opinion of OOB is strictly personal and not commercially intended.

[KeinGeneral]

Although employees praise a game in the skies, you do not always join the fun.

So, I hope you're not angry that I was not as limitless parts as you nikivdd your euphoria ... but I'm on the other side where we know each other never has been.

Greetings Andreas

It is not because i have a contract with Slitherine (not Aristocrats or TheLordz), that i am praising every game published by Slitherine.
My expressed opinion of OOB is strictly personal and not commercially intended.

Without wanting to attack you, but employees (whether at Aristocrats or TheLordz or Slitherine) the negative remarks are proposed wherever never liked to see in the world. Please keep that in focus.

More I will not say, I do not like litigations.

[obionekenobi]

I just want to encourage the ones responsible for developing this game!

It has in my opinion the potential to be better than Panzer Corps. People care about historical accurate battles and units. They also care about the manner in how it was done in regards to supply and unit efficiency. A few very general impressions; I do think unit experience/commanders should be buffed a bit in order to create a bit of "super units", because it feels great for most players in campaign mode. In order to balance the game, instead throw in an unrealistic high number of opposing units in the later scenarios especially at higher difficulities. Or allow deployment of elite units only in parts of the scenario. That also feels rewarding to beat! In the later stages of a campaign, maybe give options as to go into a very challenging scenario right in the troat of the opponent or an easier scenario with an option later to get to the "final scenario". This was fun in Panzer General, and increases replay value. The best parts about "Order of battle Pacfic" (not very offending title, which is good) are the very accurate historic feel of the scenarios, the great supply mechanism that allows for encirclements of units to be effective along with the exiting struggle for a foothold on the beaches. and the pretty accurate historic unit strength/weakness display. Also how long it takes to defeat units. In PG/PC you can blow units up in no time, which does neglect the feel that the battle is a struggle. Good work also in making the allied campaign challenging when it comes to getting enough resources, but then again with great unit upgrades. The japanese campaign is, as several has mentioned, easier and more exploitable. I should perhaps try it at high/very high difficulity, just the 12/14 instead of 10 health points for units didnt feel very encouraging to start with. I rather would have liked the AI to have more resources or more units. The polishing of the game (= minor details in gameplay) is of my opionion very good, the timing in which units appear/disappear for instance is very on point! Keep up the good work, great expansions ahead i guess!

[obionekenobi]

Just a few comments about game balance: I got hooked on the game and replayed scenarios and campaigns because i like to be a perfectionist. The naval battles are after a while too easy, because opposing naval vessels have to get into your defensive set up forces to approach you. Then you can pick them off one by one by never leting them get too close. Same goes with aircraft attacks. Just retreat and pick them off with numbers. When it comes to land battles, you can just be patient retreat and not loose units. The key is to get the opponents knackered by artillery/naval ships/strategic bombers and just pick them off one by one. I guess that is pretty realistic. If the AI did the same with plenty of artillery, it would be a nightmare! Encirlclement is really an art, and a great aspect to the game. It is really hard to exploit air supremacy in this game, good work. It is/was not always so in PG/PC. I do think the mobile heavy artillery is one of the most overpowered units in the game right now, a bit too easy to get into position/range. The secondary objectives is a great idea, let some of them be really hard to accomplish. I managed to get them all (almost), but not the first time playing! I applied to beta test the coming expansion (average jo in that sense )

[KeinGeneral]

I just want to encourage the ones responsible for developing this game!

It has in my opinion the potential to be better than Panzer Corps. People care about historical accurate battles and units. They also care about the manner in how it was done in regards to supply and unit efficiency. A few very general impressions; I do think unit experience/commanders should be buffed a bit in order to create a bit of "super units", because it feels great for most players in campaign mode. In order to balance the game, instead throw in an unrealistic high number of opposing units in the later scenarios especially at higher difficulities. Or allow deployment of elite units only in parts of the scenario. That also feels rewarding to beat! In the later stages of a campaign, maybe give options as to go into a very challenging scenario right in the troat of the opponent or an easier scenario with an option later to get to the "final scenario". This was fun in Panzer General, and increases replay value. The best parts about "Order of battle Pacfic" (not very offending title, which is good) are the very accurate historic feel of the scenarios, the great supply mechanism that allows for encirclements of units to be effective along with the exiting struggle for a foothold on the beaches. and the pretty accurate historic unit strength/weakness display. Also how long it takes to defeat units. In PG/PC you can blow units up in no time, which does neglect the feel that the battle is a struggle. Good work also in making the allied campaign challenging when it comes to getting enough resources, but then again with great unit upgrades. The japanese campaign is, as several has mentioned, easier and more exploitable. I should perhaps try it at high/very high difficulity, just the 12/14 instead of 10 health points for units didnt feel very encouraging to start with. I rather would have liked the AI to have more resources or more units. The polishing of the game (= minor details in gameplay) is of my opionion very good, the timing in which units appear/disappear for instance is very on point! Keep up the good work, great expansions ahead i guess!

Na na, not too much euphoria. Even with the OOB battles are not historical (Japanese campaign;-)), and if you look over must fret that the AI cheat one, because the destruction is wrong, you should cut back. And nothing else I'm doing here !!

[Mercutio]

I went back to Panzer Corp for a few games and I found it very easy and scenarios very fast to complete. I was easily able to destroy units with a couple of moves, didn't have to worry about supply, etc. I like that you have to land planes to refuel! How in the world have one airfield refuel up to 7 planes and none of them land! Really the only thing I miss is artillery supporting the defense of units next to it. However, even that was able to be gamed be drawing artillery fire on units it wouldn't do much to to wipe out the ammo and then attack with units that would have been hurt!

IMO, OOB takes more time to think about how to "break through". It is harder to gain XP levels for units, perhaps too hard. Overall it is better IMO. Naval and Air combat could be a bit better though.

As I said, I went back to PzC 39 campaign with the idea of going through it and the 40 to get Sea Lion. After about 4 battles, I became a bit bored. I do think OOB should scale the campaign based on difficulty and the quality of your units. If you do well enough early (first 4-5 scenarios) you can steam role the rest as you have lots of good units and lots of RPs. Perhaps an option for that?

So I have to respectfully disagree on a new game that is still evolving vs a game that is rather complete and not much different than the original from the 90's. This game, to me, is already better in many respects and will continue to get better.

Cheers

[Rood]

Can't be too specific yet but it's no secret that we plan to cover the whole of WW2 with the Order of Battle engine. Eventually that campaign selection map should fill out nicely

4 expansions are scheduled to complete early next year so hopefully it won't take us too to include these additional nations & theatres either!

Good, then I have something to look forward to! The OoB engine pretty much incorporates all the wishes I had for the PzC engine (and I do love that game!).

[edward77]

From my experience OB is better than PC in detail, realism, supply and less restriction on the number of units. Its a very good game. However before any further expansions Slitherine should deliver what was claimed on the back of the box.
"An extensive user friendly in-game scenario editor with a what-you-see -is-what-you-get-design."
Where is it? There was vitually nothing in the Game Manual about the editor, just a reference to this site! One of the major factors that help the longevity of a game is the quality and ease of use of the editor eg TOAW or Campaign Series because it promotes creative design of many more scenarios. A detailed easy to use Editor manual is required. Please give this No1 priority and deliver what was advertised.

[bebro]

It's there already, easily accessible by pressing the button labeled "Editor" ( ) in the game's main menu. This editor has been used to create all the scenarios in the game (and in future DLCs).

There is not much of an extra documentation for this editor yet, but many things are self-explaining, and if you run into a problem a simple question in the modding forum should be enough so that we can provide help.

[BiteNibbleChomp]

From my experience OB is better than PC in detail, realism, supply and less restriction on the number of units. Its a very good game. However before any further expansions Slitherine should deliver what was claimed on the back of the box.
"An extensive user friendly in-game scenario editor with a what-you-see -is-what-you-get-design."
Where is it? There was vitually nothing in the Game Manual about the editor, just a reference to this site! One of the major factors that help the longevity of a game is the quality and ease of use of the editor eg TOAW or Campaign Series because it promotes creative design of many more scenarios. A detailed easy to use Editor manual is required. Please give this No1 priority and deliver what was advertised.

Uran21 has also created a very good guide to how to use the editor.

viewtopic.php?f=374&t=67313

I think that satisfies the requirements of the back of the box, alongside the editor itself.

- BNC

[edward77]

Ok Fair enough but I still think that a full procedural tutorial using all the features available on creating a scenario would be very beneficial. I do agree that the map creation by generating the template.jpg is excellent. Here are a few questions please. Suppose all units have been placed and renamed but you wish to move them back or forwards slightly. How can you do this quickly without starting all over again? Is it better to put fighters and bombers in differnt AI teams? How do you set up units to enter at specific turns? Playing as human US in Leyte, how do some of the US AI blue units become human units on specific turns? Anyway thanks for the info.