Factions and Sides.

[syagrius]

Okay thanks for the info. Any clues for a release date?

[Redpossum]

Would have been great to include Japan and the Pacific-Asian theater in the game, like in Hearts of Iron which is global. Maybe it will be for a sequel?

The game is currently an amazing huge 150x72 hexes so we could not include any more regions for this version. Future versions of the Commander series will depend on how well this first one goes. Ofcourse, including the Pacific theatre would mean we have to change the scale of the hexes because else we would get a roughly 1000x500 hex game which is way too large.

Really, and that wouldn't even include Alpha Centauri

[SMK-at-work]

I think they should shoot for the moon before trying AC!!

[Redpossum]

Oh yeah, obviously. A moonbase with developed industry would be necessary to construction of an AC project.

[syagrius]

Maybe it has been raised in another thread but I want to know, does the units will be different for each country in a faction. Like Romanian, Italian, Hungarian troops etc.. in Axis, and British, Canadian, Free French, US etc.. on the allied side? I hope it is not "standard" units for each faction and that there is going to be national units.

[firepowerjohan]

Maybe it has been raised in another thread but I want to know, does the units will be different for each country in a faction. Like Romanian, Italian, Hungarian troops etc.. in Axis, and British, Canadian, Free French, US etc.. on the allied side? I hope it is not "standard" units for each faction and that there is going to be national units.

The stats of national units differ from technology. Organisation technology increases the max effecftiveness of units. Germany start in 1939 at high Organisation tech level meaning they will have slightly better units than UK and USA, better units than France and much better than USSR, Poland or neutral nations.

By adjusting the cost for Organisation technology, we could make it VERY expensive if we want that gap to be kept thorughout the entire game.

The looks of units are divided factionwise so a German tank look different than for instance a USSR tank while a UK tank will look the same as a French tank and a US tank.

[syagrius]

Yeah I noticed on the screenshots that a French light tank is in fact a british Matilda. Come on guys, Panzer General add different sprites for each model of tanks and planes, you could at least use different sprites between countries of the same faction. It would add a lot to the game.

[IainMcNeil]

This sounds nice on paper, but what do you do for high tech level French tanks, or aircraft? These never existed so you would have to make something up. By sharing units within the faction we can get a good spread that covers all the tech levels. Of course there are other solutions, but this is the one we've decided to go with

[Redpossum]

Good point. After 1940, all the Free French units used British or US equipment.

[syagrius]

Yeah, I can understand the logic behind your decision. However it would had been nice to have Spitfires XIV and Cromwells or Churchill sprites for the British in 1945 and Mustangs and Shermans A4 for the US

[Redpossum]

But if you're just using a tiny icon, how many people can tell the difference between a Sherman A4 and a base model Sherman?

[syagrius]

But if you're just using a tiny icon, how many people can tell the difference between a Sherman A4 and a base model Sherman?

Have you ever played or see Panzer General? There was sprites for every models of tanks, planes for each country etc..Exemple for the germans you had sprites for Panzer mark I to IV, Panther, Tiger, King Tiger etc.. I don't expect so much variety for CEaW, however I would appreciated that the British had a british tank sprites, US a US tanks sprites, French a french tank sprites and so on. How is it right now is that the Allies will have one sprite for tanks and same for the german.

[IainMcNeil]

There is more than one sprite per side, but they change with tech level. The problem with Italian & French sides was coming up with a tech progression (it's basically impossible as they did not exist) so we decided to merge them in with sides that had more appropriate progression.

[syagrius]

There is more than one sprite per side, but they change with tech level. The problem with Italian & French sides was coming up with a tech progression (it's basically impossible as they did not exist) so we decided to merge them in with sides that had more appropriate progression.

Yes I understand, however on the screenshots we see French tank corps with a British Matilda sprite. Is it because it is not at the beginning of the war? However I think that its a good thing having more than one sprite per side. It adds a lot of flavour and I dont think it is something very difficult to implement in a game.

[IainMcNeil]

Ok - we'll see what we can do

[syagrius]

Ok - we'll see what we can do

Hey thanks a lot guys for the fast feedback. Dont take my comments as negative criticism, its just I want to make personnal suggestions to make what appears to be a great game into the perfect WWII experience for me

[Redpossum]

But if you're just using a tiny icon, how many people can tell the difference between a Sherman A4 and a base model Sherman?

Have you ever played or see Panzer General? There was sprites for every models of tanks, planes for each country etc..Exemple for the germans you had sprites for Panzer mark I to IV, Panther, Tiger, King Tiger etc.. I don't expect so much variety for CEaW, however I would appreciated that the British had a british tank sprites, US a US tanks sprites, French a french tank sprites and so on. How is it right now is that the Allies will have one sprite for tanks and same for the german.

Hehe, yeah. I played PG to death, back in the day. And since we've been talking about CEAW, I actually broke PG out and played it some more. It's still a hella fun game

But I stick to my point about a Sherman and a Sherman-A4 looking close enough in profile that you'd have to be an expert to tell the difference, when rendered as an icon that small.

Yes, the difference in barrel length would be noticeable in a full life-sized profile, but that's a different matter.

[vypuero]

May I suggest that higher tech units be of factional nature, while the starting tech units can be used for the others. The reason would be very simple, the fact is that for the French, they had their at-start units, and once they got into the late war they only had US equipment or British. The British and US shared a lot of equipment so you can probably be ok sharing their units, though it would be better to have independent units in my mind. Italy, had they lasted past 1943, would most likely have used german equipment anyway, except perhaps for some of their better aircraft. The same is even more true of the minor nations. I am ignorant though of the exact nature of the higher tech and how that works, though. However, more variety is always better if it is feasable - just use all historical unit types. Here is an example: Italy - Start with CV33 Tank, then can get the M13-M14 types, and after that german units. Tactical Air could be the SM.79, Strategic Air the BR.20 or maybe later Z.1007, fighters could go from Cr.42 to MC.202 and even later the MC.205 or the Me-109G.

[IainMcNeil]

That is definitely the approach we'll use if we do decide to add in French & Italian units.

[syagrius]

You definetely should include French and Italian units, flavour is what sometimes make the difference between a good and a great game!!