What's the NEXT Commander after this one?

[nimblebooks]

My votes:

American Civil War
WW2 in the Pacific
Modern day/near future

[adherbal]

I can't tell you that officially, but I can tell you we're psyched to continue the series and the CTGW engine - after over 2 years of hard work - is now very flexible to deal with any new theme with only a reasonable amount of extra work.

Interested to hear what people would like to see next though.

[Aryaman]

Unless the game scale is radically changed, or maybe an ingame battyle system is added (which would be great)I think preWW1 scenarios are ill suited, you would have artillery with several Kms of range and battlefronts many miles long, maybe the FrancoPrussian war could still be portrayed, but I doubt the ACW can.

[adherbal]

Artillery in CTGW represents the massive artillery concentrations used to open offensives in WW1. Its unlikely we'd keep this unit in a post or pre WW1 setting. CEAW included artillery technology as part of infantry unit upgrades.

[alex0809]

I think another Napoleonic War game would be great, because I didn't really like the first Commander that played during the Napoleonic Wars. But if done right, it would be awesome! However, I also think that with this war we need a really good diplomacy system, because alliances changed so often and there were so many coalitions... it wouldn't really be good to do all that with events and such. Of course, I don't know how diplomacy is in CGW. But I imagine it will be very basic - not that WW1 requires much more.

[Samhain]

The Pacific Front of WW2 would be a good idea or even WW2 on a worldwide scale.

[TheGrayMouser]

I think another Napoleonic War game would be great, because I didn't really like the first Commander that played during the Napoleonic Wars. But if done right, it would be awesome! However, I also think that with this war we need a really good diplomacy system, because alliances changed so often and there were so many coalitions... it wouldn't really be good to do all that with events and such. Of course, I don't know how diplomacy is in CGW. But I imagine it will be very basic - not that WW1 requires much more.

Id like to see a "redo" of the napoleonic era with this new engine, and at the same scale. Add more minor countries, diplomacy and and Editor and it would be a buy. I dont mind the abstractions so much with artillery shooting 40km, however it seems the engine could be tweaked to have each unit be a Corp. Things beyond the organic euqipment could be added to each unit like an "attachment", ie artillery , a regiment of riflmen etc, squadron of lancers to a heavy cavalry corp. Might satisfy both types of players.

[adherbal]

While creating the CTGW game engine we kept other themes in mind like Napoleonic and WW2. On of the things we did is create "alliances" rather than just having 2 sides. This was done to allow for example a 3rd "Ottoman Empire" Alliance in a Napoleonic game that is at war with both France & Coalition alliances. This was impossible in the original Commander engine.

PS: We did not design the previous Commander Napoleon at War. We were only contracted to do the sound, music & artwork. Personally I wasn't very happy with the game's design - and in hindsight, not even by our own artwork. But lessons learned!

[OmegaMan1]

Id like to see a "redo" of the napoleonic era with this new engine, and at the same scale.

+1

[alex0809]

That's good to head adherbal. I just HAVE to use this chance to ask about modding - could modders for example create a completely new scenario in a completely different time with CGW?

[nimblebooks]

[quote="TheGrayMouser"][quote="alex0809"]I think another Napoleonic War game would be great, because I didn't really like the first Commander that played during the Napoleonic Wars. But if done right, it would be awesome! However, I also think that with this war we need a really good diplomacy system, because alliances changed so often and there were so many coalitions... it wouldn't really be good to do all that with events and such. Of course, I don't know how diplomacy is in CGW. But I imagine it will be very basic - not that WW1 requires much more.[/quote]

Id like to see a "redo" of the napoleonic era with this new engine, and at the same scale. Add more minor countries, diplomacy and and Editor and it would be a buy. I dont mind the abstractions so much with artillery shooting 40km, however it seems the engine could be tweaked to have each unit be a Corp. Things beyond the organic euqipment could be added to each unit like an "attachment", ie artillery , a regiment of riflmen etc, squadron of lancers to a heavy cavalry corp. Might satisfy both types of players.[/quote]

I have to say -1 on Napoleonic since I just bought Commander Napoleon. I am really glad you guys did the Great War. Sometimes it seems as if wargamers only care about WW2 and Napoleon. Please do something at least moderately different for Commander IV. I really want to see a modern era 1950-2025 global scale game. aircav! nuclear subs with unlimited speed! cruise missiles! IEDs! c'mon ...

[adherbal]

That's good to head adherbal. I just HAVE to use this chance to ask about modding - could modders for example create a completely new scenario in a completely different time with CGW?

Yes. In fact we are considering to put some limitations on the engine's moddability because its flexibility is a bit scary. It certainly is a lot of work, but technically you can create almost any type of hexagonal wargame with this engine. Which is good for modders but we'd still like to make a living too

Sometimes it seems as if wargamers only care about WW2 and Napoleon.

Napoleon? Really? AFAIK the amount of wargames using that theme is quite limited.

I really want to see a modern era 1950-2025 global scale game.

Sounds like a bit too big of a timescale for the current Commander design. One turn would have to represent ~6 months or it would take forever. Not to mention the changing of nations etc over such a long period of time.

I'd like to do a Cold War Commander some day though, semi historical (what-if) semi fantasy. Never going as far as adding attack Dolphins etc but some "might have worked" technologies etc. And of course including a Hell March inspired soundtrack

[nimblebooks]

[quote]
Sounds like a bit too big of a timescale for the current Commander design. One turn would have to represent ~6 months or it would take forever. Not to mention the changing of nations etc over such a long period of time.

I'd like to do a Cold War Commander some day though, semi historical (what-if) semi fantasy. Never going as far as adding attack Dolphins etc but some "might have worked" technologies etc. And of course including a [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tb-gI_pFog0]Hell March[/url] inspired soundtrack [/quote]

no, I meant with the 20 day scale, but lots of multiyear scenarios ... ww3 starting with Dr. Strangelove (1962-1964), starting with Fulda Gap (1982-1985), GWOT 2001-2012, Pacific Pivot 2015-2019, etc.

[alex0809]

Yes. In fact we are considering to put some limitations on the engine's moddability because its flexibility is a bit scary. It certainly is a lot of work, but technically you can create almost any type of hexagonal wargame with this engine. Which is good for modders but we'd still like to make a living too

That's great to hear. I don't think making any game moddable would decrease sales. Contrary to that, actually. For example, if someone makes a mod about Napoleonic Warfare, people that are not so interested in World War 1 might still buy this game

[adherbal]

if someone makes a mod about Napoleonic Warfare, people that are not so interested in World War 1 might still buy this game

Yeah, but not necessarily our Napoleonic game is we later decided to make one too.

[alex0809]

Hm, I can't argue with you about this since you do have a point. This is highly hypothetical anyway, I doubt that any mod released would reach a quality that is close to a release from you - We're talking about a rather niche game here.

But I can tell you that making this game completely moddable would be a great move from your side, and I am sure many people would appreciate it.

[Aryaman]

While creating the CTGW game engine we kept other themes in mind like Napoleonic and WW2. On of the things we did is create "alliances" rather than just having 2 sides. This was done to allow for example a 3rd "Ottoman Empire" Alliance in a Napoleonic game that is at war with both France & Coalition alliances. This was impossible in the original Commander engine.

PS: We did not design the previous Commander Napoleon at War. We were only contracted to do the sound, music & artwork. Personally I wasn't very happy with the game's design - and in hindsight, not even by our own artwork. But lessons learned!

For me the problem in a Napoleonic scenario would not be diplomacy, which is complicated but still workable with the present game engine, but warfare itself. Since units can´t be stacked and they are not container units but fixed units the Strategic level of Napoleonic warfare would be pretty much impossible to represent, players would end up with units extending on a long front WW1 or WW2 like, while Napoleonic battles were fought in what would be a single hex in the strategic map.
OTOH the game engine is very well suited to represent tactical battles, just with minor changes.
So, the ideal would be a Napoleonic game with 2 layers, one strategic (with a modified game engine) and another tactic. If that is accomplished any period could then be represented (ACw, Ancients...)

[Aryaman]

Hm, I can't argue with you about this since you do have a point. This is highly hypothetical anyway, I doubt that any mod released would reach a quality that is close to a release from you - We're talking about a rather niche game here.

But I can tell you that making this game completely moddable would be a great move from your side, and I am sure many people would appreciate it.

Instead of masking moddable youcould sell a complete game editor. That would atract many buyers, that was the secret of TOAW and its long existance, amny people enjoy just building scenarios that some times would never be played (myself, for instance)

[IainMcNeil]

It's a little early to talk about what's next. Let's get this game out and then we can look to the future

[anguille]

I'd love to see such a game set in the Antics...

Another option would the civil war...