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Some notes on the dev diary
Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 1:26 pm
by Patrick Ward
Quick note about the latest dev diary to address some points. Thought I'd put it here as there seems to be a few different diary threads.
I won't be drawn further as I don't fully know the announcement schedule and don't want to ruin any surprises.
Plus I'm usually as subtle and diplomatic as a swinging house brick so being a public face for PzC would be ill advised.
1. The infantry model is standin and huge. We currently have no infantry in the game. They will obviously be there but we just don't have the models or animations in yet.
2. You've only seen 5 models and we've still got months before we have the full complement.
3. Dev Diary 1 is about gameplay, not graphics, and the illustrations have been mocked up to illustrate a gameplay concept.
4. Other than that the illustrations just happen to show .. 1 un-representative standin model, 5 unfinished units with only one skin, a small subset of one type of terrain, 1 season, 1 type of weather, an old converted PzC1 map, 2 camera angles and first pass UI. It's pre Alpha which frankly can mean anything.
5. Relative unit scaling will be done when we have all the units.
6. We do listen to and consider constructive feedback presented in a thoughtful, intelligent and respectful manner.
7. It WILL change because its not where we want it to be yet.
Re: Some notes on the dev diary
Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 5:36 pm
by kondi754
Patrick Ward wrote: ↑Fri Jul 20, 2018 1:26 pm
Quick note about the latest dev diary to address some points. Thought I'd put it here as there seems to be a few different diary threads.
I won't be drawn further as I don't fully know the announcement schedule and don't want to ruin any surprises.
Plus I'm usually as subtle and diplomatic as a swinging house brick so being a public face for PzC would be ill advised.
1. The infantry model is standin and huge. We currently have no infantry in the game. They will obviously be there but we just don't have the models or animations in yet.
2. You've only seen 5 models and we've still got months before we have the full complement.
3. Dev Diary 1 is about gameplay, not graphics, and the illustrations have been mocked up to illustrate a gameplay concept.
4. Other than that the illustrations just happen to show .. 1 un-representative standin model, 5 unfinished units with only one skin, a small subset of one type of terrain, 1 season, 1 type of weather, an old converted PzC1 map, 2 camera angles and first pass UI. It's pre Alpha which frankly can mean anything.
5. Relative unit scaling will be done when we have all the units.
6. We do listen to and consider constructive feedback presented in a thoughtful, intelligent and respectful manner.
7. It WILL change because its not where we want it to be yet.
Ok, this is a fair approach to the problem
Honestly,
after a year and a half I'm more interested in graphics than gameplay
Despite this, I'm glad that someone wrote back straight away, without delicacy and diplomacy, which bring nothing
Re: Some notes on the dev diary
Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 12:47 am
by Rudankort
Well, as the saying goes -
The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Flashback Games or Slitherine. 
I won't comment on each and every point, just wanted to clarify that the images included with the first dev diary are definitely not mockups, but real screenshots made from the real game, and that all functionality shown in those images is implemented and working. And although there is still a lot of work for us to do, even more is already done, and the next dev diaries, which will be released regularly from now on, will hopefully demonstrate this. With each new release of information and materials, the game will gradually unfold to you guys, and soon the entire scope of the project will become clear. Stay tuned.
Re: Some notes on the dev diary
Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 3:03 pm
by huckc
5. Relative unit scaling will be done when we have all the units.
That would be great if this includes scaling to unit strength and will help tremendously with visual clarity, actually beating out 2D in that regard, which is only reflected in the strength plate. So a unit at 5 strength will be rendered differently than a unit at 10 strength.
Re: Some notes on the dev diary
Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 8:43 am
by IainMcNeil
huckc wrote: ↑Sun Jul 22, 2018 3:03 pm
5. Relative unit scaling will be done when we have all the units.
That would be great if this includes scaling to unit strength and will help tremendously with visual clarity, actually beating out 2D in that regard, which is only reflected in the strength plate. So a unit at 5 strength will be rendered differently than a unit at 10 strength.
Its an interesting idea but I dont think this would work. Your Tiger II would be smaller than Pz IV depending on its strength making the whole thing very confusing. Units would shrink as they take damage. I really don't see that looking good.
Re: Some notes on the dev diary
Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 4:45 pm
by James Taylor
No but you could do it with multiple images. Let's say two big tanks represent 10 or max strength. Then one large with 4 small =9. Once you get below 5/half strength then you have the smaller multiples representing the strength.
Of course you'd have to make an allowance for the over strength images, 3 large for 15.
Re: Some notes on the dev diary
Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 7:51 pm
by sn0wball
James Taylor wrote: ↑Mon Jul 23, 2018 4:45 pm
No but you could do it with multiple images. Let's say two big tanks represent 10 or max strength. Then one large with 4 small =9. Once you get below 5/half strength then you have the smaller multiples representing the strength.
Of course you'd have to make an allowance for the over strength images, 3 large for 15.
As a miniatures gamer, I would say that ideally one unit icon equals one strength point. But this would make it probably hard to differentiate between Str 5 and 8 ...
Re: Some notes on the dev diary
Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 10:55 pm
by James Taylor
Now, with the large & small icons, you can get really revolutionary with PC and make it a truly new iteration of the product by forming battlegroups with different levels of combat characteristics.
Say you start with a heavy infantry group, the large icon, strength = 5. Now you can add the support groups, small icons, tanks(one or more), anti-tanks, anti-air, artillery(mortars, for more mobility), etc. The hex is the holder for these various configured KGs and displays different combat capabilities according to the mix.
Take this a step further, when clicking on that BG/KG hex, you get a subscreen to arrange your icons in different echelons, facings with different initiatives, the ones in front take the first casualties before retreating(as an example for combat results).