First Impressions????

Team Assault is a 3D turn based tactical game where players fight in close combat action at a squad level.

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Lannes
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Re: First Impressions????

Post by Lannes »

A small question, it's not possible to save a game in skirmish mode ?

or I have not seen
Christophe


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Xerkis
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Re: First Impressions????

Post by Xerkis »

Lannes wrote:A small question, it's not possible to save a game in skirmish mode ?

or I have not seen
The game auto saves for you at the end of each round.
If you want to keep that file, just copy it off to a new name. it can be found in ......My Games\Team Assault\Levels\(SAVE) Player ....
Lannes
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Re: First Impressions????

Post by Lannes »

ah oki

Thanks Xerkis

my name is "LA TAUPE" :D :D
Christophe


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bongokid
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Re: First Impressions????

Post by bongokid »

I just bought 2 copies for me and my bro.

Perfect game for a relaxed saturday morning competition !

I really hope the sales are enough to trigger further development.

Congrats to the devs !

Cheers

Bongokid
Xerkis
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Re: First Impressions????

Post by Xerkis »

bongokid wrote:I really hope the sales are enough to trigger further development.
I so hope that too.
I want to see this expand in to so many other areas of operations / time periods / etc.
:D
alex0809
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Re: First Impressions????

Post by alex0809 »

I really think the lobby system needs a lot of improvement...
- refreshing times are very long (between 10 and 20 seconds), I don't know how your system works, but couldn't you make it so it already shows the ones it has found and still continues searching for more servers?
- after a game you are thrown to the main menu?? that is really not cool
- could you show active games, just so one knows eg. if a game someone opened is not open anymore or already in game and so you know how many players are active in general
- something like a lobby chat (and showing other online players not in a game) might be very useful
- going to the options screen seems to close your current open game?

Just some things I noticed. The game itself I still really like, I just hope some players stick to the game and continue playing it.
gunnergoz1
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Re: First Impressions????

Post by gunnergoz1 »

My first impressions are less than positive, unfortunately. The game mechanics totally elude me, and I've been playing computer games for 20+ years, including most all of the tactical turn based games. This game's controls are byzantine and far from intuitive. Repeated tries on small maps fail to give me a sense of what it is I have to do to properly direct the troops. The squads bunch up so much and the cover is so spread out that they are easy targets. The documentation fails to tell you many details that would ease the transition to this paradigm. For instance it was only from reading a post on another forum that I figured out that I could either move or shoot, but not both...yet I see the AI troops do this all the time. Maybe I'm not understanding the phasing of the game, but the lack of decent documentation does not help one bit. It strikes me that this has been in development for well over a year, and yet no one has seen fit to come out with a really coherent and comprehensive manual. Sure there are little videos and a web page, but frankly, they did not help me one bit. I start the game and sit there wondering what the heck is happening. And that is just the gameplay aspect, I'm not even going to detail the numerous military and technical gaffes in the game. I realize $20 is not much to pay for a game these days, but I really feel like this one was designed by well-intentioned people from another planet... Sorry, I cannot recommend it and it will likely leave my HD soon if I can't get the game mechanics enough to enjoy the expenditure of time.
Xerkis
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Re: First Impressions????

Post by Xerkis »

@ Gunnergoz1

Try watching the tutorial videos, they a very well done and have helped many on how the game works and what to do.

But basically in the standard game play you are trying to capture Control Points. For every Control Point you have captured over your enemy at the end of a round your enemy will lose 10 points. First side down to zero points lost the game.

Bunching up is only because that is how you are placing your men. You click each individual soldier where to walk / run to – so they can be as bunched up or spread out as much as you decided them to be. Within reason – which is the Command Circle that you see around the soldier’s placement “ghost” when you click where you want him to go.

Space-bar is the go to key. It confirms the command you just gave and puts it in to action and also will zip the camera to where the enemy action is or to where your active squad is on the map,

You can move and shoot – if the movement is walk and not run. You have to toggle between the two before you start the movement of the first man in the squad – if the first one runs, then they all run. If you run, then that is all you can do for that squad that round. But if you walk you will be able to shot at the end of the walk – but at a lot less accurate ability. But you cannot move and shot within the same command phase of choices. In other words half the squad move while half shots.

Hopefully this will give you some insight and willingness to try some more. The game does seem to have a bit of a learning curve to it – past gaming experience mean nothing in TA, this is so different. But once you get the hang of it – it is a very fun and addicting game!
:)
Novaliz
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Re: First Impressions????

Post by Novaliz »

What is the average amount of players online?
gunnergoz1
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Re: First Impressions????

Post by gunnergoz1 »

for Xerkis:
Thank you for your advice, much of which I did understand already. The bunching up is still happening because the game too narrowly defines the circumference of the Command Circle. If you use 8-man squads, most of the game's cover is worthless for at least 4 of the 8 men. And 8-man squads were normal in WW2. If I use 4-man squads, that limits me because each needs a high-ranking soldier for initiative and so the smaller squads are not as cost-effective to purchase as a big squad that has a good leader with more men.
I did watch the tutorial videos and they did not replace a well-written, comprehensive manual for me. They did not explain, for instance, what you just did - that the troops can move and fire as long as the movement is walk and not run.
At the same time, what about reaction fire? I save action points so my troops can react to approaching enemy, but they never do...the enemy moves and shoots the heck out of my troops, killing many, while my troops sit there doing nothing.
Like I said, the video tutorials are nice as supplements to a well-written, clear manual that details what you already know as a developer or beta tester. But for the rest of us, we have to find out here in individually answered forum posts. OK, so maybe for a few that is OK - but most purchasers don't visit forums and you will alienate them pretty quickly unless you remedy this with at least a good PDF manual.
Xerkis
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Re: First Impressions????

Post by Xerkis »

@ Gunnergoz1
“I did watch the tutorial videos and they did not replace a well-written, comprehensive manual for me.” No arguing that – a good manual is still very much a necessity but I still stand behind the tutorial videos. And no arguing your point in general about the manual at all. There are details missing. But for me personally I find that as part of the fun in a game – to learn as I go. . . . But I certainly can understand how it can be frustrating if that learning is too far the other way.

By the way – the squads I use only have 3 to 5 men in them. I find them to work the best. You can add more “Disciplines”, Equipment and higher rank leaders to them and still keep the cost reasonable. This allows for more (powerful) squads on the field faster at one time. But to each his own as far as what tactic works best to your style of game play. I tried many way of trying to get the 6 to 8 man squads to work – just never could get them to do any good.

As far as the reaction issue – I think what you might be seeing is that you are using an action (but just not realizing it). If you do anything with your squad – even just take cover – that is their action for that round. Or if they have counter fired earlier in the round that is their action for that round. Also it could be that their moral is too low to do any action and that they have become panic or pinned. The next time this happens, check the Combat Log and even post it on the forum so we can take a look at it. You can find the CombatLog.txt file in the . . . . . \My Games\Team Assault\ folder.
Rosseau
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Re: First Impressions????

Post by Rosseau »

I complained about the lack of a manual over at Matrix, but I do not at all regret buying this game for $20. It is a bargain if you are willing to experiment a bit and enjoy the Force Builder. The posts are also helpful. This one is really priced right, and I hope it succeeds.

Dumb question: I am used to using Slitherine servers only. With this game, I assume my friend and I have to be able to play at the same time, unlike FoG and BA.

Thanks
Xerkis
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Re: First Impressions????

Post by Xerkis »

Yes, for Multi Player you both need to be on at the same time. Team Assault is a very fast back and forth game.
Wings
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Re: First Impressions????

Post by Wings »

gunnergoz1 wrote:My first impressions are less than positive, unfortunately. The game mechanics totally elude me, and I've been playing computer games for 20+ years, including most all of the tactical turn based games. This game's controls are byzantine and far from intuitive. Repeated tries on small maps fail to give me a sense of what it is I have to do to properly direct the troops. The squads bunch up so much and the cover is so spread out that they are easy targets. The documentation fails to tell you many details that would ease the transition to this paradigm. For instance it was only from reading a post on another forum that I figured out that I could either move or shoot, but not both...yet I see the AI troops do this all the time. Maybe I'm not understanding the phasing of the game, but the lack of decent documentation does not help one bit. It strikes me that this has been in development for well over a year, and yet no one has seen fit to come out with a really coherent and comprehensive manual. Sure there are little videos and a web page, but frankly, they did not help me one bit. I start the game and sit there wondering what the heck is happening. And that is just the gameplay aspect, I'm not even going to detail the numerous military and technical gaffes in the game. I realize $20 is not much to pay for a game these days, but I really feel like this one was designed by well-intentioned people from another planet... Sorry, I cannot recommend it and it will likely leave my HD soon if I can't get the game mechanics enough to enjoy the expenditure of time.
So they don't have a demo and they also lack any decent manual? Thanks for your honest review gunnergoz1 (quite unique nowadays), you just saved me $20 that I rather like to spend on more Panzer Corps DLCs.
Xerkis
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Re: First Impressions????

Post by Xerkis »

Wings wrote: Thanks for your honest review gunnergoz1 (quite unique nowadays)
I would think and hope everyone’s reviews are honest. I certainly know all of mine are.
:)
Wings
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Re: First Impressions????

Post by Wings »

Xerkis wrote:I would think and hope everyone’s reviews are honest. I certainly know all of mine are.
Honest reviewers admit that a game should have a good manual. Honest reviewers admit that a game should have a demo.
Xerkis
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Re: First Impressions????

Post by Xerkis »

@ Wings
You mean exactly as what I said above? Saying about the manual is what I did say above.
As far as a demo - I honestly don't see the point that every game out there needs to put out a demo. If you think diferently - that's fine for you.
Ryben
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Re: First Impressions????

Post by Ryben »

Rather poor first impression. :(

I was excited about the release, being a great fan of tactical turn-based games (X-com series, Jagged alliance...etc). I´ve played a couple of missions and i find Team Assault quite...amateurish. Feels like a half-cooked game filled with good intentions but a rather mediocre development.

Graphics are quite ugly. The models (both scenery and soldiers) have a fairly low amount of polygons and the textures are poor,. «Battle Academy" also have low poly models but they are better modeled and more pleasant to the eye. Doesn´t feel like many other WW2 games that managed to get the right look of the era...there´s something odd in the look of the game that upset me. It´s feel like it´s been done 10 years ago.

Battlefield is cluttered with loads of all kind of elements, making hard to spot even your own troops. You will have a very hard time wondering if something is in line of sight or not or if you are behind cover. You an barely manage to see the enemy, they are just a bunch of undefined silouetthes in the distance that fires at you but you are not sure who is firing and what is happening.

Sound is very, very poor. Almost non-existent. No voice acting at all makes you feel like you are playing with little plastic soldiers with no life. Weapons doesn´t sound like the real ones. The interface doesn´t make any sound when clicking here and there which doesn´t improve the user experience.

About the interface, you are flooded with all kind of text messages that try to inform you of the cover and firing modifiers but everythings happens so fast that you have no idea of what´s happening. It reminds a lot the screen from «Combat Mission», but worse.

Gameplay is...boring. Sorry guys but the battles i´ve played so far have consisted of moving my squads into suitable positions, taking some shots from far away and returning fire. Not sure if i´m doing right but once you choose to move your squad it seems that everybody MUST move. So if i move half of my squad and doesn´t want to move the other half (because they are in good cover) the games doesn´t seem to offer the option to "don´t move", forcing me to move soldiers somewhere even if i doesn´t want to.

I could go on and on for a while but i think it´s enough for a first impression. I know what the developers where trying to do here and it was a relly good idea, honestly but the game looks more like a test tool to further develop the initial idea rather than a polished game.

I´ll try to play again a couple of times but i don´t think it will improve. Not a very costly game but i regret the purchase. Deeply dissapointed.
Xerkis
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Re: First Impressions????

Post by Xerkis »

@ Ryben
By your graphics comments you are obviously very much in to that area of games. Certainly nothing at all wrong with that. I honestly didn’t understand a word of that paragraph – and don’t mind that I don’t. I play on a very poor graphic laptop and turn off all that stuff anyhow. In fact – I wish games would stop trying to be so rich in that area. Too much time spent in the visual and not enough time spent on the game itself. Anyhow – I know and understand that to many (if not most) players, graphics is in the top 2 or 3 of importance. To me – never makes the list.
:)

By your comment on the “clutter” and “not being able to spot your own men”. I wonder if you are aware of a couple of important helpful keys in the game. The “H” hotkey will display (or not display) icons for you squads and soldiers. Making it extremely easy to spot all game visible troops to you. and some other very helpful information about your men. Also the CTRL key if pressed while hovering your mouse over a squad will display green lines to show you the individual soldier’s LOS. Again, making it extremely easy to see what is in their LOS. So there should be no “wondering” at all in these areas.

Agreed, some extra (better) sounds would be a nice improvement to the game.

The messages you are referring too – here once more, no need to not know what is happening because things are happening too fast. The Combat Log has it all there for you if you missed it. Just click on the text on the bottom center where the last entries are (right click to exit). This log is also saved to you game folder if you want to read it after the game as well. Plus, if you are being fired upon and don’t know from what direction – hit Space Bar. It will send the camera to where the attacking enemy is. Who is being shot at – flashing icon in the upper left (click on it to send the camera to that location).

You’re not doing anything wrong – it is an all move or none move. This point has been (and I’m sure will continue to be) debated about it. As for now – that is how the game is. It takes some getting used to – no arguing that – but it isn’t all that bad after awhile.

I hope you will give the game a bit more time – and that you will find it to be as enjoyable as I do.
:D
Ryben
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Re: First Impressions????

Post by Ryben »

Thanks for the hotkey tips, i´ve missed them.

Sorry if my review was a bit too harsh. After all, it was a "first impression". I´m going to play a few more games this weekend and will let you know my "second impression".
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