Future dev diaries

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Sourdust
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Re: Future dev diaries

Post by Sourdust »

Call me old-fashioned, but I think the best dev diaries are those that are actual diaries - eg, that show us what the dev is currently working on, and give us a little insight into dilemmas, thought processes, problems and solutions that go into the making of a game. I want to know what you're agonising over, and how you resolve it.

I don't really care all that much for "dev diaries" that are really just carefully-constructed marketing teasers, with little insight into the actual making of a game.
Rudankort
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Re: Future dev diaries

Post by Rudankort »

Sourdust wrote: Wed Oct 17, 2018 10:02 pm Call me old-fashioned, but I think the best dev diaries are those that are actual diaries - eg, that show us what the dev is currently working on, and give us a little insight into dilemmas, thought processes, problems and solutions that go into the making of a game. I want to know what you're agonising over, and how you resolve it.

I don't really care all that much for "dev diaries" that are really just carefully-constructed marketing teasers, with little insight into the actual making of a game.
All dev diaries are written by me, and although Slitherine proofread them, they never change what I'm saying. I'm not a marketing person, and I'm of course flattered by "carefully-constructed marketing teasers". :) But this is not what I'm trying to achieve. Many people played (and liked) Panzer Corps, and I'm trying to tell not just what I am adding or changing, but also why it happens, what problems in the prequel I am trying to solve, and why I think new approach is better. I need to keep it short, but otherwise this is exactly what you are talking about. Last dev diary is a prime example, and the next one, which is already written, will be more along the same lines. So I'm not sure what exactly you want me to change.

Admittedly, I don't go into gory technical details of game's production, because to be honest, most of them are not funny at all and will not be interesting to the majority of our readers. Making a game like this is only 5% design, and 95% implementation. If I translated what I'm doing right now into the dev diaries, then it might be interesting to other fellow game makers, but not very interesting to players. For example, right now we are struggling with Unreal's combo boxes which do not work correctly under certain conditions. Do you want to hear more about it? :)
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Re: Future dev diaries

Post by Rudankort »

captainjack wrote: Wed Oct 17, 2018 7:01 am It would be better still to include an option to choose your own soundtrack or audio feed,.
I like this idea. :)
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Re: Future dev diaries

Post by caca »

Rudankort wrote: Thu Oct 18, 2018 10:15 am
captainjack wrote: Wed Oct 17, 2018 7:01 am It would be better still to include an option to choose your own soundtrack or audio feed,.
I like this idea. :)
Who will be the composer? :wink:
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Re: Future dev diaries

Post by Rudankort »

caca wrote: Thu Oct 18, 2018 10:44 am Who will be the composer? :wink:
Don't look at me, I'm just learning. :) Besides, my comment was about custom soundtracks, which means the composer can be anyone this particular player likes. ;)
Sourdust
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Re: Future dev diaries

Post by Sourdust »

Rudankort wrote: Thu Oct 18, 2018 10:07 am
Sourdust wrote: Wed Oct 17, 2018 10:02 pm Call me old-fashioned, but I think the best dev diaries are those that are actual diaries - eg, that show us what the dev is currently working on, and give us a little insight into dilemmas, thought processes, problems and solutions that go into the making of a game. I want to know what you're agonising over, and how you resolve it.

I don't really care all that much for "dev diaries" that are really just carefully-constructed marketing teasers, with little insight into the actual making of a game.
All dev diaries are written by me, and although Slitherine proofread them, they never change what I'm saying. I'm not a marketing person, and I'm of course flattered by "carefully-constructed marketing teasers". :) But this is not what I'm trying to achieve. Many people played (and liked) Panzer Corps, and I'm trying to tell not just what I am adding or changing, but also why it happens, what problems in the prequel I am trying to solve, and why I think new approach is better. I need to keep it short, but otherwise this is exactly what you are talking about. Last dev diary is a prime example, and the next one, which is already written, will be more along the same lines. So I'm not sure what exactly you want me to change.

Admittedly, I don't go into gory technical details of game's production, because to be honest, most of them are not funny at all and will not be interesting to the majority of our readers. Making a game like this is only 5% design, and 95% implementation. If I translated what I'm doing right now into the dev diaries, then it might be interesting to other fellow game makers, but not very interesting to players. For example, right now we are struggling with Unreal's combo boxes which do not work correctly under certain conditions. Do you want to hear more about it? :)
Apologies mate, didn't mean to come across as critical. I think the first 4 DDs were good. Just responding to the question: what should be covered in the next DDs? My view is simply this: tell us what you're up to!

Best DDs I ever read were the ones for the original Shenandoah Battle of the Bulge - eg, didn't just show art, showed how the art was made, the reasons behind the aesthetic, some choices that were rejected, etc.
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Re: Future dev diaries

Post by Rudankort »

Sourdust wrote: Fri Oct 19, 2018 12:15 pm Apologies mate, didn't mean to come across as critical. I think the first 4 DDs were good. Just responding to the question: what should be covered in the next DDs? My view is simply this: tell us what you're up to!

Best DDs I ever read were the ones for the original Shenandoah Battle of the Bulge - eg, didn't just show art, showed how the art was made, the reasons behind the aesthetic, some choices that were rejected, etc.
No offense taken at all. :) I'm just honestly trying to understand what you would like to read. So, you want to see some failed attempts? Hmm okay, we'll take a look at what we have in our archives. Maybe it can materialize into something.

PS. I wonder if those BotB diaries are still available online somewhere...
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Re: Future dev diaries

Post by Patrick Ward »

Lol .. you mean someone read them!

I did copy them to my site when Shenandoah shut, but later, when changing ISP, my previous ISP wiped the files before I'd copied over all the images. Its a huge job to find and relink them.

http://www.colourandnoise.com/projects/ ... log-posts/

Damn. Shenandoah was nearly a decade ago.
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Sourdust
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Re: Future dev diaries

Post by Sourdust »

Patrick Ward wrote: Fri Oct 19, 2018 5:49 pm Lol .. you mean someone read them!

I did copy them to my site when Shenandoah shut, but later, when changing ISP, my previous ISP wiped the files before I'd copied over all the images. Its a huge job to find and relink them.

http://www.colourandnoise.com/projects/ ... log-posts/

Damn. Shenandoah was nearly a decade ago.
Bloody genius mate! The game, and the diaries. Such an in-depth look into the work of the visual designer...
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Re: Future dev diaries

Post by Patrick Ward »

Sourdust wrote: Sun Oct 21, 2018 10:50 pm
Patrick Ward wrote: Fri Oct 19, 2018 5:49 pm Lol .. you mean someone read them!

I did copy them to my site when Shenandoah shut, but later, when changing ISP, my previous ISP wiped the files before I'd copied over all the images. Its a huge job to find and relink them.

http://www.colourandnoise.com/projects/ ... log-posts/

Damn. Shenandoah was nearly a decade ago.
Bloody genius mate! The game, and the diaries. Such an in-depth look into the work of the visual designer...
:oops: Thanks. But the real geniuses were the rest of the team.
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PeteMitchell
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Re: Future dev diaries

Post by PeteMitchell »

Not sure whether this has been covered yet in much detail. However, it would be great to see some more information on UI and UX topics: menus, screens, buttons, switches, keyboard short-cuts, zoom possibilities, changing font sizes, maybe even possibilities to change colors to increase contrast, etc.

Let’s show for example a set of common screens, e.g. the casualties’ screen: There it would be nice to have two columns, one for the current scenario and one for the overall campaign. Also, is there a way to have some more summary stats on kills, etc.?
Comprehensive Battlefield Europe AAR:
http://www.slitherine.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=145&t=86481
Retributarr
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Re: Future dev diaries

Post by Retributarr »

PeteMitchell_2 wrote: Tue Feb 05, 2019 3:19 pm Not sure whether this has been covered yet in much detail. However, it would be great to see some more information on UI and UX topics: menus, screens, buttons, switches, keyboard short-cuts, zoom possibilities, changing font sizes, maybe even possibilities to change colors to increase contrast, etc.

Let’s show for example a set of common screens, e.g. the casualties’ screen: There it would be nice to have two columns, one for the current scenario and one for the overall campaign. Also, is there a way to have some more summary stats on kills, etc.?
Great Posting "PeteMitchell_2" :
-I myself just mentioned Zooming in a recent post!. Glad that you also brought it up. I very much like your idea's...especially 'Font Sizes', one get's stressed trying to read ' Fly-Sh** ' sized print.

Changing colors to increase contrast is killer!, gone will then be the bland pastie non-contrasting back-ground picture screen...where everything merges together as one basic color. "Stats": summary of kill's...great idea!, it would even be better if it were possible to have a comparison with actual historical outcomes...this feature though...as much as I would like it,...just might be a little too complicated to engineer?.
GabeKnight
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Re: Future dev diaries

Post by GabeKnight »

I hope this game will have full 2160p support. Please.
PeteMitchell
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Re: Future dev diaries

Post by PeteMitchell »

Retributarr wrote: Tue Feb 05, 2019 4:22 pm I myself just mentioned Zooming in a recent post!
Yes, this made me bring it up here again as I would like to see a bit more on these topics, preferably before beta-testing.

AI and (3D) graphics (in this order, IMHO) are important/nice topics. However, UI/UX topics are for sure as important to making a game (commercially) successful… :D
Comprehensive Battlefield Europe AAR:
http://www.slitherine.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=145&t=86481
PeteMitchell
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Re: Future dev diaries

Post by PeteMitchell »

One more thing that would interest me, what are the planned features for the strategic map (i.e. in case it continues to exist as we know it from PzC 1)? Thanks!
Comprehensive Battlefield Europe AAR:
http://www.slitherine.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=145&t=86481
zjorz
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Re: Future dev diaries

Post by zjorz »

I would also love a zoom function. Just leave out the minimap and allow us to zoom out and view the whole battlefield. Supreme commander and ruse did this and it worked really well
Longasc
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Re: Future dev diaries

Post by Longasc »

I read up the dev diaries, I am very excited for Panzer Corps 2.

Some ideas:
1. Mechanics or other things from Panzer Corps 1 you want to improve or avoid in Panzer Corps 2.
2. AI, scripts or creative ways to improve the single player/campaign experience.
3. What will make Panzer Corps 2 also attractive to non-wargamers. The original Panzer General was for many "grognards" the entry drug, after all.
4. Did writing dev diaries and resulting discussions make your re-think design decisions?
5. Epic Store, GOG, Steam, other platforms, are there already plans which one will be supported?
PeteMitchell
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Re: Future dev diaries

Post by PeteMitchell »

Thanks guys for providing additional thoughts and ideas. I already thought I had been the only one most recently… :D
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http://www.slitherine.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=145&t=86481
Rudankort
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Re: Future dev diaries

Post by Rudankort »

Hi guys, thanks for all suggestions posted recently. It does not look like we will run out of topics till the release. :)
PeteMitchell_2 wrote: Tue Feb 05, 2019 3:19 pm Not sure whether this has been covered yet in much detail. However, it would be great to see some more information on UI and UX topics: menus, screens, buttons, switches, keyboard short-cuts, zoom possibilities, changing font sizes, maybe even possibilities to change colors to increase contrast, etc.

Let’s show for example a set of common screens, e.g. the casualties’ screen: There it would be nice to have two columns, one for the current scenario and one for the overall campaign. Also, is there a way to have some more summary stats on kills, etc.?
Yes, this dev diary is one of "must dos" on my list. However, it will be one of the last ones. The reason is, UI polishing is something we always put off till the end, because functionality always takes priority. As things stand now, many screens are already implemented, but not "beautiful" yet. :)
GabeKnight wrote: Tue Feb 05, 2019 4:31 pm I hope this game will have full 2160p support. Please.
Absolutely. I develop and play this game on a 4K screen myself, and it looks great on it, in fact, better than on any other resolution, because of all the additional detail you get. In fact, I'm pretty sure that the game will shine on a 8K as well, but I don't have hardware to check it. This means that the game is going to be very future proof.
PeteMitchell_2 wrote: Thu Feb 21, 2019 5:11 pm One more thing that would interest me, what are the planned features for the strategic map (i.e. in case it continues to exist as we know it from PzC 1)? Thanks!
Yes, strategic mode will be included, and in addition to the same role it played in PzC (overview the whole map on screen), we consider it a play mode which is easier to run, hardware wise. And yes, strategic mode will be linked to zoom out, because it makes a lot of sense.
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Re: Future dev diaries

Post by PeteMitchell »

Most likely this has already been mentioned somewhere but I couldn’t find it as I got a timeout on the search function… so I am adding my question/suggestion here:

Are there any plans to improve the replay functionality?

If so, it would be very interesting to learn about them as well. I am asking as I had mixed experiences with the current format: sometimes it works flawlessly (i.e. recording and replay) but sometimes it just doesn’t record the whole game/match or it is almost impossible to replay it, e.g. move by move or turn by turn function get stuck and it just seems very unresponsive (for no valid reason).

Just thinking out loud for this matter, are there any plans to replace it, e.g. with some form of inbuilt video recording functionality (instead of or in addition to the current format), i.e. in times of youtube and twitch?

For inspiration, maybe compare here as well: https://www.pcworld.com/article/3040695 ... pared.html
Comprehensive Battlefield Europe AAR:
http://www.slitherine.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=145&t=86481
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