Plans for the near future

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adherbal
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Plans for the near future

Post by adherbal »

With the patch out of the way, we hope to focus our attention on expanding and improving the game in general:
  • Mac build: The beta test registrations are open and we expect to start the beta in a week or two. Since it is only intended to test on a wide range of machines, it will be a fairly short test period.
  • Improving engine performance and code optimisation. This should improve framerate on lower spec machines and hopefully deal with the CTD issues some people are experiencing.
  • iPad build: This goes hand in hand with the two previous points. An ETA for the release date will follow at a later stage.
  • New content: More MP maps, a post game stats panel and a skirmish mode are among the main features we hope to add over the next few months
  • DLC & Expansions: More on these later :)
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monkspider
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Re: Plans for the near future

Post by monkspider »

Oh come on! You can't just tease that last little tidbit like that. :)

Thanks for the great patch and for being active in the forums like you are.
PanzerTax
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Re: Plans for the near future

Post by PanzerTax »

Hi there,

I was really excited about this when it first came as a proposal on the forum. I didn't think I would get time to play, but I got the game and wasn't disappointed! In fact, most impressed - a genuine re-invention and improvement of my old favourite Pacific General. Leagues ahead of Armageddon in terms of playability, in my opinion anyway.

I wondered if there was a campaign tree available at all, just so I can see where I am at? I'd be especially intrigued to see the Japanese campaign tree. I have played so far only up to Phillipine Sea in US campaign.

Thanks!
Favourite Games Before Panzer Corps: Pacific General, People's General, Panzer General II... pure magic!
BiteNibbleChomp
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Re: Plans for the near future

Post by BiteNibbleChomp »

PanzerTax wrote: I wondered if there was a campaign tree available at all, just so I can see where I am at? I'd be especially intrigued to see the Japanese campaign tree. I have played so far only up to Phillipine Sea in US campaign.

Thanks!
The Jap tree is linear:

:arrow: Pearl
:arrow: Phillipines
:arrow: Bataan
:arrow: Java Sea
:arrow: Java Landing
:arrow: Coral Sea/Port Moresby
:arrow: Midway
:arrow: Guadalcanal
:arrow: New Caledonia
:arrow: Brisbane
:arrow: New Zealand (Christchurch)
:arrow: Melbourne.

Or at least I think that's right. :| If anyone has a better memory then please let me know!

- BNC
Ryan O'Shea - Developer - Strategic Command American Civil War
monkspider
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Re: Plans for the near future

Post by monkspider »

I have high hopes for the future of this series, my one great hope is that you stay committed to it and not get sucked into making some game based on a popular series of miniatures like a certain other developer did. :D
Longasc
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Re: Plans for the near future

Post by Longasc »

Seems I have to hurry up finishing a campaign at least for one nation...! :)
simcc
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Re: Plans for the near future

Post by simcc »

please give me the DLC already lol, then i have a reason to finish off the current campaign lol. DLC hurry hurry hehehehe
HelgaMarie2888
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Re: Plans for the near future

Post by HelgaMarie2888 »

Wonder what kind of scenarios they r thinking for the DLCs. Would like to see some kind of Mainland china action
PanzerTax
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Re: Plans for the near future

Post by PanzerTax »

Thank you BNC :)
Favourite Games Before Panzer Corps: Pacific General, People's General, Panzer General II... pure magic!
monkspider
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Re: Plans for the near future

Post by monkspider »

I always felt that Panzer Corps was under-expanded. It only had the two major expansions and then the Grand Campaign. It never had little mini-DLCs like unit packs or music packs or special leaders or hypothetical campaigns or other features that would have benefited the game.

I would love it if Order of Battle took a DLC approach like Paradox does with their games EU IV and Crusader Kings 2. They will have periodic major expansions accompanied by 2 or 3 mini-DLCs that add cosmetic features or extra music or units or things like that.

Now, with that said, I was thinking about a couple things that could be smaller DLCs that would also enhance the playability of the game. One of the great features of the game is the specialization system. It is a great system and really enhances the replayability, encouraging you to try different combinations of specializations and it also helps the two factions play differently. Its really one of Order of Battle's best innovations. So I was thinking of ways that this could be enhanced even more with DLC and I came up with a couple ideas.

The first one is commanding officers. At the start of the game the player can choose from a list of five or so commanding officers that would each have different bonuses. America could have Macarthur who could give a bonus to marine units and amphibious landings, Nimitz who could give a bonus to carrier based aircraft, Wainwright who would have defensive bonuses and bonuses to infantry, and so on. Japan could have leaders like Yamamoto, Yamashita, and Nagumo. Maybe there could even be "secret" commanding officers that can only be unlocked by doing certain things.

Another idea to expand on the specialization system is to let the player choose from different doctrines. At the start of the game or certain points in the game, the player can choose a doctrine for their land, air, and naval units. Each branch would have its own set of say, five doctrines to choose from. Land doctrines could be things like human wave which would reduce the costs for repairs, blitzkrieg which would increase the movement of tanks and tactical bomber's attack, and then naval doctrines could be like Wolfpack which would increase the attack of subs and reduce their command point cost, Decisive Battle Doctrine which would boost your battleships, and Carrier Task Force which would benefit your carriers. You also could make certain units only available to certain doctrines.

I am sure you guys could do a better job of coming up with the actual bonuses, but the general idea is to have these different systems that would allow for greater customization and differentiation by the players. I think they would require little in the way of art assets and could be a cheap and meaningful DLC opportunity for you guys and also expand on the specialization system that you already started.
meteorstorm
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Re: Plans for the near future

Post by meteorstorm »

I do hope the android version is somewhere in the mix as well :D
nikivdd
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Re: Plans for the near future

Post by nikivdd »

monkspider wrote:I always felt that Panzer Corps was under-expanded. It only had the two major expansions and then the Grand Campaign. It never had little mini-DLCs like unit packs or music packs or special leaders or hypothetical campaigns or other features that would have benefited the game.
Sofar PzC had two major expansions and the GC :twisted:
At least two more add-ons are planned for this year. A third one is very likely :D
https://www.facebook.com/NikivddPanzerCorps
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk2lyeEuH_hoA1s7tnTAEJQ
slowgtp
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Re: Plans for the near future

Post by slowgtp »

BiteNibbleChomp wrote:
PanzerTax wrote: I wondered if there was a campaign tree available at all, just so I can see where I am at? I'd be especially intrigued to see the Japanese campaign tree. I have played so far only up to Phillipine Sea in US campaign.

Thanks!
The Jap tree is linear:

:arrow: Pearl
:arrow: Phillipines
:arrow: Bataan
:arrow: Java Sea
:arrow: Java Landing
:arrow: Coral Sea/Port Moresby
:arrow: Midway
:arrow: Guadalcanal
:arrow: New Caledonia
:arrow: Brisbane
:arrow: New Zealand (Christchurch)
:arrow: Melbourne.

Or at least I think that's right. :| If anyone has a better memory then please let me know!

- BNC
What if you plan on doing the campaign historically, is that possible? Or if you lose a scenario in the campaign are you done?
BiteNibbleChomp
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Re: Plans for the near future

Post by BiteNibbleChomp »

monkspider wrote: I would love it if Order of Battle took a DLC approach like Paradox does with their games EU IV and Crusader Kings 2. They will have periodic major expansions accompanied by 2 or 3 mini-DLCs that add cosmetic features or extra music or units or things like that.
I would hate that. :evil: Don't ruin my opinion of the company strategies like paradox already did!

That said I don't mind proper DLC if they add really useful stuff like campaigns, but charging money for units and/or music IMO is unacceptable. If you're going to make such updates, bundle it with a patch (for free) or a new campaign (like GC 45 West for PzC)
slowgtp wrote:
BiteNibbleChomp wrote:
PanzerTax wrote: I wondered if there was a campaign tree available at all, just so I can see where I am at? I'd be especially intrigued to see the Japanese campaign tree. I have played so far only up to Phillipine Sea in US campaign.

Thanks!
The Jap tree is linear:

:arrow: Pearl
:arrow: Phillipines
:arrow: Bataan
:arrow: Java Sea
:arrow: Java Landing
:arrow: Coral Sea/Port Moresby
:arrow: Midway
:arrow: Guadalcanal
:arrow: New Caledonia
:arrow: Brisbane
:arrow: New Zealand (Christchurch)
:arrow: Melbourne.

Or at least I think that's right. :| If anyone has a better memory then please let me know!

- BNC
What if you plan on doing the campaign historically, is that possible? Or if you lose a scenario in the campaign are you done?
Up to Guadalcanal (and ignoring the landing on Port Moresby in Coral Sea), the campaign is fairly historical. Though I would certainly like scenarios eg. Tarawa, Guam and Iwo-Jima/Okinawa to be added to the Jap campaign.

But mods will arrive, even if official DLC doesn't :D

- BNC
Ryan O'Shea - Developer - Strategic Command American Civil War
Longasc
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Re: Plans for the near future

Post by Longasc »

I hope the DLCs/expansions won't be the gazillion of units and stuff like for Crusader Kings II. 52 DLCs for all in all 194,49 EUR. Found that more annoying than exciting and it made me stop putting money into CK2 and other Paradox games with an excessive number of DLCs.
Erik2
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Re: Plans for the near future

Post by Erik2 »

One idea I proposed during beta was a way to easily promote USN and IJN carrier doctrines.
The Japanese would usually form up large air attack while the US might launch and send off whatever was available at quick notice. Midway bring a good example.

I proposed that the Japanese could launch 2 air from a carrier in one turn, and move both the next turn.
The US could launc a single air unit, but move it the same turn.
I think it would be interesting to see how these two ways of handling carrier launches would work.
HelgaMarie2888
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Re: Plans for the near future

Post by HelgaMarie2888 »

would love to see more scenarios based on conditional what if...Plus a more polished commander thing.
monkspider
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Re: Plans for the near future

Post by monkspider »

I can understand how Paradox's strategy can be divisive, but I think it is the best approach I have seen a company take. They release these optional little DLCs that some people buy, some people don't, but the people that do buy them help fund the massive free patches that add a ton of extra content for everybody. Then, of course, you have the more meaty larger expansions as well that are a great value for the money. I know the amount of DLC in Crusader Kings II can be offputting, in fact the sheer amount of it was so intimidating it put me off buying the game for a long time, but there is a ridiculous amount of content available for that game now, and I think that is a better end result than a game like Panzer Corps that is under-expanded and leaves a lot of great potential untapped. Though if Nikkivd is correct in that multiple expansions are actually coming this year, that might change things! :D

I guess this DLC approach is great for me because I don't buy very many games, but the games I do buy, I play a ton, so I love to see things added to these games to keep them fresh.
Last edited by monkspider on Wed May 20, 2015 4:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
monkspider
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Re: Plans for the near future

Post by monkspider »

Erik wrote:One idea I proposed during beta was a way to easily promote USN and IJN carrier doctrines.
The Japanese would usually form up large air attack while the US might launch and send off whatever was available at quick notice. Midway bring a good example.

I proposed that the Japanese could launch 2 air from a carrier in one turn, and move both the next turn.
The US could launc a single air unit, but move it the same turn.
I think it would be interesting to see how these two ways of handling carrier launches would work.
Woah, I like that! I would love it if the devs more differentiation stuff like that.
vindy45
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Re: Plans for the near future

Post by vindy45 »

Would love to see more Island hopping especially Peleliu.
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