Wishlist for next Steel Panthers?

[Manticore]

If the rumors are true, and there is indeed the next Steel Panthers in the makings right now, shouldn't we come up with a wishlist on the slim chance that we can somehow influence the development process?

[sami heimola]

Hmm SP4 coming[X(]? Really? I bit doubt it but sounds good anyway[:'(]...
 
And what comes to list of features... How about these:
1. Ability to play "from up to down direction" and vice versa
2. Ability use V-flags as WinSPWW2 has ("shotgun" effect all over the map)
3. Ability remove V-flags (player could use just 1 flag if he/she wants in battle generator)
4. More different sizes for maps (as WinSPWW2 has)
5. More points for getting units (65000 points max as WinSPWW2 has)
6. More variable kinds of terrains
7. More map editing abilities for player (as WinSPWW2 has)
 
These came into my mind at this moment[;)]... 

[Goblin]

ORIGINAL: sami heimola

Hmm SP4 coming[X(]? Really? I bit doubt it but sounds good anyway[:'(]...

sami,

There is a rumor going around...

See third post from the bottom, here:

http://www.spwaw.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.p ... &&start=20

Just a rumor, mind you...[8D]


Goblin

[Manticore]

My wishlist:
 
Graphics
- top-down view; nothing 3D
- more crisp, detailed terrain and units
- support higher resolution
 
Gameplay
- much smarter AI that doesn't just throw its units at you and try to win through attrition
- support for a wide variety of nations as in SPWAW
- detailed unit stats as in SPWAW
- I also think it would be neat if sound has a greater effect on gameplay; for example, just as dust cloud over
  a road should be able to signal the arrival of an enemy force, the roaring sound of tanks should give the
  defenders the general location of approaching enemy units.
- campaign system similar to the one in SPWAW
- have rarity apply to unit replacement; it shouldn't be so easy to replace destroyed units
- a better multiplayer system
 
Etc
- encyclopedia with accurate and complete entries

[Kevin E. Duguay]

Manticore,
 
Was not some of this all ready done in other mods?

[Manticore]

The Enhanced mod did make the graphics more crisp, but they of course had to work with the engine limitation so there is no higher resolution. And Enhanced did fix bugs/errors, but the AI routine is hardcoded so they could not improve it.

Hmm... actually they might have improved it a bit by making the AI keep some reserves in the back. Not sure.

[sami heimola]

Heh "Steel Tigers" [;)]... Hmm SP with Combat Leader's graphics? Why not. It could be interesting to see...

[Alby]

ORIGINAL: Manticore

The Enhanced mod did make the graphics more crisp, but they of course had to work with the engine limitation so there is no higher resolution. And Enhanced did fix bugs/errors, but the AI routine is hardcoded so they could not improve it.

Hmm... actually they might have improved it a bit by making the AI keep some reserves in the back. Not sure.

We worked on improving the AIs forces, but we did not have the ability to effect how the AI plays the game..
[:)]

[Manticore]

A better title would be "When the Steel Felines Pounce!" It would include both the Tiger and the Panther then. [;)]

[Oldguard1970]

Great news about the rumor!
 
Wish List Items:
 
A.  The game should be designed with higher limits on formations, units, and map size.  (I know some people like large scenarios and some do not, but I would like to see the option for large scenarios be available.)
 
B.  It would be neat to have something like the "campaign watcher" utility built into the game.  (I would like to be able to "follow" the progress of certain units and leaders in campaigns.)
 
C.  When playing with "Command & Control Off" there seems to be no advantage to maintaining unit integrity.  (Perhaps there is and I have missed it.)  I would like to see some sort of advantages for units that are close to their "zero unit".  Disadvantages for being too far away would have the same effect.  The distance could vary by formation type and quality.
 
D.  Along the same lines, I would like to see the A0 commander have a greater impact on play.  (As things stand now, I tend to use my A0 unit to try to keep indirect fire units in communication.  I would rather see the commander going forward to influence the action.)
 
E.  After a few battles in most campaigns, I wind up with a large stockpile of repair and replacement points. Perhaps there should be an upper limit to the ability to save these points.  Alternatively, perhaps the cost to change a unit (rather than repair a damaged unit or replace a destroyed unit with a duplicate unit) should be higher, perhaps double or triple the unit's cost.
 
F.  One supply truck can replenish a large number of adjacent units in the same turn.  That capacity should be limited.
 
G.  I know it is hard to make a strong AI.  Hooray for any efforts in that direction.  As a small suggestion, I would like to see the game award the AI a few small combat teams in addition to whatever the AI is doing now. 
    When the AI is attacking or advancing, those small teams would consist of an armor section or platoon plus an infantry platoon.  They would be given random terrain objectives in the enemy rear.  Upon reaching those objectives, they would get new terrain objectives based on the location of identified indirect fire units or based on the largest and closest pockets of identified enemy forces.
     When the AI is defending or delaying, the teams could be Infantry platoons supported by AT guns and local mine fields.  The AI should also be given several infantry AT teams to serve as anti-armor ambushes.  These teams and anti-armor ambushes should be positioned forward of the AI's main line of resistance.
 
     I would also like to see the AI sometimes counterattack while on defense or delay.  This would happen based on a random number check.  If the AI is to counterattack, then it is given an attack force that will enter as a reinforcement and conduct an attack toward the victory hexes.  I imagine the number of turns for the battle should also be extended, but not reported to the human player.
    
H.  OnLine Play - Right now, even if both players save a game to the same slot at the same point in the game, they cannot quit and latter resume online play unless one player emails files to the other.  (Without the email step, the game does not think both players have the same saved game.)  It would be nice to fix that situation.
 
I.  Strange Opportunity Fire -  In online play with my opponent, we sometimes see a strange even when a unit is given the option to opportunity fire at an advancing enemy unit.  When we execute the fire, the unit conducting opportunity fire sometimes does not shoot at the advancing enemy unit.  Instead, it shoots at the last targeted enemy unit. We would like to see that corrected.
 
All the best to the fine folks who have produced such a grand game.
 
 
 
 

[m10bob]

1.(NUMBER ONE). Windows compatibility to end the graphic/color problems caused by an excellent old engine living past its' technological prime like a genteel old lady.

2. An extra button to allow vehicle facing when retreating.(Ability to back up and not be forced to take hits on the weak rear.) This will end Panthers getting side hits and other cheap shots when out-numbered 6 to 1........

3. Music track thruout as an option..

4. The same great crowd which once hung out here.......

5. More vehicle slots so we can have all of those tanks which had field expedient armor/applique attachments. (Some folks don't even know the Germans made them in their factories for nearly every tank after the Mk III)!

[koju]

"Steel Tigers". For me this is Very good news. [&o]

My wishlist is.

1. Sp:Waw kind scenario editor or even better, random maps etc.
2. Option to deploy selected units to random locations, like in Fred Chlanda's WAW Ed's position/property editor.

[Krec]

i just want my planes to complete the mission i give them[:@]
 
also tweak CC so its more relistic[:'(]
 
and hurry up and make this game so we can play it online[:D]
 
 

[serg3d]

Pluggable AI dll. Open API for AI.

[Terminus]

ORIGINAL: sami heimola

Heh "Steel Tigers" [;)]... Hmm SP with Combat Leader's graphics? Why not. It could be interesting to see...

If people choose to believe it, that's their business...

[khairshapiee]

add Malay regiment in British OOB... with Malay name also.. Please..

[V22 Osprey]

Things I would like to see:
The ability to tell what kind of Terrain(Desert,Jungle,etc) in the Battle Generator
Better Graphics but not 3D
Be able to use custom maps in Campaign Generator
More Countries and have the USMC as a ''Sub'' faction in USA rather than as a seperate Nation
More Terrain Types
Have custom graphics and buildings come up as a thumbnail pics on the screen you can select for faster editing.
Trenches be purchasable in deployment(like mines and barb wire) as well as in editor.
No WinSPWW2 type crap.
 

[Kuokkanen]

After scenario, export surviving units to file with all gained experience and stuff, and use that file for another scenario. Imagine possibilities that would open for ACL and the likes...

[DROregon]

My list (some items already mentioned)
1.  Upgrade to Windows (Vista) and Mac, especially graphics, to eliminate the neon effect.
2.  Fix Smoke
3.  Continue the open architecture and available editors (Campaigns, Scenarios, Maps, OOBs, Storylines, Encyclopedias, etc)
4.  Incorporate Campaign Watcher type info status as we progress through campaigns.
5.  Do whatever you can to improve the AI

[V22 Osprey]

5.  Do whatever you can to improve the AI

Frak,that should be no. 1. [8|]

1. Upgrade to Windows (Vista) and Mac, especially graphics, to eliminate the neon effect.

We're talking atleast 2 years in the future here.....VISTA and maybe MAC should be standard issue for games by then.