Why this game does not really appeal to me.

Armored Brigade is a real-time tactical wargame, focusing on realism and playability
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JPFisher55
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Why this game does not really appeal to me.

Post by JPFisher55 »

I finally figured out why this game just doesn't do it for me. The graphics don't appeal to me. I don't like clicking a button to get the terrain heights that hides the other detail. The units are too small when you view the whole battlefield.

I would prefer Steel Panthers type graphics and icons.

IMO, What works for Command does not for ground warfare.
JPFisher55
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RE: Why this game does not really appeal to me.

Post by JPFisher55 »

I'm going to try to be more specific about the graphics. When I add in the terrain height, I can only see the other terrain graphics if I really zoom in. When I zoom out to see what my units are doing, then I lose all the terrain detail except height. Also, the unit icons are too small when I zoom out to see a good portion of the battlefield.
aperfecturkel
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RE: Why this game does not really appeal to me.

Post by aperfecturkel »

For terrain height and the tree/road visibility: Go to Options->Graphics and set Map Detail Distance to 7. Then the terrain features will be visible when zoomed out almost to max.

I prefer it at 6, myself, since I do like the stylized map at full zoom-out, but hey.

You can also just tap "H" for the height color-map on and off, pretty quick compared to clicking the icon. There are a lot of decent keyboard shortcuts, actually.
JPFisher55
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RE: Why this game does not really appeal to me.

Post by JPFisher55 »

ORIGINAL: aperfecturkel

For terrain height and the tree/road visibility: Go to Options->Graphics and set Map Detail Distance to 7. Then the terrain features will be visible when zoomed out almost to max.

I prefer it at 6, myself, since I do like the stylized map at full zoom-out, but hey.

You can also just tap "H" for the height color-map on and off, pretty quick compared to clicking the icon. There are a lot of decent keyboard shortcuts, actually.

I tried it. It helped a bit, but not enough. Increasing sprite size to max really did help with the icons. I just find the terrain graphics difficult. Even with Map Detail Distance set to 7, when I zoom out much, all other terrain graphics disappear. Also, the terrain graphics are still small when I zoom out to see all my units.

I set the UI to 2.2. I didn't notice much difference from it set to 1.0.
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wodin
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RE: Why this game does not really appeal to me.

Post by wodin »

Funny I actually love the visual side of the game. One mans meat is another mans poison.
mekanopsis
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RE: Why this game does not really appeal to me.

Post by mekanopsis »

The chequerboard field and forest terrain of the German theatres does have a disorienting effect at first, with the new sprites. It takes a while to get used to "scanning" visually. You could turn on the alternate map view which is more like the Beta; uglyish but pure.

On that note: for visual scanability, and at the risk of feature bloat with all these suggestions, some options to highlight the road/bridge/river network with a special overlay layer could be useful, especially when developing plans early in a scenario.
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Perturabo
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RE: Why this game does not really appeal to me.

Post by Perturabo »

ORIGINAL: wodin

Funny I actually love the visual side of the game. One mans meat is another mans poison.
Red2112
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RE: Why this game does not really appeal to me.

Post by Red2112 »

I find that The HGT view is ok when zoomed out, but when zoomed in dosent help much in the overall battle picture, even if it did have more terrain features or a overlay the same would apply.

Most RTS games today have this type of view, Close Combat, Graviteam Tactics, Wargame series, Steel Beast, just to name a few, but don´t have a LOS tool, except SB and Graviteam. They also (in most cases) have the ability to tilt the map view.

Which brings me to the ISO view. In this view we have the ability to rise hight and tilt the map which gives you that "traditional" RTS view alot of you are used to. The only problem I see in this view, is that you cannot do anything else but zoom in/out, tilt map and rise hight as I just stated.

So while tacticaly this a great 3D view, we cannot check our LOS from this view and/or move any units. As I suggested in another thread, the ability to place a marker in the ISO view would be great, by this we could always go back to the normal view and check our LOS from the placed marker.

I personally don´t see AB as your "typical" RTS, and don´t want it to end up being one. That´s one of the reasons I like Matrix Games, because each of there games (for the most part) is different. Some of us spend hours in the planning phase in other games like Combat Mission, Steel Beast or Graviteam because these games are for the most part a "thinking mans" game and are meant to be played like that. By this I mean that if you expect to play AB in a fast way, you might be playing the wrong way.

Just my point of view...
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altipueri
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RE: Why this game does not really appeal to me.

Post by altipueri »

I agree with Red2112.

I watched a couple of videos and it nearly put me off the game because they were so millennial in presentation - along the lines of "Well let's send these dudes over here" Click Click Click. "Wow, that's really cool. Toasted that tank."


I will join the 21st century soon. :)
Phoenix100
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RE: Why this game does not really appeal to me.

Post by Phoenix100 »

+1 to what type of game it is - I agree with Altipueri and Red2112. And I think the graphics are excellent. I wouldn't have bought the game if it looked like Steel Panthers. I hate those graphics and hate that game. So, yeah, as said by Wodin, one man's meat....
mekanopsis
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RE: Why this game does not really appeal to me.

Post by mekanopsis »

The AB promotional videos have been for the most part both "millenial", and dull as dishwater because they lack appropriate editing. Is this something Matrix orchestrates in return for Beta copies? If it is they need to do a better job. Sorry but hardcore strategy with Twitch style presentation is just a damn hard sell. Video AARs really ought to be highlight reels not "looking over someone's shoulder"
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z1812
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RE: Why this game does not really appeal to me.

Post by z1812 »

ORIGINAL: mekanopsis

The AB promotional videos have been for the most part both "millenial", and dull as dishwater because they lack appropriate editing. Is this something Matrix orchestrates in return for Beta copies? If it is they need to do a better job. Sorry but hardcore strategy with Twitch style presentation is just a damn hard sell. Video AARs really ought to be highlight reels not "looking over someone's shoulder"

I base my reluctance to buy this game on it's not having PBEM and by having viewed youtube videos of it. As said above the youtube videos generally don't show much depth in approach and the A.I. is usually wiped out easily. Which is not a good recommendation for a single player game. However I follow this forum closely as people with military experience seem to think it quite good and many of the posts here are well written and informative. I am still on the fence, but when my anniversary coupon arrives I may fall on the side of buying it.
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