In Development

[Deathtreader]

Hi all,

For awhile now the only game title shown as being in development is the moribund Combined Arms. We all know that none of us will live long enough to see that published [:(]

Sooooooo........

Surely there are other games in the pipe that are far enough along (maybe Southern Storm for example) that could beef up the In Development section.

I can't be the only one who's curious about the future. [:'(]

Thanks!

Rob.

[ringoblood]

No comment [:D]

[IainMcNeil]

There are many games in development but until they're officially announced we cant have a forum for it. Currently they're also split between Matrix & Slitherine. We're looking to make the whole site & forums more navigable for the future so you can find what you want. There are 20-30 releases before the end of this year counting new platforms and DLC's so a lot happening.

[rico21]

8 months x 30 days == 240 days / 25 releases == 10 days.

What, a game will be out in ten days and we did never speak about it?[:D]

[demyansk]

Games in development, heck, I still need to play all my other games

[tentackle]

ORIGINAL: demyansk

Games in development, heck, I still need to play all my other games

Yep, mate)

[wodin]

I'd like to see new innovative games. Ones that do things differently and rethink how wargames can be played. Rather than new games using same engine as other releases , say WH40K using Panzer Korps engine and .mechanics of a new era using pike and shot engine. Nothing wrong with these but you can't beat a new game that has a new engine and does new things. Like When Airborne Assault came out of Combat Mission and wego or more recent the rpg aspect to DC Barbarossa

Also frustrating when it seems a game is a missed\wasted opportunity to do something special. Take Check your Six. Things like pilots not named and planes glass not transparent (bit of a thing about this). No proper campaign where you could have managed your pilots, had ground crew ratings, injured pilots, medals and more detailed pilot stats, things that would be hard to do in a boardgame. Use the power of the PC but keep the games core mechanics and talking about the make sure all boardgame features are included. Personally I wouldn't be happy with a game I've developed it I thought all that could be done has been within the confines of scale, war, theatre and time period

[rico21]

Well, I do not have the time to comment on the design of all the new wargames, but if I did, I would not compare the tactical games with the operational games and even less with the strategic games, that a new game that I do not like, may please others.
I would avoid saying what I would do knowing that I would not do it, it would show my incompetence.
Finally, for short, when I wipe my mouth, I take a table napkin, not a towel.

[JReb]

ORIGINAL: wodin

I'd like to see new innovative games. Ones that do things differently and rethink how wargames can be played. Rather than new games using same engine as other releases , say WH40K using Panzer Korps engine and .mechanics of a new era using pike and shot engine. Nothing wrong with these but you can't beat a new game that has a new engine and does new things. Like When Airborne Assault came out of Combat Mission and wego or more recent the rpg aspect to DC Barbarossa

Also frustrating when it seems a game is a missed\wasted opportunity to do something special. Take Check your Six. Things like pilots not named and planes glass not transparent (bit of a thing about this). No proper campaign where you could have managed your pilots, had ground crew ratings, injured pilots, medals and more detailed pilot stats, things that would be hard to do in a boardgame. Use the power of the PC but keep the games core mechanics and talking about the make sure all boardgame features are included. Personally I wouldn't be happy with a game I've developed it I thought all that could be done has been within the confines of scale, war, theatre and time period

+1. My thoughts exactly.

There was some concern when Matrix and Slith merged that there would be this drop off in the more complex games and lighter fare would be the main focus. I think we are seeing some of this now with the latest releases from Slith being pretty light; Check Your Six, Empires Apart and March to Glory. Personally they just don't offer enough for me as a player to keep my interest. Hopefully the developers will stick around for awhile and continue adding depth to those games.

In the interest of balance so I'm not just bashing Matrix/Slith unfairly, I would add that CMANO, Desert War and FOG2 are quality releases with lots to like in each title. I guess its about personal preference.

But I would love to see a new game come out that has new, innovative look and feel that has never-done-before mechanics and features. Especially tactical scale, squad or platoon, maybe company level with a carry-over campaign system. Oh yeah baby! That's the game I want. [&o]

[IainMcNeil]

We'd love to publish more hardcore wargames but they take a long time to develop and there are not many people able to make them and the pool seems to be shrinking. There is a real shortage of wargamers who can code to a level needed for modern commercial games. Games have become more technically demanding and it limits who can perform the role. And programmers coming from a more mainstream background struggle to get to grips with concepts and ideas from wargames. There is a real shortage of personnel, limiting how many we can have in progress at any one time.

This is not a change we've instigated or any form of strategic decision, just a result of circumstances. If there are more wargamer/programmers out there we'd love to hear from them!

[Zorch]

I prefer to be surprised.

[wodin]

Lost me abit there...

ORIGINAL: rico21

Well, I do not have the time to comment on the design of all the new wargames, but if I did, I would not compare the tactical games with the operational games and even less with the strategic games, that a new game that I do not like, may please others.
I would avoid saying what I would do knowing that I would not do it, it would show my incompetence.
Finally, for short, when I wipe my mouth, I take a table napkin, not a towel.

[Blond_Knight]

ORIGINAL: IainMcNeil

We'd love to publish more hardcore wargames but they take a long time to develop and there are not many people able to make them and the pool seems to be shrinking. There is a real shortage of wargamers who can code to a level needed for modern commercial games. Games have become more technically demanding and it limits who can perform the role. And programmers coming from a more mainstream background struggle to get to grips with concepts and ideas from wargames. There is a real shortage of personnel, limiting how many we can have in progress at any one time.

This is not a change we've instigated or any form of strategic decision, just a result of circumstances. If there are more wargamer/programmers out there we'd love to hear from them!

I remember seeing you guys putting out a request for C++ programmers more than once I believe. I really wish I could get involved but Powershell and Linux scripts aren't exactly what you're looking for.

[bazjak]

I would be happy with an update for WITP AE just to make it easier to play on my laptop
I just can't seem to get the switches correct to get it to play properly
Modernise it and it could be a new game all over again
Just look at the interest in the forum

[ezzler]

I just want the battles from WiTp.

I thought that was in the works a while back. A sort of Carrier Strike game?

[MrsWargamer]

Hardcore doesn't always bring in the bucks.

A business exists to make money.

Anything not producing, is a burden to the business.

My local hobby store is relocating (better landlord I suspect) but is also downsizing some stock categories. R/C and trains. I actually was surprised that R/C wasn't profitable. But we have a model railroad club in town and even that isn't enough. The thing is, the owner mentioned all the model railroaders have 'mature' collections. By 'mature' he meant, they had established layouts, and they simply didn't need anything.

I suppose you could say I have a 'mature' wargame collection. I saw Order of Battle on sale, and initially, it was "wow, yippee, I want it." Then my wallet yelled out, "you don't need yet another wargame of the same friggin war, at the same friggin scale, just because it is slightly different." So I was "oh alright, I'll pass on it."

I mostly come here to chew the fat. The thing is, I'm hardly a customer any more. I bought several titles I got on impulse I didn't really need.
And some of those were the monster titles. There IS only so many ways to game WW2. You can only play ONE game at a time. I own Gary's titles and I own Tillers titles, and I own TOAW III and I own Ron's Schwerpunkt designs and to a point, they're different, and to a point, they're all the same.

Once you already have a means to simulate something, logically, you don't need more.
Granted, not all of us a very logical crowd
But businesses tend to succeed when they master logical choices

[vonRocko]

New development needs to focus on a better AI. It seems to me that the AI in new games are getting worse, not better. After a few decades I would've expected much better AI.
Devs got a bit lazy, focusing on multiplayer at the expense of a decent AI.
IMHO

[IainMcNeil]

AI is extremely hard to do right and sadly doesn't look good in screenshots so games that focus on AI fail and die. Its easy to say but the reality is devs are pushed by commercial concerns to focus on things that sell the game and not enough people are willing to pay enough to make AI a focus. The more complex the game the harder it is to do AI so it gets exponentially harder to solve for more detailed games as you spend a pile of time making the game complex and a pile more making the AI play it properly. There isn't an obvious solution.

Suggesting it is lazy development is beyond insulting! Multiplayer can be hugely complicated as well so hardly an easy option over AI! If everyone worked as hard as game developers the world would be a for more productive place!

[vonRocko]

Sorry, no insult was intended. I understand it is complicated, but this seems to be the only thing that hasn't improved over the years.

[berto]

ORIGINAL: vonRocko

New development needs to focus on a better AI. It seems to me that the AI in new games are getting worse, not better. After a few decades I would've expected much better AI.
Devs got a bit lazy, focusing on multiplayer at the expense of a decent AI.
IMHO

I don't know about the "lazy". I think that devs have been focusing on flashy graphics, whiz-bang UIs, etc. At the expense of devoting time and energy to AI development. No less effort, just a redirection of effort to what the market seems to crave most. Which is not better AI. Not saying AI is unimportant; it just seems that to most casual players (where most of the sales are) having a decent AI is farther down the wish list.

ORIGINAL: IainMcNeil

AI is extremely hard to do right and sadly doesn't look good in screenshots so games that focus on AI fail and die. Its easy to say but the reality is devs are pushed by commercial concerns to focus on things that sell the game and not enough people are willing to pay enough to make AI a focus. The more complex the game the harder it is to do AI so it gets exponentially harder to solve for more detailed games as you spend a pile of time making the game complex and a pile more making the AI play it properly. There isn't an obvious solution.

+1