shrapnell vs matrix edition???

SPWaW is a tactical squad-level World War II game on single platoon or up to an entire battalion through Europe and the Pacific (1939 to 1945).

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hmssirius
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shrapnell vs matrix edition???

Post by hmssirius »

hi All,
I am just wondering what the difference is between the matrix versions and the free versions you can download from shrapnell games? I am trying to justify to myself the cost of buying at such a high price when I can get what seems to be essentialy the same animal at no cost. [:)]
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junk2drive
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RE: shrapnell vs matrix edition???

Post by junk2drive »

Both games are called Steel Panthers but they are different. Both basic games are offered as free downloads. Shrapnel offers a CD for purchase with a few extra features and higher than 800x600 screen sizes. Matrix sells a CD with 4 Mega Campaigns plus the free version. Do a forum look around or search for more details.
 
Download and try both games for free. Play a while then decide what to buy. I purchased the Shrapnel versions and have one of the Mega campaigns from back when they were sold separately.
 
The two games play differently and I enjoy them both.
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PDiFolco
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RE: shrapnell vs matrix edition???

Post by PDiFolco »

The main difference is that the Shrapnel/SPCamo products are derived from SP2 engine, whereas Matrix SPWAW is derived from SP3 engine.
The two teams tried to work together at one time (in '97 or so!), but soon their views were too different and they headed each towards their goals.
To me SPWaW has more "fun" little things but WinSP is nicer ('cause you can have it up to 1600*1200) and easier to play on large scens, plus has more complete/legible OOBs.
 
 
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Kuokkanen
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RE: shrapnell vs matrix edition???

Post by Kuokkanen »

ORIGINAL: PDiFolco

WinSP
Is that acronym of WinSPWW2?
You know what they say, don't you? About how us MechWarriors are the modern knights, how warfare has become civilized now that we have to abide by conventions and rules of war. Don't believe it.

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Charles2222
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RE: shrapnell vs matrix edition???

Post by Charles2222 »

There are two crucial differences as far as I am concerned. The key one for me is the ease of WinSPWW2 map enlargement on the long campaigns and the control in other similar areas. For example, in SPWAW I don't think you can ever get a map over 80 hexes tall (120 at the very most) and all too often it smashes the playing field down to between 20-40 hexes on any given battle. Also very irritating is the all too often very lousy visibility, even in the summer. The game used to not be that way with the visibility, but I guess somebody complained enough and made it horrid. In WinSPWW2 you can alter both the visibility -and- map size and don't have to worry about somebody ruining that. You can get the map up to 200 hexes high and I think the width at like 160. Playing with a very tall map is a fundamental major difference in the games, as no one unit can virtually fire at all the flank positions because it both has a long range and sits in the middle. I think the same 'can' be done in terms of map size with SPWAW, but you have to know have to use the editor and every battle you will have to correct the battles that are disagreable in size, and if you're like me that will be every last one of them. WinSPWW2 will let you just point and click what map size you want very easily. There is no visibility adjustment that I had heard about, which may mean that even the editor cannot help there.

Another fundamental difference is that combat system. There is a few minor differences, such as WinSPWW2 allowing vehicles to reverse without changing their facing, but the main difference occurs when you're *not* playing. SPWAW allows reaction fire directed in a limited way by the player and then the AI takes control for each "action" the enemy does. I generally liked this as an improvement over the way WinSPWW2 handled it, where there is no user input on the enemy turn. I'm not sure exactly what happened to where I started disliking the SPWAW method. I think I just got tired of having to input so much, and also how it seemed far too often the last unit I wanted to take up one of the reaction fire possibilities did so. In WinSPWW2, as in all the original SP's, there is no reaction fire directed by the user, but it is directed entirely by the AI. Generally it seems to me it works more realistically this way but there's not a lot of difference. From what I have gleamed, it seems the SPWAW reaction fire was primarily a reaction to people who would abuse fire exchange by doing things like running a halftrack in front of your lines to draw fire, while your units focused on things worth shooting at. If you don't have a problem playing like an idiot like that, you may find you wlecome the idea of your units thinking on their own as opposed to the reactive user system. I suppose most players, particularly the ones who play the AI, will have no problem playing either method during the enemy phase. Naturally the WinSPWW2 method does save a lot of keystrokes.

As to things such as OOB's I cannot comment as I haven't played SPWAW in at least three years.
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JEB Davis
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RE: shrapnell vs matrix edition???

Post by JEB Davis »

ORIGINAL: Charles_22
I'm not sure exactly what happened to where I started disliking the SPWAW method. I think I just got tired of having to input so much, ...
...Naturally the WinSPWW2 method does save a lot of keystrokes.

As to things such as OOB's I cannot comment as I haven't played SPWAW in at least three years.
In the Preferences screen, just set OP FIRE CONFIRM to zero and it turns the user input part of Op.Fire off. Then you don't have to input anything and it saves all those keystrokes. [:)]

Being 3 years away, you missed out on the Enhanced Mod, which has huge improvements to the OOBs, try it, you might just like it.
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FlashfyreSP
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RE: shrapnell vs matrix edition???

Post by FlashfyreSP »

The WinSPWW2/WinSPMBT games have a very simplistic combat system compared to SPWAW's: in WinSPWW2, a tank is either hit for no effect, or killed outright. There is no damage system, from what I recall, that can impair a unit without destroying it outright. Additionally, infantry combat is not done well, as infantry units tend to be in a perpetual state of "gone to ground" anytime they are shot at. And it's almost impossible to eliminate them at medium to long range.

While SPWAW has its flaws (and considering the Matrix folks stopped improving the code nearly 4 years ago, unlike the Camo guys who have continued to work on the WinSP titles), I still prefer the SPWAW version for its combat and armour penetration systems.
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Randy
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RE: shrapnell vs matrix edition???

Post by Randy »

One of the things which I like about SPCamo is that they produced SPMBT. I enjoy the modern game aspects of MBT. I enjoy and prefer the use of the modern weapons Additionally, it is very relavant to things going on today. I also like the use of the larger maps and more units. I think this gives the player the ability to play close to operational level games. When it comes to WWII, I have never played the SPWWII game since I have the SPWAW game.
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Kuokkanen
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RE: shrapnell vs matrix edition???

Post by Kuokkanen »

ORIGINAL: Randy

One of the things which I like about SPCamo is that they produced SPMBT. I enjoy the modern game aspects of MBT. I enjoy and prefer the use of the modern weapons
Scenarios of pre-modern wars are still worth to play with. One scenario of Korean war in 1950 is well made indeed: when AI North Koreans were going at last line, timely arrival of reinforcements in form of foot platoon and 2 Pershings didn't feel too early at all. Scenario also demonstrates power of recoilless rifles: I moved Pershing 1 hex too far, and it got immobilized by RR squad.
You know what they say, don't you? About how us MechWarriors are the modern knights, how warfare has become civilized now that we have to abide by conventions and rules of war. Don't believe it.

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