First REAL screenshots from "Brother Against Brother"

[Gil R.]

I just gave a presentation on BAB at Historicon, which was attended by the press as well as other developers, so I think I can share a few of the screenshots. These are from Wilson's Creek, which is our first finished map.

First, a zoomed out view showing the Confederates in their encampments.

[Gil R.]

Next, two screenshots showing parts of the OOB screens.

[Gil R.]

The other.

[Gil R.]

An early exchange with the Union lead units encountering the CSA cavalry guarding the main approach to the CSA encampments.

[Gil R.]

And finally, since my laptop is dying, the opening salvo fired by Sigel at the encamped Confederates (who are unidentified and thus shown as flags).

[Gil R.]

Oh, one more. This shows (with white boxes/+ signs) the hexes into which Sigel's artillery can fire).

[Wardyr]

Wow, that looks awesome. Just send a shout out if you need beta testers!!!!!!

[wodin]

Looks great..

[Maulet]

great great, it sounds fantastic!

[Anguille]

Cool!

[Agathosdaimon]

this looks so good! beautiful actually. when will this be coming out if i may ask?

[Alan Sharif]

Looking forward to this.

[Anguille]

How many maps are planned?

[Gil R.]

Thanks to all of you for your comments.

Regarding your questions, I can at best say that we expect this out sometime this winter -- I learned long ago not to make narrow predictions this far out (and I learned it that hard way!) -- and that it will include four battles with four or five maps. The battles are 1st Manassas/Bull Run, Wilson's Creek, Williamsburg, and Mill Springs. For Mill Springs two maps are currently planned, with the second being for alternate-history scenarios at the CSA encampment 10 miles from the actual battlefield. But each of our battles is set on a single map, and that map is large enough for maneuvers far from the focus of the fighting. (In fact, it is the enormous size of our battlefields, with much bonus space, that has added considerably to the time it will take to complete the maps. But it should be worth it.)

[RyanCrierie]

Regarding battle map size being a limitation; have you considered using automation to reduce map creation? e.g. creating a map maker that can load multiple bitmaps and then turn them into a raw map?

There's something like this already in a matrix game (Panzer Command Kharkov); so you could ask them for help on how to do that.

[Gil R.]

Thanks for the suggestion. In deciding to do things this way we looked at all options, and this sort of hand-drawn map was deemed best. We didn't anticipate how difficult the final maps would be to produce, but that's partly because we didn't anticipate how insanely detailed I would make them. As you can see just from these screenshots, for example, there is a greater variety of vegetation types than one normally sees, not to mention that we have four levels of heights, and various other elements that make the maps quite complex.

[Hexagon]

Great pics, looks like the walking dead is alive!!!! [:D]

A few things about the game:

-the map lines are the only way to see the terrain elevations and objetives??? or are other ways to see this.
-how are the casualties details??? dead, wounded, captured... or only a single number to cover casualties???
-3D units only or is posible use counters???
-is posible change the 3D soldier image in the info panel??? i refer to the pic that appear in armchair web.
-random generator is a good idea, maybe release game with a "poor" version is a good idea, i think in one using the game maps where you choose one, select between historical OOB or custom OOB and you have a new battle.

Great job on game, maybe the engine is better to cover moustaches, grenadiers, curassiers and other napoleonic guys but... [&o]

[Gil R.]

Thanks for your comments/questions. See my boldface responses below.

ORIGINAL: Hexagon

Great pics, looks like the walking dead is alive!!!! [:D]

Well, zombies are big these days, so we're trying to tap into that. It's a business decision.

A few things about the game:

-the map lines are the only way to see the terrain elevations and objetives??? or are other ways to see this.
Look in the upper-right of the screen shots and you will see some white text saying "Terrain under mouse" -- that will tell you everything possibly about a hex you mouse over.
-how are the casualties details??? dead, wounded, captured... or only a single number to cover casualties???
Just a single number for the men, though there is specific info for officers and generals. "Casualties" means men who are killed or too wounded to fight, since their totals are removed from Unit Strength.
-3D units only or is posible use counters???
Yes, we have the NATO chits.
-is posible change the 3D soldier image in the info panel??? i refer to the pic that appear in armchair web.
I'm not on that webpage, but you mean the guy announcing something or other? That's probably a graphic that will be replaced.
-random generator is a good idea, maybe release game with a "poor" version is a good idea, i think in one using the game maps where you choose one, select between historical OOB or custom OOB and you have a new battle.
If I understand your suggestion correctly, adding a random OOB generator would be more work than we can do right now, especially since it would delay the game. But our files are easily moddable, and will be "modder-friendly" in terms of explanatory notes.

Great job on game, maybe the engine is better to cover moustaches, grenadiers, curassiers and other napoleonic guys but... [&o]
We'd love to use the engine for that period as well, but are limited simply because WCS is a small team. If BAB does well, though, I can definitely see doing that in the next few years, though.

[danlongman]

And I wonder why I ain't rich yet. You will have my money.
Anything else you want? GF is cranky and daughter is getting expensive....

[Hexagon]

First, thanks for the reply hehehe

Well, yes, i notice the option to see the type of terrain under the mouse but i refer to another way to see at simple view the terrain elevation and another way to see the objectives is a little hard notice what is the terrain you have, elevated terrain, lower terrain... and when are a great number of changes in terrain elevatios is hard understand it (for example HPS/JT titles use diferent colours to notice elevatios apart a border in hexes that you can activate or no).

Then only 1 number for casualties... then i asume that casualties are a single victory factor... i expect see more details here apart for stats to touch a little victory points like 50% per wounded/missing 75% captured, something to add more random value, but is not a critical thing if rest of game works fine.

Great, use counters is something very good for me maybe is a better way to see deployment when are a lot of troops and maybe counters can offer more info about unit, and about the 3D guy, yes, is the one that appear in an event window, he receive the nick name of botox fanboy in a forum lol [:D]

Well, for generated battles i refer to something like the battle option in Steel Panthers, you have the OOB with units that you can buy and add to your battle OOB apart that you have an units editor to add new units to OOB, this is i want refer, you have a serie of stock OOBs in game and the option to create your own OOBs to use in a random battle option, select the map, select the OOB you want use, battle type (attack, defend, encounter) and side advantage in buy points (you select the force points to buy units), maybe a map editor is interesting or at least a scenario editor to create custom scenarios for what ifs for example but is a bonus (well years ago this was a must have but...).


If engine is good to cover ACW in some years could be great see a nap title but step by step even when i am


Something i dont remember ask... i read about the game has the option to detach companies from the regiment/battalion this made me ask if is posible that engine deal fine with company level fights (i think that you can add as bonus in big battles a few scens at this level covering certain action in battle apart that we can create small actions to).

Again thanks for the replies and good luck in your work.

PD: today to improve somethign you need add zombies to it... World War??? much better World War Z even when movie and book only have in common the title