Tue Jan 24, 2012 3:22 am
We all share your concerns. But have you seen the CKII map screenshots? The NCP1 map is a unique work of art, but I think we can live with something as attractive as the CKII map.
A good way to think about pausable real time is that the "turn" ends when you press the "pause button." This is an arbitrary break in the action that is no more arbitrary than a fixed interval such as turn length. You can take as long as you like to plan, give orders, check status, requisition replacements, etc...
There is enormous potential. For instance battles may become more dynamic, as you don't have to wait 15 days to respond to the situation. Just hit pause. Pursuit after battle may become even more important (greater fidelity regarding the period). Better plan on having a large body of cavalry under someone like Murat to pursue and harass the enemy retreat, cause additional casualties and morale loss, and prevent them reforming. Set their course and unpause. The lengthy pursuit may very well finally assume the significance it had then. In 1805, you will sweep the enemy stragglers before you; in 1813 you will wish you still had the cavalry to do so, and will miss achieving the decisive ending to your battles. Often you will plan for the pursuit phase of your operation on the fly taking advantage of opportunities as they arise. Fleshing out the role of cavalry better that depicted in NCP1 is a possibility, no?
How about reconnaissance? Better have that picket line of cavalry out another space to prevent being crushed before you have time to react to a sudden enemy presence. Hit pause and get the scouts out. Better understand where the avenues of approach are and make sure you maintain eyes on them at all times. Better rotate the scouts before they go down for fatigue or lack of supply. Hit pause, check them and adjust. When you want to, when you must. Your decision. Continuous operations demand maximum flexibility and organization. Another layer of uncertainty is added--more friction.
Of course you can do much of this in NCP1 right now. Why should we believe that we won't be able to do the same in NCP2? NCP2 gives us an additional opportunity to explore aspects of the period that may receive better treatment under a slightly different wargaming paradigm.
NCP1 is a jewel in its own right, a benchmark for Napoleonic computer wargaming. You would not know that by reading the many hastily made and ill considered comments about it after its release. Go back and look. We're just lucky that they even considered doing NCP2 after all that. Don't think some of that negativity cost them some sales? Guess again. Napoleonics aficionados are a very hard if not impossible lot to please and highly critical. To the casual observer it would appear that they hate what they love.
I've been wargaming this period for a very long time now. Encountered my first wargame almost 40 years ago. From painted lead figures to paper counters (Avalon Hill's War & Peace, especially) to almost every Napoleonic computer wargame ever published. I've read scads of books (Chandler's The Campaigns of Napoleon, best and most definitive) on the period. Yeah, I'm a Napoleonics freak. You are too, most likely, or you wouldn't be concerned. Nobody has ever done a more historically faithful, more playable depiction of Napoleonic warfare at the operational level than AGEOD. Try to name one. Of course, it ain't perfect, but...what is?
Guess what? They're using a different engine, but they're at it again. They will try and do it right, don't you think? We have seen what the AGEOD team can do. They're the best around at combining historical fidelity with playability. I don't think anyone else exists who can do it at all, let alone do it better. Let's use the time until release to give them our support, encouragement, and ideas about how to improve the best of NCP1 and add to it. That is, after all, their stated intention.
Innovation means change, that it won't be the same as before. We must live with that reality. It need not be troublesome. Highly gifted and capable people are working on this project. They deserve our confidence. Am I just a fanboy, maybe. But one would be blind not to see that the AGEOD team is something special. They're the best we've got at what they do.