BOA2 - Feature focus : #10 Play, then play, then replay

[Pocus]

Dear players,

Here is the new feature of the day. BOA2 features a full replay module! The time where you wondered how your sneaky PBEM opponent (or the AI) managed to act so mischievously without you being able to know where the threat came from is OVER!

The game now generates a replay file for each side each turn. You can access it either from the main menu or from a button on the main interface of the current game.

One of the added cool features is that replay files can be exchanged or given to others players... You can even store them in your 'library of famous moves' to mock your puny opponent! (Remember when I pulled that double encirclement of Charleston while disembarking from a fleet that just blew past you, George?)

The replay buttons allow you to view each day step by step, a continuous forward replay, a backward replay, and many others neat things to help you understand how each move happened... Definitively a must have for serious gamers!

[Heldenkaiser]

THIS is unbelievable. Especially that it can be controlled.

[Pocus]

I forgot to say that you can view the map positions of your choice during replay (as expected).

[Jabberwock]

Are you trying to make AARs obsolete?

"And then on turn 12 I decided ... heck, here's a replay."

[GlobalExplorer]

Are you trying to make AARs obsolete?

LOL

[Heldenkaiser]

Depending on the file size, this could instead support AAR's quite nicely. The replay in itself doesn't tell much about the strategy and intentions, but it may illustrate a report more clearly than a static map snapshot (and be easier to produce).

Of course you would have to launch the game, while a map can just be looked at ... hm.

I see it comes down to a faster computer so that the game doesn't take two minutes to load.

[Lafrite]

Are you trying to make AARs obsolete?

Good idea, next move will be to convert this replay in a flash movie

[GShock]

Finally a smart move that goes ahead of the normal smart moves. YES this can be the BEST AAR tool EVER.

...the long wait continues...

[Fouche]

I wonder if this could be added to the games Napoleon's Campaign and the American Civil War...
On the other hand maybe not...depends upon the engine...and changes that would have to be done...anyway.
Glad to hear that BOA2 will have this feature....

[FM WarB]

There goes one of my inhibitions about producing AARs: the amount of time it takes to produce them.

I do have another inibition, though: Reluctance to provide insight into the mind of a great commander!....LoL...or embarassment at incompetance revealed

[boudi]

This feature will be added in AACW or not ?

EDIT : Oups sorry, question allready asked...

[CristoFire-Ice]

Dear players,

Here is the new feature of the day. BOA2 features a full replay module!

At last!!! Bravo.
I can't wait!!

[Clovis]

Ageod for ever

[Hok]

I'll just say that it wasn't the easiest module to create .

Celtic and Pocus have done a great job !

[wryun]

This certainly makes it tempting...

[MarkShot]

Actually, if you provide a player a means to annotate the file with text subcaptions ... it could handle AARs.

Then, of course if you allow some actually editting of viewpoint, filter, and perspective ... you would have the ultimate tool.

A while ago, MPS (Microprose) had a flight recorder for PAW (Pacific Air War). However, it was more than just a replay viewer, you could film edit the files and really boost the dramatic content.

This sounds like a great tool for battle analysis, but doesn't yet sound like it is ready to replace a well written and documented AAR by a player.

[GShock]

But it's still possible to tweak it in the future. The basic color palette, text box adding and pause to add the notations to the vid when the player says so and we got the AAR tool.

[Fatboy]

Forget the AARs! I will be using the replay to figure out what stack passed by my scouts mid way thru the turn & disappeared into the woods.

[FM WarB]

This may be a good in game feature, but for those, such as myself who like to look at AARs before purchase, it won't be much help.

[Rafiki]

This is a feature that has been especially requested by PBEM players, in order to nullify the advantage the hosting player has in seeing the turn resolve.

[morvael]

But won't that lift the FOG of war for the replay viewers? This is not the same as seeing a turn execute (I think I have not played PBEM in this engine).

[Pocus]

No, you see only what you should see.

[morvael]

That's great! So during the game you watch the replays with FOG. What happens when the game ends and you just want to look at how the forces moved without FOG? Is it possible, too?

Glad I bought BOA2, I hope this feature could be reimplemented in ACW and NC.

[Pocus]

No, you can't lift fog if you played the turn with it. The information are simply not there.