Future Games Ageod Anticipations??

[murat]

After the RUs and PON, Chef d'oeuvre games, my expectations for the future are very high.
Can I ask you anticipations about future devolopments?
Is it in development Napoleon's Campaigns 2? Is it in developement the Thyrty Year War? Is it in development the new scenario for RUS? or for WW1, or a new game for ancine times (Pelonneso War, Punic war, Medieval Campaigns)?
Excuse me the impatience.
I'm very intersted to Ageod Chef d'oeuvre games.
Murat

[PhilThib]

The AGEOD team is focusing mainly on PON right now, which will be our masterpiece and a big step forward in many aspects of our engine

From there, after release, many roads are open, and we have a nice list of projects that you should all love.... be patient, anouncements will come soon enough

[Jeffkle]

What is PON???

[Gray_Lensman]

deleted

[Christophe.Barot]

Pride of Nations is new and final title (for various reasons) adopted for what we called Vainglory of Nations, the mamooth soon to be relieased masterpiece game covering all 19th century (and beyond) from 1848 revolutions (excluded) to WWI (included, but not necessary at historical dates).

it encompasses :

8 playable great powers : Prussia/Germany, Piedmont/Italy, Austria/ Austria-Hungary, Great Britain, France, Russia, USA, Japan

orther powers (Ottoman, China, Spain, Belgium, Spain, Sweden, Bavaria, Serbia, Bulgaria, Mexico...) are here but played only by AI

it covers :
- economic
- foreign policy
- somehow internal policy
- military
- colonial
aspects of the game

great powers have a personalized, not sandbox behaviour - we're working hard to have them behave as historical-plausibly (totally historically is unpossible for a game, as situation great powers face are not identical to historical ones, they should behave historically would situation be the same) and accurately a game allows. we try giving you the feeling you face Bismarck, Gortchakoff, or Salisbury, not a schoolyard bully - a real challenge

possible conflicts (likely to happen, but sure not at exact historical times) covered (among others) are :
Crimean war
Risorgimento
Austro and franco Prussian wars (German unity)
Russor Turkish wars
American Civil War
Russo-Japanese war
Boer war
American-spanish war
colonial scramble (Africa, Oceania, Central Asia, China and far east, carribean)
Great war (but when , how and who'll be on which side ? - while I'd be surprised traditional enemy :neener

PhilippeS and AGEOD team took pains to have a very detailed and accurate game, Pangi's army silhouettes are a pure marvel for me, we take great pains to have accurate maps (game system and scale allowing) - we discussed hard for a single Prussian province belonging yesterday

honest, if game is only half of what it should be and you don't like it, well ... then you don't like 19th century

[tagwyn]

Guys: I will like it!! Can't wait for it patiently. Great work. t

[Franciscus]

I really hope PoN delivers all it's promises, and knowing the Phils, I know it will. And it will be a game to be played and enjoyed for many, many years, I am sure

After, I also hope for a NCP2, based around the new AGE engine developed for PoN, with diplomacy, etc. That will be a sure hit.

What I would also like to see in NCP2 would be the possibility of easily exporting the OoB of the armies pre-battle and having the option to play it out tactily in Histwar (and then re-importing back the results into NCP2). I know that's not the Ageod way, I am completely used to how battles are played out in Ageod games, I know that would create a mammoth game, but one can dream...

(and it's being done, in multiplayer, with Empire in Arms for grand strategy and Histwar for the battles, by some die-hard grognards :bonk

Regards

[TheDoctorKing]

I'm still holding out for the 20th century. Now that we see the AGE engine successfully handling the 1920s in RUS and the first quarter of the century in PoN, I'm looking forward to 1930s-1960s global conflict. Politics, economics, grand strategy, ideologies in conflict...

It might be too much but I can certainly imagine that AGEODs version would be superior to HOI III.

[nats]

It might be too much but I can certainly imagine that AGEODs version would be superior to HOI III.

That wouldnt be difficult. Beating HOI2 though that would be the true test of a great WW2 game as HOI2 must surely rank as the best WW2 grand strategy game of all time. But yes I would be interested to see how Ageod would do a WW2 game but it would be a massive undertaking considering how much detail they like to put into their games.

[TheDoctorKing]

That wouldnt be difficult. Beating HOI2 though that would be the true test of a great WW2 game as HOI2 must surely rank as the best WW2 grand strategy game of all time. But yes I would be interested to see how Ageod would do a WW2 game but it would be a massive undertaking considering how much detail they like to put into their games.

I was a beta for HOI II and I still like it, but there are some fundamental weaknesses. The actual fighting is disappointing. There's no sense of operational control, you just throw troops into a region and hope for the best. The decisions were all made long before, with your technological and productive choices. The politics are still a little wierd - the 'sandbox' effect at work. HOI II is a great game from 1936 to 1939. After the war actually breaks out, it gets a little weaker. It reminds me of the 'sandbox' addition to the World in Flames system, called Days of Decision. DoD could be played as a stand-alone game, but it was just a little unsatisfying as a wargame.

World in Flames, on the other hand, has got to be the best WW2 grand strategy game of all time. It's got everything - plenty of "chrome" in the way of different kinds of units, the 1 SS Panzer Corps is different from the Grossdeutchland which is different from the 5th Guards Tank Army, the air and naval units have their own distinct ways of functioning that really make you feel like you are fighting in a different element, leadership is important but not overwhelming, supplies are a critical issue, the production system is complex enough to make you feel you are making real economic decisions without taking up all your attention (like in HOI II). With the DoD political system, you can have as much sandbox as you like. Now there's a game! Matrix purports to be turning it into a computer game but given how long they've been at it I'm not sanguine. I've been playing World in Flames using VASSAL for several years now.

[PhilThib]

I really believe that if AGEOD was to ever make a WW2 game, the concepts and levels of WiF are the models to emulate. I am myself a dedicated amateur of World in Flames which is probably the boardgame I played the most (right after Imperium Romanum and Empires in Arms)

[wosung]

That wouldnt be difficult. Beating HOI2 though that would be the true test of a great WW2 game as HOI2 must surely rank as the best WW2 grand strategy game of all time. But yes I would be interested to see how Ageod would do a WW2 game but it would be a massive undertaking considering how much detail they like to put into their games.

Now what I surely MUST like here for ALL times is the lack of ANY doubt or hesitation.


It all depends of your definition of "grand strategy".

If you mean "global strategy", well then there really isn't much competition. Thus being best isn't an achievement.

If you mean "grand strategy" (as opposed to operational), well, there might be some other candidates being best until now.

HOI2 can be fun to play. But honestly, just for me it hasn't awfully much to do with WW2.

And from a design pov a global war RTS game is somehow Hitleresque. Because it works best playing Germany, attacking one enemy after the other. And it doesn't work very well when you play globally acting Western Allies.

Regards

[wosung]

I really believe that if AGEOD was to ever make a WW2 game, the concepts and levels of WiF are the models to emulate. I am myself a dedicated amateur of World in Flames which is probably the boardgame I played the most (right after Imperium Romanum and Empires in Arms)

Oh yes please! Emulate!!!

Maybe you followed Steve Hokanson's Herculian effort digitalizing WIF for Matrix Games, haven't you? It is quite a transparent forum with polite & friendly people - just like Ageod's.

Some of you French guys really love WIF. Patrice Forno comes to mind, who is really dedicated, helping Matrix WIF a lot and who is maintaining a great WIF webside.

Regards

[Carnium]

Now after I saw what you did with RUS (will buy it myself for the Christmas for sure :coeurs I would LOVE to see the Spanish Civil War in the AGEOD style.
La guerra de España: The Cross and the Star

[Clovis]

Now after I saw what you did with RUS (will buy it myself for the Christmas for sure :coeurs I would LOVE to see the Spanish Civil War in the AGEOD style.
La guerra de España: The Cross and the Star

I would love too. Now the real question is: how much buyers? Because except Russian Front or the Bulge in WW2 and Real Time strategy games, it seems the computer wargaming market isn't as suited as the boardgame for release about other periods...

[ashandresash]

Now after I saw what you did with RUS (will buy it myself for the Christmas for sure :coeurs I would LOVE to see the Spanish Civil War in the AGEOD style.
La guerra de España: The Cross and the Star

I couldn't say it better

I'll be buying RUS for my holidays (till then, learning from forums), and I'd really love a Spanish Civil War AGE game (I suppose it'll be perfect if an independent team of developers take the challenge, like it happened with WWI or RUS).

About ageod developing it by themselves, like Clovis has stated, maybe the niche is even nicher nowadays... And after Pride of Nations (another must-have for me), I think it's time to feed the masses going into Second World War.

[OneArmedMexican]

I really believe that if AGEOD was to ever make a WW2 game, the concepts and levels of WiF are the models to emulate. I am myself a dedicated amateur of World in Flames which is probably the boardgame I played the most (right after Imperium Romanum and Empires in Arms)

Please don't! Everybody is making WW II games. I can't see them anymore. Please don't loose the courage to take less well trodden paths. apy:

I would love too. Now the real question is: how much buyers? Because except Russian Front or the Bulge in WW2 and Real Time strategy games, it seems the computer wargaming market isn't as suited as the boardgame for release about other periods...

But on the other hand, is it that smart to put out yet another game about WW II?
I have no idea if and how profitable RUS turned out to be - but at least ACW prooves that a game hasn't got to be about WW II to be successful.

And as concerns the Spanish Civil War, it might actually interest more people than one might guess. Think only about all the international volunteers that fought in this war.

[Generalisimo]

But on the other hand, is it that smart to put out yet another game about WW II?
I have no idea if and how profitable RUS turned out to be - but at least ACW prooves that a game hasn't got to be about WW II to be successful.

Well, that proves that for a game to be successful... the "americans" must be present in the conflict...

[Nikel]

Thousands were expecting in Matrix forum the release of WitE, and no americans present unless you count lend lease

[Carnium]

Spanish Civil War would be quite risky to make and market, but it could serve its purpose of testing new WW2 styled engine for the future games set in the more "modern" ages. Just like the RUS introduced some new stuff which will be developed even further in the future.
If the games sell only if the Yanks are present then there are still some possibilities:
- AACW 2 would be risk free and would sell like crazy
- American Mexican War would be risky, but would nicely close the historic gap between WiA and AACW
- Spanish-American War - I have no interest in this one, but ....
- Vietnam War (could be interesting in the long run)

Here is an interesting list:
http://www.cassiopaea.org/cass/uswars.htm

[Nikel]

I would love too. Now the real question is: how much buyers? Because except Russian Front or the Bulge in WW2 and Real Time strategy games, it seems the computer wargaming market isn't as suited as the boardgame for release about other periods...

But with some touches at least the map could be also used for a dedicated game of the Peninsular War

[Generalisimo]

Thousands were expecting in Matrix forum the release of WitE, and no americans present unless you count lend lease

Sure, all those european players that already bought NPC... oh wait...

Unless a new SEP project appears on the horizon (like the RUS project), the next game will be decided in conjunction with Paradox.

[Nikel]

Not only europeans.

Apparently there are many Pattons out there that want to smash the red dog, even though commanding german troops

[El Nino]

To me, if we MUST have americans troops for sell a AGE game, why not test the American-Maexican War ?

It would be a good thing for the Americans (one another US war), for the buisiness (if americans are the first to bye a game), and the must important, on the same game, we could introduce a campaign with that subject : the big franco-Mexican War (Napoleon III, Maximilian and Juarez...).

Why not ?

[Clovis]

At the time I post here, on the Matrixgames forum, they are one member on the Revolution Under Siege sub forum, and 47 on the Gary Grigsby's War in the east one ( excellent game by the way and incidentally sold for a price 2 times RUS one...)

[Franciscus]

Sure, all those european players that already bought NPC... oh wait...

Unless a new SEP project appears on the horizon (like the RUS project), the next game will be decided in conjunction with Paradox.

Sincerely, I think it's not fair to blame the european theme on the relative failure of NCP. As much as I hate to say it, that game has some flaws - not only the lack of a grand campaign and the numerous bugs of the only "campaign" present (Peninsular war) - that coupled to the relative lack of support, justify IMHO the apparently poor sales.

But I think that at least among the strategy/wargame players, Napoleonics is one of the favorite themes; many games (and no, I am not referring solely to NTW ) have/are being developed based on the Napoleonic wars and have apparently a decent return (to name a few, Crown of Glory, EiA, Histwar).

I sincerely believe that a NCP with a full campaign, dilpomacy, politics, production, etc (all things that are being laid down in PoN, I believe) will be a success.

The logical evolution after PoN is to go back and do NCP2 and then go forward and do WW2. IMHO, of course

Regards

[Omnius]

PhilThib,
That's cool that you also like World in Flames and it would be nice to see AGEOD go for making it's own WW2 game with it's AGEOD game engine. Hearts of Iron is one of the worst games ever made, along with Making History that was merely Faking History. Too many WW2 games already on the market and none really worth playing, like Computer War in Europe.

I'd think that doing an ancients set of games based on the AGEOD game system would be a natural. Something like the campaigns of Rome or Alexander would be interesting. Considering the political climate of today I'd think a game covering the conflict between Christians and Muslims of old would be interesting.

The Pride of Nations game does sound intriguing and does sound very involved. Hopefully the political system can be worked out nicely as that would be the main item that could be problematic.

I would really love to see NCP2 doing the whole Napoleonic Wars from 1805 through 1815 or later. Just because historically the Napoleonic Wars ended in 1815 shouldn't mean that the game would end at some set time. The end should be dictated more by reaching some political goal like uniting Europe one way or the other.

[Generalisimo]

The logical evolution after PoN is to go back and do NCP2 and then go forward and do WW2. IMHO, of course

Regards

I will not say that I disagree with you... but time will tell...

[Pocus]

Games that sell well are either WW2, Napoleonic or sci-fi I believe.

[wosung]

Games that sell well are either WW2, Napoleonic or sci-fi I believe.

I hope you two Phils somehow can decide yourself, what game you gonna design next. Arguably more dedication makes better games.

Although in that case it probably won't be a WW2 game, will it?

Regards