Sruba
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HoI IV and what is happening to Strategy Games nowdays.

Wed Jun 08, 2016 11:17 am

Hello,

I just want to start a discussion which may affect also AGEOD franchise.

As many of you know, some days ago HoI IV was released by Paradox Studio.

If you have played HoI 3, and now you saw/played HoI 4 you can see how less complex and simple this game is now.
Actually it looks like online mmo or android app game ...

Anyway, I'm also writing because I'm a bit afraid of AGEOD games. Some time ago, my friend gave me some internet interview with Ageod developer.
It was written there, that AGEOD is making new engine for it's game to put back old WEGO.
http://www.wargamer.com/news/an-interview-with-ageod/

Do we have to be afraid, that it can go they way like it did in HoI IV ? We all know that these are niche games, and that something might happen to the overall complexity to atract new players ?

I still have a lot of faith in AGEOD, but I just want to ask what are your feelings about new HoI IV and Paradox approach and if you think, that we might see similiar problem with our beloved games here.

vaalen
AGEod Guard of Honor
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Thu Jun 09, 2016 2:10 am

Hi Sruba,

I do not own HOI 4, and I do not want to. I have read enough reviews to know it is no kind of wargame, has been stripped of most of the features of the earlier games, allows ridiculous, impossible results, like Mongolia conquering Japan, has AI that has been described as brain dead, naval invasions that cannot be stopped, and many other things that make it a thing of simplistic fantasy rather than a historically valid game. And no manual.

I understand what you are afraid of. I would share that fear, except for two reasons.

The first is that Paradox actually owned Ageod a few years ago, and there was a parting of the ways. No one has said why, but I believe that Paradox was trying to get Ageod to move in the direction that led to HOI 4, and the Phils were not in accord with that approach. Just a guess, as I have no actual knowledge.

The second reason is the faith and confidence that I have in Philippe Thibaut and Philippe Malacher, also known as PhilThib and Pocus. These brilliant developers love military history, love the feel and color of it, and love the games they so wonderfully design, patch, and perfect, and love playing these kinds of games. These Ageod games are unique, and no one else does anything like them. I just cannot see them betraying the craft they have worked so hard and so long to master. I have dealt with them long enough to know they are men of honor, and of great integrity. I trust them.

As for the new system, it was stated that the new system would have the best of both worlds, combining modern graphics with the innovative designs of Ageod. The fact that it will be turn based wego is reassuring, because that is what we have in the current Ageod system. I am skeptical about the new graphics, but I will wait to see them with an open mind. It looks like the gameplay will not be dumbed down and made trivial.

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PhilThib
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Thu Jun 09, 2016 7:37 am

Well said... We shall be fighting strongly not to strip our future games of their 'serious' historical content and realism. Handling and tech will be more modern and adapted to recent expectations, but our unicity will remain.
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Sruba
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Thu Jun 09, 2016 12:21 pm

Thank you for both answers, that makes me feel more relieved for future AGEOD titles. :)

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ashandresash
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Thu Jun 09, 2016 8:23 pm

I'm not so critical on HoI4 (I own it though I've barely played it yet... looking forward to the weekend). It clearly has some issues but production, division design... are quite interesting. Developers have make an effort to make it more "sandbox-y", which is fine for games with a broader timespan but I don't think it suits so well a WWII game. I hope the "national focus" feature they've implemented could help to make it not derail.

That said, I like Ageod games (I own almost all of them) and the ideas after games like Wars of Napoleon or To End All Wars (and the mod its developer was doing) deserve an engine up to their quality.

@PhilThib, could you give us some update about the new engine?

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PhilThib
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Fri Jun 10, 2016 7:24 am

I am not in the technical details of the new engine, just on the designs and the story. I am not sure I am (yet) allowed to leak it info on it...will have a meeting on our next games by end of the month with our marketing team, so some news will be around early July.

Currently, I am also working on some new titles/expansions for the old engine as well. Same, news will come out soon.

:thumbsup:
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ashandresash
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Fri Jun 10, 2016 7:53 am

PhilThib wrote:I am not in the technical details of the new engine, just on the designs and the story. I am not sure I am (yet) allowed to leak it info on it...will have a meeting on our next games by end of the month with our marketing team, so some news will be around early July.

Currently, I am also working on some new titles/expansions for the old engine as well. Same, news will come out soon.

:thumbsup:


More than satisfied with your answer :coeurs: July is soon enough and it's good to know there are more Ageod incoming ;)

vaalen
AGEod Guard of Honor
Posts: 1229
Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2007 8:48 pm

Fri Jun 10, 2016 3:58 pm

PhilThib wrote:I am not in the technical details of the new engine, just on the designs and the story. I am not sure I am (yet) allowed to leak it info on it...will have a meeting on our next games by end of the month with our marketing team, so some news will be around early July.

Currently, I am also working on some new titles/expansions for the old engine as well. Same, news will come out soon.

:thumbsup:


I am delighted to hear that you are working on some new titles and expansions for the old engine. I must confess, it will be hard to wait until July to hear about them!

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Shri
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Location: INDIA

Sat Jun 11, 2016 7:44 am

@vaalen
great reply.

@philthib
does this mean - Rise of Prussia and TEAW can make a "GOLD or GOLD++" re-appearance with a better engine and better graphics but same attention to detail as before?? :thumbsup:
Rascals, would you live forever? - Frederick the Great.

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ERISS
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Sun Jun 12, 2016 4:14 am

Steam exclusive, then stock exchange and low cost games: profit maximization.

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Carnium
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Location: Slovenia

Mon Jun 13, 2016 12:12 am

PhilThib wrote:I am not in the technical details of the new engine, just on the designs and the story. I am not sure I am (yet) allowed to leak it info on it...will have a meeting on our next games by end of the month with our marketing team, so some news will be around early July.

Currently, I am also working on some new titles/expansions for the old engine as well. Same, news will come out soon.

:thumbsup:


Excellent news :thumbsup:

Please ditch this enhached ROP engine as soon as possible and return to the easy to the eye, hard yet pleasant to the mind mentality of the good old titles. All those moving neon objects in the new games give me a migraine after a few minutes of play...

RebelYell
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Posts: 608
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Mon Jun 13, 2016 1:28 am

Sruba wrote:Hello,

I just want to start a discussion which may affect also AGEOD franchise.

As many of you know, some days ago HoI IV was released by Paradox Studio.

If you have played HoI 3, and now you saw/played HoI 4 you can see how less complex and simple this game is now.
Actually it looks like online mmo or android app game ...

Anyway, I'm also writing because I'm a bit afraid of AGEOD games. Some time ago, my friend gave me some internet interview with Ageod developer.
It was written there, that AGEOD is making new engine for it's game to put back old WEGO.
http://www.wargamer.com/news/an-interview-with-ageod/

Do we have to be afraid, that it can go they way like it did in HoI IV ? We all know that these are niche games, and that something might happen to the overall complexity to atract new players ?

I still have a lot of faith in AGEOD, but I just want to ask what are your feelings about new HoI IV and Paradox approach and if you think, that we might see similiar problem with our beloved games here.


I share your concern and HoI IV looks like it is made for little children but that is what Paradox is more or less.
You have to wonder if developers there play their own games or are they laughing on the way to the bank.

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Pocus
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Location: Lyon (France)

Mon Jun 13, 2016 8:42 am

The new engine will be on all new subjects or at least, if we return to a period we tackled before, the approach will be quite different. For now, there is no plan to port an AGE engine game to the new engine. No copycat, no verbatim... Very different approach.
The tiny nugget of infos of the month: 'hand-off battlegrid'
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Hofstadter's Law: "It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's law."

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