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Post by waterloo3d on Oct 31, 2018 14:12:25 GMT
Hi Everyone! I'm trying to get feedback from the people that know wargaming the most (you!). We are building a wargame based on the Battle of Waterloo and are seeking feedback on what you would want to see in the game. We have already incorporated authentic Napoleonic tactics and uniforms in addition to having all four battles of 1815. What features would be important to you? Check out this first lookThanks! Rebecca
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Post by bruce on Oct 31, 2018 21:59:05 GMT
Well, I'll start. I think its safe to safe we mostly game with miniatures here. But I have been known to play the very occasional Darth Mod version of Napoleon Total War and have tried a number of others. So...
I do not like grand tactical games were your ability to move your hands quickly and memorize a lot of keyboard functions is a key to victory. So I would like to see it be more of a commander's game where you get a couple of minutes to think and decide, and giving an order is almost as easy as turning to your subordinates and, well...giving an order, not fumbling with icons and keys. We are old guys, we are looking for less tech and more battle feel.
Also - and please forgive me UK friends - I am rather burnt out on all the Waterloo stuff. The anniversary is over, and we know more about this series of engagements than all the rest of the previous battles combined by far. Unless this engine will be expandable to other campaigns and nations, my interest may be limited. Bruce
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Post by waterloo3d on Nov 13, 2018 18:21:27 GMT
Bruce, hi!
This is Fred, the chief designer for Waterloo 3D. To answer your qns quick:
*Yes, we are making this a very approachable game with tons of tutorials.
*No, the game is not going to be a click-fest.
*Yes, there is an RTS mode for the younger crowd. But we have a Grognard mode too for the hardcore grumblers that will respect the Napoleonic period tactics.
*Columns right in front, left in front, passage of lines, skirmish lines, rallying squares for skirmish lines, units going out of control, infantry firing without orders, cavalry refusing to charge etc etc are all modelled. *Yes the engine is extendable to other battles. In fact our aim is to develop this engine specifically for Napoleonic battles and campaigns.
Thanks for your time.
-Fred
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Post by waterloo3d on Jan 29, 2019 0:15:47 GMT
Hey everyone, we are super excited to show you our first gameplay video!!
Please check it out ->
We appreciate any feedback!
Thanks!
Fred
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Post by bruce on Jan 29, 2019 23:30:21 GMT
In general, and as an early demo, this looks pretty cool! Assuming you intend to do more with the graphics, like trees and such, and the troop movement during close combat is a little strange looking. But the controls look quite sensible and user friendly. This is a key component for me - I do not want to be found lacking because my hands are not quick with computer functions. If I have some practical control over what is happening and do not need to memorize too many functions, this will allow me to concentrate on the battle. So far it looks like you are heading in the right direction! Bruce
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Post by jon1066 on Jan 30, 2019 10:24:22 GMT
I would say your basic model of Napoleonic warfare is wrong. Actual hand to hand combat was rare and usually only occurred when a defender had something to defend (eg a wall or ditch). The shock of the bayonet charge itself would be enough to make the defender withdraw - or the defensive fire would be such that the bayonet charge would stall. To actually come to blows would be unusual.
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Post by bruce on Jan 31, 2019 1:28:12 GMT
Yes, good point. I agree that close combat was not very common, but it did occur and should be an option for quality troops under the right circumstances. I think troops approached and exchanged volleys and were unlikely to charge unless they could see they had an advantage and could expect to succeed as opponents began to break. Musket balls caused the most casualties. At some point after some volley fire, there was a good chance that one line or the other would break.
As this game appears to be in early development, this demo may not really reflect all of the designer's intentions. Again, I am mostly looking at the interface with the player and whether that is user friendly enough for an average person. Bruce
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Post by profjohn on Feb 4, 2019 21:00:30 GMT
I agree: hand to hand combat should be an allowable option but it was a (great) rarity in Napoleonic warfare generally. Waterloo was an exception in that respect with the assaults on buildings and villages creating what was essentially street fighting. But generally one side stopped to think before a full scale bayonet charge. As Bruce says, musketry caused the casualties but I'd supplement that by saying that the real killer was artillery. And again analysis of casualties at Waterloo suggest you'd have been unlucky to have been hit by a musket ball (given the number in the air at any one time) and more likely to fall prey to roundshot or canister.
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Post by waterloo3d on Feb 6, 2019 20:56:56 GMT
Hello fellow gamers! The first mini demo of Waterloo 3D is finally here! We are so thankful for all of your feedback that helped us publish the first mini demo! This is the first of 2 or 3 more mini demos before we go live on Kickstarter for crowdfunding. For the first time in the history of Napoleonic wargaming, this release vividly demonstrates the proper modelling of the black powder, smooth bore era battle psychology. You can fight a brigade of four infantry battalions against four enemy battalions. The demo showcases the terrain, the lighting, grass and environmental effects. Plus, it gently introduces players to authentic Napoleonic tactics. If you have signed up to be one of the first to test it out, we once again encourage your feedback. There’s still time to sign up, visit www.waterloo3d.comCheers! Fred the Coder
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Post by bruce on Feb 7, 2019 19:02:06 GMT
I am not really a good PC gamer, obviously preferring minis. But I think maybe the things pointed out to Fred the Coder here should be considered by him before making too many claims!
Street fighting is a good way to put it. Sometimes confused, surprised, disorganized, disordered. The farmhouses and in Plancenoit at Waterloo. The redoubt battle at Borodino and the street fighting at Leipzig. There are a number of examples.
But firefights until one side broke were far more common and artillery was devastating. Morale and panic were critical factors, troops broke formation, ran away and might be pursued by cavalry or bayonet. But hand to hand fighting in the open? Maybe grenadiers in a game, but not very often. Bruce
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Post by profjohn on Feb 7, 2019 23:28:52 GMT
If my memory serves me Sir Charles Oman said that bayonets were only crossed once in the entire Peninsular Campaign (he wasn't including Badajoz etc but was referring to infantry vs infantry in the open field). That says it all really. Cavalry hand to hand seems to have been less rare.
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