Grognard Games Megathread - stop making me want this I do not have $95 bux

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Grognard Games Megathread - stop making me want this I do not have $95 bux

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Hidden Asbestos: Nov 24, 2003; [placeholder]

I recently released a tool for map making that was originally designed for classic RPGs called Grid Cartographer. It has grown quite significantly since then and it's at the point where it's stabilising feature-wise.

I'm looking for new audiences now and I was wondering if I rebuilt this to work with hexes, added a greater number of terrain options and support for exporting to various games whether that would be a useful tool for grognards? or are the existing map creation tools good enough that you can't realistically see yourself spending a few bux on a stand-alone tool?

I'm also interested in any suggestions for other game utilities that I could make as well - creating programs like this is a lot of fun and highly rewarding if it helps people enjoy a game even more. My experience with wargames is pretty limited. Besides making Blood, Grain and Steel last year and playing a bit of Panzer General I'm not really familiar with what's out there and their limitations - there may be some really obvious ideas that you wish someone would develop?

# ? Jun 18, 2013 10:31

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# ? Apr 29, 2024 18:37

Zamboni Apocalypse: Dec 29, 2009

gfanikf posted:

Dosbox Turbo and DoxBox Manager Apps from the play store, so yeah Android Dosboxing, but it works really nicely and runs smoothly. Still can't get sound to work, but can anyone on any modern computer? lol

Hmm, I'll need to check this out. All kinds of ancient things I could be running... maybe try SPWAW/MBT, too.

# ? Jun 18, 2013 16:07

Nenonen: Oct 22, 2009; Mulla on aina kolkyt donaa taskussa

gfanikf posted:

Yes. I swear I did get it to work with the CDs when I still had the...but please tell me your secrets.

code:

[sdl]
fullscreen=false
fulldouble=false
fullresolution=original
windowresolution=original
output=surface
autolock=true
sensitivity=100
waitonerror=true
priority=higher,normal
mapperfile=mapper-0.74.map
usescancodes=true

[dosbox]
language=
machine=svga_s3
captures=capture
memsize=16

[render]
frameskip=0
aspect=false
scaler=normal2x

[cpu]
core=auto
cputype=auto
cycles=auto
cycleup=10
cycledown=20

[mixer]
nosound=false
rate=44100
blocksize=1024
prebuffer=20

[midi]
mpu401=intelligent
mididevice=default
midiconfig=

[sblaster]
sbtype=sb16
sbbase=220
irq=7
dma=1
hdma=5
sbmixer=true
oplmode=auto
oplemu=default
oplrate=44100

[gus]
gus=false
gusrate=44100
gusbase=240
gusirq=5
gusdma=3
ultradir=C:\ULTRASND

[speaker]
pcspeaker=true
pcrate=44100
tandy=auto
tandyrate=44100
disney=true

[joystick]
joysticktype=auto
timed=true
autofire=false
swap34=false
buttonwrap=false

[serial]
serial1=dummy
serial2=dummy
serial3=disabled
serial4=disabled

[dos]
xms=true
ems=true
umb=true
keyboardlayout=auto

[ipx]
ipx=false

[autoexec]
mount c c:\Games
mount d d:\ -t cdrom

Then in SOUND.EXE I pick "Sound Blaster 16 or AWE". Actually I don't even remember if I had to adjust the sound emulation settings.

# ? Jun 18, 2013 16:24

Ghost of Mussolini: Jun 26, 2011

Battlefield academy is on sale on Matrix, y/n? It has a demo but further insight would be appreciated.

# ? Jun 18, 2013 17:05

ElBrak: Aug 24, 2004; "Muerte, buen compinche. Muerte."

I need a new person to play WITE with. Lord Windy is a piece of poo poo who doesn't respond to messages for 5 weeks. And uPen got busy or whatever. Will play small scenarios or the Grand Campaign. Whatever.

Edit: Nope after like week four I checked his post history, rear end in a top hat has been posting all this time and ignoring my PMs, its GREAT.

ElBrak fucked around with this message at 19:39 on Jun 18, 2013

# ? Jun 18, 2013 19:33

Baloogan: Dec 5, 2004; Fun Shoe

You know he might have died. Old people play grognardy games. I've seen it happen before.

# ? Jun 18, 2013 19:37

Alchenar: Apr 9, 2008

Baloogan posted:

You know he might have died. Old people play grognardy games. I've seen it happen before.

RIP Happy Hedonist.

# ? Jun 18, 2013 19:40

Chump Farts: May 9, 2009; There is no Coordinator but Narduzzi, and Shilique is his Prophet.

Alchenar posted:

RIP Happy Hedonist.

He stopped posting too.

Man, DC the Poland scenario with deep deployment doesn't gently caress around. Our goon game is going less than well for everyone but you it seems.

# ? Jun 18, 2013 20:42

Alchenar: Apr 9, 2008

Jakse posted:

He stopped posting too.

Man, DC the Poland scenario with deep deployment doesn't gently caress around. Our goon game is going less than well for everyone but you it seems.

I'm collapsing around the flanks, but then I only need Warsaw plus one city and I've got all of that behind a pretty decent defensive zone. I also hosed up with my tank deployment by having them out in the open even with AA support (first time on the receiving end of German airpower), but they're doing the firefighting job I intended for them.

It's been a very interesting game so far. I have worse troops and less of them and I still need to somehow come up with the odd trick to slow you guys down.

e: I'd totally won that Paris scenario by the way. By the end the the last turn I sent Alchiki's tanks were all surrounded by infantry divisions in heavy woods, the French reserve line in the middle was cut off by tanks and in the South there weren't enough intact French formations left to hold a coherent line.

Alchenar fucked around with this message at 21:00 on Jun 18, 2013

# ? Jun 18, 2013 20:50

Lichtenstein: May 31, 2012; It'll make sense, eventually.

Hey guys, what was that spreadsheet game where you manage Stalins five-year plan called? I can't google it for the life of me.

[edit] Finally got it, Stalin's Dilemma!

Lichtenstein fucked around with this message at 10:45 on Jun 19, 2013

# ? Jun 19, 2013 10:28

Necroneocon: May 12, 2009; by Shine

Ghost of Mussolini posted:

Battlefield academy is on sale on Matrix, y/n? It has a demo but further insight would be appreciated.

Battle Academy is a great series that I play on both PC and my Ipad. It's fun as hell, easy to get into but takes a while to master. Has a huge community with lots of downloadable scenarios and maps with multiplayer and is a great entry for grog games or even if you're a grog and don't want to handle 503058334 hexes and supply.

# ? Jun 19, 2013 10:52

Alchenar: Apr 9, 2008

Necroneocon posted:

Battle Academy is a great series that I play on both PC and my Ipad. It's fun as hell, easy to get into but takes a while to master. Has a huge community with lots of downloadable scenarios and maps with multiplayer and is a great entry for grog games or even if you're a grog and don't want to handle 503058334 hexes and supply.

... do you work for Matrix games?

# ? Jun 19, 2013 12:33

Marshal Prolapse: Jun 23, 2012; by Jeffrey of YOSPOS

Zamboni Apocalypse posted:

Hmm, I'll need to check this out. All kinds of ancient things I could be running... maybe try SPWAW/MBT, too.

Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes :colbert:

I'm almost wondering if it will run on one of those ghetto rear end sub 100 tablets. If it does I'd honestly view it as DOS emulator and not care if it does anything else.

Nenonen posted:

Then in SOUND.EXE I pick "Sound Blaster 16 or AWE". Actually I don't even remember if I had to adjust the sound emulation settings.

Alas no luck, but I'm wondering its the copy I have (it's a 1.4 version with the original game and expansion disc). I can't find my original discs at the moment.

# ? Jun 19, 2013 19:50

Marshal Prolapse: Jun 23, 2012; by Jeffrey of YOSPOS

Is anyone up for a pretty basic (simple engagement and limited units/small map) and quick PBEM game of SPMBT?

# ? Jun 20, 2013 20:01

Gorilla Radio: May 10, 2007; On behalf of the Serbs, we're very sorry for the Hillary Clinton sniper incident. Next time, we'll aim better.

gfanikf posted:

Is anyone up for a pretty basic (simple engagement and limited units/small map) and quick PBEM game of SPMBT?

Yes, I will PM you.

# ? Jun 20, 2013 22:17

Zamboni Apocalypse: Dec 29, 2009

Gorilla Radio posted:

Yes, I will PM you.

That av just called you out, didn't it? :clint:

# ? Jun 20, 2013 23:00

Necroneocon: May 12, 2009; by Shine

Alchenar posted:

... do you work for Matrix games?

No... why?

# ? Jun 20, 2013 23:02

Gorilla Radio: May 10, 2007; On behalf of the Serbs, we're very sorry for the Hillary Clinton sniper incident. Next time, we'll aim better.

Zamboni Apocalypse posted:

That av just called you out, didn't it?

It'll be like Highlander but with apes and grognard games.

# ? Jun 20, 2013 23:08

Nenonen: Oct 22, 2009; Mulla on aina kolkyt donaa taskussa

There can only be Orangutan.

# ? Jun 20, 2013 23:10

meadowlark: May 25, 2012

Ghost of Mussolini posted:

Battlefield academy is on sale on Matrix, y/n? It has a demo but further insight would be appreciated.

It's pretty much Junior's First Wargame; all style, no substance.

# ? Jun 21, 2013 03:57

V for Vegas: Sep 1, 2004; THUNDERDOME LOSER

Command Ops: Battle of Greece just dropped out of nowhere. COTA in the CO engine - Hells Yeah!

quote:

As the second official expansion pack for the award winning Command Ops series, Command Ops: Battles for Greece from acclaimed developer Panther Games brings you to the early years of World War II, to fight over the ancient battlefields of Greece. In the shadows of Mount Olympus in Greece, Allied forces struggle to halt the blitzkrieg German advance. The Battles for Greece expansion pack is a set of 19 historical and what-if scenarios covering all of the major actions that took place during German invasion of Greece during 1941 as well as the previous Italian invasion.

More than just a conversion of the old scenarios to play on the new system, the Expansion Pack represents a major update to the Command Ops level of the first half of Panther Games� ground breaking classic game Conquest of the Aegean

edit: Very interesting, looks like Command Ops 2 is in development. The engine will be $30, with frequent releases of content packs like the West Wall and the Eastern Front that can plug in. All owners of content in CO get that automatically imported into CO2.

Key features:

quote:

Planning Graphics 1 - NAI = Named Areas Of Interest or areas drawn by the player on the map. They will have states like enemy/friendly presence, enemy/friendly control. They will be used by triggers to start or end tasks. Eg start attack when enemy enters area X.

Triggers = data condition used to start and end tasks. Players will be able to setup a trigger for each of the timings of a task. Eg HHour commences when friendlies no longer in area Y.

Sequential Tasking = ability for players to issue multiple orders in sequence. Subsequent tasks will be activated when either the current task ends or a trigger fires. Eg issue a defend and an attack to your reserve force with a trigger to end the defend if enemy enter area Z.

Enhanced Map Drawing = this will see us switch to a new graphics engine that will support 2D drawing (and maybe 3D in the future). It will support transparency effects and allow us to have really large maps with many more layers than the current engine.

Map Overlays = graphic overlays used to depict various effects on areas of the map. These will include move rates for foot and motorised, map control, enemy and friendly firepower and concentrations.

Enhanced Context Menu = ability for player to right click on the map [finally!] and depending on what entities are at the location to display/enable the following:

-terrain info (just like it does now)

-unit list - ie list of all units whose occupied area overlaps the click location. So you can select which unit you want.

-eligible orders - a list of orders that can be issued to the selected force. So you can issue orders with a right click rather than clicking on the tool tab.

-crossing info - if one is present - eg primed status, construction progress.

New Unit Icons = we will be taking advantage of transparency effects to enhance the way we display unit icons. I'll provide more info on this later.

Multiple Selection in OB Display = ability to select multiple units from within the OB display. So you can now simply select your force from the OB display and issue orders without the need to find the units on the map.

Multiple AI threads/large scenarios = ability to use multiple AI threads - one per side initially. This will improve performance and enable us to take advantage of the larger maps and to create larger scenarios with more units.

PBEM = play by email. This will involve the ability to issue orders, email your save to your opponent, have them issue their orders and then play out a turn covering an agreed period of game time.

Fire Plans = ability to create a set of bombard tasks sequenced to a schedule. This will allow you to create preparatory rolling bombardments or sophisticated fire support plans triggered by NAIs.

Campaign Mode = ability to fight a sequence of scenarios. More info on this later.

Task Variants (Doctrine) - specifically Soviet doctrine = provision of AI to manage different ways of planning and executing tasks and linking these to specific doctrine used by nations or services. Eg an American force may be able to conduct a fix and flank attack or a double envelopment while a Soviet force conduct a full frontal assault.

Planning Mode = ability to create contingency plans where you issue orders that are not current until the plan is committed. So you can prepare multiple plans and activate them as required.

Mounted Ops = ability to model separate leg and transport components for mechanised/motorised infantry. You will be able to order a mech inf force to defend in terrain that only the leg component can traverse and the AI will manage the move, dismount, subsequent separate moves and defends for the split force. It will also model the use of mech component to provide fire support in attacks. More on this later.

V for Vegas fucked around with this message at 03:18 on Jun 22, 2013

# ? Jun 21, 2013 12:42

Necroneocon: May 12, 2009; by Shine

Sir_Seth posted:

It's pretty much Junior's First Wargame; all style, no substance.

This is a wrong and bad opinion. While it is great for people who are interested in trying out a grognard game (hey we want more people, right?), It does have substance and is a very fun game on both ipad and PC

# ? Jun 23, 2013 03:59

Baloogan: Dec 5, 2004; Fun Shoe

I'd even say its a wargame but not a grognard wargame.

# ? Jun 23, 2013 04:03

Obfuscation: Jan 1, 2008; Good luck to you, I know you believe in hell

V for Vegas posted:

Command Ops: Battle of Greece just dropped out of nowhere. COTA in the CO engine - Hells Yeah!

That's nice, I've always liked COTA scenarios more than anything from BftB. Sadly I don't like them enough that I'd pay 40 euros for them again.

# ? Jun 23, 2013 16:19

Myoclonic Jerk: Nov 10, 2008; Cool it a minute, babe, let me finish playing with my fake gun.

My interview of Ante Turudic, the lead AI developer on Unity of Command, is up on Armchairgeneral.com.

http://www.armchairgeneral.com/unity-of-command-a-look-behind-its-challenging-artificial-intelligence.htm

If you've ever been curious about how they managed to make the AI so clever, wonder no more.

This was the commissioned companion piece to the interview of Tomislav Uzelac I did for my blog, which you can find here. http://ritalingamer.com/uncategorized/item/29-interview-with-tomislav-uzelac-of-2x2-games.html

As always, your feedback and comments are very much appreciated.

# ? Jun 23, 2013 20:09

Llyranor: Jun 24, 2013

Just picked up Command Ops: Battles from Greece. Now, a warning, though: this does NOT have the Crete scenarios. That will be another upcoming data pack.

# ? Jun 24, 2013 01:59

Chump Farts: May 9, 2009; There is no Coordinator but Narduzzi, and Shilique is his Prophet.

Myoclonic Jerk posted:

My interview of Ante Turudic, the lead AI developer on Unity of Command, is up on Armchairgeneral.com.

http://www.armchairgeneral.com/unity-of-command-a-look-behind-its-challenging-artificial-intelligence.htm

If you've ever been curious about how they managed to make the AI so clever, wonder no more.

This was the commissioned companion piece to the interview of Tomislav Uzelac I did for my blog, which you can find here. http://ritalingamer.com/uncategorized/item/29-interview-with-tomislav-uzelac-of-2x2-games.html

As always, your feedback and comments are very much appreciated.

The feedback is keep doing these interviews.

Speaking of UoC, Amazon has Red Turn for 2.49 right now. Picked it up and enjoying it so far.

# ? Jun 24, 2013 03:00

V for Vegas: Sep 1, 2004; THUNDERDOME LOSER

Llyranor posted:

Just picked up Command Ops: Battles from Greece. Now, a warning, though: this does NOT have the Crete scenarios. That will be another upcoming data pack.

Make sure you get these Google Earth maps

# ? Jun 24, 2013 04:34

Necroneocon: May 12, 2009; by Shine

Can I upload a replay of Squad Battles - Vietnam to someone so they can tell me why I am so goddamned terrible at the tutorial mission?

Also, do those Google Earth Maps work with CO:BfG?

# ? Jun 24, 2013 22:28

V for Vegas: Sep 1, 2004; THUNDERDOME LOSER

Necroneocon posted:

Also, do those Google Earth Maps work with CO:BfG?

That pack has the BfG maps in it - but it is just an aide to look at the topology of the maps in google earth, you're stuck with the top-down 2D maps in CO. (Although hopefully CO2 may change that).

Having a blast with the expansion, but for the life of me I cannot get my Kiwis to blow both bridges in the Tempe Gorge Crisis. They only blow the rail bridge and Germans roll through across the road bridge.

# ? Jun 25, 2013 03:12

The Belgian: Oct 28, 2008

Does anybody here know if it's possible to set the language to English in the German version of WitE? I'm asking because it's only 8� on German amazon.

# ? Jul 3, 2013 18:47

ArchangeI: Jul 15, 2010

The Belgian posted:

Does anybody here know if it's possible to set the language to English in the German version of WitE? I'm asking because it's only 8� on German amazon.

You can screw around with the translation file and get it mostly into english. The german version gets its patches later (if ever), though, so your PBEM pool is more limited.

# ? Jul 3, 2013 22:05

The Belgian: Oct 28, 2008

ArchangeI posted:

You can screw around with the translation file and get it mostly into english. The german version gets its patches later (if ever), though, so your PBEM pool is more limited.

Thanks! I never played really grognardy games before, but I have played paradox games and unity of command. Would WitE be a good place to start, am I ready for it?

# ? Jul 4, 2013 18:36

Alchenar: Apr 9, 2008

The Belgian posted:

Thanks! I never played really grognardy games before, but I have played paradox games and unity of command. Would WitE be a good place to start, am I ready for it?

I would suggest playing the Battles from the Bulge demo next, mainly on account of it being free and worth many hours of fun by itself.

# ? Jul 4, 2013 18:50

Baloogan: Dec 5, 2004; Fun Shoe

You are not ready for WitE.

# ? Jul 4, 2013 18:51

Riso: Oct 11, 2008; by merry exmarx

Baloogan posted:

You are not ready for WitE.

I would go as far as claim nobody really is.

# ? Jul 4, 2013 18:52

The Belgian: Oct 28, 2008

Alchenar posted:

I would suggest playing the Battles from the Bulge demo next, mainly on account of it being free and worth many hours of fun by itself.

THis seems like a good idea. I'll give it a try, thanks!

# ? Jul 4, 2013 18:56

Llyranor: Jun 24, 2013

Battles from the Bulge (Command Ops) has amazing gameplay. It really is my favorite wargame series. Might want to watch the game concepts videos to get an idea of what the series is about, though

# ? Jul 4, 2013 19:31

Danger - Octopus!: Apr 20, 2008; Nap Ghost

Are there any first world war games out there (that are good)?

# ? Jul 4, 2013 21:54

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# ? Apr 29, 2024 18:37

uPen: Jan 25, 2010; Zu Rodina!

Danger - Octopus! posted:

Are there any first world war games out there (that are good)?

Commander: The Great War is excellent but it's more like a grand strategy panzer corps game then a grognard game that tracks every detail about everything.

# ? Jul 4, 2013 22:06

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Grognard Games Megathread - stop making me want this I do not have $95 bux

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