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PostPosted: Fri Dec 20, 2019 4:15 pm 
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Joined: Thu Sep 11, 2003 4:32 am
Posts: 1737
Location: USA
Over the years when I mentioned I was developing my own Civil War game a number of people said they might be interesting in helping me test it. Well its your lucky day!! :D :D :D

I need some people to do some testing. The game is Alpha so right now it needs some very basic testing along with the web site I set up to support it.

If you want to just take a look and see if you are interested go to the Web site http://www.civilwarengine.com and browse around. The testing instructions are on the page "Design" --> "Testing". If you want to read through a Walk Through showing the game execution, I put a downloadable document on the "DownLoad" page for "Hooker's Attack". You don't need to create a Login unless you want to download the game and post on the Forum's I have set up.

The game is playable, just limited and in no way balanced. :D
So if you just having a boring Christmas, go ahead and download it and fool around. Merry Christmas!
It has no AI so you either have to find someone to play with hot seat or email, or, if your Dissociative Identity Disorder is well developed enough you can play both sides. :D

But for you hardy souls ready give the last effort for absolutely nothing, create a login and go to the Testing Forum and volunteer.

To down load game you must register and login to web site.
When you download it will ask for a password: "CivilWar"

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General Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
AoT II/1/3 (CSA)


Last edited by Christian Hecht on Wed Jan 08, 2020 4:38 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Added game title to subject


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 Post subject: Re: Volunteers Needed
PostPosted: Fri Dec 20, 2019 5:19 pm 
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Joined: Sat Apr 27, 2013 3:29 pm
Posts: 297
Hey Ken! Great to hear from you.

Yes, I remember some emails we had and you mentioned you were developing this game. Glad to see it taking flight.

I checked out the site and things look pretty interesting. Do you have to sign up to download the game? I didn't see a link for the file. It showed some details about the file but there was no link or file.

I'll kick things around and give you some feedback.

Have a Merry Christmas and wish you all the best for the New Year!

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MG. Derek Hampel
Cmdr. Second Div., XV Corps
Army of the Tennessee


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 Post subject: Re: Volunteers Needed
PostPosted: Fri Dec 20, 2019 7:18 pm 
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You can download the Walkthrough document without registering but to download the game you have to first register and then login.

Forgot to give the password for downloading which is "CivilWar"

Ken

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General Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
AoT II/1/3 (CSA)


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 Post subject: Re: Volunteers Needed
PostPosted: Sat Dec 21, 2019 12:28 pm 
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Checked out your website. The description of your game concept sounds great! I hope you are successful in this endeavor.

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MG Mike Mihalik
Forrest's Cavalry Corps
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 Post subject: Re: Volunteers Needed
PostPosted: Sun Dec 22, 2019 11:55 am 
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Since it is rather hard to tell what the game looks like from static screen shots I added a Demo showing the Execution of the orders that were described at the end of the Walk Through document. Forgive the quality, its my first time using OBS Studio. The Video is in a new section of the Web Site. Click on Design --> Tutorials

Hopefully this link will go directly to it: https://civilwarengine.com/tutorials/

Most of my work right now is centered on Antietam battle but my intention is to make a game engine that others can use to create scenarios for any battle. There is a Map Editor but I am holding up releasing it until I have the Map structures finalized. All other aspects of the game are set through XML format files for OOB, Parameters, and Scenarios. All of which can be edited or created from scratch with either Notepad or an XML editor. The graphics are all set through gif, bmp and jpg files in the Graphics folder. Terrain graphics can be created in unique groups. I currently have only Summer but intend to add at least a Winter version.

The MapEditor adds additional functionality to the graphics by allowing you to set transparency and orientation (rotate graphic). It also allows changing the underlying colors for terrain heights.

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General Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
AoT II/1/3 (CSA)


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 Post subject: Re: Volunteers Needed
PostPosted: Sun Dec 22, 2019 11:36 pm 
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Looks already very promising!
Unfortunately I don't time to volunteer as I'm already committed to take over the French at our sister club the NWC, but I hope you get the testers you need.

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 Post subject: Re: Volunteers Needed
PostPosted: Wed Jan 08, 2020 2:07 pm 
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So far not much interest.
For those who help test the game you do get a free game. :D
The game probably will be eventually free or just nominal cost if I need to offset the cost of buying things like audio files and maintaining the web site. Very good chance it will be open source.

For those who want to take a quick look at it, here is my first attempt at making YouTube videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQ0TeUTmiQs&t=80s

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General Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
AoT II/1/3 (CSA)


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 Post subject: Re: Volunteers Needed
PostPosted: Wed Jan 08, 2020 3:57 pm 
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Looks like you're well on your way!

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MG Mike Mihalik
Forrest's Cavalry Corps
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 18, 2020 4:40 am 
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Location: United Kingdom
Kennon,
I am trying to reach you . I have sent you a pm.
Talk soon,
Frank

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PostPosted: Fri Jan 31, 2020 2:14 am 
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I would like to volunteer for testing. The game concept is sounds intriguing. I have done playtesting before most notably Command Modern Air and Naval, and Gary Grigsbys War in the West. I have registered on your web site but have not received a verification email yet.

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Let us cross the river, and rest under the shade of the trees.


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PostPosted: Fri Jan 31, 2020 11:02 am 
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Danny Canavan wrote:
I would like to volunteer for testing. The game concept is sounds intriguing. I have done playtesting before most notably Command Modern Air and Naval, and Gary Grigsbys War in the West. I have registered on your web site but have not received a verification email yet.


Do download the game you do need to create a login for the site. After you register and get your password set up you can down load the game. First download the full version and unzip it into whatever folder you want to put the game. Just don't use the Windows "Program Files" folder. Then down load the latest version of the executable because it fixes a number of errors in movement I saw in my demo.

Just go the the Forums and post under Testing to let me know you are willing to test.

Once you are registered the Download page should allow you to access everything.
It will ask you for a password on the actual download dialog.
Password is: "CivilWar"

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General Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
AoT II/1/3 (CSA)


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PostPosted: Fri Jan 31, 2020 11:05 am 
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Kennon, did you get my pm?

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Frank (Old Banshee) Mullins,
2nd Brigade, 1st Division, XVI Corps.
Army of the Tennessee.
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 31, 2020 11:26 am 
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old banshee wrote:
Kennon, did you get my pm?

Just replied. Been off doing other things and didn't see my messages.

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General Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
AoT II/1/3 (CSA)


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PostPosted: Fri Jan 31, 2020 11:43 am 
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Just a general info post since the question has come up.

This game does have a full Map Editor, I just haven't released it yet. I am thinking I need to add the ability to handle one more set of hexside terrain and maybe one more set of in hex terrain. The Editor allows the scenario designer to create a wide range of terrain features. Things like their are three types of Woods (Light, Medium and Dense) each with their own terrain effects. There is also something I call "Active" terrain. Right now its just Cornfields. Cornfields have limited LOS effects (LOS must go through two cornfield hexes to be blocked). It is also destroyable. Fire and marching through them slowly destroy them. A lot of this you can't see because I haven't caught up on creating gif and jpeg files for the different types.

All this can be edited since they are just 200x200 pixel files. I realized I am no artist so I am leaving a lot of this do others to do a better job of. What I do do is give the Editor functions to allow the designer to change the transparency, image selection, and orientation (rotate the image for displaying).

The primary purpose of the CWE system is to allow anyone to design their own games or modified existing ones.
And, for those with some artistic talent which I don't have, to make it a lot prettier. :D

All the Units, Leaders, and Headquarters are created from data in XML formatted files. Once you figure out how to edit XML you can change a wide range of parameters associated with these.

The game itself works on the Orders/Threat based system. The player gives orders for actions like movement and fire, but the game executes them within the restrictions of observed Threats. If Threats become to large it will respond to the Threat rather than your orders. If you send a lone regiment toward a enemy brigade, the AI Colonel will "see" to overwhelming a threat as it approaches the enemy line. He will probably stop 100 to 200 yard out and start firing or even retreat instead of advancing. But if you send the same regiment forward with supporting regiments around him, he will not lose his nerve and will close with the enemy.

It is what I am mainly working on now to try to balance these different effects.
Also, adding more flexibility to the Order system so individual regiments can respond to direct orders even when in a Stance that doesn't support attacking.

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PostPosted: Sat Feb 01, 2020 5:37 am 
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Ok Kennon, got the game loaded and running, now just need to know what to do.
Frank

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2nd Brigade, 1st Division, XVI Corps.
Army of the Tennessee.
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