Napoleonic Wargame Club (NWC)

Guys,

So, the game has been out a few weeks now...what do you think? Do you feel you got your money's worth?

Regards,
Rich



Gen. Hamilton, Baron d'Barbancon
21st Division
VII Corps, ADR

Saxon Leib-Garde, de la Jeune Garde, Garde Impériale

Gentlemen
I didn't find AI scripts in any of the scenarios that I tried out. So the file title "Extending play beyond the AI" (and the text itself) seems to be a slight euphemism. [:(!]
There are many games out there with rather sophisticated AI. Playing the computer between two PBEM games can be fun from time to time. HPS / John Tiller shouldn't neglect completely this dimension of the games ...which are pretty expansive BTW, compared to another small company game like Mad Minute's "Bull Run".

Tom Koch
1ère Brigade 11e Division
IIIe Corps AdN

Well I like it. 2 campaigns and a single battle going. Much different to Bg games and graphics better than previous HPS games. The AI is dumb but you can get the feel for gameplay as a beginner.

Generalissimo
Opolchenie Korpus
Russian Army

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Tom Koch</i>
<br />Gentlemen
I didn't find AI scripts in any of the scenarios that I tried out. So the file title "Extending play beyond the AI" (and the text itself) seems to be a slight euphemism. [:(!]
There are many games out there with rather sophisticated AI. Playing the computer between two PBEM games can be fun from time to time. HPS / John Tiller shouldn't neglect completely this dimension of the games ...which are pretty expansive BTW, compared to another small company game like Mad Minute's "Bull Run".
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Tom,

The AI is setup to run off flags instead of scripts. It would be impossible to setup scripts for most of the big battles...all it would take would be you moving along one road and us having scripted for another and you'd be upset because the AI wasn't reacting to you. [:D] The Flag method gives "general" orders to the AI and let's it act on it.

Regards,
Rich

Gen. Hamilton, Baron d'Barbancon
21st Division
VII Corps, ADR

Saxon Leib-Garde, de la Jeune Garde, Garde Impériale

I like it think its good , i put the mod ground an water graphic`s from NRC in it and it looks good, i got the unit mod to as its easier to see when eye`s are older, gives good details to saying if heavy light etc, from Davids site here
http://home.earthlink.net/~davidguegan [:D]

Grand Armee' AdR . V11 Saxon Corp
21`e Saxon Division

Rich,
It was definitely worth <u>more</u> than my money.

I like <u>all</u> the improvements. I like the multiple melees, weakened combat ability of disordered units, & weather. I especially like the combat results that show up on the screen instead of in a pop-up window.

It would be nice to have the AI be better, but I think it is fine enough. Afterall, this game is more a multi-player experience. I have a PBEM game going right now and it is loads of fun.

I'd like to be able to replace/ sack leaders mid-battle (ie. Bernadotte at Wagram.) Having Imperial ADCs that can take over the command of a Division, etc... for a specific purpose would be cool.

I'm really looking forward to Campaign: Leipzig.

Cheers,
Rick



Lieutenant Rick Motko
1er Bataillon, 33° Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne
2eme Brigade, 11eme division
IIIe corps, Armée du Nord

The changing visibility is certainly an interesting feature. I assume it's to do with firing but would smoke and shooting really affect areas miles away from the action? A bit like lighting up a cigarette and blacking out the whole university.
I'd also look forward to Campaign Leipzig by the way.

Generalissimo
Opolchenie Korpus
Russian Army

It's weather. It affects visibility, movement, and weapon effectiveness. Rain will impede visibility and fire effectiveness. Mud will impede movement (badly) and artillery effectiveness. I don't recall all the effects off-hand and don't have the game here.

The weather may change as often as the designer cares to write into the PDT. [:)]

<center>Général de Division D.S. "Green Horse" Walter
Baron d'Empire, Duc des Pyramides
Commandant de la [url="http://home.arcor.de/dierk_Walter/NWC/3_VI_AdR_Home.htm"]3ème Division[/url], VIème Corps Bavarois, L'Armée du Rhin
Commandant l'Ecole de Mars, L'Armée du Rhin
Commandant de la Brigade de Tirailleurs de la Jeune Garde
</center>

Ah thanks Dierk. Impressive feature.

Generalissimo
Opolchenie Korpus
Russian Army

Weather is one aspect, like Dierk mentions, but I also used it for the main battles to represent smoke accumulation due to battle. Unfortunately, for both of these features, it effects the entire map surface, not just one segment.

Gen. Hamilton, Baron d'Barbancon
21st Division
VII Corps, ADR

Saxon Leib-Garde, de la Jeune Garde, Garde Impériale

I would like to say that the game is good....

But I must also echo the comments on the games A/I...

In the previous HPS games I was amused to see that the A/I would do very strange things... The most bizzar of wich is:

Move ( not as a result of rout ) column infantry into a hex that
was occupied by cav in good order.

Move Line infantry into a hex taht was occupied by a unit in column.

As neither of these were the result of routed units, I am puzzled.



Marechal John Corbin
Chief of Staff
La Grande Armee

Up to this day, I would never have dreamt that anyone, anyone whatsoever, in this club would actually play as much as a single turn against the AI. I know I haven't played one since 2001 (when I joined the club). [:0]

What makes you gents play the AI when you have live opponents? [:I]

<center>Général de Division D.S. "Green Horse" Walter
Baron d'Empire, Duc des Pyramides
Commandant de la [url="http://home.arcor.de/dierk_Walter/NWC/3_VI_AdR_Home.htm"]3ème Division[/url], VIème Corps Bavarois, L'Armée du Rhin
Commandant l'Ecole de Mars, L'Armée du Rhin
Commandant de la Brigade de Tirailleurs de la Jeune Garde
</center>

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by D.S. Walter</i>
<br />Up to this day, I would never have dreamt that anyone, anyone whatsoever, in this club would actually play as much as a single turn against the AI. I know I haven't played one since 2001 (when I joined the club). [:0]

What makes you gents play the AI when you have live opponents? [:I]

<center>Général de Division D.S. "Green Horse" Walter
Baron d'Empire, Duc des Pyramides
Commandant de la [url="http://home.arcor.de/dierk_Walter/NWC/3_VI_AdR_Home.htm"]3ème Division[/url], VIème Corps Bavarois, L'Armée du Rhin
Commandant l'Ecole de Mars, L'Armée du Rhin
Commandant de la Brigade de Tirailleurs de la Jeune Garde
</center>
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

I was curious to try something is all...


Marechal John Corbin
Chief of Staff
La Grande Armee

Rich,

I've only had the game a few days, but already I love the game, and it was definately worth the money. The different campaign options are great, I love the big maps, and the new engine/pdt features like weather and variable visibility are welcome additions. I like what has been done with the Prussian infantry too, with fusilier battalions as light infantry.

I like the new 3d icons too - but only in the larger zoom in view. In the smaller zoom out view the shadows become large ugly black areas which spoil the look of the icons themselves, expecially with the ammo wagons and cavalry. The shadows are ok in the larger view but in my humble opinion it would have been better to start from the larger originals <i>without</i> shadows before reducing down to the smaller size - as in the other games I believe. I don't know if this could be tidied up in a patch. It can't be a big job. However this is only a small thing. Overall it's a big thumbs up[8D] Can't wait for Leipzig too[:D]

<font color="gold">Major Antony Barlow
CO, 2nd British (Union) Brigade, Anglo-Allied Cavalry Corps.
Guards: 4th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards.</font id="gold">

Dierk,
two GOOD reasons to ask for a good AI:

1st) Some players do not always have a PBEM file at hand when they want to do a little game

2nd) Some others may want to replay the historical battles against an AI that behaves roughly like the historical CiCs.

BTW except for this flaw - and it's a serious one IMO! - the game is great, with all these new (alternate) scenarios and all the new features. Perhaps HPS could do the AI scripts just for the 3 big historical battles ? (Basically just copy them from BGW and PTW to Campaign Waterloo)

Tom Koch
1ère Brigade 11e Division
IIIe corps AdN