Whispers from the East ?

[Jison]

Yes, still chipping away at it.  After EP14 was released, I made a conscious decision to "work faster", but years later - it is easier said than done.

The other issue is that I am probably make these FWWC titles too large. Both F14 and EP14 could be at least two different games for a total of four releases. But that said, that is another reason why they take so long, and the next title will be HUGE, in regards to the number of campaigns in it.

Hold it! You must be misinformed - there is no such thing as 'too large' when it comes to FWWC. 

Jison

[Don Czirr]

While we are speaking of "large" things, let me fish for one more tidbit ....

Any chance of the new FWWC title having Panzer Battles style  large menu buttons?

My aging gaming eyes and declining hand dexterity breathe  huge sighs of relief when playing PB ... then subsequently shriek and moan with the other game lines ...

Any mercy for the old and decrepit forthcoming  ?   

[Xaver]

Its hard balance content VS release speed... more content is allways good but wait years between titles is bad.

I prefer here see an evolution in how sell games... instead wait 4 years to have full title at full price, much better release half title at half time... even a model like many Matrix games is a good option... a base game (even could be a free demo the base) and you buy add-ons to expand content (when i talk about add-ons i refer to campaings)... instead have full titles with full release time you can release battles with balance price with a more faster release speed.

Point is made devs focus in one battle at time, they can have them faster out and test what works and what not.

But the model we have is the full title with full development time.

Returning to the 3rd FWW title... maybe we are going to see something of the south campaign between an empire and a small nation but big enough to start the war???

Big is relative... could offer monster campaigns or more modest battles but in great numbers.... come on, where is your christmas spirit??? a small seak peak in the name of Santa Von Klaus hehehe

[Mr Grumpy]

As Jim said the FWWC series is being developed by a team working in their spare time and hence the time it takes to release a new title is inevitably much longer than other series where it is the developers job to produce new titles on a more regular basis.

So it is just not possible to be certain when the third title of the series will finished but as Ed says hopefully at the latest it will be out early in 2020 but don't hold me to that!! 

Some new features and improvements have been added and the first two titles will be updated as well to ensure there is consistency across the whole series.


As I did with the first two titles I will post a article about the new features and improvements in the articles area just to bring players quickly up to date on what they can expect from the third instalment of the excellent series. 

However long it takes I am sure you will be happy with the finished product! 

[Volcano Man]

While we are speaking of "large" things, let me fish for one more tidbit ....

Any chance of the new FWWC title having Panzer Battles style  large menu buttons?

My aging gaming eyes and declining hand dexterity breathe  huge sighs of relief when playing PB ... then subsequently shriek and moan with the other game lines ...

Any mercy for the old and decrepit forthcoming  ?   

Sorry, I forgot to reply to this earlier.

Unfortunately I don't think the menu icons will change - not larger from PzB nor the additional ones added from PzC Gold series, at least not at the present time anyway. Perhaps in a future post-release update, who knows, but to do it now would probably be too much of a hassle given how far along we are in development (literally like 90%  there, but the last 10% is usually the most difficult).

[Volcano Man]

Big is relative... could offer monster campaigns or more modest battles but in great numbers.... come on, where is your christmas spirit??? a small seak peak in the name of Santa Von Klaus hehehe

Sure, there might be some sneak peaks coming "soon", but not yet until we have a firm release date in mind. I don't want to get everyone excited (or disappointed) so soon yet.

Good idea about smaller titles, but I guess the question is whether or not that kind of change can be made now that the norm has been established with F14 and EP14.  Still, in the future I think I could be a little less ambitious with each title and split into two. So the next one (if I am able to continue of course) might be quicker, in general. I know its always best to have more content quicker, but I like to hope that there is plenty to do with F14 and EP14 to keep everyone busy in between.

[Don Czirr]

While we are speaking of "large" things, let me fish for one more tidbit ....

Any chance of the new FWWC title having Panzer Battles style  large menu buttons?

My aging gaming eyes and declining hand dexterity breathe  huge sighs of relief when playing PB ... then subsequently shriek and moan with the other game lines ...

Any mercy for the old and decrepit forthcoming  ?   

Sorry, I forgot to reply to this earlier.

Unfortunately I don't think the menu icons will change - not larger from PzB nor the additional ones added from PzC Gold series, at least not at the present time anyway. Perhaps in a future post-release update, who knows, but to do it now would probably be too much of a hassle given how far along we are in development (literally like 90%  there, but the last 10% is usually the most difficult).

Ok - thanks for the info.

Please keep this on the radar for the series. We, of the Grey Haired Menace enjoy our JTS wargaming too  but just can't see it very well.  

[Xaver]

Thanks for the reply.

I dont have problems with info about a title with not solid release date, its not like you announce a successor of a classic and maybe best WWII tactical turn based PC wargame and you be 5 years with nothing offered ;-)

Well, when i refer to "smaller" games i have in mind instead offer for example 4 different battles-campaings foucs in 1 or 2 but with a lot of variants playing with more troops for one side, both sides, better quality for worst side (like in Middle East MC title variants in 1967 scens) etc etc. Here i see a perfect title in one covering Meggido campaign-battle, you can play a lot with OOB because armies are so small for WWI standars and space is so big for movement that you can double or even triple armies sizes and no problem to have a viable variant.

PD: if you want a "safe" sneap peak tell us the game name... we have F14, EP14... maybe we are going to have G14???

[jim pfleck]

Volcano Man---
I certainly like the mass of content in F14 and EP (especially F14) and I could see how F14 could be at least 2 games with plenty of content and EP 2 (Tannenburg and 1st Masurian for one and Lodz/2nd Masurian for the other). I think that as long as you put out a game that feels whole and has a mix of campaign scenarios and battle scenarios, we will be happy and buy them. For example a 1918 game could be for the German offensives or even split it into two, with the allied 100 Days Campaign another game or two. Similarly, a game of F14 that was from the Frontiers to the Marne would easily be a "whole" game with tons of content and the Race to the Sea to Ypres easily enough for another--Panzer Campaigns often offer less than that (offhand Smolensk, Kharkov 42, Ryzev, Moscow 41). I think we would rather spend our $50 once every 24 months and have new content than once every 48-60 months. It would be one thing if you chopped the opening months of the 1914 Austrian front into two or three games that might feel thin, but, if you follow your existing pattern, I would guess (and I have no information to base this on), that you would be tempted to put in every major campaign of 1914, when you could likely break it up into the opening months in one game and then the later Fall and winter campaigns and the Serbian campaigns as another.

[Xaver]

Well, as i said is possible cover less battles in a title but offer same or even more number of scens playing with what ifs, maybe have a "vainilla" OOB for historical scens (using the real units in OOB) and other with extra units or even fantasy units (as i coment in Meggido french+USA troops for example).

Balance between how much, how many and when is allways hard.

Soon we are going to be in november... 2-3 titles in 2019.... we know about a FWW and PzC titles, apart Japan46 (but i doubt be ready in next months) and new old series with a needed improvement... maybe some info soon???

Thank you for your hard work to keep us happy with new titles.