Napoleonic Battles - Campaign Marengo released

[Sgt_Rock]

Well, more i see what can offer the title more i like it, for me maybe the strong point is the type of battles... not specially big armies but with a lot of terrain to move them, arty value as recon is great and the elevated number of villages-buildings in battlefields help the use of skirmishers as "garrisons" to control certain map areas.

Maybe something i find strange in Marengo is that compared with the last titles released the lack of company level scens, some actions in game could be covered at company level.

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Company  level scenarios can be added in later as I find time. I felt it more important to concentrate on spending the latter part of the project time on the campaigns themselves.

Certainly Lodi Bridge, Marengo Village and others could be done in a company level setting.

Definitely not ruling them out but the vast majority of the games played in clubs are at the battalion level.

[Xaver]

I see, the point in company level scens for me is add variety and allways is good have more options but i know is a hard work... create the map specially, i asume you are using tools to create the OOB and this help.

I find where i was using that mod i said that uses as background for units.bmp the national flag... well, not allways some units looks are using regimental flag, even cavalry units are using a horese image, i think is a good way to "solve" the problem with engine when in same army you have units from diferent nations, instead a "empty" background for units.bmp use national flag because now leaving this with the leaderbox.bmp you cant do this.

Ooo congratulations for you new project, i read about it in the nap club, expect all works fine in your new game, is going to be a good complement for Marengo, i want help but my free time is not fixed enough and this need be like a 2nd work... ummm a little question, you study the Egypt campaign to add it in any future project??? thanks and good luck.

[Sgt_Rock]

The Egyptian campaign would prove to be too much to do. First, there are a lot of new images that would have to be added for the French, British, Turks/Mamelukes. I couldnt at least 16 images for the Turks alone. They have a lot of types of units.

The French wore different uniforms as the campaign wore on. Desert style uniforms after their old ones wore out.

The terrain set would have to be created as well. We have a "Snow" terrain set. We would need a "Desert" terrain set. I would have liked to have had a new terrain type "Vineyard" added to the game but resources are limited.

However, there really were not a lot of battles involved in the Egyptian campaign. Two with the British that stand out, the Pyramids, Acre and one or two others ... really not enough to justify adding in all of those images and research time.

Now if we ever get a game that has the Russo-Turkish and Hapsburg-Turkish Wars adding in the Egyptian campaign, funny enough, makes sense. The Turk images would be needed for all three wars.

All in all Marengo is a very nice addition to the series. It features battles of all sizes (well, not the Leipzig size) and there are not one but three campaigns covered. As usual I went overboard on it! ROFL

[Xaver]

I see, maybe now with PzB demo opening room to more "Salerno43 style" titles (diferent actions in time and even area in same title) something similar for nap serie could be possible... i refer create a base title starting with a "minor" campaign-action in the period and add similar problematic actions in future as DLCs if work to have all in one release needs to much time.

Instead a big title in a single release have 3 releases BUT you finish with a single title... you can buy one of the subtitles and after this install over it the other 2 to have a single installation folder.

Maybe the fun in add Turks-Epygt is the variation in the OOBs and combat style, is like in REN title when you use Otomans or play earlier battles (i am waiting someday nap title be updated to introduce REN block and napoleonic assault column to leave actual column like EAW column... no defensive, no offensive, simple a mobile formation).

Any way i know you are now working in the Marengo "big brother" and first is finish it, expect you have no problems with test... a little question test is first test or balance test??? maybe we can have it soon™ hehehe.

Good luck and great job.

[BigDuke66]

It's just a matter of workload compared to result.
I think the Marengo title covered some battles in the 1st and 2nd Revolutionary War in Northern Italy because at certain points the researched overlapped and made it possible to be utilized for both wars.

What you want is separate times/areas within a single title what gives very few if any points where the research overlaps, and by this the workload for one game would be similar to the workload of 3-4 or even more titles.
I don't see that happen, didn't happen with the Spain title and not with Marengo and I don't see it happen in the future cause it simply doesn't make sense trying to cover x things within a title if none of these things overlap with each other.
As Northern Italy is mostly covered, except for some very early battles. The next title will likely move to a different area of the Revolutionary Wars like Germany or Benelux and will again cover that area over some years within the Revolutionary Wars.

[Xaver]

I know, cover this "rare" campaigns-actions is allways a problem, is like Peninsular war... to many diferent periods to cover in a title and art is less standar... art is allways a problem, is not like now with PzB because they can use photos to cover the art area, for nap is more made every portrait one by one and i understand is allways a problem.

Next title is going to be the "german brother" of Marengo (French Revolutionary War - the Rhine and Danube campaigns of 1796-1800) they are looking for testers if you are interested.

http://wargame.ch/board/nwc/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=15642

Well, at least nap serie is alive and Marengo is a very good add to the serie, for me is maybe the best title to enter in the serie and offer diferent combat situations.

[Sgt_Rock]

I am working on the battles of 1792-1800 in France, Belgium (Austrian Netherlands), Holland, Switzerland and Germany. Obscure battles for many gamers as they didnt feature Napoleon but others like Charles, Massena are featured. I have finished work on the two Zurich battles (1799), Hohenlinden, Wurzburg, Valmy, 1st Stockach and Flerus (yes, the balloon is featured). I will do 10 more battles to include 2nd Stockach/Engen, Messkirch, Neerwinden and others. Then do the campaigns and call it a title. In coming years I will add in new battles. I cant justify doing a tremendous amount of battles (haha .. like ALL of them) anymore as I need to see closure on these titles. I am the kind of person that could work on these games until the cows came home. ;)

So that will complete the two titles about the Revolutionary War battles. There wasnt much happening in Spain of significance during this period and I have to watch the artwork time too. I have already added some 50 new images to the list for Mark and Joe to work on. Way more than I thought I would need.

I hope to have this all done by next Summer, artwork guys time permitting. Realistically .. could be early 2018.

[Xaver]

Is nice know about more earlier period battles are coming, i feel they are better for PBEM because offer less units to manage.

Maybe one thing that could be used in future is the DLC system from PzB, i am curious about it and expect it works well for PzB because in titles like the one you are working now is possible develop the title using a campaign as axis and aroud it release 1/3 of title and sell it at 1/3 price adding the next 2/3 in DLCs, even it could work as "pay demo" of the "full" title... other good point is release "small actions" without need a "mosnter" title to have them all is needed in serie is a "base" title to install over it all the alone DLCs that in PzB looks is going to be the demo.

I expect that with correct price for the DLCs in PzB we can see more exotic scens that cant be covered in a full title in short time... same in Napoleonic could be interesting in the moment is hard have full titles with remaining actions... and you dont need hold work done years until have enough material for a full title.

Good luck with the title because Marengo was a great surprise for me... maybe one thing in future could be instead center in nap period move to early XVIII wars but not before finish peninsular 2nd title hehehe.

[Sgt_Rock]

Sorry, you came to the wrong guy to discuss pricing. That is up to John Tiller.

The team working on the 2nd Peninsular title (Andrew Bamford and Rich White) had a lot of that done already. I imagine we might see it out this year if all goes well.

The Seven Years War would be a nice series.

Someone suggested the Crimean War some time back too.

[Xaver]

Well, i refer to instead wait to have a full title sell it based in "packs" the price is the same for the whole material but not the way to sell it... specially in titles with many diferent campaigns-battles that could work alone, is a good way to mantein new things coming and dont have content waiting a full title to offer it, my only problem here is have diferent installations, but have a title selled in 2-3 years pack by pack at least for me is not bad.

Thanks for the info about Peninsular title, is a little strange now see lack of info after the "rise" of WDS, sometimes i feel that with a little more info follow Tiller titles could help attract more interest to them but...

Well, Seven Years war had the advantage of be well know and practically doesnt need a new engine... if i dont remember bad even was a mod for 1776 based in battles of the period... Crimean War could be an "exotic" title mith battles similar in size to Marengo but at least to have a good experience you need have an OOB with diferent nations separate by armies, the limitation of engine to show inside same army OOB diferent counters limits a little inmersion for me.

Other post napoleonic option could be Franco-Prusian war or even a pair of title covering the wars between nap-1870 war, are some interesting wars and some were covered in the old "Age of Rifles" hehehe.

Thanks for the reply and good luck with your title.