SPWW2 & MBT Will Soon Support PBEM Campaigns!

Cross · 04-23-2008, 10:42 PM,

SPWW2 version 3 should be released within the next two weeks.

http://www.shrapnelcommunity.com/threads...o=&fpart=1

For me, the coolest new feature is that it looks like it will support PBEM Campaigns! But you'll have to own the CD.

The new version of SPMBT will be released at the same time, and will also support PBEM campaigns.

I'd imagine that this could have a huge impact on how this game is played. I can't wait to see if/how it works...

drezworth · 04-24-2008, 12:51 AM,

w00t! Looks like I will need to buy the MBT CD now!

seabolt · (This post was last modified: 04-24-2008, 01:55 AM by seabolt.)

Cross Wrote:I'd imagine that this could have a huge impact on how this game is played. I can't wait to see if/how it works...

That's got to be an understatement. I suspect that there will be players *much* more keen on PBEM battles if the experience advances a campaign core force. Likely there will be a lot of pseudomirrored matches where you play oppfor for my campaign and I play oppfor for yours.

It surely doesn't, but if the thing somehow lets you play campaign vs campaign ... oh dear heavens, the geekery!

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Vesku · 04-24-2008, 02:34 AM,

I've played PBEM campaigns and the core will melt away very quickly, not much fun at all after two battles.

seabolt · 04-24-2008, 06:37 AM,

Vesku Wrote:I've played PBEM campaigns and the core will melt away very quickly, not much fun at all after two battles.

It's a question of picking your opponents better. ;)

Seriously, though, that's an excellent point. We get used to 90%, 95% (100% :laughing:) retention rates in campaign core units vs the AI. Won't happen in PBEM, not unless you stack the deck.

Still, if you can accept that (cliche alert!) paradigm shift, it opens all sorts of interesting opportunities.

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Cross · (This post was last modified: 04-24-2008, 09:32 AM by Cross.)

Vesku Wrote:I've played PBEM campaigns and the core will melt away very quickly, not much fun at all after two battles.

I've just finished my 11th PBEM campaign battle. Where I used the same officers and manually kept track of who survived and who got how many kills etc. Carrying forward the officers into the next battle.

I found it far more realistic than the camps against the AI.
You learn to play more conservatively.

I have to agree with Seabolt, it's tons more fun, and will add a whole new dimension to this game.

Vesku · 04-24-2008, 03:55 PM,

That's probably how you can make it work, track only officers because in an meeting engagement against human you will not have half your troops left if you try to win the battle, even against a player with little experience can make you pay. And trust me, I tried to save my forces. Of course I'm not good at playing H2H but that's my fault. What I can tell you that after three tries I noticed that core will not survive and the battles end up very small skirmishes.

Cross · (This post was last modified: 04-24-2008, 09:53 PM by Cross.)

I could often get officers through 5 or 6 battles, but after that they were pushing their luck. Which is probably close to real life, considering how intense PBEM battles are. My record kills for one unit was 18 over 5 battles (he was a tank commander).

My Lt Col has surivived 11 battles, even though I use him up close to the front. He's had a couple of close calls however.

Keep in mind that my guys would not gain experience from one battle to the next, but I would choose those guys with the higher abilities to rename. Again, possibly more realistic than the AI camp. because I think the AI camp rewards too highly for surviving.

Vesku · 04-25-2008, 12:52 AM,

That sounds like a well working system for PBEM campaigns.

I've played one really good AI campaign, Das Reich for SP WaW 8.3 (IRC). That is a piece of art and you will get chewed up in couple of battles no matter how well you play.