The future of MOW franchise.

[roptor90]

Further observations from this site:
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013...-call-to-arms/

Instinct you were asked about it even by Rock, Paper, Shotgun the question was:
"Is it still using the GEM engine? Isn’t that engine getting a bit old now? How much can you actually improve on it?"

You answered it there but the toughts about it are:

You have 1 person which is responsible for programming according to credits from MOWAS2.
You have "sixteen times the level of detail" compared to what ?? Soldiers Heroes of WW2 from 2004 ?
The today visual standards are absolutely elsewhere for example most noticable change like paralax/bump mapping was curent 7 years ago.
In other words what you curently do with this obsolete middleware engine is only chasing the competition better said time. The year where you actually stopped at the moment is year 2005-2008... Today is 2014 and the competition stands not on same place of course.

[GrimReaper]

Time could be wasted elsehow, you got few valid points there but as you probably know, everything is only about $$.
AAA engine does not mean everything, you must have developers which does not see everything with eyes similar to $.$ and want to learn.
Not sure about Best Way and their plans but about DMS and Instinct he probably believes that visual fidelity and quality is everything and it will keep "working" for the future.

License of any AAA engine today costs a lot from budget, the updates to GEM2 are just few grain drops compared to that. Do you really think that DMS or Best Way will license it ? Don`t be naive please.
Best Way have their own GEM3.
GEM3 seems to be a bit more advanced compared to GEM2.5 but in overal they are both obsolete.

In conclusion your thread is only desperate try to change the reality in right meaning, sad but true...

[roptor90]

AFAIK Unreal Engine 4 and Cryengine have "Engine-as-a-Service" (EaaS) program. I think minimal subscription period is half-year or one year not sure. This contains current build and all the further updates to certain engine.
Its probably the best way how to lose a unnecessary role of (obsolete aka GEM) engine developer and focusing the developement on game content only.

Closer look:
Unreal Engine 4 for $19 per month. In addition to the monthly subscription fee, you also agree to fork over 5 percent of gross revenue resulting from any commercial products you build using UE4.
https://www.unrealengine.com/register

Seems really expensive... But perhaps UE3 could match.

Cryengine monthly subscription fee of 9.90 USD/EUR per user and royalty free.
http://cryengine.com/news/crytek-ann...ervice-program

Both engines can fit perfectly for indie studio with few people (developers).

If Best Way and DMS with help of 1C really licensed one of this engines and co-developed Men Of War 2 ( MOW was perfect ) it will mean new beginning or restart of whole franchise and for 99% it will bring new people surely.

[roptor90]

Originally Posted by roptor90

Further observations from this site:
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013...-call-to-arms/

Instinct you were asked about it even by Rock, Paper, Shotgun the question was:
"Is it still using the GEM engine? Isn’t that engine getting a bit old now? How much can you actually improve on it?"

You answered it there but the toughts about it are:

You have 1 person which is responsible for programming according to credits from MOWAS2.
You have "sixteen times the level of detail" compared to what ?? Soldiers Heroes of WW2 from 2004 ?
The today visual standards are absolutely elsewhere for example most noticable change like paralax/bump mapping was curent 7 years ago.
In other words what you curently do with this obsolete middleware engine is only chasing the competition better said time. The year where you actually stopped at the moment is year 2005-2008... Today is 2014 and the competition stands not on same place of course.

http://steamcommunity.com/games/mowa...92946020905302

Thats nice and what will be the goal or result of it in long run ?
Same game as AS1 just more polished and optimized with steamworshop support... How is that relevant ?

Still how about AI ? nowaday GFX and gameplay improvements ?
People are frustrated enough with broken pathfinding, stupid scripted AI covered and counterweighted by enourmous numbers...
But also micromanagement (which is nice feature, nothing against it) but it multiplies the frustration even more. What about newbies ?

Its really so hard to change the engine ? This title should had been AAA for many years now, not just secondary "ah what`s that" title over 10 years !

And again Instinct not sure if you trolling but what about your words?
"It's easier to build a game from scratch on a new engine, than porting it."

So where is the problem ?
Money? Hardly, Tripwire, Jackbootgames and tens of other denies it.

And once more updating dead GEM engine is pointless when you have at least 3 AAA engines which offers a indie license for equal amount of money as the "GEM engine update/uprgrade/boost" budget.
So the difference is ?

PS: Instinct stop dreaming about your Infinity Ward or Bohemia Interactive story please.

[GrimReaper]

Originally Posted by Instinct(Steam)

It's easier to build a game from scratch on a new engine, than porting it.

What I meant is, that it is easier to build/upgrade/license an engine and then build a new game on top of it, compared to upgrading an engine and trying to make an existing game work on it, as you encounter a lot of compatibility issues along the way and you have to upgrade all the old game code and assets too. (same for porting)

Instinct even after you confirmed it by yourself why did you choosed the fiddly and rocky way ? What did you achieved with it now ? Its somehow better then AS1 or MOW if you rule out the graphics updates and steamworkshop ?
Don`t know about what relationship do you have with 1C or Best Way but the new assets from AS1 and AS2 could be easily ported to any other engine and the all older mowish games will not disappear after you will do so.
We don`t need 250 vehicles in other game when we have them now and here (AS2) so the competetive setting will be there.

We appriacate the fiddelity given to AS1 and AS2 very well.
But what happens when you give it also to infantry models (CTA/Condemned Heroes is not what I mean) and on new modern engine ?
Sorry Best Way, don`t take it as contempt of your hard work with GEM but as we surely know time can`t be stopped.

[GrimReaper]

Originally Posted by roptor90

What about this ?
http://store.steampowered.com/app/220980/

I`ve read that its its 9,90 EUR per user/license/machine without any further fees or royalties.
Subscriptions are for 1,3 and 6 months can be canceled at any time.
Quite cheap for AAA engine.

[GrimReaper]

Originally Posted by hunsnotdead

They even stopped backing their Stalkeresque Nuclear Union game(which was to be their first unique IP since forever) developed by Best Way, and afaik that put Best Way in quite a predicament, now they are trying to greenlight Battle of Empires : 1914-1918 that looks like nothing more than a MoW modification, a desperate attempt at recouping from losses 1Cs Nuclear Union brought them.

Precisely said, I think there were even some SHWW2 mods similar to Battle of Empires 1914-1918 not saying about MOW mods.

[GrimReaper]

Looks like something finally moved on.

Soldiers:Arena http://store.steampowered.com/app/421010/
Gates of Hell http://store.steampowered.com/app/400750/

Both look very nice, especially Soldiers:Arena with those brand new animations and infantry models.
Gates of Hell definitely appears to be sequel for Men of War 2009.

Can`t wait to get them both.