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This may be ahead of it’s time but I figured we should discuss it anyway.

When I say “Environment and feel” I don’t mean graphics. What I mean is the world-map, and the “feel” of the game. I have no idea how to define the “feel”, but I’m sure you know what I mean. The size of the units and buildings, the angle of the camera, the details on the interface, the sounds, the surroundings, etc. So that we can “describe” the feel of the game, I’m making a list of games and you can verbally vote for which feel you want.

Please note when you’re voting, try and exclude the entire game… I know that makes no sense. What I mean is, if you vote for Warcraft 3, don’t THINK of the game warcraft 3. Anyway…

Starcraft
Warcraft 3
Command and Conquer Red Alert
C&C Generals
Cossacks (Including America’s Army)
BFME
BFME 2
Settlers
R:TW
Civilization ( I know, it’s kind of hard to fit a turn-base game’s feel into an RTS, but you can mix and match feels).
Settlers 5 (Completely different than the first 4 Settlers)
Age of Empires/AoM
War of the Ring
A Tycoon game (Name one, they all feel the same in my opinion, even If they have 50 different ones)

If you have another game “feel” you’d like to suggest, tell me and I’ll add it to the list.

The point behind this is so we all know what each other is expecting. I think the game “feel” is more important than any part of a game, and you never know what “feel” you’ll get until you’re done with it.

I’m thinking of BFME (Remember, FEEL not the GAME), with a little bit of Cossacks and Settlers 5 thrown in. That’s the best way I can describe it.

And what about the environment? Are the maps going to be in mountains? Grasslands? Forests? Both? Will everything be viewed from far away? Will trees and Mountains have profound sizes? Will the game have profound elevation changes? (Like, you travel up and down a lot in the mountains, or hills are large, etc.)

What are your opinions?

Again, I know this topic serves little purpose at the moment, but I like to see the future, as it helps with the beginning of it.

I'd like to see size-like buildings.  Not "almost" size like buildings or "nearly" size like buildings, but structures which literally tower over the individual units and leave them as specks dotting the map.

I'd like to see massive battles involving huge divisions of massive squads.  I want to see the environment react to them, and them react to the environment.  I want to see buildings collapse piecewise and leave rubble and ruins that actually impacts gameplay as they do so.

I want to see something essentially of breathtaking scope, not necessarily because of the graphics, but because of the sheer awesomeness of the way the environment interacts with the player, and vice versa.  I wouldn't be able to put a game name to it, although I think Total War comes closest.

I'd like to see size-like buildings.  Not "almost" size like buildings or "nearly" size like buildings, but structures which literally tower over the individual units and leave them as specks dotting the map.

I'd like to see massive battles involving huge divisions of massive squads.  I want to see the environment react to them, and them react to the environment.  I want to see buildings collapse piecewise and leave rubble and ruins that actually impacts gameplay as they do so.

I want to see something essentially of breathtaking scope, not necessarily because of the graphics, but because of the sheer awesomeness of the way the environment interacts with the player, and vice versa.  I wouldn't be able to put a game name to it, although I think Total War comes closest.

I think your idea of the game and my idea of the game is exactly the same. It's impossible to tell, but it sounds alot like my dream game.

The good thing about open source games, is there is no rush, no bureaucracy, no money, that prevents it from being great and what you expect for it.

Hopefully we'll get enough hype and support for this engine and this game, because I really, really would loev to help create a game from point A to Z.

No money, unfortunately, is as much a handicap as it is a boon.  We've got to get talent in here one way or another.

I'd like to see size-like buildings.  Not "almost" size like buildings or "nearly" size like buildings, but structures which literally tower over the individual units and leave them as specks dotting the map.

I'd like to see massive battles involving huge divisions of massive squads.  I want to see the environment react to them, and them react to the environment.  I want to see buildings collapse piecewise and leave rubble and ruins that actually impacts gameplay as they do so.

I want to see something essentially of breathtaking scope, not necessarily because of the graphics, but because of the sheer awesomeness of the way the environment interacts with the player, and vice versa.  I wouldn't be able to put a game name to it, although I think Total War comes closest.

You said it. Realism is the thing I would want to see.

Attacking and defending real size castles. With real walls, not the weak excuse BFME 2 has.

Solinx

I think most people would love to see the FEEL () of the first E3 BFME video (the one with Mark Skaggs on his living world map)

Welcome to the OpenWar boards Pepe

Haven't seen that video, but will look it up sometime today if I can.

Solinx

thx, well here's a link to the E3 Demo

Thanks, Im watching it now

Yeah, that vid looks pretty good, although the comment sometimes...

Solinx

yeah i know, he acts all surprised and stuff, as if he doesn't know there'd be rohirrim and a whole AotD waiting for him... sheez, Mark Skaggs... what an actor But I still remember that that was the video that made me excited for the BFME release. that's how it should've been. And that's the great feel i'm talking about.

Yeah, it had an awesome feel to it. Part of it was because they did things that could only have been scripted as a movie though, as with all promo movies. They adapted certain stats for units, to make the game appear more active than it is in reality. Also, the freedom with the camera, the movies, if they had really made the game exactly that, it would be even better.

Solinx

i think that we will need to take away some microing and introduce smart units in our game, so we can have those movie battles in a real game

If the AI can cover it in a decent manner, yes, then it will be a good plan.

You will need to be a bit more specific about which parts of the game you want to make smart though.

Solinx