New PC RTS Game Title from Relic!

[ÜberJumper]

Well, I don't believe it'll be a WW2 Grognard's game :-(

[Starblade]

The game looks gorgeous. I hope the final version looks like that. Or are those screens actually screens from the final version?

[TBS]

well theyre obviously not from the final version...if they had the final version ready it wouldnt be slated for release in 2006 :p. However they are ingame screenshots...so the final version should look as good as that...if not better.

[Tranj]

How many good PC RTS titles have there been set in WW2? I tried Frontline command, and while it was alright, it didn't snag my attention.

I'm thinking Dawn of War engine, combined with new tech and a World War 2 setting? Destructible terrain? I WILL FIGHT THE BATTLE FOR ORTONA AND BRING HOUSES DOWN ON THE FALLSCHIMJAGER DEFENDING THE TOWN.
Just a note that Company of Heroes is not using the Dawn of War engine, it is using an entirely new engine called the Esence Engine. The depth of the engine is astonishing...it's beautiful in screenshots, and absolutely jaw dropping in motion.

[Soulblighter]

so when do the rest of us grunts see it in motion?

[ÜberJumper]

Tranj, yeah, I'd heard that. It is rooted in the Dawn of War (and before that the Impossible Creatures) game engine though from what I understand... with so much new stuff that it's basically entirely new.

So, essence engine it is :-)

[Tranj]

I like how all the quotes on that page are from the same source :p

this does confirm that there will be a significant multiplayer aspect though. Funfun.
That's becuase they have the first print exclusive on the game. I'm sure there will be many more quotes to populate the site with...unfortunately we can't use my favorite quote "HOLY CRAP!!!" Which BTW, was my quote.

[TBS]

Im sure the rest of the gaming press will have lots of good things to say about it when you let them get their grubby mits on it...it just jumped out at me that there was only one source for the good things on the website, if I saw a game in the shops with 3 positive quotes from the same source then Id be a little suspicious ;).

anyway - your marketing has worked...Im getting excited about a WWII game, something that I didnt think possible. Nice work :)

[ÜberJumper]

You think you're excited? Imagine being taunted by "I can't wait until you see it at E3" for TWO Relic games.

[JAL-18]

But then again, we have to take into account that you live next door to the chaps, and will probably be among the first to get your grubby little hands on it...so I think you'll excuse us if we seem to be *slighty* unempathetic... :p

[Soulblighter]

yea uber i dont really pity you since you are going to E3...

[ÜberJumper]

Well... Relic doesn't invite me over anymore :-( I have to go to E3 to see the goods ahead of time.

Besides, not seeing stuff early allows me to see it at the same time you guys did. This time around, I only had a smidge of foreshadowing that press releases were coming, and nothing about what was actually in them.

[Soulblighter]

thats true.. your reaction to CoH was golden:).

[TheDeadlyShoe]

OMG Shaders

I just really want to know if you can go in buildings or not. Theres a screeny of a guy *on* a building, but...

[Maximus Decimus]

I believe in it was in the PCGAMER article where they were shown a demonstration where a squad inside a building is engaged by a tank. The tank proceeds to destroy a piece of the building where the newly exposed infantry then utilize the rubble as cover.

[TheDeadlyShoe]

Cool.

Also, interesting that its on the same essential scale (company-level) as Dawn of War.

[Tranj]

its a new engine. i just mentioned the dow thing because they had infantry have grenades and had smoke screen option for one of their vehicles.

sorry to give off the conflicting stuff, but the graphics, terrain, and shots of rag doll physics are just something else so i was trying to compare to what relic has previously done.

when the issue hits stands and more screens become available... not to mention the E3 stuff considering the game says it will be out in early 2006 (which = if they stay on target they only get one E3 to show this thing off), i am sure you will all understand.

on a side note i wonder if relic and those in the know within thq were laughing as age of empires 3 did interview after interview, countless previews and screenshots explaining that what they are doing is the best looking rts out there and would be leaps and bounds ahead of the competition... all the while relic was working on this little gem for god knows how long.
400 billion units sold of the Age series is nothing to laugh at.

OK, so yes, we did chuckle about the leaps and bounds above everyone else thing. I look forward to a solid competition at E3!

[Noir]

TBH,a check at Blues Clues puts up a link at around this time last year about Relic taking the "Company of Heroes" title for a future game.Therefore we can conclude that they've been working on this one for at least a year,and combined with the time in between and the projected time to release,we have a development period of about two years.

In terms of game development,Two years to make a whole new game isn't that bad at all.

Really,often it's those tiny details even Uber can miss that are the most important...like Tranj registering in mid 2003 :p

[Soulblighter]

keep in mind it wasnt just a game but a whole new engine.

[Bonnet]

Yeah, how long ago he registerd just hit me two or three days ago, he was here along time before dow...

[Noir]

I know,I factored that into my analysis.Usually it takes about 3 or so years to get out anything decent with a new engine and the like :)

[silencio]

I think that the graphics/engine look really impressive. Personally I'm not that excited about another game set in WWII, even if the game is distinctly different from the others already out there. The way I see it, the game's either going to be fairly realistic, or another 'fantasy WWII'.

If it's realistic, it makes the unit types fairly predictable, and the 'races' broadly similar. It might seem like a minor technical problem, but I also think in a fast paced rts the fact that both sides would look pretty similar might make the game confusing given the basic grey/green/brown colour scheme of all units and terrain.

If it's unrealistic it opens up a lot more scope, but personally I've never liked 'fantasy' WWII films/games. I think it's too recent and serious an event to warp in that way, and making Nazis into monsters let's you escape too easily from the realisation that this is something real people did. I'd rather producers/developers just worked in a pure fantasy field if that's the kind of thing they want to do.

I'm not saying that there is no possibility that this will be a good game, far from it. But I probably won't buy it, purely because of the subject matter which I feel has already been covered from every angle I wish to see it and then some.

[TheDeadlyShoe]

Hey, that's what demos are for.

Brings up an interesting point. What will the intro movie be? Sad to say that WWII stuff is so prevalent that I really can't see how it can help but be generic.

Problematic.

[ÜberJumper]

Blur did a pretty good job of the opening movie for DoW yeah?

[Starfisher]

[FLAK BURST]
[ Camera falls through the fire to see a P51 zoom over a grouping of embattled troops surrounding a tank. Tank fires, and we see soldiers run up to get in line with the rest behind a low all of wreckage ]
[ CUT to where the troops are, camera walks through them as they fire up a hill.]

RADIO: Reinforcements are enroute!

[CUT to view of hill from troops position. Germans wielding axes peek over top as a tank round hits nearby]

;P

[Brian]

Must resit pics of game...my clan which concertrates on fps will breaky my legs if I get into anorther rts from relic since ill suck at fps...

must resist...

ah screw it the pics look nice :kami:

Oh and yeah the dow opening movie was pretty dam sweet.

Now excuse me im going to hide from my clans vengence :Pimp:

[TheDeadlyShoe]

Blur did a pretty good job but its pretty apparent that the intro might be saving private ryan redux.

[ionfish]

Clearly this is an opportunity for a return to the live action intros of yore, complete with the terrible acting we came to expect before such shark-jumping exercises as hiring James Earl Jones.

[Vicius]

must see

[ÜberJumper]

What will be interesting is if the opening cinematic takes place AFTER the first battle you fight.

OH Maybe we'll have CGI Cut scenes for the whole game?

[sajuukar]

Keep dreaming...

Now, what I would definately like to see is realistic air support... airplanes have never really been as awe inspiring as they should be in the rts games that I've played. The sight of a bombing run at the level of detail we're talking about here would be amazing!

[TheDeadlyShoe]

With an engine like this there's really no reason to do them out of engine. *g*

Soulblighter mentioned on the Ask the Devs thread that it would be neat if they used the black and white animation style. I agree, that would be amazingly sweet and utterly unique for a WW2 game.

[IcecreamLtDan]

K, as a fan of WWII games in general i'm looking forward to it!

[Bonnet]

Black and white cut scenes would be truly awesome, not to mention a nice little throwback to our beloved homeworld series. WE already know they can do an awesome job with them, so...

[WaCrAfTeR]

This looks like a very shexy game..

i must buy it! TO THE WALLET!

yours on-my-way-to-the-wallet
Me

[KPMaker]

I just can't get that excited over another WW2 themed RTS.

I would have loved to see them make a RTS dated in the modern times; along the lines of U.S., Chine, a middle east coalition, and a 4th fraction. Maybe their next hit RTS after this one will be set more in the modern times like CnC Generals or the near future like or Act of War. That game would RULE!!!!!

Although, I'm sure "Company of Heroes" will be the best WW2 RTS to date, and I'll still end up getting it and most likely loving it. From the article in PC Gamer, it already looks to far surpass any RTS to date, WW2 or not. Like “location specific damage from bullets” (e.g., one guy gets hit in the leg and rolls around in his own pool of blood, while another guy gets a head shot and drops straight to the ground. Also, the fact that medics can save the lives of wounded soldiers if they can reach them in time, too cool.

[ceejayoz]

I'd love cheesy newsreel-style cutscenes. Y'know, with the funny narrator and such.

[ObsceneName]

I agree, while im not to excited, about the world war 2 theme, the engine destructbility, will get me to buy it, I hope. And, the cheesy news reel I think, would just be awesome.

[Ammon Ra]

How Many "hero" units will there be per side?

:tooth: :jest:

[Cheech Marin]

Yeah, I can just see John Wayne running up to a tiger tank, climbing on top, opening the hatch, and dropping a grenade right into the laps of the crew. ;)

[Soulblighter]

do not bump almost 3 week old topics, please read the forum guidelines.