My comments, questions and suggestions to Graviteam

[subhuman]

Hello

I am also the owner of the original Achtung Panzer so I am quite familiar with the game and the Graviteam developers.

I have been looking forward to the AP:OS English release since the Russian version first came out over a year ago. I was very surprised at the apparent lack of publicity/advertising associated with the eventual release of the English version.  I only found out about the release of the English version by accident.  I hope this is not a reflection on how much Graviteam care about this game.  My biggest concern at this stage is whether Graviteam really care about this game and plan  to support the players and the game, because I do know they are already working on another project.  I had noticed a year or so ago when the first Achtung Panzer was released, it seemed that all of a sudden Graviteam seemed to stopped posting on the forums and seemed to leave their players in the dark.

Well, with the new AP:OS, I can see some improvements in the game, but not as many as I had hoped.
First of all the lack of any kind of a manual for the game is very concerning, and adds to my concerns about whether Graviteam really care about and intend to support the English version of this game.  The hardest part of the game to understand without a manual would be the Operation screens/tables.

For example I just played a battle where I thought I had lost quite a few units and decided to "Flee" the battlefield.  However the battle summary screen rold me I had a "minor victory"!!??
How is this possible?  Here is a screenshot of the summary screen.  Can someone please explain the scoring in this table and why I won even though I fled?



I also want to know is it possible to replace the silhouette markers on the strategic map with the standard unit symbols used in AP:K43?

I really do hope Graviteam plan to support this game and it's players.

[Panzerfaust]

The Quick Start Manual for AP:OS is located in the docs folder (manual is in the support subfolder) along with a Game Controls doc. There are also manuals on how to make models and the mod tools located in the docs folder in the Modwork sub folder.

As for a full blown 100+ page manual I don't think there is one for either game, APK43 only had a 27 page manual and AP:OS has 19 pages. I think there are less pages because AP:OS is in reality a continuation of APK43 so really alot of things learned in APK43 are probably just carried over to AP:OS.

I think what you might not understand about the table is probably whats most important and thats the first section. As you can see you had more forces after the battle then the USSR. I know that sounds a little wonky because you withdrew from the battle, but thats probably how Graviteam scripted the winning conditions for missions. Even in Steel Fury K:42 you can take your mission objectives but still lose the battle. The reason was the mission script that sets the parametes for the victory conditions might be that a certain % of your forces, or the enemy forces, have to survive, or even specific units have to survive. So even though you withdrew, apparently the USSR forces took to many casulties to outright win the mission, and you had almost a 4 to1 advantage in surviving forces, very unlikley the USSR side would have not been able to survive another German attack and probably had to withdraw from the field also. So while the USSR forces might have won a small Tactical victory, you must have won a small Strategic victory, so you got a minor victory result.

As for support Graviteam is a pretty small company (6 people I think) and of course localization presents it's own set of unique problems. But what Graviteam seems to do is first provide a stable game, fix bugs and then move on. I know that seems like no support but they do provide the tools for modders and mission makers to really add to the simulation, they just do not have the manpower it takes to hang with a game long term. But like I said the tools are there to really take AP as far as the community wants too.

Cheers

[andrey12345]

I have been looking forward to the AP:OS English release since the Russian version first came out over a year ago. I was very surprised at the apparent lack of publicity/advertising associated with the eventual release of the English version.  I only found out about the release of the English version by accident.  I hope this is not a reflection on how much Graviteam care about this game.  My biggest concern at this stage is whether Graviteam really care about this game and plan  to support the players and the game, because I do know they are already working on another project.  I had noticed a year or so ago when the first Achtung Panzer was released, it seemed that all of a sudden Graviteam seemed to stopped posting on the forums and seemed to leave their players in the dark.

Sorry, but we very small company and at all short of hands. But a shortage of funds for advertising.

First of all the lack of any kind of a manual for the game is very concerning, and adds to my concerns about whether Graviteam really care about and intend to support the English version of this game.  The hardest part of the game to understand without a manual would be the Operation screens/tables.

Yes, english manual is a problem. We can not translate it.
But built-in training mode covers the major points of the game.

For example I just played a battle where I thought I had lost quite a few units and decided to "Flee" the battlefield.  However the battle summary screen rold me I had a "minor victory"!!??

Win or defeat is calculated taking into account:
- the initial balance of forces;
- casualties;
- captured territory.

For example, if you defending by small forces (smaller then the enemy forces), then the calculation of victory / defeat you will have the advantage.

I also want to know is it possible to replace the silhouette markers on the strategic map with the standard unit symbols used in AP:K43?

No, only by modtools and repaint texture with symbols.

I really do hope Graviteam plan to support this game and it's players.

Yes

I hope the patch and micro-addons will come in the near future.

[subhuman]

Thank you for the reply and answers.  I do understand the plight of small companies like Graviteam working on niche market games like AP with a small (but dedicated) team.  There are many websites that would be happy to just list as news the release of AP:OS, such as www.thewargamer.com and www.rockpapershotgun.com.  RPS has mentioned AP:OS but not specifically relating to it's English release.

Is it possible to perhaps download the untranslated (Russian) manual and attempt to translate it ourselves using one of the many on-line translators?  I must say that the lack of a manual for this game is not really that much of an issue as far as playing the game.  I am probably wanting to know more of the details for how the game works/design notes etc.

I also want to know is it possible to replace the silhouette markers on the strategic map with the standard unit symbols used in AP:K43?

No, only by modtools and repaint texture with symbols.

OK, I was asking from a modding point of view  .  I take it that by using the modtools I could replace the silhouette markers with the same icons types (military symbols) used in AP:K43.

I really do hope Graviteam plan to support this game and it's players.

Yes

I hope the patch and micro-addons will come in the near future.

This is very good to hear andrey1234.  This game has too much potential for it to be neglected.  Players like myself surely appreciate it.

[wolk]

Is it possible to perhaps download the untranslated (Russian) manual and attempt to translate it ourselves using one of the many on-line translators?

http://graviteam.com/forum/index.php?topic=9740.0

http://www.steelfury.com/Star/k43t_apos_manuals_rus.zip