Supreme Ruler 2020's Super Sandbox

[Jason]

<strong>[ Announcement ]</strong>

<p><a href="http://www.battlegoat.com/index.php" target="_blank">Battlegoat</a> and <a href="http://www.paradoxplaza.com/" target="_blank">Paradox</a> sent along <a href="http://www.paradoxplaza.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=312&Itemid=129" target="_blank">word</a> of a "Super Sandbox mode" for <strong><a href="http://www.battlegoat.com/supreme_2020.php" target="_blank">Supreme Ruler 2020</a></strong>, an upcoming grand strategy title. Here's the three Super Sandbox maps:</p><blockquote><p>"Modern World" is a map that mirrors the world of the near future. Play as the United States, military super-power and economic engine of the world, or play as an emerging African nation, or any one of over 180 independent regions.</p><p>"Shattered World" represents an alternate future where major nation have crumbled and smaller regions fight for power and influence.Play as an American state, a Canadian Province, or a sub-region of Europe, Russia, or China.</p><p>"Hot Spots" adds challenges in some of the world's most unstable regions &ndash; deal with situations in Kashmir, Palestine, Tibet, Kurdistan, Kosovo, Western China, and more.</p></blockquote><p>There's also a handful of new screenshots to ogle in our <a href="http://www.tacticularcancer.com/gallery.php?dir=Supreme%20Ruler%202020">SR2020 Gallery</a>.</p><div style="text-align: center"><a href="http://www.tacticularcancer.com/gallery.php?dir=Supreme%20Ruler%202020&file=SR5%202008-01-21%2021-17.jpg"><img src="http://www.tacticularcancer.com/screenshots/Supreme%20Ruler%202020/thumbs/SR5%202008-01-21%2021-17_thumb.jpg" alt=" " width="200" height="150" /></a> </div>

 

[thesheeep]

I'm really not certain about this game...

On the one hand, it really sounds awesome, being able to play like every nation and have that many possibilities. On the other hand, it may be possible that all comes down to pure statistics and is rather boring...

Guess I'll just have to test it first.
If it is anyhow similar to EUIII - just in a different timeframe -, I might very well like it

But from the looks of it, it will be more like HoI II, being a war-only game.

 

[JaguarUSF]

It' really more like a standard RTS, from what I remember from Supreme Ruler 2010. Oh yeah, I did review it:
http://jaguarusf.blogspot.com/2005/07/s ... eview.html

 

[Sovy Kurosei]

The Israelis aren't even bothering to defend the Gaza strip in that screenshot.

 

[thesheeep]

I just hope that playing a minor country is not like playing a minor country in HoI II.... suicide.

 

[Fez]

I just hope that playing a minor country is not like playing a minor country in HoI II.... suicide.

Heresy! I like it the way it was. It was the most sensible choice and allowed a lot of fun with it. It'd be stupid to have Luxembourg steam rolling Nazi Germany anyway.

 

[thesheeep]

Yeah, it's more realistic that way...
But sometimes, fun & gameplay simply is > realism, even in games like HoI.

Seriously, what good is playing a minor nation if you won't be able to achieve anything at all and are most likely annihilated right away?

EU3 showed a more perfect balance there (with MM Mod):
Playing minors is quite hard, but you can make it if you know what you are doing. Sure, you will never be the No1 nation or be able to compete with nations like Great Britain, Spain, etc. but at least you can achieve something, grow bigger 'n stuff.

Then again, EU3 also has a much bigger timeframe than HoI, allowing the player to achieve more. But still, if the best you can do with a minor nation is to vegetate, and if this is true for most of the minors, something went wrong with gameplay.

And on your Luxemburg example... that may be one of those minors that are indeed almost impossible to play, like Transsylvania in EU3

 

[Fez]

The minors were in HOI to act as they did in real life: to be conquered or work their asses off to not be conquered. Both can be a lot of fun while you are playing if you set your goals right. EU is different as it has the time scale for more realistic world domination efforts by even smaller nations.

I've heard of some of the top players of HOI managing silly things with minor countries though, like conquering huge areas that they rightfully shouldn't.

 

[BattleGoat]

As part of the marketing and development of Supreme Ruler 2020 I tend to wander around a few different forums, but I have to say that I really like coming to this one, the people here always make some good posts in response to our announcements.

To elaborate a bit on the screenshot Sovy Kurosei referenced, the conversion of our units from 2D to 3D is moving along nicely but there are some we just haven’t done yet. Because of this some of the armies on map are not complete yet so that accounts for some of the week Israeli response. Development schedules can seem somewhat strange at times for games like ours that are to be translated. The lead time on translation means an early focus has to be given to anything with text. Getting units and armies in game is really only needed for the later stages. As such, many early screenshots are “staged” and not actually from an ongoing game. The units do move, and fight, but it will all get much more interesting when we import the finished army lists we’ve compiled.

And to thesheep’s comments, we are working to make the interface more approachable, so that the info for the grognard players is still there but a little more out of the way so that you’re not constantly tripping over it. And the play from weak nations should be somewhat customizable thanks to the Super Sandbox system. We will be using two different difficulty levels, one for diplomacy and one for military. This is intended to allow skilled players who want a more controlled game experience to face a tough military opponent while still being able to negotiate without being stonewalled. Obviously, some of this is the reason we need a few more months to complete the game, we’re as ambitious as always.

If you have any more question, please ask, or come visit our forum @ www.bgforums.com

 

[BattleGoat]

It' really more like a standard RTS, from what I remember from Supreme Ruler 2010. Oh yeah, I did review it:
http://jaguarusf.blogspot.com/2005/07/s ... eview.html

I had actually seen your review before, I tend to consider it a fair reviewl. Hope that you take a look at the new game when it comes out and that we manage to earn an even higher score!

 

[JaguarUSF]

Hope that you take a look at the new game when it comes out

Heck yeah...sign me up!

 

[thesheeep]

And to thesheep’s comments, we are working to make the interface more approachable, so that the info for the grognard players is still there but a little more out of the way so that you’re not constantly tripping over it. And the play from weak nations should be somewhat customizable thanks to the Super Sandbox system. We will be using two different difficulty levels, one for diplomacy and one for military. This is intended to allow skilled players who want a more controlled game experience to face a tough military opponent while still being able to negotiate without being stonewalled. Obviously, some of this is the reason we need a few more months to complete the game, we’re as ambitious as always.

Is niiice.

 

[kris]

I've heard of some of the top players of HOI managing silly things with minor countries though, like conquering huge areas that they rightfully shouldn't.

Certainly possible with some. It's about timing partly. But I believe most who did this used a tactic that included a inbalance with bombers were large armies on the move could be destroyed by a strong bomber force.