Hello everyone! Work on the huge NATO update has been put on hold this week in order to correct a blocking bug. It wasn't happening in every game. However, the complexity of the early-game mechanics sometimes caused the engine to get confused and no longer manage the different phases of the game.
UPDATE
The search for this bug, its resolution and the tests were the occasion to devote the last five days to a refresh of the game which includes :
- Work on the bug mentioned ;
- AI improvements, particularly on the Axis side; the Luftwaffe was not attacking aggressively enough, but this has now been corrected ;
- AI improvements for the general behavior of the different camps;
- Corrections to the increase or decrease in Axis victory points, including a change in the automatic victory level for the Axis (to 300) and for Poland (to 200), making it significantly less likely that either side will win too early.
- Bug fixes that didn't necessarily have a major impact on the game, but which overall make it more stable (which will facilitate the big Fall Weiss update when it comes).
Known issues :
- The alternative deployment system for Poland has not yet been “opened”, and will only be for the big Fall Weiss update;
- New small scenarios have not yet been introduced; same as above for the big Fall Weiss update.
- Some tactical maps don't play as they should; this (relative) problem will be solved with version 1.5 of the game (and therefore its big update). In the meantime, this has little impact on the game, as the strategic maps are functional, as are most of the tactical maps.
FAQ
- Why are there no new small scenarios for Fall Weiss, etc.?
The strategic decision to release relatively fewer games but to refine them more was taken, correlated with the fact of updating and improving all released games, notably by progressively upgrading them to version 1.5 of the SGS engine (which implies considerable work for our entire team).
The major update for Fall Weiss will therefore take place at a later date. However, the game has not been abandoned, as demonstrated by this interim update.
- What's the status of SGS NATO's Nightmare?
The designer of Fall Weiss, who also designed SGS NATO'sNightmare and SGS Battle for : Hué, is working on a major NATO update. His work is therefore essentially focused on the game in question, hence the delay in the release of SGS Battle for : Dien Bien Phu. Fall Weiss' “intermediate” update precedes a two-week vacation before resuming work on SGS NATO's Nightmare on September 9.
Bug fixes that have been in place for several weeks are obviously a priority, but so is the addition of new content: scenarios, new counters, a larger map, new mechanisms and, of course, the introduction of version 1.5 of the SGS game engine. Screenshots of the work in progress will be released when the designer returns from vacation.
- WhIch games next?
SGS NATO's Nightmare is set to undergo considerable development, free of charge for anyone who owns the game. Once the huge update is complete, work on SGS Battle for : Dien Bien Phu will resume. Then comes the design work for SGS Gulf Strike, based on the same concepts as SGS NATO, brought to bear on the Iran-Iraq war as a whole, and on possible American and Soviet intervention (and World War III) in the Persian Gulf during the 1980s. Finally, SGS France 1940, with the same concepts as SGS Fall Weiss (and linked to Fall Weiss for players who own both, as a German victory or defeat in Fall Weiss can influence the start of a game of SGS France 1940) will arrive. This won't be for at least another two years, since each game is now being developed or updated one after the other.
- What's next?
Vacations for the designer of NATO, Fall Weiss and Hué! Back to NATO in two weeks! In the meantime, even after slowing down the release of the games, two excellent new titles have been added to the catalog! SGS Overlord (released in June), simple but remarkable, and SGS Battle for Shangaï (released a few days ago), fascinating, with a huge amount of research work on a little-known battle in the West, emblematic in China. The game is visually stunning, rich and challenging.
And then, several games have been ported to 1.5 standards, starting with Taipings, with a loyalty system that is particularly interesting for conflicts with insurrections/rebellions.
More surprises to come!
We hope to see you soon!