SimHQ.com - Technology Zone - 2005 E3Expo: Day 2

The other game I got a chance to see up close is 1C's WW2 RTS. This title looks to be nearing completion and although it still needs some finishing touches it looks very very good.

What seems to make this game different from what appears to be the overwhelming number of World War 2 real time strategy games is the in depth physics and ballistics models that appear in this game. Unlike the multitude of Sudden Strike clones that seem to be everywhere WW2 RTS appears to actually try to model the effects in a realistic manner.

1C's WW2 RTS

Armor penetration values, Armor hardness, angle of strike of weapons, weak spots in vehicle armor and even the effects on the interior of the vehicle appear to be modeled in the game. This means that a 75mm equipped Sherman probably will lose a head to head match up with a JagdPanther and you had better use your tactics properly.

Since the game is build on a modified version of the IL2 engine you get the chance to use aircraft or ground vehicles in your assault. Some really nice touches are the way that terrain and buildings have a progressive damage model and that almost everything in the game can be destroyed or damaged in some manner. Another impressive feature of the game is the exact detail that is going into the terrain engine. Not only does the game model terrain elevation based upon satellite maps, but the team has researched the areas so closely that if a doghouse (I'm serious here) was in the real world at the time the battle took place it would be present in the game.

Lots of actors, actresses and models at E3 this week. The terrain will be rendered in 2k by 2k chunks which still somewhat concern me although the development team has assured me that there will be no gameplay imbalance related to the size of the maps. The game will render in larger scale but only 2x2 will be seen at one time.

The game will range from 1939 to 1945 with the person being able to play for the Western Allied, Soviet or German forces. One other nice, historic feature is the fact that while you retain troops through the entire conflict your equipment set doesn't stay static. If you are fighting a battle and it is known that this or that kind of equipment was being used then you will get it. One bad thing about this is that only the historically correct equipment set will be used. If you had a Tiger tank in your last mission you may not necessarily have the same tank setup in the next mission.

Overall this game looks to be progressing nicely. It is a crossover title to be sure; one that probably will be more inclined to the wargamer rather than the simmer but one that certainly bears some scrutiny. It really looks sharp and looks to be much more 'simulation' like than any of the other RTS style WW2 games I saw at E3.

Overall it was pretty productive. I was heartened by Whirlwind; it looks to be something that flight simmers will really get its teeth into. In addition I think folks will be pleased to see what is being done with Battle of Britain II. Given the dearth of simulations that is on the horizon these two look to be the best of show as far as simulations go. If both ship relatively bug free they probably will get some decent marks when review time comes around.

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