Hello, fellas. Hope you don't mind a noob question. Here goes.
I'm interested in trying one of these games, but I'm confused. I downloaded the demo from JTS and found it very hard to play. The 2D map is too small to play on and the 3D is not much better. I'm hoping the demo does not reflect the current state of the game.
I see that a “2D magnified view” has been added via updates. Does this make the 2D maps playable? What mods do you guys recommend to make the 3D better? My main problem with the demo 3D was that when stacked with leaders, the units were sort of indistinguishable. If the game were exactly like the demo, I would avoid it. But when modded and with the JTS updates applied, is the game better than the demo shows?
Thanks in advance for any help.
The demo is a good indication of the game's interface, other than that it does not have the magnified 2D view. I have yet to use the magnified 2D view, so I cannot comment on it, although I've used it in the Panzer Campaigns series and find it helpful in more crowded situations.
I never use the 3D views, as they are hard for me to follow. It's too bad; I know people have put a lot of work into getting the uniforms right and all.
But I have had lots of fun just using the normal 2D (and not the "zoomed out" version). Perhaps your screen resolution could be adjusted to improve the quality of the map?
I agree entirely. I only play in normal 2D mode for the sake of practicality. I haven't used the new zoom in 2D feature and probably won't find the need to unless my eyesight deteriorates like my brain has.
I also pretty much play in normal 2d but I do use the 3d view from time to time to make sure I'm reading the terrain correctly.
I hate to sound like a broken record however, I too only normally play in 2D. You will find that if someone grew up playing table-top war games in the 1970's, 1980's, or 1990's, they are normally playing their HPS/JTS games primarily in the 2D view.
The 2D zoom feature is really a nice feature which will help you to be able to see your units better in the 2D map view only.
The 3D view can give you a miniatures type-of-feel, especially if you are using a 3rd party mod.
We offer several NAP 3rd party mods in our Mods section for all of the HPS/JTS titles.
https://www.theblitz.club/message_boards...hp?fid=239
Playing the Demo will give you a good idea of how these games play out. These games really shine and are alot more enjoyable if you play your games against another human opponent via PBEM.
As for purchasing your first titles, we normally always suggest starting off with a title that you have a strong interest in.
As a owner of all 10 titles in the NAP series, my two favorite titles are Waterloo and Leipzig, as they have a different feel to them, in a good way. These two titles are also very popular among our members and you will have no problem finding PBEM opponents for them.
If you decide to purchase a title or two, I suggest buying the JTS version which is located here:
http://johntillersoftware.com/NapoleonicBattles.html
If you have any more questions, just ask away!
Thanks for the replies, guys. If it's anything like the PzC games, then the 2-D zoomed in view ought to be just the ticket. I love muskets and cav charges, so this should prove to be some fun. Thanks again. It's a good-looking series and I'm looking forward to digging in.
Personally I use the 3D view as the normal 2d view makes it sometimes hard for me to tell what direction a unit is facing.
As for mods I can highly recommend all mods by Philippe.
I also recommend to start with a game that covers your favorite battle/campaign, I think that's the best way to get into a series that were so many games have been released.