Totem games "Ironclads"--- DEMO is up

[Sonarman]

Our friends in Russia Totem Games have released a demo for their upcoming ACW ironclads game. Check out the 22.5MB demo here

[Raptor1]

22 megs?

Ah well, nothing to lose

[Ilpalazzo]

I've had interest in this. I will check it out. Pretty small eh?

[Syxx_Killer]

I can't even remember the last time a demo was only 22MB. You can't even get patches now-a-days smaller than 22MB. I think it is pretty cool how it is only 22MB. I never download demos anymore because I don't want to take up 500MB+ just to try a game.

[Ilpalazzo]

lol me too! I passed on a bunch of demos because they were a gig or more. Jesus. Anyway I just messed with this one and uh. Maybe it's just that the demo isn't very good, but I was not impressed. In fact I didn't know this was a turn based game. I'd imagine it would take a god awful long time to complete a large battle in this. I didn't finish the demo because the AI just kept running away from me as I followed and took shots. That went on for a good long while. Bored me, sorry Totem Games.

[GlobalExplorer]

To be honest, the screenshots are so meh that I won't even download it. I would actually prefer the demo to be somwhat larger because 22mb does really not sound like a very impressive product.

What happened to Storm Eagles Jutland btw? Shouldnt this have been out for half a year now?

[CaptHawkeye]

Originally Posted by Raptor1

22 megs?

Ah well, nothing to lose

Except your dignity.

[Buddahaid]

Well, I'm trying the demo, and not being familiar with turn based games (except Outpost), I can't quite get the UI. Is there some sort of controls explanation I've missed?

Buddahaid

[FIREWALL]

Not trying to go OT but, Isn't the small mb D|L# easier on the dialup people so more will try Demo ?

Just a thought. :hmm:

[Hitman]

I'm downloading the demo, but even before seeing it you have one customer in me I always buy and hence support any serious effort to bring a new naval game to life; but this time I also have the sense it will be a very fun experience

Keep it coming Totem Games

P.S. I forgot: How will it be comercialized? Will we be able to buy a boxed version like the one displayed in the web? Will it be available in Spain?

Cheers

[Maxim]

http://www.totemgames.ru/Ironclads_ACW_demo_2.exe

New Demo

1. The user's guide (Game Manual) to be in a folder from a demo. It is a file in format PDF.

2. You are right. Not in all countries the Internet is developed equally well. We try to make game accessible to all.

3. The English version of game can be purchased in Spain only through the Internet. We did not receive offers on translation of game on Spanish.

Totem Games

[Ilpalazzo]

Hey, this demo is much better than the last one. I felt this demo really gave me a feel for the game and it is much more interesting with more ships involved

I have one fairly bad problem with the demo though. There is a bug I seem to get every time I play. At some point, an AI ship will get stuck in some sort of loop and never end it's turn. It will not move, but rather sit there and I must close the game's running process to stop it. I was very patient for quite some time, but it is apparent that this is a bug and the AI will not execute it's action. I'm uncertain as to what causes this. It seems that when I have a ship in front of an AI ship, this bug is likely to occur. As though I'm blocking it and it doesn't know what to do. I have been unable to finish the demo because of this problem. I suppose I could try not to get in front of the AI...

Apart from that bug, this is much better than the first demo.

"3. The English version of game can be purchased in Spain only through the Internet. We did not receive offers on translation of game on Spanish."

Any info on who the English version of the game may be purchased from?


On the TotemGames.ru website there does not seem to be any other projects. Is Ironclads their first game? Just curious.

[Raptor1]

I agree that the new demo is much better than the last one, but I found that bug with the AI really annoying, hopefully that will be fixed when the full game comes out

[OldNuke]

I tried it and it was pretty buggy...probably not surprisingly, considering the size of the file.

The most frustrating thing about the game is the turn-based architecture. I don't understand why they would go to all the effort to make the ship models look realistic (down to the turrets turning before firing) and then limit them to board-game-like turns. It reminds me of the old X-Com game.

Graphically, there are some clunky aspects. All the smoke plumes go straight up, with exactly the same shape, even when the vessels are moving. The background steam engine noises are repetitive and annoying. The models have serious z-axis problems with the undulating water surface rising inside the bulwarks and covering the decks of the ships on occasion. (Think submarines with funnels.) In one game, all the ships acted like they were on teeter-totters for a brief period. Maximum speed of movement is unrealistic for the scale.

The in-game help was limited. I would hope the production version will be more informative. When I saved a game and logged out, I couldn't reload the game.

Similar ships are grouped at the beginning of a battle so they can move as a unit, but can be split up for individual ship-on-ship engagements. However, there is no provision for regrouping them later in the battle.

You really have no idea of how much damage you are doing to the enemy other than tool-tips indicating "Undamaged", "Light Damage", and "Damaged". I didn't notice any effect of battle damage on rate of fire to the enemy ships, but YOUR ships take damage that eventually can leave them without guns. The instructions tell you to shoot at point-blank range for greatest effect, but often I would lay my ship right next to the other and have no more than a 62% chance of a hit. Didn't make sense.

In each battle I tried (3), at some point the movement phase of either friendly or enemy ships developed errors. Either the friendly ship didn't track along the specified PIM, or the enemy ships ran into their own ships, or they took extra movement turns. The demo wouldn't let you finish your turn until all of your ships had moved to their maximum extent, even if that wasn't what would have been prudent in the tactical situation. Even X-Com allowed you to skip a turn for one of your soldiers! The ships are slaved to a pseudo-inertia model, so they speed up and slow down gradually over the course of several turns (you can't do All Back Emergency or All Ahead Flank, in other words).

The map in the demo is limited to just showing positions of friendly and enemy ships at a single scale. The circular markers are not identified by name, only by color indicating side. There is no heading marker (think NTDS), so it's hard to relate the map positions to what you see in the camera view. Speaking of the camera view, it is slaved to only friendly ships. You can pan around, tilt, and zoom relative to the selected friendly ship, but there is no overall battlespace camera that lets you get a view of all the ships.

I could go on, but you get the idea. Just thought I would provide fair warning. I would like to get copies of the plans they used for their ship's models, though.

Terry
Greenville, SC

[Maxim]

Terry:

I tried it and it was pretty buggy...probably not surprisingly, considering the size of the file.

The most frustrating thing about the game is the turn-based architecture. I don't understand why they would go to all the effort to make the ship models look realistic (down to the turrets turning before firing) and then limit them to board-game-like turns. It reminds me of the old X-Com game.

Totem Games:

At this forum fans of simulators communicate. For you game in real time is better, than turn-based. At forums where fans of strategy all on the contrary gather.

Terry:

Graphically, there are some clunky aspects. All the smoke plumes go straight up, with exactly the same shape, even when the vessels are moving. The background steam engine noises are repetitive and annoying. The models have serious z-axis problems with the undulating water surface rising inside the bulwarks and covering the decks of the ships on occasion. (Think submarines with funnels.) In one game, all the ships acted like they were on teeter-totters for a brief period. Maximum speed of movement is unrealistic for the scale.

Totem Games:

In occasion of a smoke from pipes you are right. Thanks that have paid our attention.

Depth of immersing in water of the ship depends on each concrete computer. Normal it is possible to consider almost full immersing of the case of the monitor in water. On the Internet it is a lot of photos on which monitors in movement are shown. Very similar on a submarine. We consulted at historians. They have confirmed such strange feature for the modern person of these ships.

Terry:

Thein-gamehelpwaslimited. Iwouldhopetheproductionversion will be more informative. When I saved a game and logged out, I couldn't reload the game.

Totem Games:

Page of the help have already corrected and have added. You cannot load game? Contact us please … support@totemgames.ru

Terry:

Similar ships are grouped at the beginning of a battle so they can move as a unit, but can be split up for individual ship-on-ship engagements. However, there is no provision for regrouping them later in the battle.

Totem Games:

We based on experience and tactics of the true battles. During Civil war in the USA, Paraguayan war, war between Austria and Italy, wars for islands Chincha the ships did not gather in groups after the beginning of battle. There is no example. Historians have explained to us what to make it is impossible. Therefore we have repeated it in game.

Terry:

Youreallyhavenoideaofhowmuchdamageyouaredoing to the enemy other than tool-tips indicating "Undamaged", "Light Damage", and "Damaged". I didn't notice any effect of battle damage on rate of fire to the enemy ships, but YOUR ships take damage that eventually can leave them without guns. The instructions tell you to shoot at point-blank range for greatest effect, but often I would lay my ship right next to the other and have no more than a 62% chance of a hit. Didn't make sense.


Totem Games:

How it is possible to estimate a condition of the enemy ship in fight? You see it only outside. Therefore can estimate damage from your actions only as it was made by us. Accuracy of shooting in fight depends on the sizes of the purpose, speed of your and enemy ship. Please, pay attention that guns on the first ironclads differ from guns of the ships of Nelson only in the sizes. On these} guns are not present even normal sights. That accuracy, that you see in game is calculated on the basis of statistics of all sea battles with 1854 for 1875. Esteem special books and count up.

Bombardment of fort Samter - distance up to the purpose of 660 meters - accuracy of hit of the ships in a fort of 8,28 % - accuracy of hit of a fort in the ships of 17,4 % (Both the ships and a fort did not move.)

Fight of a cruiser of England and the monitor from Peru - a distance of fight of 2275 meters - accuracy of 6 % (By both ships only rifle guns).

Fight of two ironclads of Chile against the monitor from Peru - a distance of fight of 200 meters - accuracy of 35 %

Terry:

IneachbattleItried(3), at some point the movement phase of either friendly or enemy ships developed errors. Either the friendly ship didn't track along the specified PIM, or the enemy ships ran into their own ships, or they took extra movement turns. The demo wouldn't let you finish your turn until all of your ships had moved to their maximum extent, even if that wasn't what would have been prudent in the tactical situation. Even X-Com allowed you to skip a turn for one of your soldiers! The ships are slaved to a pseudo-inertia model, so they speed up and slow down gradually over the course of several turns (you can't do All Back Emergency or All Ahead Flank, in other words).

Totem Games:

Each ship in game constantly moves. It not a simulator. Even when you see, that the ship stands on a place - is in movement. The ship is not the tank. It cannot will stop at any moment. But you can finish speed of your ship to zero and it will not have an opportunity to move.

Look at maps of sea battles of that period. Full chaos. Absence order and managements. Each ship conducts fight in itself. It is not necessary to transfer the representation about other epoch of sea battles on 1854 - 1875. This especial time.

Terry:

The map in the demo is limited to just showing positions of friendly and enemy ships at a single scale. The circular markers are not identified by name, only by color indicating side. There is no heading marker (think NTDS), so it's hard to relate the map positions to what you see in the camera view. Speaking of the camera view, it is slaved to only friendly ships. You can pan around, tilt, and zoom relative to the selected friendly ship, but there is no overall battlespace camera that lets you get a view of all the ships.

Totem Games:

To open the information screen on the vessels involved, use the 2D map and click on the circle with a star inside. To close the ship information screen, move the cursor to the map border and press the mouse button. So you will see the name of all ships and the information on these ships.

Terry:

I could go on, but you get the idea. Just thought I would provide fair warning. I would like to get copies of the plans they used for their ship's models, though.

Totem Games:

We searched for drawings of the ships in all museums and libraries. Some drawings should be restored under drawings of the same or similar ships. We were very much helped by professional ship builders from Russia.

About searches of drawings it is possible to tell separate detective histories


Thanks for your message.
BR,
Totem Games