Russian version to feature Russian campaign?

[CCIP]

:o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddc-XPhiqUg&NR=1

According to this promotional trailer, the Russian version of SoF, due to be released in December, will feature Russian submarines on the Baltic and Black Sea.

Interesting? Very. But I don't see any more info on this...

Has anyone heard of this?

[Chock]

Not heard anything about that, but it would certainly be cool if that is true. However, also note that the trailer shows the exterior camera view that was on the trailer for the German version which was subsequently not on the release version, so maybe it cannot be taken as gospel.

:D Chock

[CCIP]

Actually, I found the info I needed!

The game has already been released as "Pod Andreevskim Flagom" (Under St. Andrew's Banner) in Russia in mid-August - and indeed, it features two Russian submarine classes - "Bars" attack sub and "Crab" minelayer, along with campaigns for the two stretching as far as 1920, which I would imagine would go from WWI to the Red campaign against foreign intervention in the civil war.

Interesting :hmm:

I wonder if this means good things for modding - I think this suggests that new subs and campaigns should not be too difficult to make here. I'm almost tempted to ask if Strategy First would ever consider adding the Russian content as a patch - I guess we can't just steal the content from the Russian publishers :-?

I read some funny reviews for the [Russian version of the] game, too, which are totally in line with what one'd expect for this - some just seem to market the game's features, one seems similar to Horsa's, while another slams the game for being too hardcore, monotonous and therefore completely boring. Guess it's quite a niche we got here!

[horsa]

This game moves in strange ways. Just when I thought it was a complete dead end ( developer wise) this pops up.

To quote from Butch Cassidy
" Who are these guys ? "

[nikimcbee]

I wonder if they'll have the U-9 encounter with a Russian sub?

[CCIP]

why not I guess - am I right to think that there are AI subs in the game?

I'm gonna dig around and see if I can get a copy of the game via my friends in Russia. It's quite cheap, around 200 roubles (well, a very normal price by Russian standards, but a mere $8 or so in American cash) :hmm:

As far as the unexpected development - perhaps not a terrible surprise! Russia is one of those few countries that actually has a smoothly-functioning domestic games market (that is, it's a rare case of a country where developing games for the internal rather than international market is profitable). So I think someone simply coughed up quick cash for the game license, hired someone to program the little bit of new content in, and off it went! Judging by the Russian reviews, the game is otherwise totally identical.

I imagine if we had models of other WWI subs available, it would not be terribly difficult to implement them in. Otherwise a Russian campaign, on a basic level, wouldn't really require anything new beyond those two new subs and missions for them. And given that the sub models and modeling in the game seems fairly basic, it probably was not a huge task.

I REALLY wish someone could produce or donate some new models for this game now - it could really go places.

[Agrippa]

Personally, I'm wondering "Hey, why not make the Russian campaing available to us too?"

[horsa]

I can't imagine it needs much if any access to code. The major elements are a new campaign ( all scripting is accessible ), new models ( import in X format ), and new station and menu screens (textures available). It's basically a supermod. :hmm:

[Chock]

I think it would be risky to consider a mod that adds elements from another release into the standard version - that wouldn't be much different from adding huge bits of SH4 to SH3 and posting it as a free mod for SH3 players - I doubt UBISOFT would approve of something like that!

Personally, f there is a noticably different version of SOF available with different theatres and subs, I'd have no objection to just buying it anyway.

:D Chock

[horsa]

I think it would be risky to consider a mod that adds elements from another release into the standard version - that wouldn't be much different from adding huge bits of SH4 to SH3 and posting it as a free mod for SH3 players - I doubt UBISOFT would approve of something like that!

Sorry, I hadn't intended to give that impression. In this case It was an observation rather than a suggested course of action. :)

[Hawk U-375]

I can't imagine it needs much if any access to code. The major elements are a new campaign ( all scripting is accessible ), new models ( import in X format ), and new station and menu screens (textures available). It's basically a supermod. :hmm:

RgR that.....:up:

[CCIP]

Contacted a friend of mine (in Russia) to see if he cant try and get it for me. I guess this'll take a while, but eh... I'm really curious :hmm:

Here's a CD cover image of it I found:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/Otohiko/stuff/podflag.jpg

[Officerpuppy]

I wonder if its possible to port stuff from that version to the English one.:hmm: not only that, what over features or fixes might it have too :yep:

[CCIP]

Well, the reviews I read suggest that the game is more or less identical besides the added stuff. It doesn't look like there's been changes to the engine itself.

Otherwise, there's also the little fact that, ported or not - it'd require translation of a lot of things :hmm:

[CCIP]

Found screenshots of the two Russian subs:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/Otohiko/stuff/bars01.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/Otohiko/stuff/bars02.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/Otohiko/stuff/bars03.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/Otohiko/stuff/crab01.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/Otohiko/stuff/crab02.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y122/Otohiko/stuff/crab03.jpg

Man, I really want that Russian version now :stare:

[horsa]

Thanks CCIP. That certainly wets the appetite. Its an addon waiting for an official channel.