MicroProse

[Amiral_Crapaud]

On 8/3/2019 at 3:04 PM, Danziger said:

That looks less like a diecast toy.

 

I miss 1942: The Pacific Air War...

I do too ;(

 

Now, Microprose encompasses many realities, even in its present form. What you see (Warbirds 2020) is Bill Stealey's project that found an agreement with the current owner of the Microprose brand, but it's his own thing. "Neo-Microprose" will only be the publisher. As one of the founders of the original Microprose, I suppose it was the very least the new owner could do.

As far as I know and understand, Microprose as a brand is now owned by an Australian gentleman named David Lagettie. You may know him as a former Bohemia Interactive collaborator, and from what I gather he was in charge of the remake of Carrier Command that came out 10 years ago. Apparently he was also associated to BI's move to turn OFP into VBS (those who know will have understood ^^). He also used the engine known as Outerra to develop a new environment for military simulations (both pro and casual) named TitanIM. The latest screenshots posted (you can see them on this SB website) show something more in line with what you'd expect from a revival of the brand (scroll down to see)

https://www.steelbeasts.com/topic/12856-microprose-is-back-and-may-use-titanimouterra-engine/page/4/

 

There are also a few shots of a 109 that is much closer there again from our current standards, but Ive seen it only on the Microprose group on facebook - which is a closed group, with no possibility to link the pictures. At any rate, if you want to follow this in any way, here's the link.

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/279561355985287/about/

 

Cheers!

[Pilotz]

16 hours ago, Amiral_Crapaud said:

There are also a few shots of a 109 that is much closer there again from our current standards, but Ive seen it only on the Microprose group on facebook - which is a closed group, with no possibility to link the pictures. At any rate, if you want to follow this in any way, here's the link.

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/279561355985287/about/

 

Cheers!

 

 

You can save the screens to your PC or click 'print screen' on your keyboard and paste them in paint, crop them and upload to imgur.com/upload for us to see.

[Amiral_Crapaud]

Well yeah, sorry if I didn't express myself correctly - I meant that being a closed group, by definition it is made so you cannot share anything outside of it. Hence the feeling that he doesn't want them to be shared at all, except if you're the group, that is

 

But I got cleared and I suppose he clears anyone. But for a lack of better knowledge I'll just assume he made it private for a reason.

 

[JonRedcorn]

On 8/6/2019 at 2:01 AM, Pilotz said:

 

 

You can save the screens to your PC or click 'print screen' on your keyboard and paste them in paint, crop them and upload to imgur.com/upload for us to see.

Better than that you can hit windows+alt+printscreen and skip the entire opening paint, saving it and all that crap and just have it saved as an image right into your captures folder.

[Pilotz]

Well maybe someone else who is using facebook can check it out and post it ?

[Brano]

Outerra is great planetary procedural engine. Developed by Slovak guys ???. I have their tech demo Anteworld since years and I always wondered why there was no developer to pick it up for whatever simulator development. Its fun to roam around familiar landscapes in 8x8 Tatra or MiG-29. There is also simple editor to create infrastructure, buildings and many add-on 3D models to import into the world.

http://www.outerra.com/wgallery.html

[Lusekofte]

I lived too long for dismiss any cfs by early pictures. 

I will follow this. Gb series was patronized a great deal in the start, and look at it now 

[Amiral_Crapaud]

I asked if I could share them. We'll see, a few more ones were posted but nothing that might give you the idea it is going into Il2 territory. I don't think it's the intent anyway. But it still looks better than the P-51 you witnessed earlier.

 

Besides, on another group I've seen Wild Bill Stealey in his ordinary fashion enthusiastically claim that 6 games were in the works. Actually, if you take Warbirds away from this and considering what we've seen of Titan and the models being shown so far, it wouldn't be far-fetched to think that at least one WW2, one Tank Platoon and one Gunship game might be in the works, to the very least.

[=FEW=Hauggy]

Well Warbirds was rather an arcade type of game as far as I can remember when playing the original some decades ago.

The P-51 looks awful indeed, def a game I will forget right away and not look forward to.

This is not even close to a competitor for the any serious sim franchise.

[Pilotz]

16 hours ago, =FEW=Hauggy said:

Well Warbirds was rather an arcade type of game as far as I can remember when playing the original some decades ago.

The P-51 looks awful indeed, def a game I will forget right away and not look forward to.

This is not even close to a competitor for the any serious sim franchise.

 

Graphics is not everything, there is gameplay, flight model, damage model etc.

 

I guess most people are forgetting that this is a MMO, so the graphics HAS to be worse, because there are possible 200+ planes in the air at same time.

[=FEW=Hauggy]

13 hours ago, Pilotz said:

 

Graphics is not everything, there is gameplay, flight model, damage model etc.

 

I guess most people are forgetting that this is a MMO, so the graphics HAS to be worse, because there are possible 200+ planes in the air at same time.

If they are not even capable of getting plans to get the 3d models proportions right then it's certain it's worthless imo.

[Pilotz]

10 hours ago, =FEW=Hauggy said:

If they are not even capable of getting plans to get the 3d models proportions right then it's certain it's worthless imo.

 

However, those are early screenshots.

[Amiral_Crapaud]

Apparently there is a David Lagettie interview featured in the last issue of PC Pilot that just came out a few days ago.
Is there anybody in here who can summarize the contents? If there is any contents to summarize to begin with, of course! ?
 

[Lusekofte]

Just because these guys made B 17 flying fortress I will give them all the chances in the world. I applied fortheir group and will keep a interest in any progress they do. 

 

Edited August 20, 2019 by LuseKofte

[Lusekofte]

Well I was accepted. And by the look of it the BF external model is no disadvantage to what we have here. By my knowledge. 

 

[InProgress]

No wonder devs often don't like to show early look of their games since bunch of people cries about everything (especially when it says WIP). Even if it won't be Crysis 4 graphic or some super detailed sim. If they go for great SP experience with maybe dynamic campaign then i would totally buy it.

[Sokol1]

10 hours ago, hanifanze said:

 I loved the special events back then and nobody since has matched them...

 

Agree, those SE was a unique experience in CFS, even when playing in a uneventful recon flight in "pizza slice pattern", searching enemy carriers.  

[Pilotz]

18 hours ago, LuseKofte said:

Well I was accepted. And by the look of it the BF external model is no disadvantage to what we have here. By my knowledge. 

 

 

Well can you show it to us? lol

Edited August 21, 2019 by Pilotz

[Lusekofte]

30 minutes ago, Pilotz said:

 

Well can you show it to us? lol

 

I have to ask about that first. I would not bresk any confidence. 

[JonRedcorn]

It's not much to see but just a 109 model in a model viewer. Looks decent enough. Not a whole lot going on in that facebook group.

[Pilotz]

Well I can't wait to see it now.....

Edited August 21, 2019 by Pilotz

[Herne]

Don't know if these are in game screenshots, or artwork. Unreal 4 engine should make for some nice eye candy either way

 

 

 

[Trooper117]

Ghost planes with no B-17 crewmen... are you sure that's not DCS?

[InProgress]

21 hours ago, Trooper117 said:

Ghost planes with no B-17 crewmen... are you sure that's not DCS?

or IL2 BoS

 

edit:

 

Edited August 24, 2019 by InProgress

[Sokol1]

https://www.microprose.com/index.html

[InProgress]

Bad news is that this game will be F2P (or paid but still with optional subscription). Just like "remastered" war birds.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/365620/WarBirds__World_War_II_Combat_Aviation/

 

Some screenshots people posted here are from this version which has nothing to do with upcoming WarBirds2020. Or at least it will be heavly modified.
 

Quote

WarBirds 2020 will be launched using Unreal 4 Graphics Engine, with new cockpits, new aircraft, new flight models, and new terrains to battle on!

WarBirds 2020 FEATURES

•    To launch for PC/Mac computers fall 2019.
•    Mobile and game system versions expected in 2020.
•    Brand new graphic system using the Unreal 4 graphics engine.
•    New and improved flight modeling
•    New technology to map actual physical locations for more realistic simulation using MicroProse LTY technology.
•    More play modes from Free to Play to Subscription.
•    Only combat simulation that is world wide in play area rather than small tactical conflicts.
•    Regular historical events every few weeks with a broader array of the weapons and vehicles of World War II.

 

 

Current subscription is 16$/month. I don't think making game with subscription today is a good idea.

 

 

[Pilotz]

f2p + subscription, you can play for free with early war planes ( spit 1, 109e, etc), subscription can be purchased for 1 day, 1 week or 1 month.

 

no lootboxes or paid unlocks, its a simulator and not arcade, so even in a spit 1 or 109 e you can bring down a late war plane, and you don't pay anything.

I think that not paying anything and playing the game is a great  deal.....

Edited August 25, 2019 by Pilotz

[InProgress]

6 hours ago, Pilotz said:

f2p + subscription, you can play for free with early war planes ( spit 1, 109e, etc), subscription can be purchased for 1 day, 1 week or 1 month.

 

no lootboxes or paid unlocks, its a simulator and not arcade, so even in a spit 1 or 109 e you can bring down a late war plane, and you don't pay anything.

I think that not paying anything and playing the game is a great  deal.....

Not really, it's just bad way to go. Why would anyone play this if he can go to for example War Thunder which is free and you can simply grind to unlock new planes. Here it seems you can only get them if you pay subscription. Even MMO games are done with this, it's not worth it. People don't want to pay every month, seems like only World of Warcraft can keep this model and maybe few other games. These times are over. People want to pay for something and have it.

 

Great deal would be if i could pay even that 60$ and have entire game and maybe pay for expansions later. Like BoX. I don't really think it will get popular. Someone flying spitfire 1 will get anihilated by someone flying 109G or K... so F2P people will be nothing but punch bags.

 

The older version i linked has Mostly Negative reviews and only 40 of them. I think there is important lesson in there, people don't like it and don't want it. Year of playing is 200$!!! War Thunder gives you year of playing as premium for 90$! And BoX gives you expansion every 1,5 year for 80$ (premium one).

 

Whoever came up with this idea as menager, should be fired. It will never work, it's P2W, it's expensieve, there are better/cheaper options. It does not even seem to care about other parts of the world, you think people in Russia will be happy to pay 200$ per year?

 

People already disliked WarBirds with subscription and game did not get popular.

 

Maybe they will just make money on really small fans they will get. But i don't see this game as success if it will go into paid subscription.

 

 

Here is another perfect example how to destroy good game:

 

https://store.steampowered.com/app/251950/WWII_Online/

 

40% positive reviews... 29 players per day. What a success, for something that people can go and play for free as one bad class only. What a great deal

And question any sane person would ask themselves, "Why would i pay every month to play this when i can pay 30$ for Hell let loose and have much better game? Or Arma 3 with ww2 mod. Much more players, 40$ and i can play everything i want, not only rifleman because pilot is premium or even guy with mp40 is paid."

 

Game LOOKED interesting, but it will fail. I am sure of it. People are done with subscription.

6 hours ago, Pilotz said:

no lootboxes or paid unlocks

I would rather have lootboxes with some stupid skins or pay 10$ to unlock plane i want and have it forever than being forced to pay 16$/month just to fly plane i want.

Edited August 25, 2019 by InProgress

[Pilotz]

Quote

Why would anyone play this if he can go to for example War Thunder which is free and you can simply grind to unlock new planes. Here it seems you can only get them if you pay subscription

 

1) War thunder is not a mmo, it is 32 vs 32 match room

2) This is a real mmo, 500+ players in a persistent 24/7 war

3) Grinding is not fun, I stopped playing war thunder because of the grind, here you don't have any grind because there is 'rolling plane set' and planes get unlocked according to history 1939-1945

 

Quote

seems like only World of Warcraft can keep this model and maybe few other games

 

Yes -real- mmos still keep it, and this game is also a -real- mmo.

 

Quote

Someone flying spitfire 1 will get anihilated by someone flying 109G or K... so F2P people will be nothing but punch bags.

 

Don't forget when you are flying spit 1, there is someone else who is also flying a spit 1 or 109 e, so it's not like you will be only facing late war planes at end of the war.

 

Quote

The older version i linked has Mostly Negative reviews and only 40 of them. I think there is important lesson in there, people don't like it and don't want it.

 

It's understandable because it's on old engine from 20 years ago....... the 2020 will be a 'new game' because it's being remade on unreal 4.

 

Quote

you think people in Russia will be happy to pay 200$ per year?

 

They don't have to pay anything if they will be flying early war planes

 

Quote

"Why would i pay every month to play this when i can pay 30$ for Hell let loose and have much better game? Or Arma 3 with ww2 mod. Much more players, 40$ and i can play everything i want, not only rifleman because pilot is premium or even guy with mp40 is paid."

 

Because they are not MMOs and do not offer persistant 24/7 war like Warbirds, they only game that does this is WW2ol but its different.

 

So your question should be, why I should be playing this and not WW2ol? Because this one is being remade on a new engine, and if you are a flight sim fan, this one is much more for flight simmers than ww2ol (also ww2ol have no f2p elements anymore)

 

Quote

Game LOOKED interesting, but it will fail. I am sure of it. People are done with subscription.

 

You are sure it will fail? ok, but I am sure it will be a success.

Edited August 25, 2019 by Pilotz

[InProgress]

1 hour ago, Pilotz said:

Yes -real- mmos still keep it, and this game is also a -real- mmo.

These real mmo die after short time and go f2p with optional subscription. But they let people pick any class or race they want. Don't limit them to the weakest class there is. Like Bf109E1.

 

1 hour ago, Pilotz said:

Don't forget when you are flying spit 1, there is someone else who is also flying a spit 1 or 109 e, so it's not like you will be only facing late war planes at end of the war.

So I can shoot down other f2p people while some dude with me262 will be flying around killing everyone, but hey, I can still shot down others like me. Just imagine if there was racing sim but f2p people can use cars from 1980 while subscribers drive modern F1 cars. But hey, you can still race others like you and not be last. This is literally pay to win. Pay to get something better and be more competitive.

 

1 hour ago, Pilotz said:

It's understandable because it's on old engine from 20 years ago....... the 2020 will be a 'new game' because it's being remade on unreal 4.

There are ugly games that are much more popular. Pretty graphic =/= success. 

 

1 hour ago, Pilotz said:

You are sure it will fail? ok, but I am sure it will be a success.

Well we will see. But I hardly doubt new people will be interested in paid subscription game with much more user friendly alternatives. Veterans will simply stay in in their games. All this and new players who will simply get rekt by someone who paid to get better planes. They will get outrun and outclim, which means they will never be able to get on their tail and fight premium players. I can already see spam of negative reviews saying it's pay to win. War thunder matches people based on planes they have. So there is no 1945 plane fighting 1940 one. If this game will only let you fly the oldest ones, it's dead game. You won't even see your 500 people battles. 

 

Dude, even il2 does not have that much people playing multiplayer in the same time. And you think people will rush to game where they have to spend 16$ per month? I don't believe this game would pull off people out of DCS or IL2. Their only way would be get WT people. But why would they go? They build their hangars, they have ships and tanks, it's actually a free game and these who pay can get premium for 90$ year. This is another problem, if they keep 16$ month... 200$ a year. No one but few will play this game.

 

I can guarantee you, it will fail soon and they will rework this to keep it alive. If big companies with famous names like The elder scrolls, could not keep their games as paid subscription, then a fly sim mmo has no chance. Flying sims aren't super popular. And at least in free 2 play games you have equal chances. Classes aren't locked, everything can be unlocked in game. Which is not a case here. Nothing is unlockable by playing, not even by buying it! You have to pay subscription to keep access to your planes! This is the worst model possible. 

 

edit: also no, bad reviews were not because it's old ugly game. They are all about horrible payment option. You can read it for yourself. Making it pretty won't change a fact that people hated this idea.

Edited August 25, 2019 by InProgress

[Pilotz]

So I can shoot down other f2p people while some dude with me262 will be flying around killing everyone, but hey, I can still shot down others like me.

 

262 is limited even for paying players, a 262 is very rare.

 

ust imagine if there was racing sim but f2p people can use cars from 1980 while subscribers drive modern F1 cars. But hey, you can still race others like you and not be last. This is literally pay to win. Pay to get something better and be more competitive.

 

In racing you cannot attack other cars by climbing down on them from 2km higher that gives you total advantage even in a spit 1 over any aircraft, so it cannot be compared to cars... flying is different.

 

Pay to win? I wouldn't call it that...... a good pilot in a early war plane that knows how to fly a plane will still have an advantage over a so-so pilot with subscription.

 

 

They will get outrun and outclim, which means they will never be able to get on their tail and fight premium players

 

Flying is specific....it all depends on the situation, if you are in spit 1, 2km higher than a 190d..... he cannot outclimb you, because you will dive on him ;).

And early war planes have an advantage in turn fights over late war planes.

 

 

.

Nothing is unlockable by playing, not even by buying it! You have to pay subscription to keep access to your planes! This is the worst model possible.

 

Great ! I'm loving this, i'm playing to have fun and not grind and unlock stuff.

 

 

[JonRedcorn]

The payment model and the fact that it's coming to MOBILE means this game is DOA. Pass.

[Sokol1]

Quote

Here is another perfect example how to destroy good game:

 

https://store.steampowered.com/app/251950/WWII_Online/

 

40% positive reviews... 29 players per day. What a success, for something that people can go and play for free as one bad class only. What a great deal 

And question any sane person would ask themselves, "Why would i pay every month to play this when i can pay 30$ for Hell let loose and have much better game? Or Arma 3 with ww2 mod. Much more players, 40$ and i can play everything i want, not only rifleman because pilot is premium or even guy with mp40 is paid."

 

Game LOOKED interesting, but it will fail.

 

WW II Online (also know as Battleground Europe, created by a Warbirds dissents) "hay days" was in early 2000's, and the fact that are keep running all this time - being P2P*,  is surprising.

 

In their case, instead destroy, the F2P keep the game alive (like Warbirds, has a small loyal "old farts" player base), because in the last 10 years who will buy for, e.g. $50, a game with those graphics? 

 

Is need consider that their gameplay (combined operations, strategic and resources management) only work online. Man, is priceless strafe "living" infantry (players) in that bush.

 

But, agree. P2P is thing of past (dammed $2.99/hour Warbids days of 90's ) and soon end killing the game forever.

 

* BTW - For what worth the Free Player o WW Online (bolt rifleman class, good for hunt "rabbits" in that bush) was removed recently, now only a 30 days trial, and then monthly payment starts ($5 - $15).

[Pilotz]

7 hours ago, JonRedcorn said:

The payment model and the fact that it's coming to MOBILE means this game is DOA. Pass.

 

mobile is a different version..... they already have a mobile version of current game, the new one is releasing a year after the PC version, so they are working on it separately.

 

As for payment.... people are paying for 'World of Warcraft Classic' which is the same game that was 15 years ago.

Edited August 26, 2019 by Pilotz

[InProgress]

10 hours ago, Sokol1 said:

BTW - For what worth the Free Player o WW Online (bolt rifleman class, good for hunt "rabbits" in that bush) was removed recently, now only a 30 days trial, and then monthly payment starts ($5 - $15).

Wow they are mad ;D game popularity drops beyond sea level and they remove f2p? Where is the logic here? I have never seen a company that does opposite and from f2p goes into paid subscription only. Who is managing these games?

 

They are clearly stupid... don't they look around how gaming looks today? How f2p games look..

 

@Pilotz

Paid subscription is a relict of the past. Comparing it to WoW is simply stupid. You are comparing the most successful mmo in the world, which is also rpg, genere 100 000x more popular than flight sims. Nothing that tried (star Wars the old Republic, elder scrolls and many more) could not keep subscription model alive even tho they used famous names.

 

Are you really that blind to believe that this game will have player base to fill even 1 server? xD there is not even f2p, you get the worst planes in mp game where everyone else will wipe you off the planet. It's not f2p, it's a trial version. In f2p everyone has equal chances just takes them longer to reach certain levels and items. But they can get them.

 

Really, have fun flying bf109E vs p51 on a server with 15 die hard fans who will pay for it. Because thats how this game going to end up. Price is another thing, if they keep 16$ then it's another deadly blow. Even WoW is cheaper than that. This price is simply ridiculous. I can literally play 2 mmo for a year for the price of warbirds.

 

Because so far it seems like you are the only one who is into it. Which does not even make sense. You hate grind so you would rather have completely no option to get additional planes for free... there is no logic in that. Both grind or paid unlocks are better, because you can actually pay few $ and have it forever instead of wasting 200$ a year.

 

 

Edit: just to show how delusional are these devs (WW II online)

After a detailed analysis of the resulting ROI we have come to the conclusion that offering you a temporary free trial generates a lot more engagement and offers you a better gaming experience overall.

 

Sure, removing option to play for free as rifleman offers people better gaming experience.

Edited August 26, 2019 by InProgress

[Pilotz]

Quote

You hate grind so you would rather have completely no option to get additional planes for free... there is no logic in that

If I will want to play with all planes I will get a sub, If early planes will be enough for me, I won't pay anything, and no it's not a 'trial', because trial ends and you cannot play, here you can play forever.

 

But i won't be talking about this anymore because I see you have made up your mind even before the game is released and we don't know at this moment if the game will be good or crap, I will wait for the game first.

Edited August 26, 2019 by Pilotz

[Sokol1]

11 hours ago, InProgress said:

Wow they are mad ;D game popularity drops beyond sea level and they remove f2p? Where is the logic here? I have never seen a company that does opposite and from f2p goes into paid subscription only. Who is managing these games?

 

F2P in WWII Online was introduced only relatively recently (think in 2010's) - in "hay days" are only a week trial once a year and when things became fade they adopt 30 days trial, now reintroduced.

 

But people with P2P accounts complain against F2P, and this mode fail in their objective to be a "gate" for new players, again because in 2010's  who will bother with a game with this graphics, and only with "low tier" weapons (bolt action)?  Neither "millennial generation" will play a game in what most times is need walk kilometers for combat areas.

 

In Warbids "hay days" (end of 90's), when it cost $2/hour, their smartly put bases far apart on map, sometimes requiring almost a hour of flight.

[InProgress]

27 minutes ago, Sokol1 said:

But people with P2P accounts complain against F2P, and this mode fail in their objective to be a "gate" for new players, again because in 2010's  who will bother with a game with this graphics, and only with "low tier" weapons (bolt action)?  Neither "millennial generation" will play a game in what most times is need walk kilometers for combat areas.

I think people would bother but it was clearly p2w and subscription was huge no for everyone. Heroes and Generals is similar game, it has combined arms combat with tanks, planes and infantry. It has huge map where people move forward to capture new locations and after a while win entire war. But it's free with some grind/cosmetics/unlocks. While it's not perfect, it's definitely better and something people want, unlike waste hundreds of $ per year with no other choice. 

 

I even really wanted to play ww2 when it was rereleased but when I saw rifleman only and forced subscription to play something else, I did not even bother to install.

 

It's such a shame, warbirds looked really promising. But subscription will only kill player base that won't be big anyway. Especially if they keep this ridiculous price. I am in thr east Europe, there is no way I am going to waste 200$ a year. When I used to play The Old Republic, EA actually had regional subscription which was 2x cheaper than on the west. Something you could actually pay. 

 

But I can't wait for release and laugh when they fail 2$ per hour? When you hear something like this you can easly lose all the respect for the company. 

[Pilotz]

Newest update, starting to look great !

 

 

 

[LuftManu]

I can't wait to see the finished thing because, honestly, besides this 109 cockpit everything seems from the last century.