ProSIM Company Update, 21MAY05
Hello all!
In another deposit on my pledge to keep our fans abreast of the latest developments at ProSIM, I thought I would take a few moments to update everyone on our latest progress and what lies ahead.
Remember, as you read, that we are not “throwing the baby out with the bath water”. We are making a firm commitment to maintain back wards compatibility. It is taking a little extra time, but it means that when you buy the latest ATF Engine game, if you install it over previous ATF Engine games, those versions will immediately get an “upgrade” enjoying all of the features of the newest version of the engine.
It also means that all of you budding scenario builders will not see your work go to waste when a new version is released. You can load it up in the latest version of the ATF Engine and it will run perfectly, and be ready to receive the latest tools the new engine has to offer.
And this includes Air Assault Task Force. All of the ATF Engine scenarios will run in this engine, too!
Well, might as well dive in.
The Falklands War: 1982
If you’ve been keeping your ear to the ground, you have probably been hearing quite a bit of rumbling. Another ATF Engine release is just about to hit the street, and there are a lot of developments.
First, a playable demo has been released. You can download it here:
This playable demo includes two scenarios: a tutorial that covers a SAS raid on Pebble Island, and a regular scenario detailing a British attack on Argentinean defensive positions. It highlights a few, but not all of the new features in this revolution of the ATF Engine.
If the demo whets your appetite, you can purchase the game in pre-orders right now. You’ll get $5.00 off of the regular price and free shipping! You can place your order here:
A lot of the changes in the ATF Engine will be immediately obvious. Some of the “under the hood” changes include an overhauled graphics engine that eliminates the irritating “DirectDraw disable” problems many modern video cards had with the engine. We have also upgraded the friendly and enemy AI to reflect dismounted tactics, added vastly improved weather effects, and introduced disparate training levels that allow scenario designers (including those that designed TFW) to configure training levels in many different areas throughout a faction (to facilitate coalition warfare).
NOTE: Keep an eye out for updates to ATF and Raging Tiger that also incorporate this video engine improvements, eliminating the “DirectDraw disable” problem for good!
We plan to have the game to Shrapnel Games in just a week or two. We are just tyeing up a few loose ends in post-production. This means deliveries should start before the end of June!
The Star and the Crescent: Arab-Israeli Wars, 1956-2009
Curt Pangracs and PanClan Games are hard at work on this project. The early builds look GREAT. The scenarios are also a big departure from previous ATF Engine releases. Curt has really captured the sense of “skin of the teeth” defense that was the early hours of the October War in 1972. He has also taken me to school on several engagements earlier in the history of modern Israel.
Highlights of this release are the introduction of radars of all descriptions, including air defense and airborne radars and counter-battery radars, a really stunning visual style never seen in an ATF Engine release before, and the use of digitized, military contour maps that are period specific and 100% authentic. There are also a ton of other engine tweaks, facilitating the unique ferocity of these wars, including the presence of distinct, discrete buildings and structures, and tools that allow the player to better target close air support.
I don’t want to spoil the surprise, or steal Curt’s thunder, so I will save the rest for my next entry.
War in Afghanistan
Well, the upside of enlisting active duty military officers from the world’s best armies to lead development teams is that our products are the most current, most accurate available in the modern wargaming market. But there is a downside…
The team lead for this project has postponed work on this project due to his military responsibilities in the increased operational tempo of the global war on terror. The project is still alive. He is sneaking in work where he can, and is committed to completing the project.
Right now, we are exploring options for “redesigning” this project, so that we can get the best game possible out on the street. We will have more on this when we settle on a solution.
Thunder & Lightning: The Battles of Operation Desert Storm
This project is currently on hold. Expect to hear some news about this release soon.
Next ATF Engine Project
We are not ready to make an announcement, but we can tell you that we are assembling a new team, and are exploring some possibilities for a WWII game built on the foundation of the ATF Engine.
Stay tuned to this blog, the ATF forum at Shrapnel Games:
and the ATF/BCT forum at StrategyZoneOnline:
for more updates on this project, as we have them.
Air Assault Task Force
We have made a LOT of progress on our newest wargaming engine since our last post here at the blog. Several technical hurdles, that we thought would be mountains, have turned out to be mole hills!
Here is where we are at now.
We are currently building the user interface. The game runs full-screen by default, or windowed by option. It is player configurable, to allow you to “tweak” it to take best advantage of your video card, if you like. It replaces the “select an order-select the unit” paradigm with an interface that is more recognizable to novice and advanced wargamers (selecting a unit and then adjusting its paths and settings).
The idea is an interface that is more intuitive, and reveals its depth as the player explorers, rather than putting all of the complexity up front. As the player gains confidence with the game, and wants to use more advanced features, he “overrides” the default settings and artificial intelligence of the companies, platoons, and vehicles that he controls by customizing their behavior. Or, if the player prefers, he can stay “out of the weeds” and make only the high-level decisions. It is very much a fulfillment of the original concept that was Armored Task Force.
I can also tell you a little more about the concept for the scenario content, as well. We are looking at three full campaigns, and one “mini” campaign (which will also be the tutorial and demo). This is much as it is with Armored Task Force. The idea is to give the player a wide array of scenarios, spanning many different terrain types, vehicle databases, and periods of time.
Tentatively, we have “locked-in” if you can do so, this early, several of the topics for the campaigns. We are pretty sure that our demo/tutorial will be set at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana, the world’s best light infantry training center. We also anticipate building a campaign in Vietnam, though we are not ready to announce a location or battle yet.
As for the rest, I can just tell you we have a lot of good ideas, and will release more as we can.
That’s a wrap…
So for now, I will leave you with our latest crack at release dates (which, as always, carries a cautionary note on the unpredictability of software development). Thanks to all of our great fans for their support, suggestions, commitment, and energy over the years. You guys really are what keeps us going!
PS: We’re pretty new at this whole Blog thing, so if I am not addressing any burning questions you have, please let me know, and I will do my best to cover them in my next installment.