Roadmap

[carrierbattles]

See here
https://www.patreon.com/posts/88022662

As the proverb says 'Think Big, Start Small".
Thanks in advance for your constructive feedback.
Repetitive moaning does not help at all and won't be taken into account.

The roadmap survey is here ! Do not hesitate to give nice ideas of improvement.
Check the link inside the app or here https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfWzU6tjXE1ArYVkXP-F-8VNjJN-xi1W8PcOl05uaVIRGTx8A/viewform?usp=sf_link

MAJOR UPDATES HISTORY

1.7 foreseen
- Grand campaign rules update.

1.6
- new Scenario Kosciusko (DLC)

1.5
Improvement
- Land forces move replay.
- Simple statistics on multiplayer games.
- Cavalry charge and French Imperial guard battle options are not proposed if the battle ratio is 4:1 as they will be pointless.
- Waterloo: the restriction on French moves during first turn has been lifted.
- Some land units wear a pre-Empire uniform for early scenarios.

Grand Campaign
- A leader is needed to load infantry on naval transport
- To enforce a naval blockade, you must achieve at least squadron parity.

1.4
- Wagram AI + small improvement & options
- Spanish

1.3
- Game name changed to Napoleon's Eagles
- Optical attrition rule (one roll per map area and per color)
- Sticky options
- iOS

1.2
- Napoleon’s Apogee AI
- Multi-player improvement

1.1
- Waterloo AI
- Land move replay

[Oberst]

Here's a suggestion for a long-term solution to programming the AI for the grand campaign game: Maybe starting out with some mini-campaigns after the AI has been done for all of the scenarios.

For example, start with a French Revolutionary War campaign (1796-1801). Basically it would string together the first 3 scenarios.
Then a 1805-1808 campaign, which would be the scenarios 4+5 and the period in between. Then a 1809-1811 campaign, which would be combining the Wagram & Peninsula War scenarios.
Then finally the 1812-1815 campaign, which would be the 7-10 scenarios plus Spain 1811-1814.

[Technopiper]

But you can't just string AI for scenarios into one big campaign AI. What if the player decided not to invade along the Danube in 1805? The 1805 AI is catered toward that happening and that won't work in a grand campaign.

[Oberst]

It's much easier to create an AI for the 1805-1808 period then just trying to do one for the whole 1805-1815 period. If France decides to sit in 1805, by 1807 they'll probably be facing Austria, Prussia & Russia on their doorstep. The most difficult campaign would likely be the 1812-1815 one.

[Technopiper]

Originally posted by Oberst:

It's much easier to create an AI for the 1805-1808 period then just trying to do one for the whole 1805-1815 period. If France decides to sit in 1805, by 1807 they'll probably be facing Austria, Prussia & Russia on their doorstep. The most difficult campaign would likely be the 1812-1815 one.

What happens in 1805 is determined by what happened before then. France could have soundly defeated Austria by 1805 and no invasion is pending. You can't predict what would happen in any given year in a Grand Campaign, it would need a totally different set of AI. AI for specific scenarios of a given year won't help.

[Oberst]

The Grand Campaign starts in Sep 1805.
Not sure what you're referring to as happening before then.

Historically, Austria was soundly defeated in 1805 and in 1809. It didn't really make much of a difference by 1813 though. The alliance/diplomacy rules mostly take care of themselves. The AI primarily just needs to focus on the operational moves for each side.

[carrierbattles]

I think Tecnho pointed out the fact they the situation after a few months may be diverging enough from history to thwart any prepared AI.

For instance, France may have more difficulties to grab both Vienna and Budapest in the Grand Campaign than in the 1805 scenario.
With Austria still in play, the Prussian campaign would be completely different than in 1806.

[Oberst]

If France was fighting both Prussia and Austria in 1806, then France would have to split their resources (sort of like the Marengo scenario). Russia would also be splitting their resources between Prussia & Austria. Also, Britain would be available to lend a hand too.

This is a nightmare scenario for France in any Napoleonic strategy game - facing a large, multinational coalition in 1806-1807. France faced a similar situation in the War of the First Coalition (1792-1797) and would face it again in 1813-1815.

[otghand]

Originally posted by JAEnox:

If you aren't even going to try to make the AI work for the campaign, I guess I need a refund.

I feel you. I backed the kickstarter and am starting to feel ripped off. I do not have the time to coordinate multi-player, I want to play the GC against the computer.

[carrierbattles]

Originally posted by Oberst:

It's much easier to create an AI for the 1805-1808 period then just trying to do one for the whole 1805-1815 period. If France decides to sit in 1805, by 1807 they'll probably be facing Austria, Prussia & Russia on their doorstep. The most difficult campaign would likely be the 1812-1815 one.

This may be a plan indeed. With Final Glory (1812-1814) and both Spanish campaigns with the help of shorter Spanish scenarios to come.

[20202rick]

A friendly quick glance at the image showing the cards reveals that you may wish to let some editor glance at them.

It should be 'USA declares war on Britain.' Not USA declares war to Britain.' A second card shown has the same issue.

[the.eden.war.room]

I would like all the Wars of The Coalition as a separate campaign game.

War of the First Coalition 1792 - 1797

War of the Second Coalition 1798 – 1802

War of the Third Coalition 1805 - 1806

War of the Fourth Coalition - 1806-1807

War of the Fifth Coalition - 1809

War of the Sixth Coalition, 1812–1814, precipitated due to Invasion of Russia collapsing.

As others have stated - the Big One from 1805 -1814 will be very difficult for an AI to deal with - the greater the time, the greater the deviations, the worse it will perform.

[Adge]

Like others have said, I would concentrate on the AI for the individual campaigns, and also improve multi-player so people can easily play GC with others.

[grezby]

One of the problem with a Napoleonic wargame is that you have to decide to make it historical, like the board game or a sand box game ie virtually anything goes. With a game like this, stick with history, but this does limit the commercial impact to non wargamers.

[Tucsonbandit]

Originally posted by grezby:

One of the problem with a Napoleonic wargame is that you have to decide to make it historical, like the board game or a sand box game ie virtually anything goes. With a game like this, stick with history, but this does limit the commercial impact to non wargamers.

to be honest non-wargamers and people who are not interested and excited by actual history are not very likely to buy the game IMO, so it should not be a focus to try and appease them; its not a game they will really enjoy or even look at for the most part.

Just focus on the core audience, that is who is buying this game.

[niedowidek]

Are there plans to implement 6-player multiplayer mode as described in https://www.war-and-peace-game.com/napoleons-empire-the-grand-campaign/ ?