Tom Clancy's Endwar RTS

[Daehawk]

http://ve3d.ign.com/videos/36901/Xbox-360/Tom-Clancys-EndWar

This is the first game to make me envy the consoles. It just looks so damn cool. That video is just one of many Ive seen. The more I see of them the more I wish I had a console to play it on.

http://endwargame.us.ubi.com/index.php

[denoginizer]

I was in the beta.

The only thing I will say is that I will be buying the game on day 1 when it is released.

[KC]

The only thing I will say is that I will be buying the game on day 1 when it is released.

Do you have to buy the game at retail? I would have thought that you would get some sort of deal for being a beta tester.

[pr0ner]

I was in the beta.

The only thing I will say is that I will be buying the game on day 1 when it is released.

Are you embargoed from saying more? 

[denoginizer]

The only thing I will say is that I will be buying the game on day 1 when it is released.

I would have thought that you would get some sort of deal for being a beta tester.

Not that I am aware of. 

I was in the beta.

The only thing I will say is that I will be buying the game on day 1 when it is released.

Are you embargoed from saying more? 

No idea.  But I figured better safe than sorry,

[Daehawk]

For a long while I thought this was some new shooter for the pc. The videos really look great. I was still hoping it was coming to the PC though. Maybe if it does well they'll port it over.

[Canuck]

So its basically an MMO strategy game?

[EddieA]

It's an RTS designed specifically for consoles.

[Misguided]

So its basically an MMO strategy game?

No, it's an RTS where you can control everything in the game, from selecting units,
to designating targets, to moving the camera, with your voice. And it works.
Well, it least it did when I saw it demoed live.

[Dreamshadow]

Does it do 'voice training' or does it just assume that it will understand your particular pronunciation of 'Unit 1, move to waypoint Alpha' when it comes out as 'Uuuunit Won, Muve to Waypoint Alpha' in a Scots Burr?

[Misguided]

Not sure if there's any training or not, but each word in a string is a separate command.
So in your example, "Unit," "1," "move," etc. are all separate commands.
As you speak, a menu pops up on screen as it digests the command, so you can see
what the options are. In your case, you'll know when a command has been accepted.
It's important to note that there's a slight delay before the popup, but you don't have to wait
for it to come up on screen if you know what you want to say.

[denoginizer]

Not sure if there's any training or not, but each word in a string is a separate command.
So in your example, "Unit," "1," "move," etc. are all separate commands.
As you speak, a menu pops up on screen as it digests the command, so you can see
what the options are. In your case, you'll know when a command has been accepted.
It's important to note that there's a slight delay before the popup, but you don't have to wait
for it to come up on screen if you know what you want to say.

Exactly. 

There is a voice trainer mode that seems to calibrate the volume of your mic more than anything else.  In my experience with the game, as fast as you can say commands the the game will act on them.  It really is a wonderful system.  The entire game can be controlled with just your voice.  My main concerns about the game have to due with unit variety and balance.  I am completely sold on the interface.

[Isgrimnur]

My main concerns about the game have to due with unit variety and balance. 

That's what the expansions are for... 

[Turtle]

How does it compare to a game like Company of Heroes?

[Canuck]

Oh I thought in the trailer it said something about "thousands of players", it made it sound like it was some sort of constant online thing.

[denoginizer]

You have a persistant division in which your units gain experience and can buy upgrades over the course of the online campaign.  During battles when units get enough damage they will try to retreat from from the field and your opponent has the option of killing them outright.  If he does the gloves kind of come off and then you feel like you can start killing his units off too.  As a result you really have to consider whether you want to lead with your veteran units or hold them back for later in the battle. 

[denoginizer]

How does it compare to a game like Company of Heroes?

It's not quite as micro heavy as CoH.  Although facing does come into play and infantry units can take cover in buildings.  There is a strong rock paper scissors mechanic.  Gunships dominate tanks, tanks dominate APCs, and APCs dominate Gunships.  Infantry capture buildings and can ride on vehicles.  Artillery dominates if you can get them to high ground and spotters out in front of them.

[Purge]

Oh I thought in the trailer it said something about "thousands of players", it made it sound like it was some sort of constant online thing.

Think campaign mode in Chromehounds. Faction warfare.

[Bullwinkle]

The demo is up on XBLM.  1.64 GB!

[denoginizer]

The demo is up on XBLM.  1.64 GB!

Damn.

I don't think I have that much room left on my drive. 

[Bullwinkle]

The demo is up on XBLM.  1.64 GB!

Damn.

I don't think I have that much room left on my drive. 

Cool, then you can get a free Memory Card or refurb $20 HDD!

I tried the demo.  Very cool.  Did the whole thing with voice command, which worked pretty close to flawlessly.  My only complaints are that I wish there was an "All Units" command (I thought you could say "All tanks..." and the like, but I saw nothing in the demo), and that there was a "View Map" command.  Maybe those are in there, but I didn't see them.

Still, cool as this is, I think I'll be able to wait until next year and a price drop.

[Doopri]

the demo was pretty fun!  love the voice commands, i played for a little bit last night

i selected "campaign" (i think?) first and was so ticked because the demo description said it had one map, and i thought this was it (its a bit... scant hehehe).  but theres a skirmish (possibly on the same map - just opened up a bit more) that has a lot more going on in it so that kept me busy for a while.  if anyone sees me on tonight and knows how to pick an opponent id like to go a few rounds and compare notes (there's only a brief tutorial and i think there are a few things im missing that others might have figured out)

[Ridah]

The demo is up on XBLM.  1.64 GB!

Damn.

I don't think I have that much room left on my drive. 

Is there a PC demo? I've got lost of room left on my drive...

[CeeKay]

The demo is up on XBLM.  1.64 GB!

Damn.

I don't think I have that much room left on my drive. 

Is there a PC demo? I've got lost of room left on my drive...

there's no word on a PC version yet.

[Isgrimnur]

Just got done playing the demo and it seemed to work out pretty well. The story certainly seems interesting, what with the demo mission having you defend a launch vehicle from attack. I would say I had about 80-90% success with the verbal orders without any calibration. Some of the failures were because I was already halfway down an order tree when I tried to give another order.

All in all, it looks pretty cool. I'm looking forward to it.

[kronovan]

I liked the demo a lot and found the voice command system to be flawless as well. I'm currently re-reading Red Storm Rising which has gotten me in the mood for a game like this. I'll definitely be getting it, but I'm not sure it will be a day 1 purchase. I will however be getting it sometime before the new year.

[Bullwinkle]

http://www.gamingtrend.com/forums/index.php/topic,29435.0.html

[Isgrimnur]

Oops...

[denoginizer]

Oops...

I am just as excited about Endwar as I was in the other thread 

Day one purchase.

[Dreamshadow]

I really liked the demo.  I can see some 2v2 matches online being a lot of fun.

[Jarrodhk]

Pretty interested in the game... but it suffers from Fallout 3 and Gears 2 in the same week.  Will pick up at some point.

[Suitably Ironic Moniker]

http://ve3d.ign.com/videos/36901/Xbox-360/Tom-Clancys-EndWar

This is the first game to make me envy the consoles. It just looks so damn cool. That video is just one of many Ive seen. The more I see of them the more I wish I had a console to play it on.

http://endwargame.us.ubi.com/index.php

This comes to PC sometime during Q1 2009

[pingwrx]

Anybody interested I found a copy of their e-guide for this game for free.

http://www.primagames.com/catalog/promo_image/9780761558606_1156.pdf

[howie549]

anyone pick this one up?

Got a pretty strong review from gametrailers and it caught my eye.

[wonderpug]

I really liked what I saw in the demo, but Eurogamer's 7/10 review wasn't too encouraging, citing bad pathfinding, bad AI, awkward special power micromanagement, and nearly identical factions.  They also said the WMD aspect, angled to give a losing player a chance at a comeback, is imbalanced, and almost gives the underdog the sure win.

I get the feeling it'll be good fun if you like the voice command aspect (I do) and don't expect too much (I don't anymore), but the latter pushes it into a price drop purchase for me.

[Dreamshadow]

I really liked what I saw in the demo, but Eurogamer's 7/10 review wasn't too encouraging, citing bad pathfinding, bad AI, awkward special power micromanagement, and nearly identical factions.  They also said the WMD aspect, angled to give a losing player a chance at a comeback, is imbalanced, and almost gives the underdog the sure win.

I get the feeling it'll be good fun if you like the voice command aspect (I do) and don't expect too much (I don't anymore), but the latter pushes it into a price drop purchase for me.

I wondered why in the demo, the minute I capped a majority of the points, I got hit by a WMD...  That is annoying.  I think I'll still pick this up...but this is very annoying.

[kronovan]

I was really hoping they'd implement 2-player vs AI for the campaign, but it appears the only mplay is online. I'll at least rent it to play the solo campaign and possibly purchase it later depending on how much I enjoy it.

BTW that manual that pingwrx posted the link for is excellent.

[denoginizer]

I really liked what I saw in the demo, but Eurogamer's 7/10 review wasn't too encouraging, citing bad pathfinding, bad AI, awkward special power micromanagement, and nearly identical factions.  They also said the WMD aspect, angled to give a losing player a chance at a comeback, is imbalanced, and almost gives the underdog the sure win.

I get the feeling it'll be good fun if you like the voice command aspect (I do) and don't expect too much (I don't anymore), but the latter pushes it into a price drop purchase for me.

I wondered why in the demo, the minute I capped a majority of the points, I got hit by a WMD...  That is annoying.  I think I'll still pick this up...but this is very annoying.

After the losing player hits you with the WMD you can retaliate.  It defiantly doesn't give the losing player a sure win. I think it keeps the player that is ahead from creating a giant mass of units and just steamroling the map since a dense group of units is very vulnerable to the WMD.  If you keep your units spread out it doesn't really hurt you that much.

I kind of like the feature.  It allows a losing player a chance to make a comeback if the winning player gets sloppy. 

[mikeg]

By the way the 360 version of this is $39.99 right now at gogamer.com

[wonderpug]

By the way the 360 version of this is $39.99 right now at gogamer.com

Well that's pretty damn tempting.  Just too many games I want this season, gah.