Sudden Strike 4 pre-purchase and Beta entry on Steam

[Jarhead0331]

I played the first two Sudden Strikes.  They were the epitome of the RTS clickfest at the time.  I would prefer any of the Eugen products any day of the week over those.

Sudden Strike 1 and Sudden Strike 2 were excellent games in their day. They offered a unique RTS experience that diverged from the usual build base, collect resources, build massive army and rush at your opponent. They added some more detailed elements that brought them a little closer to the wargame category, and the OOBs were impressive, again for their time. You could not succeed in this game by simply playing it like an "RTS clickfest". Perhaps that is why you didn't like them?

If anything, the Sudden Strike series is the father of Wargame and the entire line of games put out by Eugen.

[sandman2575]

It is definitely not what I would consider a realistic simulation of WWII combat, but it does incorporate more authentic elements than say your standard RTS. There is some modeling of ballisitcs, penetration, armor facing, LOS, cover, destructible buildings and terrain, etc. Ammunition and fuel supply are modeled.

JH, do you feel like it plays differently from, say, Men of War:AS2?  I guess the question is, do you feel like there's something that really differentiates SS4 from other WW2 RTS you've played -- even if that 'something' is intangible?

[Jarhead0331]

It is definitely not what I would consider a realistic simulation of WWII combat, but it does incorporate more authentic elements than say your standard RTS. There is some modeling of ballisitcs, penetration, armor facing, LOS, cover, destructible buildings and terrain, etc. Ammunition and fuel supply are modeled.

JH, do you feel like it plays differently from, say, Men of War:AS2?  I guess the question is, do you feel like there's something that really differentiates SS4 from other WW2 RTS you've played -- even if that 'something' is intangible?

The SS series in general is definitely not MoW:AS2. Although I feel like MoW is the superior game, they play out very differently, so I can't say enjoyment of one would preclude enjoyment of the other. The SS games are a step or two higher on the operational scale, I'd say maybe the battalion, or even on occasion brigade/regimental level?  Combat can certainly be very hectic in SS and is usually very nasty, short and brutish. Infantry and even armored vehicles do not last long under sustained fire, so as a matter of practice, I advance across the map very slowly and very cautiously. Pete Dero is correct in that LOS, view and range is pretty limited, so units will need to close in order to spot and engage, although there are several things that modify spotting (such as the use of recon, aviation and even unbuttoning from armored vehicles). Otherwise, most games end very quickly, and since reinforcements are sometimes rare in the campaign game, battles can be won or lost in a matter of seconds.

I really do want to respect the ridiculous NDA so I can't really get into specifics about gameplay in SS4, what its managed to get right, and where it is falling short. I've only just scratched the surface, but I will play more this evening and at the very least, report back as to whether I'm still positive about it. 

[RyanE]

My point was the speed of everything wore you down very quickly.  Hence the clickfest.  I just couldn't keep up with all the things going on at once.  In fact, SS 1&2 is what drove me to like WEGO games as my preferred type of game.

[Jarhead0331]

My point was the speed of everything wore you down very quickly.  Hence the clickfest.  I just couldn't keep up with all the things going on at once.  In fact, SS 1&2 is what drove me to like WEGO games as my preferred type of game.

Yes. That is understandable. It can be very fast paced, but that is why I always try to keep control of the pace of battle by advancing very slowly and exposing enemy positions in a cautious and measured manner. I recognize that it is not for everyone, but I still would not describe it as an "RTS clickfest" as I think this may cause some to draw an inaccurate conclusion of what gameplay is actually like.

[sandman2575]

JH, has SS4 pulled you away from Steel Division 44? If so, that would be a pretty strong indication of its quality.  I literally cannot tear myself away from SD44 -- it's taken up all my free gaming time since it launched from Early Access.

Appreciate the detailed comments / impressions. I probably wouldn't have given SS4 much thought, to be honest, but your comments have made me intrigued...

[Jarhead0331]

JH, has SS4 pulled you away from Steel Division 44? If so, that would be a pretty strong indication of its quality.  I literally cannot tear myself away from SD44 -- it's taken up all my free gaming time since it launched from Early Access.

Appreciate the detailed comments / impressions. I probably wouldn't have given SS4 much thought, to be honest, but your comments have made me intrigued...

It has only pulled me away from SD44 because its new and shiny. I wouldn't say its pulled me away because its inherently a better game. Again, there is a lot I would like to say about SS4, but I'm hamstrung due to the NDA. I plan on playing around more tonight.

[Barthheart]

One could play Sudden Strike with this:

I posted this before for Airland Battle (http://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=12733.0-)

I installed cheat engine speedhack (single player only !!).  It allows you to slow the game down and even lets you pause it while you can still give orders.  http://www.cheatengine.org/aboutce.php

Cheat Engine is an open source tool designed to help you with modifying single player games running under window so you can make them harder or easier depending on your preference
It comes with a memory scanner to quickly scan for variables used within a game and allow you to change them, but it also comes with a debugger, disassembler, assembler, speedhack, trainer maker, direct 3D manipulation tools, system inspection tools and more.

Download : http://www.cheatengine.org/downloads.php

I suggest you only use the version without Open Candy (it could be considered to be Malware)

Short tutorial : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dZ2okB8WNQ

Run Cheatengine.exe
Now run the game you want to play  (Wargame games should run in windowed full screen as you need to be able to use Alt-Tab).
Alt tab back to cheatengine.
Select the game process in cheat engine by clicking on the computer icon (the icon will be blinking)
Check enable Speedhack (You can add ingame shortcuts in cheatengine through Edit-settings-shortcuts).
Alt Tab back to the game and play.

Thanks to Pete Dero in the SD44 thread.  :bd:

[Jarhead0331]

I really do wish I could talk about this game. I'm really enjoying it.

[Apocalypse 31]

I really do wish I could talk about this game. I'm really enjoying it.

Without giving away specifics, does it bring anything unique to the table or anything evolutionary? The videos all just look like generic RTS - honestly, cannot tell the difference between SS4 and BK3

[Jarhead0331]

I really do wish I could talk about this game. I'm really enjoying it.

Without giving away specifics, does it bring anything unique to the table or anything evolutionary? The videos all just look like generic RTS - honestly, cannot tell the difference between SS4 and BK3

I really like it a lot. Is there anything "evolutionary" about it? Not particularly, but the unit and map art is great, the terrain is entirely destructible, even down to grass and mud when tanks roll through, and there are a lot of neat little features, like tanks getting mired in Russian mud, weather effects (ie. rain, fog, snow), the ability to treat wounded infantry with combat medics, various types of shells and ammo are modeled, fuel consumption, etc. Its a very challenging game, but enjoyable for me. Its still an RTS and if you're not careful it can get pretty hectic very fast and your entire army can get taken out in seconds if you stumble into a well prepared enemy position or get caught up in an artillery barrage, but the same goes for the enemy.

I think people who complained about Wargame or Steel Division being too fast probably wouldn't enjoy this. 

By the way...I made an official request to have the NDA lifted so I can post screenshots and videos.

[Apocalypse 31]

How does your experience compare with this? Seems like this video was posted earlier this week (JUN 2)

Graphics look very nice, gameplay is a little fast, but the scale seems much more manageable than Wargame.

Any word on a sce editor?
What about coop mp?

[sandman2575]

JH can't say under pain of a prison sentence of 6 months and / or a fine not to exceed $5,000.

Seriously, I get the point of NDAs and so forth. But this one sounds almost perversely restrictive.

[Jarhead0331]

JH can't say under pain of a prison sentence of 6 months and / or a fine not to exceed $5,000.

Seriously, I get the point of NDAs and so forth. But this one sounds almost perversely restrictive.

Not only is it unusually restrictive, but I'm a paying customer. I understand an NDA for volunteer testers, but when I buy something, its mine. I should be able to talk about it.

[Apocalypse 31]

I made the purchase. Game looks fun.