Wargames are much more than just games. They are tools for historical analysis, conflict sandboxes, and time machines. My fellow wargamers know that all too well. They know the rush of buying a new shiny tabletop wargame, and the anticipation of its arrival. They understand the feeling of ripping the shrink-wrap, punching out the counters, unfolding of the board, and reading the rulebook. In addition, they know that playing those games puts you in the shoes of those soldiers and commanders.
However, if I love tabletop wargames, why am I designing a computer wargame? The reason is that I want the wargame design to become my day job. Designing computer wargames gives me that opportunity - to design the game fast, to avoid shipping and printing issues, and to publish the games myself.
Therefore, I propose to walk the middle line. I intend to make historical wargames, as true to the historical events as they can be. And in that, I will look up to the great tradition of tabletop wargaming and all of the classics, which the hobby has to offer. I intend to research campaign histories, unit histories, orders of battle, and to recreate those conflicts in an authentic and historically accurate way.
I also intend to use all the means that computer gives me to make the games more user-friendly and beautiful. I plan to use animation, simultaneous movement, sound effects, voices and music. I plan to devote a lot of development time to AI algorithms, to make the solo gameplay challenging and more fun. And I want to make the games user-friendly, easy to learn, and easy to use.
So finally – what will my games be like? I invite you to imagine having a view of the battlefield, giving orders and watching the situation unfold in front of your eyes. The action happens around you and it is on you to act or react, to influence the events or to be a bystander and witness of the dynamic of the battle. The game, which will accurately depict individual units in the battle, in which you will be able to take the role of the commanding officer. To get a rush when your panzers smash into the enemy line from unexpected direction, creating a breakthrough and chaos in enemy's lines. And all that against another player in some other corner of the world, or a good AI who will give you a heck of a fight.
That is the game I am making. With all the experience from other tabletop and computer wargames, with all the historical events I read about, with all the joy and enthusiasm of a little boy. I hope you will support me in this endeavour, and I promise you will find something unique and fun.