"Soldiers of Empires II" review

[Igor Kulakov]

"Soldiers of Empires II"



Latest version: 1.4

http://www.soe2.com/download.htm - download latest version

http://www.soe2.com - full online manual (in development)

http://www.soe2.com/soe2history.htm - last changes

[Igor Kulakov]

[Sergey Gafarov]

expanded version of the review

1. Press release
2. Standard Scenarios
3. Units (TO&E) and weapons base
4. Economic model
5. Forming units, combat and statistics
6. World War II scenario
7. Other scenario



Press release:



"Soldiers of Empires II" the sequel to the first "Soldiers of Empires"

"Soldiers of Empires II" is a highly detailed turn based wargame ( World War Two).

"Soldiers of Empires II" has many new features and improvements. If you have played the first "Soldiers of Empires", here is a list of the major changes in "Soldiers of Empires II".
• New isometric game engine.
• Different map sizes( 64*68 cells, ... , 2048*1344 cells).
• 9 standart scenarios, including the giant superscenario "World War II 1941 - 1945" (37 countries).
• Army, air forces, fleet. Maximum of 20000 units.
• Databases of units and arms 38 countries.
• ~2500 different types divisions, brigades, regiments, airgroups, ships, submarines, etc...
• ~2600 realistically modeled WWII combat vehicles.
• Global military information about WWII - airbases, forts, seaports, bases at small islands in oceans...
• Improved AI.
• Comfortable and logically verified economic model.
• Easily controlled production and repair of military equipment.
• The capture and use enemy weapons.
• Comfortable and powerful scenario editor.
• realistic model forming of the new units, including fleet
• Other stuff.

What is the original model of the air: the originality of the appointment of anti-aircraft guns for defensive fire to prevent air attacks; a limited capability to intercept (when near the location of airfields with fighters); airfields for refueling and rearmament to range increase (supply airfield); not hanging for weeks over the battlefield aircraft, as it is usually realized in the turn-based games, and most does not match reality.

Standard Scenarios:

9 standard scenarios listed in the Scenarios menu and shown in the screenshot below



Some scenarios are land - Poland 1939, France 1940, Kursk 1943, Berlin 1945; some - the sea - Midway 1942; and mixed - Norway 1940, World War II, Guadalcanal 1942, Normandy 1944.

Units (TO&E) and weapons base:

One advantage of the game is the detailed modeling of scenarios, including WW2 scenario. Often, simulation was performed up to the gun/tank and infantry squad. To implement such a detail in the game was introduced by an extensive database of weapons and combat units (TO&E). The base contain about 2600 sample of arms, divided into 16 types, such as anti-tank artillery, light artillery, heavy artillery, tanks, self-propelled guns, armored cars, AT rifles and grenade launchers. Each type has its own particular use (in accordance with the historical realities). The game contains about 2500 units of 38 the participating countries of the Second World, which made it possible to simulate exactly the opposing armies in the scenarios. Due to the large number of weapons and the TO&E (they can be used, and optionally, the only choice scenario creator, so as not to complicate him) implemented the ability to upgrade units to new weapons and new staffing. The previous states are still available, all given a choice of player. Below is a screenshot of a database of weapons and TOs:







Economic model:

"War is the continuation of Politik by other means" (с) of Clausewitz. But "politics, is concentrated economics" (c) of Lenin. Therefore, a strong economy is important for successful battles, and strongly influences the strategy of war. Therefore, the economy is an important part in the "SoE-2".
Economy in the game represented the power of the economic potential of the country, which consists of economy values controlled cities and ports. The more the country's economic potential, the stronger will develop the production of weapons. In turn, the suppression of the economy is no less important for long-term scenarios, rather than the destruction of the armed forces. Major economic centers are important goals, the strategy is built around of these centers, like the reality of WWII.
The economic potential makes it possible to increase the production of military products. What next happens to the war production? It’s not automatically converted into combat units. Production must be transferred to warehouses in forming units. An important aspect of any economy is logistics. The game is implemented by means of virtual warehouse. Slow warehouse contains newly manufactured production and trophy weapons. This warehouse represents a weapon, located in the military acceptance and transportation. Fast warehouse emulates a direct military stores, from which comes the weapons to combat units. Weapons from the slow storage transferred (by formula) in fast storage, from which can be directed to the forming or armament of units. Separation of warehouses, including those, defending against an unreal possibility of instant transfer of weapons from the Far East to the European theater of operations for the Soviet Union. The third type of storage – repairs. Part of the weapons in combat is broken and must be repaired. A certain percentage of vehicles (calculated by the formula) after the battle goes to this warehouse for repair, which awaits repair (the speed of repair depends on the economic potential of the country). Weapons after the repair is transferred up the chain to the slow-storage -> fast-storage ->to the troops.
Below is a screenshot of production and types of weapons are available:



For successful combat operations require the creation of new units and replenish battered. In this case the process of the game is close to realistic, ie for the formation of units should be available:
• required number of recruits
• for the replenishment of weapons needed filling 80% of staff vehicles for the transport of weapons
• most weapons can not be obtained simultaneously, but in reality, comes in parties
• There are restrictions on the maximum parties of each type of new weapon per turn
Rate to replenish armaments on the unit depends on the location of unit - in or near the city equipment arrives faster than away from it. Also, the completion can not be in contact with the enemy, can only replenishing ammunition. AI also knows how to create, fill and send the newly formed units in the battle as good man, and even a scrupulous.

The following is a screenshot of a window “unit supply”:



The figure shows the number of columns. The left contains slots for types of vehicles, the average current availability. Right as possible according to the availability of current TO&E. In the right screen area, a list is available to supplement the range of weapons in storage and its count.

Forming units, combat and statistics

The fighting, as in any wargame, being a set of arms, called the unit. Units are linked to actual TO&E WWII period, i.e. we can fill them with strictly specified amount of weapons, the corresponding limits of real TO&E. The game is two things: the right to fill a unit (heavily armed, to the maximum count), and the right to use (units massing in front of a weak opponent, the massing of units on the direction of the main strike and attention to the conditions of the area along the front and the depth of the battle). Different types of units have their own specialization, depending on the types of weapons. Depending on the filling artillery unit can be used for long-range counter-battery fire, but is not effective in close combat; can be used to support at close range (with the predominance of light artillery); for AT defense (predominance AT guns - increased strength of impact on armored targets). The development of the art of war during the war led to the emergence of new TO&Es. This is reflected in the database state units in the game, allowing you to adjust to different situations in game.
An example screenshot from the unfo about units:



The game has the following types of weapons, with the differences and features:

1. Infantry
2. Heavy Machine Guns
3. AT Rifle and other hand AT weapons
4. Armor carriers
5. Armor cars
6. Tanks
7. Assault guns
8. AT guns
9. Light mortar
10. Medium mortar
11. Heavy mortar
12. Infantry artillery
13. Light artillery
14. Heavy artillery
15. Super heavy artillery
16. MR launchers
17. Light Air Defense guns and MG
18. Heavy Air Defense guns
19. Fighters
20. Assault planes
21. Bombers
22. Strategic (Heavy) bombers

May be close combat or gunnery combat. Each type of combat involving those types of weapons, range which allows us to take part in the battle.

Example screenshot of the remote combat, the German infantry division is the fired of the Polish infantry division in the scenario "Poland 1939":



The results of combats strongly influenced by several factors, list the main ones: the concentration of forces (size! - "God is on the side of big battalions" - Napoleon), arming unit (more powerful and numerous weapon), experience and moral unit, randomly increasing / reducing the impact, a certain effect on the type of the territory.

Each scenario contains extensive statistical information about yourself. Statistics include data on:
• Objects - number of primary controlled cities/ports/airfields/defenses and controlled at the moment
• Units/Eco - number of units and the maximum/current economic potential of all countries involved in the scenario
• Humans - The Human strength of the army and navy, replenishment divided into trained and green, number of persons subject to the cure.
• Humans - number of soldiers of the army and navy, replenishment divided into trained and green, the number of soldiers in the hospitals
• Equipment - the quantity of weapons in the army
• Depot/Rep - quantity weapons in storage/repairs
• Production – military production statistics
• Other - horses/cars/machine guns in stock and repairs (in the Veterinary Service)
• Casualties - loss, divided into several screens, the losses are given for each type of weapon for each country, involved in the scenario.

Below are some screenshots describing the statistics section:





More information about the pair of scenarios

World War II scenario:

Is a "diamond" in a set of standard scenarios. The most global, full and representative scenario of the game. The most difficult in the game and can use all the features of the engine SoE-2. The maximum number of units, supported by the game is about 20,000 , arranged in a script about 12,000. Modeled by all branches of the armed forces (land, sea and air.). It contains all the possibilities in the game - a long scenario allows you to fully disclose the economic model of the game, to realize any of its strategic plans. Modeled the army and the opposing sides and important neutrals. From a maximum of 20 thousand units, supported by the game scenario, it was originally placed 12,000. All this allows to estimate the scale of World War II alone, and statistically, without resorting to the memorized clich?s. The player is given an opportunity for the census history: You can stop bands of German in the 1941 at the old Soviet border and in the 1942 to enter the defeated Berlin, can carry the standards of the Vaterland by American provincial town, we can establish a democratic system in the whole Europe, including the ownership "Uncle Joe" in the early 40s. You can play for any of the 37 countries that are available in the scenario. Countries are divided by historical preference for a coalition of allies and axis. Scenario map is shown in the second screenshot in the description. To assess the scale of simulation can be on the screenshot below, which shows the level of modeling armies, number of military units for each of the countries involved at the start “World War II” scenario:



Below is a screenshot of the strategic-level maps “World War II” scenario:



Other scenario:

The other scenarios describe certain military operations of various time periods WWII. Since the operations are fast, the economic component in them is disabled. The player is given a set of predefined units, which he must operate the best way to achieve the stated criteria for victory (90% of the conquest of cities, 70% of cities, disband percentage land or air, or naval units, all units in the army). For example, given a local map of the scenario “Midway 1942” and the tactical map scenario “France 1940”.







Details about the features of the game described in the documentation for http://www.soe2.com, just ready to answer any questions on the game. We invite you to visit our forum index.php, where the developers respond to questions.

[Sergey Gafarov]

Soldiers of Empires II Scenario Editor

The Scenario Editor is a full-featured tool for creating game scenarios. All scenarios SoE-2 were created with it. Scenario Editor allows players to create scenarios for themselves, with the level of detail and management, which is most suitable.

Create a scenario consists of several stages. In enumerating them, each step is illustrated by its corresponding screenshot. List of phases of the approximate, but gives an idea of ??editing scenario.

1. Set the duration of the scenario, cutting maps from an existing or auto-complete the basic elements of the territory maps, the choice of graphical displays, the choice of conditions for the victory

On the start page, select the Condition of Victory for New Scenario, base element for map filling and length scenario. If you want to edit an existing one, just click on the button "Edit New"



Scenario Editor allows you to create their own scenarios based on existing ones. For example, the scenario maps of World War II (the globe), you can cut a suitable theater of operation. It also set up the general properties of the scenario.



2. The next step - processing map or drawing again. To do this, use the control panel at the bottom of the screen that allows you to draw a a map and apply game elements to it. Map itself in the global scenario has a scale of 1 cell - 20 km. If you need a different scale, you need to redraw the map again, as was done in the scenario "Berlin in 1945".



3. Choose a country participating in the sсenario. Hint - every country, even in the absence of a control unit for the cycle and processing time. To increase the speed and dynamism of the game is recommended to reduce the number of countries, ignoring unimportant for this scenario. C1 - the country playing for first coalition. C2 - for the second coalition. N - neutral. "Minus" - country excluded from the scenario (not processed), belonging to her on the map objects are deleted.



4. Select the list of units that will be involved in the scenario. To reduce mikromanagement recommended to choose units division level and above



5. Then fill the list of types of weapons. In the list presented as a serial models of weapons, and rare versions and even a model that existed only in the design bureau. To simplify the management of production it is recommended to use a limited list of serial models



6. The game is emulated weapons depots. They are not bound to the map. On the arms storage comes from factories, and gradually goes to the troops. Filling of storage is shown on the screen below:



7. Finally set up the mobilization capacity of the country: here indicates the number of military service (with the division on the past military training and green), the availability of transport, horses (pack animals) and machine guns.



8. Getting to the most important in any scenario - placement units and their filling. The next two pictures illustrate the process:





The finished scenario is saved, called understandable title and is available in the list of additional scenarios.

Thus, the scenario editor is a full-featured tool for creating scenarios, allowing the player to customize a level of management, detail and speed of the game.

[Igor Kulakov]

Fast secure online order:

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[Igor Kulakov]

Plans

Version 1.4 (READY!)
Radical acceleration of the time of turn AI ​​without losing quality.

Version 1.5 (in development):
Mass customized supply of units

Version 1.6:
Possibility of airborne troops

Version 1.7:
Fog of war

etc.

In addition, there are plans and are working on the inclusion of the full game set for WWI
(Additional set of TOE, tech and scenarios for the WWI)

[b] OFFICIAL STATEMENT: P [/ b]
All that is required to be implemented, but the speed of implementation, declare directly depends on the amount of monetization SoE2. The larger the value, the more time I spend on the project.