Computer Generated Battles

[kennyxx]

Companions Hail

Im no techno wizard. But once again I watched the BBC programe called Time Commanders. This Episode was about Gaugamela.

It was pretty good but I cant understand why the programe left out " vital Factors. Even with Sandhurst and another military expert on hand. The Missed out totally the Chariots and had Darius on horse back in the thick of the action. Marcus I guess you have seen the prgarame I never understood the ending the team basically won the battle of Gaugamela by shear luck in the Process of getting both Darius and Alexander killed.

Even with what the programe had it showed the shear size of the task Alexander was up against. Darius had even the terrain on his wide no narrow plains for ill manouvers. Even the contestants were a bit shaky when they saw the shear size of the Persian army without hundreds of syhthed Chariots.

It makes me conclude Alexander must have had the Balls of King Kong. And to recall he slept like ababy the ight before. I would wager his soldiers or cammanders slept as well as Alexander

Kenny

[beausefaless]

Deleted

[thomaswp]

I have seen that program and would love to know what the software is and what you need to play it. I am not a "gamer" but would love to have a go at some of these battles.

I never managed to see any Alexander battles but it is great fun watching the people make a complete hash of it. It alsk makes you realise what a genius the great commanders were to hold the whole battle in their heads AND instill fighting spirit in their troops.

I just did a quick search, it seems it is a game called Total War. Hmmm, once the baby is a bit older...

[kennyxx]

Andrew Hail

No doubt the William Shatner Movie was pretty bad. I have not seen it. But the More I see Stones version the more rediculous it becomes. He at it again making a movie about the twin towers. Too early and in bgad taste I say. Is Stone just about sensationalism?

Thomas Hail. Ive seen a few of the Time Commanders and as you say pretty good. I would love to take those 2 military experts on a Team of Porthonians against those experts. But you have got to see Gaugamela it looks good but as a I say a lot wrong with what we know of the battle. Canae was done very well and the explanations of the real battles at the end are usually very good. The description about Gaugamela was too thin only that Alexander held the Persians against the infantry and the Cavalry rolled them up. We know the chariots were pretty useless but had the consetants seen them in the ranks Im sure they would have been brikkin it.

Kenny

[marcus]

Yes, Time Commanders uses the same engine they developed for Rome: Total War. I haven't played the game, although a couple of my friends do nothing but play it - and they are very experienced gamers and say it's fantastic.

As it happens, there is an Alexander expansion pack for Rome: Total War coming out soon; so, although I don't really play computer games, I can see a PC upgrade and a game purchase coming up ...

I like Time Commanders, although Kenny is right - some of the crucial elements of Gaugamela were left out. They did a better job with the Hydaspes, although the people 'playing' Alexander were complete dunces and got wiped.

ATB

[nick]

Hi guys ---

I have played RTW. The way they picture Gaugamela (or was it Issus) has to do with the limitations of the game: there is no animated artwork in Rome Total War for a commander in a chariot; the game only has horseback commanders. (Maybe pretty decent for Roman armies, but indeed not for a Persian.) RTW has chariots, so they could have been included in Gaugamela (not needed at Issus). (However, the RTW chariots are overpowered: a few units of them easily annihilate your enemy's army.)

As Marcus said, gamers love RTW. I think it is a nice game, but it is definitely not a reliable simulation of ancient warfare; I once tried to recreate Gaugamela myself with the scenario editor of RTW, but the game even doesn't allow the number of units needed to make a slightly convincing, symbolic reconstruction. You will not come to learn or understand Alexander's tactics and army operations by playing RTW.

Nick

[marcus]

I've split this thread so that all the discussion of the William Shatner ... er ... "pilot" is in a thread of its own.

ATB

[marcus]

Hi guys ---

I have played RTW. The way they picture Gaugamela (or was it Issus) has to do with the limitations of the game: there is no animated artwork in Rome Total War for a commander in a chariot; the game only has horseback commanders. (Maybe pretty decent for Roman armies, but indeed not for a Persian.) RTW has chariots, so they could have been included in Gaugamela (not needed at Issus). (However, the RTW chariots are overpowered: a few units of them easily annihilate your enemy's army.)

As Marcus said, gamers love RTW. I think it is a nice game, but it is definitely not a reliable simulation of ancient warfare; I once tried to recreate Gaugamela myself with the scenario editor of RTW, but the game even doesn't allow the number of units needed to make a slightly convincing, symbolic reconstruction. You will not come to learn or understand Alexander's tactics and army operations by playing RTW.

Nick

One of my friends was showing me Rome Total War last week (once his children were in bed!) - I have to say that it looks fantastic. He has a patch on it called "Rome, Total Realism", which seems to have ironed out many of the 'inaccuracies' of the original game. There are many more troop types, specific to geographical/political entities, and units seem to do the correct amount of damage. It was amazing!

Let us hope that when the Alexander expansion pack comes out that they have tweaked it for maximum authenticity!

ATB