First Impressions

[micha1100]

ORIGINAL: jomni
Change the hexes to white instead of an overlay.

How?
(Sorry if this is a stupid question, but, as I said before, I'm not really good at these sort of things)

[jomni]

Don't think it's possible. I'm just suggesting how the developers could have done it instead of using the snowy overlay. Sorry for my vague respone. [&:]

[Rasputitsa]

Played the first time yesterday evening, ignored the tutorial, didn't read the manual (just had it open in the background to consult as necessary) - situation normal.

Opened as Germans with 'Road to Minsk' 3 turn scenario, reached Minsk on the second turn and took the city on the third turn. Used a wide encirclement plan, with infantry units cutting in to separate and destroy the frontier forces and motorised units completing a wider net, to enclose second echelon forces and set up a screen well east of Minsk. The southern armoured pincer was slowed by the swamps in that area, but closed the pocket on the third turn. Some air operations I used manually, other air operations worked automatically. Achieved a points draw, but I think it was better than that, as the defenders of Minsk were routed and driven west into the pocket and could easily be destroyed if the scenario had continued.

So what did that prove, I was able to play a satisfying game straight out of the 'box', although I know that I was mis-handling the HQ units and my army would have collapsed, if I had tried to carry on. However, I found the game mechanics easy to use and, as a complete WiTE novice, I could make it work and that has to be good.

I did have, and still have, concerns about the size of the game, as the thought of a full campaign with those screenshots of rank after rank of units in 1944 is very daunting. However, I never finished a full campaign with WIR and I don't suppose I ever will with WiTE. I see the East Front as a war of two halves, the Germans have the initiative through most of 41/42, with the Soviets having the initiative through 44/45. 1943 is an interesting middle ground. There is a lot to play for in exploring early, or late, war strategy.

WIR played at Korps/Army level, which I thought was correct as a High Strategy game. In WiTE a small Infantry Korps can be moved as one stack, with larger Korps/Armys manoeuvred in a manageable number of stacks, to be broken down for combat. Maybe a High Command would not have been involved with the actions of individual regiments, but this game allows the movement of Korps sized stacks, which can break down into divisional units, divisional units can be broken down into regiments. Then they can be re-assembled. Somewhere in all of this is a good operating method to learn, which will give a realistic experience of fighting the war in the East

So first impressions - very positive - it all looks very good, thanks to all involved. [:)]

[Adam Parker]

ORIGINAL: Joel Billings

This is what snow looks like on my system.

ORIGINAL: Joel Billings

Marc regretted that we did not make different layers in the art on this map, and hopes to do that in future games using this system. By having a text layer the weather art would not cover the city names.

Ah! that was what was making me feel so cold! The overlay over the text names. I see it now.

Look, for me leave it as it is:

1. It looks like falling snow and I've never seen that effect before.
2. We should be reminded how unsettling it was to have campaigned constantly in the unrelenting snow. It should be significantly noticeable, disconcerting and something that the attacker should wish would end. Glory, I can't wait to see the mud effect!

[htuna]

I think it looks cool!

[Templer_12]

Well not my "first impressions" anymore - but:
 
I remember the closing word of a reviewer in a review of Kharkov: Disaster on the Donets (wich is also an outstanding game) by the Armchair General magazin:"...Kharkov: Disaster on the Donets is wargamer's heaven".
 
"Heaven" is used so I'll say: Gary Grigsby's War in the East, beside WitP:AE, is wargamer's dream!
 
 

[gravyhair]

After a full day with this game, I have to say that this is the finest wargame ever made for the PC. I speak from 35 years of playing wargames, and 20 years of PC wargaming. Far more intuitive than WitP-AE, which previously shared the crown with HOI3-SF. Results feel proper. COnsiderations as a commander are correct. A+ fellas.

[Rosseau]

Good to see there's hope for HOI3. I think we all would have been crushed, if WitE didn't play so wonderfully out of the box. Only GG/JB could do it.

[tevans6220]

I honestly questioned whether this game was worth the $80 pricetag. Trust me it is. The game itself is a masterpiece and combined with Erik's great customer service it was definitely worth it for me. I've always been a fan of Gary's and Joel's from their SSI days. They got a winner with this. I'm not going to do price per hour of gameplay comparisons or anything like that. All I'm going to say is if you have extra money laying around and you want to buy a game, this is the game you'll want to get. Congratulations to Matrix, Gary, Joel and the whole WiTE development team. Great job.

[06 Maestro]

ORIGINAL: gravyhair

After a full day with this game, I have to say that this is the finest wargame ever made for the PC. I speak from 35 years of playing wargames, and 20 years of PC wargaming. Far more intuitive than WitP-AE, which previously shared the crown with HOI3-SF. Results feel proper. COnsiderations as a commander are correct. A+ fellas.

That's a pretty strong endorsement. I don't believe I have seen one like that before. I may have to wait for Santa to deliver the game to me. but it will be mine in the not too distant future. In the meantime, HoI3 will have to do.

[parusski]

ORIGINAL: 06 Maestro

ORIGINAL: gravyhair

After a full day with this game, I have to say that this is the finest wargame ever made for the PC. I speak from 35 years of playing wargames, and 20 years of PC wargaming. Far more intuitive than WitP-AE, which previously shared the crown with HOI3-SF. Results feel proper. COnsiderations as a commander are correct. A+ fellas.

That's a pretty strong endorsement. I don't believe I have one like seen that before. I may have to wait for Santa to deliver the game to me. but it will be mine in the not too distant future. In the meantime, HoI3 will have to do.

I just did not know where to begin with my first impression. But gravyhair speaks for me. We have about the same number years with board and PC wargaming. Many, many Matrix games have impressed me. Those games have given me thousands of hours of fun play time over these many years. But in just a few days I see all previous games somewhere behind, in the dust. Beautiful graphics, great mechanics, very competent AI, details details details. In my opinion this is the first pc game to just about perfectly model a board game.

So, A+++ and thanks.

[hgilmer3]

I just got my tail kicked in Road to Smolensk on normal as the Axis.  I killed or wonded over 450K of his and he only about 50K of mine and I couldn't even budge them.

[Krec]

Awesome, i am going to try that one next

[Redmarkus5]

ORIGINAL: miller41

Finished the tutorial and I must say I am impressed. Very easy to understand but going to be hard to master. Only gripe i have is that the spreadsheet showing all the commanders ect is to small to read in my native resolution of 1920 x 1080 on a 27" monitor. Everything else is very easy to see. Game play is great.

+1 but the map does look fantastic - FiTE on my PC, basically. This one will run for a decade.

Only one gripe so far - I have to select a stack and then deselect the units I don't want. Clickfest. I'd like to be able to click to cycle through the stack and double-click to select all, or use the list on the right of the display to select a sub-set of units...

[Lützow]

Well, there is one part I'd like to see further improved: air combat.

First, after toying for 2 days with some smaller scenarios now, I noticed that you don't need to attach fighters for recons, at least mine never got shot down. Also the AI doesn't seem to be that effective with allocating targets for recon/bomb missions. Don't mind about that though, as I prefer to conduct air missions manually.

Second, I understand that WitE is primarily about land combat and I don't expect a BtR/WitP model with altitudes and high/close escort, but it would be nice if air groups could be manually attached to deliberate attacks.

Third, rather for immersion reasons: it's nice to see how many kills my air groups got, but I sorta miss the pilots and honor rolls. Would it be possible to add those data bases in a future patch?

[Helpless]

further improved: air combat.

It's on the list, but don't expect it to be a quick fix. It's big (if not the biggest) task.

[Borodino]

My first impression now after playing against the AI in the Road to Leningrad scenario twice (both as the Soviets) is still one of amazement. This is an area of interest for me, that and the entire siege, and I am impressed with the scenario and can't wait to get into the full war campaign, and against a human player. Yes there are a few little things that can be improved, but I see no game killing bugs, no CTDs, ad this is version 1.0! In this niche market in 2010 that is something to be applauded.

[Apollo11]

Hi all,

ORIGINAL: Borodino

My first impression now after playing against the AI in the Road to Leningrad scenario twice (both as the Soviets) is still one of amazement. This is an area of interest for me, that and the entire siege, and I am impressed with the scenario and can't wait to get into the full war campaign, and against a human player. Yes there are a few little things that can be improved, but I see no game killing bugs, no CTDs, ad this is version 1.0! In this niche market in 2010 that is something to be applauded.

I played dozens and dozens of RtL ("Road to Leningrad") both against AI and against very competent human opponent as Soviet player... it is very very very hard scenario for Soviets against good Axis player... the Axis can do so many things in so many different ways and you,a s Soviet player, lack the time to properly build defenses...


Leo "Apollo11"