Okay then....imparting my initial impressions.
First thing to do before giving that to you is to PLAY THE GAME a bit and not comment after looking at 5 minutes worth of game time with it.
I Played and mini AAR's for both tutorials and then did a full fledged scenario and AAR.
You can follow how well or poorly I did with my own words and screen shots.
Now, to what I think about the game.
The first thing that strikes me is how easy it is to play. Nothing complicated with everything easily found if you want it. I'm not used to where everything is 100% at this moment but I'm comfortable that I can find whatever I want easily.
After 3 scenarios now, 2 of those tutorials designed to highlight the capabilities of the game, I'm struck with how toothless infantry is in this game. Scale has a lot to do with that. When units are 500 meters apart they have to sit and bang at each other. That's not the way infantry wants to fight. But there seems to be an extremely tank centric base to the game. Where it's felt that tanks are the absolute rulers of the battlefield. I disagree with this view. SOMEBODY has to go take that village and that means boots on the ground. Infantry attack. I don't have that feel in the game. For me personally that takes half of it's potential away.
The AI did a credible job and I was fighting hard to get a Draw my first real scenario. Of course that's as a complete Noob to the game. I have some gaming experience behind me so my tactics should have helped make up for my lack of game mechanics knowledge and I felt it did. I've been playing a lot of WWII lately, PCO in particular, and wanted something different. This certainly qualifies as being different.
I intentionally took 3 different nations in the 3 scenarios. Having done that, I can tell you that there are tremendous nationality differences in the forces. I got a major wake up call when I saw the difference between an A-10 attack and an Alpha Jet attack. Both in results and the ability of the defense to affect the outcome. The Soviet air units seem to have drunk too much Vodka before their missions they have a hard time with air to ground recognition. Much more difficulty than the NATO pilots. Not a bad thing. Just something to keep in mind when you switch sides.
My nickname is the Mad Russian. That came about because wargames often portray Russian/Soviet forces as simply being Western/NATO forces using Soviet equipment. Nothing could be further from the truth. Some of the differences are hard to show in a wargame. Others are hard to swallow for many gamers. For the most part the Soviets have to do better planning because once they start with a plan they keep using it until it breaks or it breaks you.
Which would mean that the delay times for the main assault elements would be about double what they are in this game now. Many gamers wouldn't want to see that. I would. You could make the actual doctrine for the WP an option for those that just want the NATO style of free wheeling command.
In the game where I was Soviets my order delay time was 4 minutes and NATO's was 5 minutes and in the game I was W German the WP delay was 15 minutes and mine was 4. The game I was Soviet should not have had faster delay times than the Americans unless there is another reason not easily ascertained. The game where I was W German seems much better but why the difference?
I did see chemical attacks delivered by both sides by the AI. I don't agree with NATO chemical strikes for the same reason that Robert said he can't see the AI delivering nukes in the game. NATO was extremely reluctant to use chemical warfare for a number of reasons. First was civilian casualties. They didn't want to attack an area where the civilians were guaranteed not to survive those weapons effects. The WP had no such compulsion.
Overall, the game plays well. Fast, easy to find things and make things happen. It's a bit too tank heavy for my tastes but most games are. PanzerBlitz started that trend and it's still alive and well. Map movement controls could be better but they work.
This was a very good choice for me to step away from WWII for a change.
Thanks for your time and efforts.
Good Hunting.
MR
The most expensive thing in the world is free time.
Founder of HSG scenario design group for Combat Mission.
Panzer Command Ostfront Development Team.
Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm Development Team.
