Roger,
I have seen bridges get built. More bridging units will increase the rate. Also, I believe that there are three different classes of spans that could be built: light, medium, and heavy. I think this also has an impact on speed. But generally, you should make every effort not to lose a bridge that you need. They don't call them "choke points" for nothing.
The unit can just be there to reflect the reality of the TOE and not necessarily that you should be building a bridge. Haven't you played plenty of CM scenarios with zooks and schrecks that turned out not to have a single AFV. I wouldn't get too caught up in second guess the scenario designer ... unless the designer says in the brief that your mission is to reconstruct a span etc...
---
I'll give you another tip for testing/learning game mechanics besides playing with no order delays. Have an MP game with yourself. You can run two instances of HTTR on one PC. First, start up a host. Then, have the client look for a game at 127.0.0.1 which is the TCP/IP loopback adapter. This should give you plenty of chance to explore game mechanics while maintaining total control over the situation.
---
PS: I know that you are only teasing me. I am always happy to help fellow players. However, I don't always have the time. Developing those Mini-Guides took a lot of effort even though they are unstructured and meander quite a bit. If sometimes I seem too serious when replying it's probably because I am too busy to get into a topic, but yet even though not a staff member of PG, I feel obligated to provide support when possible as opposed to just ignoring requests for help.
Gunshy
Moderator: Arjuna
RE: Gunshy
2021 - Resigned in writing as a 20+ year Matrix Beta and never looked back ...
RE: Gunshy
Markshot, you've been outstanding. I appreciate your additional tidbits. This game is well worth the effort of learning it. I'm very late to catching onto the existence of this game, but it sure is worthwhile so far. I'm going to study your mini-guide and AARs in much greater detail.
I've now tried the Endhoven: Para Rescue five times. I cannot believe my beginner's luck. The very first time I tried it, I had a very bloody win with high casualties but I took and held the bridge. All subsequent efforts have been losses, with the bridge blowing, until my final effort which was a draw and I held.
I might just keep trying this one because I've got to figure a way to hold this bridge and get to the next objective. It seems so impossible that I want to keep trying. I'm almost to the end of my book-reading, too, of "A Bridge Too Far." I have dramatic appreciation for how uphill and impossible those battles seemed for the Allieds.
A game that gives me that kind of flavor, this kind of attention to detail and an interest in reading about the actual men and battles -- just what I was looking for and hoping for.
I just now noticed that you're a beta tester for BOA and their new Civil War game. I love BOA and I"m anxiously awaiting the Civil War game. I'm currently a beta tester for Out of the Park Baseball 2007. Now there's something I could give you advice on. The new version of this game, to be released on March 23, will set a new standard for all baseball text sims.
I've now tried the Endhoven: Para Rescue five times. I cannot believe my beginner's luck. The very first time I tried it, I had a very bloody win with high casualties but I took and held the bridge. All subsequent efforts have been losses, with the bridge blowing, until my final effort which was a draw and I held.
I might just keep trying this one because I've got to figure a way to hold this bridge and get to the next objective. It seems so impossible that I want to keep trying. I'm almost to the end of my book-reading, too, of "A Bridge Too Far." I have dramatic appreciation for how uphill and impossible those battles seemed for the Allieds.
A game that gives me that kind of flavor, this kind of attention to detail and an interest in reading about the actual men and battles -- just what I was looking for and hoping for.
I just now noticed that you're a beta tester for BOA and their new Civil War game. I love BOA and I"m anxiously awaiting the Civil War game. I'm currently a beta tester for Out of the Park Baseball 2007. Now there's something I could give you advice on. The new version of this game, to be released on March 23, will set a new standard for all baseball text sims.
RE: Gunshy
When I was 8, my departed uncle took me out fishing. It was for a whole day on the water. I caught a blue fish ten minutes after dropping my line in. "Cool, I thought!" I didn't catch another fish the rest of the time out. Sometimes, life is like that.
BOA: I did do some bug hunting, but I haven't had time to involve with the new game under development. However, it will go way beyond simply bringing a new venue to the engine.
---
I vaguely remember the scenario that your playing ... also, playing it as the Germans. (just took a brief look at my posted AAR) The whole thing is really taking the first bridge, since it is primed. If you do things right, the second one should never get primed. If the first bridge blows, you are screwed. So, you must take it intact and get across. Once that happens, the Germans have little chance to stop you, since the Canal was the only real terrain feature suitable to exploitation. Although they might try to hold you at the beach head on the North side of the Canal, but there is the risk of a breakout.
At night fall, it is much easier to infiltrate through lines. So, containment is not as easy as it sound unless one really establishes a dense line. However, such density makes one more vulnerable to bombardment, air strikes, and concentrated fire from heavy weapons. It emphasizes control of ground through small arms and physical blocking as opposed to control of ground through the application of fire.
Here is the problem for the Germans ... you could approach a number of ways. It's hard for them to know where exactly. Thus, the Germans are unable to with confidence to concentrate their forces on any single approach to stop you. But if they don't concentrate, you are going to blow through them. If they defend all the way North, then they permit you to reach the area as "fait accompli". Even if they do pick the right route and defend in force, bypassing is not going to be that hard. Only at the Canal can they leverage the channeling and choking affect of the terrain.
So, I am somewhat suprised that once you make it across, you aren't able to push on for the kill:
(1) Are you moving fast enough?
(1a) Are you taking maximum advantage of the first 59 minutes of the scenario and reinforcements to be free of order delays? Use that time wisely, it can save many hours of delays.
(1b) Are you ordering attacks only where the enemy has decided to make a stand? Unneccessary attacks will slow your force and tire them at the same time (especially when you start playing COTA). I recall in my playing, I canceled an attack when recon showed that there was no need for it.
(1c) Are you anticipating outcomes and giving new orders in advance of the expected future situation? For example Force A is ordered to secure a bridge. At 12:00 I analyze the momentum and course of the battle. I see at that they will have fully achieve that 14:00. So at 12:00, I order a Force B which must cross that bridge to an Attack 7km beyond the fighting at Bridge. I order this at 12:00, because by the time Force B moves out, things will be quiet at the Bridge. If I wait until 14:30, to give me orders I am going to lose three hours.
(2) Are you making sure that you have your arty deployed and on-call in range of the fighting? Even better, given the short scenario length and time pressures are you issuing direct bombardment orders. You can create roughly 8X the amount fire power by commanding them yourself on key enemy block positions.
(3) If you know well where the enemy is are you taking direct command of your mortars and deploying them before the attack goes in? If you leave them with the organic command, they will advance to contact. What this means is that the first push will lack the rapid fire support that the mortars can provide, since the mortars will be going to the ground like everyone else.
(4) Have you impressed upon your troops that you are not interested in a long protracted battle; you are not interested in falling back for second and third tries? Tell them be as aggressive as possible, accept any losses, and use whatever ammo they have.
(5) Are you letting your commanders know that you mean to hit the Germans hard and blow through them? You don't want to put pressure along their entire line. You want to pick a spot and overwhelm it. Have you commanders tighten their formation and strike hard (in concentration) where they engage the enemy.
(6) Are you using your AC or Stuarts for recon as you should? Before you can fight the Germans, you must find them. Before deciding where you are going to attack are you sure where the enemy is? Additionally, are you trying to maintain contact with the enemy by having your recon units push deep. There are many good reasons for this. First, if you are in contact with the enemy, you can bloody and wear him down with artillery; take some pitty on your infantry to not have to carry the whole fight. Additionally, if the enemy has any thoughts of setting up a layered defense and meeting far from your primary objective, arty barrages are going to make real hard for him organize any defense other than hunker down in place.
---
Well, hopefully some of those questions should help. If you want, you can try posting an AAR and I will take a look at it if I can find the time. I will need time the following information: your plan and revised plans, what do you see?, what do you think is going on and why do you think that?, and what orders are you issuing and why?
Take care.
BOA: I did do some bug hunting, but I haven't had time to involve with the new game under development. However, it will go way beyond simply bringing a new venue to the engine.
---
I vaguely remember the scenario that your playing ... also, playing it as the Germans. (just took a brief look at my posted AAR) The whole thing is really taking the first bridge, since it is primed. If you do things right, the second one should never get primed. If the first bridge blows, you are screwed. So, you must take it intact and get across. Once that happens, the Germans have little chance to stop you, since the Canal was the only real terrain feature suitable to exploitation. Although they might try to hold you at the beach head on the North side of the Canal, but there is the risk of a breakout.
At night fall, it is much easier to infiltrate through lines. So, containment is not as easy as it sound unless one really establishes a dense line. However, such density makes one more vulnerable to bombardment, air strikes, and concentrated fire from heavy weapons. It emphasizes control of ground through small arms and physical blocking as opposed to control of ground through the application of fire.
Here is the problem for the Germans ... you could approach a number of ways. It's hard for them to know where exactly. Thus, the Germans are unable to with confidence to concentrate their forces on any single approach to stop you. But if they don't concentrate, you are going to blow through them. If they defend all the way North, then they permit you to reach the area as "fait accompli". Even if they do pick the right route and defend in force, bypassing is not going to be that hard. Only at the Canal can they leverage the channeling and choking affect of the terrain.
So, I am somewhat suprised that once you make it across, you aren't able to push on for the kill:
(1) Are you moving fast enough?
(1a) Are you taking maximum advantage of the first 59 minutes of the scenario and reinforcements to be free of order delays? Use that time wisely, it can save many hours of delays.
(1b) Are you ordering attacks only where the enemy has decided to make a stand? Unneccessary attacks will slow your force and tire them at the same time (especially when you start playing COTA). I recall in my playing, I canceled an attack when recon showed that there was no need for it.
(1c) Are you anticipating outcomes and giving new orders in advance of the expected future situation? For example Force A is ordered to secure a bridge. At 12:00 I analyze the momentum and course of the battle. I see at that they will have fully achieve that 14:00. So at 12:00, I order a Force B which must cross that bridge to an Attack 7km beyond the fighting at Bridge. I order this at 12:00, because by the time Force B moves out, things will be quiet at the Bridge. If I wait until 14:30, to give me orders I am going to lose three hours.
(2) Are you making sure that you have your arty deployed and on-call in range of the fighting? Even better, given the short scenario length and time pressures are you issuing direct bombardment orders. You can create roughly 8X the amount fire power by commanding them yourself on key enemy block positions.
(3) If you know well where the enemy is are you taking direct command of your mortars and deploying them before the attack goes in? If you leave them with the organic command, they will advance to contact. What this means is that the first push will lack the rapid fire support that the mortars can provide, since the mortars will be going to the ground like everyone else.
(4) Have you impressed upon your troops that you are not interested in a long protracted battle; you are not interested in falling back for second and third tries? Tell them be as aggressive as possible, accept any losses, and use whatever ammo they have.
(5) Are you letting your commanders know that you mean to hit the Germans hard and blow through them? You don't want to put pressure along their entire line. You want to pick a spot and overwhelm it. Have you commanders tighten their formation and strike hard (in concentration) where they engage the enemy.
(6) Are you using your AC or Stuarts for recon as you should? Before you can fight the Germans, you must find them. Before deciding where you are going to attack are you sure where the enemy is? Additionally, are you trying to maintain contact with the enemy by having your recon units push deep. There are many good reasons for this. First, if you are in contact with the enemy, you can bloody and wear him down with artillery; take some pitty on your infantry to not have to carry the whole fight. Additionally, if the enemy has any thoughts of setting up a layered defense and meeting far from your primary objective, arty barrages are going to make real hard for him organize any defense other than hunker down in place.
---
Well, hopefully some of those questions should help. If you want, you can try posting an AAR and I will take a look at it if I can find the time. I will need time the following information: your plan and revised plans, what do you see?, what do you think is going on and why do you think that?, and what orders are you issuing and why?
Take care.
2021 - Resigned in writing as a 20+ year Matrix Beta and never looked back ...
RE: Gunshy
Roger,
It's been 24 hours and you have not checked in. I am worried about you. I fear the Germans have taken you prisoner.
Okay, I will give it another 24 hours, if no contact, I will organize a para drop with the Beta Team and we'll get you out. Hang tough, Bud, and don't give up the secret plans for the final push on the Reich!
It's been 24 hours and you have not checked in. I am worried about you. I fear the Germans have taken you prisoner.
Okay, I will give it another 24 hours, if no contact, I will organize a para drop with the Beta Team and we'll get you out. Hang tough, Bud, and don't give up the secret plans for the final push on the Reich!
2021 - Resigned in writing as a 20+ year Matrix Beta and never looked back ...
RE: Gunshy
Hey, I have a relevant reason for disappearing. I got so wrapped up in the end of the book, "A Bridge Too Far," that I spent all of my remaining free time finishing it.
It's sad that we are not required to read this book and specifically study this in history class. What a remarkable story of fighting to the last man and the civility on both sides where truces were called to get British injured to German hospitals.
The refusal to leave a desperate situation and the resistance to withdrawal when they were obviously stranded and abandoned -- just an amazing story of courage and training and character.
It might be a little while til I get some more playing time. We're in crunch time with beta testing on this great new baseball game, Out of the Park 2007.
It's sad that we are not required to read this book and specifically study this in history class. What a remarkable story of fighting to the last man and the civility on both sides where truces were called to get British injured to German hospitals.
The refusal to leave a desperate situation and the resistance to withdrawal when they were obviously stranded and abandoned -- just an amazing story of courage and training and character.
It might be a little while til I get some more playing time. We're in crunch time with beta testing on this great new baseball game, Out of the Park 2007.
RE: Gunshy
Well, this wonderful thread and MarkShot's AAR (the Tutorial guides) have caused me to add this game to my collection. I am downloading it now. I had trouble deciding whether to get COTA or HTTR so I decided purely based on my enjoyment of the book and movie A Bridge too Far.
Now to get out of work, get home, and start playing!!
Now to get out of work, get home, and start playing!!
RE: Gunshy
It's good to see that people are still getting into HTTR. Although COTA adds quite a few improvements, I still find HTTR to be a perfectly enjoyable game.
Terl, welcome to the club!
Terl, welcome to the club!
2021 - Resigned in writing as a 20+ year Matrix Beta and never looked back ...
RE: Gunshy
Thanks. Oh, give me a couple paydays and CotA will be purchased too, most likely [:)] I want to read up on some history first. I know Operation Market Garden a little better.
RE: Gunshy
I read this thread with joy. I've bought HTTR last November and played it so far.
I'm really happy to see this wonderfully engineered wargame, looking forward to see the next AA:Battle of Bulge.
To Arjuna, Thank you very much for making this cool strategy game. It was too late for me to know this game.
I'm translating HTTR manual/reference into Korean for my personal convenience now. I live in Seoul, South Korea. My first tongue is Korean(Hangul).
HTTR manual is well written, but the font is somewhat small and English is not easy for me to search fast{compared to Korean
}
The more I learn about the game, and background history, The better interest I have.
p.s. Well, Oneday I want to make my custom scenario or battle which was held in Korean War(1953).
I'm really happy to see this wonderfully engineered wargame, looking forward to see the next AA:Battle of Bulge.
To Arjuna, Thank you very much for making this cool strategy game. It was too late for me to know this game.
I'm translating HTTR manual/reference into Korean for my personal convenience now. I live in Seoul, South Korea. My first tongue is Korean(Hangul).
HTTR manual is well written, but the font is somewhat small and English is not easy for me to search fast{compared to Korean
}
The more I learn about the game, and background history, The better interest I have.
p.s. Well, Oneday I want to make my custom scenario or battle which was held in Korean War(1953).
RE: Gunshy
Gazrang,
Good to hear from you again!
Make sure you patch HTTR. I think there were two patches. One of the patches among other things added:
(1) The ability to run the game without the CD.
(2) Included PDF versions of the manuals. Much easier on the eyes than the original print manuals.
Also, if you seriously translate a worthwhile portion of the docs into Korean, if you are interested, we'll make arrangements for you to have your work hosted officially by PG/Matrix or unofficially by one of the fansites. We would certainly be happy to expand the community of Korean players. (At the moment, we have a project on going to translate some of the COTA manuals into French.) Our only hope for pseudo-localization of the series is if the players do it themselves.
I, myself, speak Chinese Cantonese and Mandarin, but am pretty much illiterate when it comes to characters. Although I know Japanese does use traditional Chinese characters in Kanji. Does written Korean also have some basis in Chinese characters? (I understand from my wife who is Chinese that in ancient times Korean scholars were likely to be literate in Chinese.)
Enjoy the game!
Good to hear from you again!
Make sure you patch HTTR. I think there were two patches. One of the patches among other things added:
(1) The ability to run the game without the CD.
(2) Included PDF versions of the manuals. Much easier on the eyes than the original print manuals.
Also, if you seriously translate a worthwhile portion of the docs into Korean, if you are interested, we'll make arrangements for you to have your work hosted officially by PG/Matrix or unofficially by one of the fansites. We would certainly be happy to expand the community of Korean players. (At the moment, we have a project on going to translate some of the COTA manuals into French.) Our only hope for pseudo-localization of the series is if the players do it themselves.
I, myself, speak Chinese Cantonese and Mandarin, but am pretty much illiterate when it comes to characters. Although I know Japanese does use traditional Chinese characters in Kanji. Does written Korean also have some basis in Chinese characters? (I understand from my wife who is Chinese that in ancient times Korean scholars were likely to be literate in Chinese.)
Enjoy the game!
2021 - Resigned in writing as a 20+ year Matrix Beta and never looked back ...
RE: Gunshy
MarkShot.
Thank you for your reply.
Yes, I patched my HTTR up-to-date and know that there's large-format PDF of print manuals(ebook). But, to me language is more important than book-size
I will translate all the reference/tutorial of HTTR and not translate Strategy guide of HTTR. In Korea, there aren't many hardcore military wargamer. It is mainly due to the difficulty of access to information about wargame, partly to the lack of translated game guides or history books.
For instance, I've got to know this HTTR title almost 2 years later since it was first released.(Sorry..) From any site related Games in Korea, I could hardly found the site talked about RDOA, HTTR, even COTA.
I graduated university in Seoul(major:Sociology, History), and got a military duty at Korean Airforce(30 months). So jargons about Military and History is familiar to me And History about WW2 is my favorite part of my hobby. I would be very appreciate that my output could be on the official PG site.WoW.
Can I get the images in the manual/reference from you for making this translated guide? Because it was published in PDF format I can't extract the images. If impossible, I would be able to make text-version of translated guide.
p.s. Yes. Korean has many Chinese character and words in it. But, Speaking that words is very different from Chinese way.
We use both of them. Commonly we use Korean everyday.
So maybe Korean is one of the most difficult languages in the world. But, interestingly, illiteracy rate in Korea is the lowest of the World.
Thank you for your reply.
Yes, I patched my HTTR up-to-date and know that there's large-format PDF of print manuals(ebook). But, to me language is more important than book-size
I will translate all the reference/tutorial of HTTR and not translate Strategy guide of HTTR. In Korea, there aren't many hardcore military wargamer. It is mainly due to the difficulty of access to information about wargame, partly to the lack of translated game guides or history books.
For instance, I've got to know this HTTR title almost 2 years later since it was first released.(Sorry..) From any site related Games in Korea, I could hardly found the site talked about RDOA, HTTR, even COTA.
I graduated university in Seoul(major:Sociology, History), and got a military duty at Korean Airforce(30 months). So jargons about Military and History is familiar to me
And History about WW2 is my favorite part of my hobby. I would be very appreciate that my output could be on the official PG site.WoW.Can I get the images in the manual/reference from you for making this translated guide? Because it was published in PDF format I can't extract the images. If impossible, I would be able to make text-version of translated guide.
p.s. Yes. Korean has many Chinese character and words in it. But, Speaking that words is very different from Chinese way.
We use both of them. Commonly we use Korean everyday.
So maybe Korean is one of the most difficult languages in the world. But, interestingly, illiteracy rate in Korea is the lowest of the World.
RE: Gunshy
I'll PM you with my email address so that we can talk more about what resources we can provide you.
I seem to have a talent for picking up languages. Although many Westerners seem to feel Chinese is very hard, I tend to find the spoken language pretty easy. Chinese is very syntactic; meaning that word order is the major mechanism of grammar. This is very different from other languages which I know such as English, French, Spanish, and German. No need to worry about conjugations, pluralization, objects, and complex tenses. Of course, the written language is very hard and although I tried to learn to read and write, I pretty much forgot my characters as soon as I didn't use them for a few weeks. (I learned the classical characters used outside of China; as the Communists introduced a simplified set as part of the national campaign for literacy.)
The only difficulty I have with spoken Chinese is tones, as I am tone deaf. Mandarin has 4 tones and Cantonese has 9. However, there is sufficient information redundency in Chinese that when I speak in a sentence or hear a sentence, the meaning is clear from context.
An example of this "from context" type of understanding in English would be ... if I said:
"I have two blue book." Note, that I have omitted the "s" on "books" and thus failed to create the plural properly. And yet, anyone hearing me say that would still understand my sentence due to the use of the word "two".
So, it is in that way I speak Chinese without tones. My mother-in-law says my Cantonese sounds like those evil British opium traders always depicted in Hong Kong TV mini-series.
Unfortunately, I have only known just a few Koreans. Most of the Asians I have known have been Chinese, Filipino, and Indians.
Well, send me an email and I'll see what I can do about getting you images.
Thanks.
I seem to have a talent for picking up languages. Although many Westerners seem to feel Chinese is very hard, I tend to find the spoken language pretty easy. Chinese is very syntactic; meaning that word order is the major mechanism of grammar. This is very different from other languages which I know such as English, French, Spanish, and German. No need to worry about conjugations, pluralization, objects, and complex tenses. Of course, the written language is very hard and although I tried to learn to read and write, I pretty much forgot my characters as soon as I didn't use them for a few weeks. (I learned the classical characters used outside of China; as the Communists introduced a simplified set as part of the national campaign for literacy.)
The only difficulty I have with spoken Chinese is tones, as I am tone deaf. Mandarin has 4 tones and Cantonese has 9. However, there is sufficient information redundency in Chinese that when I speak in a sentence or hear a sentence, the meaning is clear from context.
An example of this "from context" type of understanding in English would be ... if I said:
"I have two blue book." Note, that I have omitted the "s" on "books" and thus failed to create the plural properly. And yet, anyone hearing me say that would still understand my sentence due to the use of the word "two".
So, it is in that way I speak Chinese without tones. My mother-in-law says my Cantonese sounds like those evil British opium traders always depicted in Hong Kong TV mini-series.
Unfortunately, I have only known just a few Koreans. Most of the Asians I have known have been Chinese, Filipino, and Indians.
Well, send me an email and I'll see what I can do about getting you images.
Thanks.
2021 - Resigned in writing as a 20+ year Matrix Beta and never looked back ...
RE: Gunshy
(for those reading along) Dave has been in touch with Gazrang. So, maybe it's time to have a contest between our French and Korean translation teams to see who will be the first to deliver something useable for distribution on the Web! Soon my dream of wargamers in every corner of the globe having access to this series will finally be a reality. No more, will something so basic as language deprive the world's teaming population of access to the greatest wargame ever sold.
Okay ... so, it's late and I am having trouble sleeping. Does it show?
Okay ... so, it's late and I am having trouble sleeping. Does it show?
2021 - Resigned in writing as a 20+ year Matrix Beta and never looked back ...
RE: Gunshy
I'm very pleased to become a helper to do that. [:)]ORIGINAL: MarkShot
(for those reading along) Dave has been in touch with Gazrang. So, maybe it's time to have a contest between our French and Korean translation teams to see who will be the first to deliver something useable for distribution on the Web! Soon my dream of wargamers in every corner of the globe having access to this series will finally be a reality.
I totally agree with that.No more, will something so basic as language deprive the world's teaming population of access to the greatest wargame ever sold.
RE: Gunshy
Well, we greatly appreciate your help.
Perhaps, after your translation is done and hosted, we can get a press release sent to various Korean PC gaming sites announcing the availability of translated manuals. Hopefully, that should encourage your compatriots to purchase the game/series.
Perhaps, after your translation is done and hosted, we can get a press release sent to various Korean PC gaming sites announcing the availability of translated manuals. Hopefully, that should encourage your compatriots to purchase the game/series.
2021 - Resigned in writing as a 20+ year Matrix Beta and never looked back ...
RE: Gunshy
Good to hear you're enjoying HttR. I bought it when it first came out. I haven't bought CotA because I just wasn't too interested in the theater of operations.
But, I continue to play HttR to this day. In fact I play it more now than I used to.
You mentioned the demands of real life not allowing you to sit for hours and move units on a map. One reason I play HttR so much is because I can start a new game and set up my plan of attack or defense with the clock stopped; get all my orders set the way I want them (save the game at that point); then hit the start button. At that point I'll sit and watch a minute or two or 8, or I may speed it up for a while then put it back to normal time; then get up and do a chore or whatever. I set the sound up high and just listen to the Pings that indicate an Airstrike or whatever message there is; I go back check things out, change things, etc., then go on with business until the next ping.
Its great. Battles from the Bulge will most likely be my next purchase. I'm also a SSG game player (Korsun Pocket, Battles in Normandy, etc.). I've successfully saved my money from buying Battlefront so far. Its tough because I like those games too.
The only thing about HttR/BfrB is that it doesn't have a PBEM mode. I wish it did. But that's not a deal breaker for me. I have other games I play pbem with.
later
[;)]
But, I continue to play HttR to this day. In fact I play it more now than I used to.
You mentioned the demands of real life not allowing you to sit for hours and move units on a map. One reason I play HttR so much is because I can start a new game and set up my plan of attack or defense with the clock stopped; get all my orders set the way I want them (save the game at that point); then hit the start button. At that point I'll sit and watch a minute or two or 8, or I may speed it up for a while then put it back to normal time; then get up and do a chore or whatever. I set the sound up high and just listen to the Pings that indicate an Airstrike or whatever message there is; I go back check things out, change things, etc., then go on with business until the next ping.
Its great. Battles from the Bulge will most likely be my next purchase. I'm also a SSG game player (Korsun Pocket, Battles in Normandy, etc.). I've successfully saved my money from buying Battlefront so far. Its tough because I like those games too.
The only thing about HttR/BfrB is that it doesn't have a PBEM mode. I wish it did. But that's not a deal breaker for me. I have other games I play pbem with.
later
[;)]