Content/Replayability

[Sti]

So, I'm interested in this game but I'm wondering about how much content is actually in there (I know, 3 campaigns (or 4 with the Syria one?), but what does that actually mean? How much is in a campaign?)
Also, if I play the campaign again, will it be different? By how much? Just a few random encounters or will there be different objectives or at least different defenses to overcome?

Thanks for any information you can give me!

[Dan Verssen]

Hello Sti,
 
Here's a copy/paste of a post I made on another board to a similar question..
 
--------
 
--Each campaign has 18 targets. You can choose from 3 durations of campaigns ranging from 2 missions to 15 missions. If a target is destroyed it does not re-appear in the campaign. When a target is destroyed it has a lasting affect on the campaign by decreasing the enemy's bandits, sites, target hits, or giving you more targets to choose from each mission.--

When you select a target for the day, you'll need to weigh between your pilot stress levels, the victory point value of the target (used for winning the campaign), and how the target's destruction will affect the remained of the campaign.

For example, let's say that when you selected your pilots at the start of the campaign, you went light on guys with air combat skills. During the first mission of the campaign you get 3 targets to choose from:

1 - Airfield - Destroy it, and you really hurt their Bandit presence for the remainder of the campaign. This would be good to destroy, because your squadron doesn't have many air combat skilled guys.

2- Carrier Defense - Destroy the enemy strike aircraft and score big VPs. This directly moves you toward winning the campaign.

3 - Supply Depot - Its only worth a few VP and campaign adjustments, but it's a short-range mission and pretty easy. Just right to give some of your inexperienced guys some experience toward boosting their skills.

Hmm.. What do you do?

This is the kind of decision-making you get to do throughout the game.

When selecting weapons to pound a target, do you can go with iron bombs which hit hard, but are short-ranged, or stand-off weapons that don't have as much hitting power? With iron bombs you need to suppress, jam, or brave their defenses, with stand-off weapons you can launch from afar. Or, do you dip into your limited Special Option points to use a few cutting edge weapons?

During that mission, how many planes do you equip for air combat, ground pounding, multi-role?

Should you take your good pilot on one more mission before giving him a rest and risk losing him for several missions as his stress goes down, or take a less skilled, but rested newbie?

I've written 2 AARs that are posted on www.wargamer.com that go through the missions in detail and provide a bit of story for feel and flavor.

---------

[Sti]

Thanks, that sounds good. It would be even better if eventually you added the extensions (CAG, ...) to the PC version. If you promise to do so, I will buy and download it right away. Deal? [:)]

[StormcloudCreations]

We do plan on adding features, expansions, etc to the game in some form at some point.

[galaril]

Yeah, I agree with STI after reading the AARs and playing the vassal game before that replayibility and amount of content for this is a bit limited IMHO. Once an expansion gets added to this it will be a sure buy as well ofcourse that would mean a price increase as well so ............ Anyways, the game does look good.

[Sti]

"In some form at some point" is too vague for me, so I will wait for that "some point" to come before I get it. Thanks for the info.

[Dan Verssen]

galaril and Sti,
 
No problem. If you happen to change your minds, I'd love to hear about your missions.
 
A new AAR was just posted and it reads really well. Lots of excitement. It's always fun for me to see how other people set-up and resolve their missions.

[StormcloudCreations]

How about this: sometime very soon, some type of new content and/or expansions will be available for the game. But this is dependant on the game's sales. Hopefully, this should sway your decision a bit. [:D]

[NefariousKoel]

ORIGINAL: StormcloudCreations

How about this: sometime very soon, some type of new content and/or expansions will be available for the game. But this is dependant on the game's sales. Hopefully, this should sway your decision a bit. [:D]

You could probably make a Linked campaign option in a checkbox or something then make each successive campaign played in the link have a slightly progressive increase in enemy forces and/or quality. Possibly do a Grand Campaign in chronological order? I'm just trying to think of an easy way to keep balance.

[Erik Rutins]

Just to chime in, with the existing four campaigns, the replayability is extremely high. No campaign is the same twice - everything can change from pilot selection, missions, targets, bandits, defenses, etc. Even the same mission can play out very differently each time and then you've got the random events on top of that.

Regards,

- Erik

[cdbeck]

Am I crazy or did I see somewhere that the enemies you fight on each mission are a bit "randomized" as well? Meaning that, if you target an airfield in Libya, one time you might get 3 MiGs and a SAM site one time and 4 MiGs and no SAM sites the next time you play the mission. Is this accurate? Basically doesn't the "goal" stay the same but the steps in-between change a bit (also difficulty dependent right)?

SoM

[Dan Verssen]

Each target has set parameters for the types of defenses, but the exact defenders is different each time the target is drawn.

[NefariousKoel]

ORIGINAL: Son_of_Montfort

Am I crazy or did I see somewhere that the enemies you fight on each mission are a bit "randomized" as well? Meaning that, if you target an airfield in Libya, one time you might get 3 MiGs and a SAM site one time and 4 MiGs and no SAM sites the next time you play the mission. Is this accurate? Basically doesn't the "goal" stay the same but the steps in-between change a bit (also difficulty dependent right)?

SoM

Yep.

As you can see in my AAR, I had planned on heavy enemy bandit presence and relatively little AA defenses. With the 2 card draws - the bandits were cut in half but there ended up being extra AA.

Your plans often get a wrench thrown in them and it's a blast trying to adjust your strategy at the last moment and pull it through.

[Adam Parker]

This thread has sold me [:)]

[galaril]

Four champaigns? I thought there were two Korea and the Middle East/Libya ones?

[JudgeDredd]

ORIGINAL: galaril

Four champaigns? I thought there were two Korea and the Middle East/Libya ones?

Isn't that 4?

[Dan Verssen]

For campaigns, we have:
Libya
Iraq
Syria
North Korea

[Shadow of the Condor]

Just a personal observation on the game - I think it strikes a good balance between strategy, tactics, and a fast game. Quite honestly, it is a very good platform for those interested in wargames in general to get a chance to plan and see the results of their plans unfold in a timely manner. The difficulty is scalable, the events and defenders randomized, and the forum is a great source of help and support for everyone. Not bad at all.