It Ain't Academic - Some First Impressions

[Adam Parker]

Released roughly a week ago, 9 screen shots, 1 AAR and a lousy video showing 2 tanks... I have to wonder whether Matrix or Slitherine know what he concept of marketing is all about? Because other than a forum suddenly appearing here and following the few posts of a number of hobbyists, there is absolutely no encouragement or impetus offered to make anyone want to go out and buy this game. What is it all about? What is its scale? What makes it worth the money? What makes it seem to be anything fresh?

So being the independent impulse buyer that I am, I of course, plonked down my money and just bought the game!


The Purchase

I'm still a big fan of Digital River's involvement with Matrix. Once again a hassle free purchase and with Star Downloader, the game's 163 megs downloaded in a breeze.


The Installation

Owning a number of Matrix games, I'm fairly used to the typical Matrix window popping up asking players whether they wish to install, update, read or run the game. So I was a bit taken aback when instead, a full screen (non-Matrix looking) request popped up with the install prompt.

I created a directory location with a couple of clicks and the game installed fine. All up at this point, I'd spent no more than ten minutes from purchase to load. Really impressive stuff considering the impulse nature of the whole exercise.


The Load

Wow, it all installed with ease and I'm ready to play right? Click the desk top icon with no intention of reading a word of rules and hello?

I'm asked to connect to the net? I'm told not to worry, that if I have a regular net connection there will be nothing else I need to do. Click "ok" and hello?

A "you're not registered" box pops up, in which I'm able to discern that by registering I get to play other people on the net. Umm, well let me click... HELLO!

A "There's an update" dialog pops up before I can do anything else. I suppose I better click "ok" on that.


Initialising...

And a little black DOS box with the word "Initialising..." activates and does nothing for another ten minutes.

Thank goodness for board gaming because in that time I'm able to cut and punch out the entire counter mainfest of the new GMT Deluxe Twilight Struggle. Nice thick components by the way, mounted board but I digress. At least digressing gives me something else to do.

Finally relief. DOS tells me that its found the update and will now load it. Cool. It does. It vanishes. I click "no" to register and I'm able to once again find the game's icon to play away.


A Nice Little Package Inside

For anyone whose looked at the paltry number of game screens available for preview, the cartoon artwork of the interface is readily apparent - and I just love it. It's crsip, it has flair, it harkens back to my childhood filled with Commando comics and it conveys the message; "just have fun with this game".

Four play options are offered first up. A Tutorial, Western Desert, Normandy and Bulge campaign. Only the Tutorial is available for immediate access. The others it seems need to be unlocked. Why? I have no idea. Something to do with... I have no idea.

So I fire up the tut and some full screen comic art heralds the type of action that I think is about to unfold. There's a tank duel and something to do with the air.

And I'm right. The player is asked to move, fire and run an air strike over two "scenarios". I do all these things with ease.


And the Net Result Is?

Well, whilst the tutorial runs by way of comic-style dialog boxes hinting what needs to be done to move on - and mouse-overs give information regarding parts of the interface, just moving, firing and strafing cannot be all there is to the game!

Compared to the video tutorials for Battles From the Bulge, there really is no point to the tutorials offered here. The game might as well have just offered a cheat sheet - left click (select), right click (order), double right click (execute). As a tutorial there really needs to be more.

The good news is that after following these few clicks, the Western Desert Campaign unlocks. Thanks! And I just played around with the first battle and I'm drawn in to want to see more.

The art is great, the sound effects fun, the interface so far is a no brainer. I might just print out the rules for a quick read.


Summary

I still do not know what the scale of the game is. I'm presuming platoon but I just don't know yet.

This game is not as bad "out of the virtual wrapper" as Commader Napoleon and Operation Barbarossa were for me - that from the start gave me alarm bells that I'd wasted my money. I don't get that feeling at all here.

So if Battlefield Academy is going to offer me a minatures feel of war gaming as a cross between Panzer General 3 Allied Assault, Axis and Allies Minatures, Tide of Iron and Memoir 44, I'm going to ride this one out for a few sessions of relaxation.

If you can get over the quirky install and update, you will be gaming without reading a word of rules within minutes of clicking "play".

As a first impression. I'm above-neutral on this one and I can't wait to finish this post and see what more lays inside.

Happy gaming,
Adam.

[jomni]

ORIGINAL: Adam Parker


The Installation

Owning a number of Matrix games, I'm fairly used to the typical Matrix window popping up asking players whether they wish to install, update, read or run the game. So I was a bit taken aback when instead, a full screen (non-Matrix looking) request popped up with the install prompt.

They didn't mess around with the Slitherine screens. Maybe this makes it quicker to deploy updates and new versions of the installer given the frequency Slitherine releases them. An update has already been released and another one is on the way.

The Load

Wow, it all installed with ease and I'm ready to play right? Click the desk top icon with no intention of reading a word of rules and hello?

I'm asked to connect to the net? I'm told not to worry, that if I have a regular net connection there will be nothing else I need to do. Click "ok" and hello?

A "you're not registered" box pops up, in which I'm able to discern that by registering I get to play other people on the net. Umm, well let me click... HELLO!

A "There's an update" dialog pops up before I can do anything else. I suppose I better click "ok" on that.

The opening screen has auto update feature. Auto update and registration is necessary because of the nature of multiplayer in this game (which is more inline with modern games than Matrix remakes).

A Nice Little Package Inside

For anyone whose looked at the paltry number of game screens available for preview, the cartoon artwork of the interface is readily apparent - and I just love it. It's crsip, it has flair, it harkens back to my childhood filled with Commando comics and it conveys the message; "just have fun with this game".

I love the cartoons. That's what made me buy this. It's got more polish than most wargames I've seen.

Four play options are offered first up. A Tutorial, Western Desert, Normandy and Bulge campaign. Only the Tutorial is available for immediate access. The others it seems need to be unlocked. Why? I have no idea. Something to do with... I have no idea.

Slitherine wants to to play the missions sequentially as these introduce new elements to the game and increasing level of challenge (notice there's no difficulty settings in the game). Again this is a common scheme found in more recent games as opposed to classic wargames.

Summary

I still do not know what the scale of the game is. I'm presuming platoon but I just don't know yet.

Each infantry unit is a squad or a weapons section.
Each vehicle is a single vehicle.
You can have a company of infantry along with a company of tanks and respective support units in a battle.

So if Battlefield Academy is going to offer me a minatures feel of war gaming as a cross between Panzer General 3 Allied Assault, Axis and Allies Minatures, Tide of Iron and Memoir 44, I'm going to ride this one out for a few sessions of relaxation.

You won't be disappointed. The game started to really shine for me during the middle of the Africa campaign. Don't forget to try multiplayer.

[Adam Parker]

ORIGINAL: jomni

Slitherine wants to to play the missions sequentially as these introduce new elements to the game and increasing level of challenge (notice there's no difficulty settings in the game)...

You won't be disappointed. The game started to really shine for me during the middle of the Africa campaign.

I'm beginning to appreciate this - I'm in Tobruk right now [:D] Thanks also for the heads up regarding unit sizes, I feel very comfortable with that.

And I'm not disappointed yet!

This game has paid for itself already. I haven't read a page of rules and I'm having a blast - gotten beaten and I've beaten back [:D]. This is an extremely intuitive game interface-wise. Well done Slitherine on thinking things through.

[Redmarkus5]

This game doesn't claim to be anything other than what it is - a fun and addictive war game. I love it and encourage anyone looking for some WW2 fun to buy. For my Grognard fix I switch back to WitP AE while waiting for WitE. I actually think that the turn-based model is what makes this so playable as it removes the 'click-fest' element and allows the player to focus on tactics.

A couple of changes I'd like to see:

1. Slow down the armour move animations - my tanks zip along the roads like F1 racing cars.
2. Increase the view range and combat range for armour (i.e. decrease the FoW slightly).
3. Decrease the combat lethality and extend the number of scenario turns - I'd like to see infantry in a house being able to last a couple of turns and it should generally require an infantry assault to clear them out.
4. Allow tanks to move and fire through a single row of 'forest' and to fire through hedgerows at adjacent enemy units.

Otherwise this is a very cool game with loads of potential. I can't wait for an East Front mod or expansion.

[Pford]

3. Infantry seems somewhat fragile in the game. Completed an urban battle in the N. African campaign and the inf units depleted quickly but the mechanics played out realistically from my perspective.

I wish I could move my mg teams- on foot.

Allow tanks to move and fire through a single row of 'forest' and to fire through hedgerows at adjacent enemy units.

4. That would be cool. But an authentic Normandy hedgerow simulation is a bit much to ask in a game like this.

[Ron]

ORIGINAL: Pford

I wish I could move my mg teams- on foot.

YES!