How long to play a scenario?

[helgi]

Hi all - looks like a really interesting game here. One quick question: how long does it take to play a average scenario? I've recently bought DC:WtP and don't have the time to invest in another multi-week adventure (although I don't regret a minute spent on that one)

[Marshal Villars]

Helgi,

What is great about this game is that you have tremendous felxibility in how long it takes to play a game. This is for several reasons:

1) You can give your orders to larger formations (whole battalions, regiments, or even divisions) and be reasonably confident that the AI will do a good job of carrying out your wishes. So, you don't have to micro manage everything. When I play, I usually give orders at the battalion/regimental level, meaning there are between 8 and 12 maneuver units on the map at any given point. In a few areas, where I would like a defensive line to be established in a precise location, I will go in and give orders to individual companies or platoons (not many platoons in the game, usually the smallest unit is a company). Watch this video for a quick overview of the delegation of orders: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuJGFZJ3 ... re=related
2) You can play at one of three speeds. Slow, Medium, Fast. Depending on the size of the scenario, these speeds run the game time differently. But, what remains universally true is that if you want to, you can play SLOW and micromanage everything, or you can play MEDIUM and comfortably give orders at the battalion/regimental level, slowing things down or pausing to give orders only in complex situations.
3) There are a variety of scenario sizes offered for different play times.

So. I would say you can play a solo game in anywhere from 1 hour to 24 hours, depending on scenario, speed of play, and style of play. Playing the way I do, I finish "monster scenarios" in about 7-10 hours.

It's part of what makes the game genius.

[helgi]

Thanks Marshal, sounds good. This game looks like a real gem, will start going through the videos and hopefully make the purchase soon (of course I can neglect repelling the Nazi invasion of France either in my DC:WtP)

[Marshal Villars]

It is a gem of a game. In fact, someone was joking with me yesterday and said that its biggest weakness is that once you have played it, you may never want to play another operational/tactical level game again. I agree. This is exactly what happened to me after Highway to the Reich.

I have said it elsewhere and I will say it here again...

This is the ONLY wargame I have ever played (of the 120+ I have owned) which has ever even remotely interested my father, who was an armored company commander and general's aide de camp in 1960s Germany. After refusing for years to play wargames with me, he saw me playing HTTR one day and was absolutely fascinated and started shouting out orders. This is the ONLY game, in his opinion, which comes close to modelling the problems of real command and simulating its effects. We have come a long way since HTTR and I am looking forward to being my father's aide de camp once again when he visits me in the next few months. He is also looking forward to doing this after hearing about the engine's upgrades and topic. So... BUY IT. You will not regret it. Especially if you want to know anything what it is like to command in post WW1, 20th century warfare.

Also, you are not limited to playing battles from the Bulge campaign. Some excellent scenarios have started to pop up, made possible by the very well documented (and supported!) scenario/map/estab editors. So, at the moment you can download and play scenarios from St. Lo to Operation Epsom to the Woensdrecht Isthmus campaign (late 1944-Holland). More are surely to follow.

Oh. And did I mention 1 v 1 play? Yes. It's awesome.

[helgi]

Sure sounds good. I had noticed your story of your father in a different thread, some recommendation that is But regarding the 1v1, how does that work in a game where you can change the game speed and pause etc? I could for example imagine the attacker wanting to spend more time plotting his moves while the defender sits their quietly waiting to see the white in there eyes, not really needing any pauses or slow motion.

(edited for spelling error)

[Marshal Villars]

Yes. The 1 v 1 moves at the slowest speed selected by either side. So, you have to be a little patient. But for the best operational wargame on the planet, it is worth it.