OT - Any Matrix Holiday Sale Ideas?

[IdahoNYer]

OK all....since already have WiTP AE....what do you all recommend to get for the Holiday Sale??

Decisive Campaigns sounds like a possibility while waiting on turns...but which one?

[Itdepends]

Also after some suggestions, I received a 41% off voucher for being 12 years with Matrix (forum I assume), nice timing with the sale😀

[USSAmerica]

Aside from AE, I can highly recommend Distant Worlds: Universe if you have any interest in space 4X games.

My list of games I'd like to check out includes Command MANO, War in the West, and War in the East. There are some amazing deals on the Holiday Sale list! [8D]

[IdahoNYer]

I love Distance Worlds, but haven't played it much since starting my WiTP PBEM. One of my most recent purchases was Afghan '11 which is a great "beer and pretzels" type game, and surprisingly engrossing. Looking for something between that and WiTP in complexity...

[ny59giants]

Gen Patton did some play testing on TOAW 4, so I may try it. He is playing WW2 from 1939 to 45 vs Larry now (each turn is one week).

[Itdepends]

I picked up TOAW but am having trouble getting into it. Fields of Glory 2 looks ok.

[Yaab]

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Gen Patton did some play testing on TOAW 4, so I may try it. He is playing WW2 from 1939 to 45 vs Larry now (each turn is one week).

Damn, I thought Patton died in 1945. You Yanks are such die-hards.

[btd64]

ORIGINAL: Yaab

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

Gen Patton did some play testing on TOAW 4, so I may try it. He is playing WW2 from 1939 to 45 vs Larry now (each turn is one week).

Damn, I thought Patton died in 1945. You Yanks are such die-hards.

Alive and kicking.[:D][:D][:D]....GP

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: IdahoNYer

OK all....since already have WiTP AE....what do you all recommend to get for the Holiday Sale??

Decisive Campaigns sounds like a possibility while waiting on turns...but which one?

warspite1

Hi IdahoNYer, two things to consider if you want to go down the Decisive Campaigns route:

1. The obvious - what interests you most? East Front or, for something different, a bit of early war?

2. If not fussed about the campaign then I would probably recommend DC:Barbarossa on the basis it is newer and has some new ideas in terms of game play.

These are games that you can get into quickly. DC:B has very well done, bite-sized tutorials that, with minimal reading of the manual i.e. none! one can get playing straight-away.

Here are a couple of AAR to give you a flavour of DC:B and Warsaw to Paris. These were/are played as a total newbie (to the game system in the case of DC:B and to the game in terms of WTP - with results to match!). Note I have not played DC:CB.

Case Yellow scenario (game on-going)
tm.asp?m=4321521&mpage=8&key=�

DC:B (game finished as I was er not exactly going to get to Moscow...)
tm.asp?m=3976499

[Olorin]

So, warspite1, since you bought TOAW4 and started an AAR there, I thought you might share your impressions here.

I know it's not on the sales list because it was released very recently, but the price is a bargain imo.

[rustysi]

I picked up TOAW but am having trouble getting into it.

Why?

[Itdepends]

Struggling with the interface more than anything. It feels a bit clunky to navigate around the map and the unit capabilities are not obvious.

Honestly I probably need to RTFM. Normally I prefer a hardcopy but shipping the physical version to Oz was cost prohibitive (hot air balloons don’t grow on trees, and it’s not tornado season).

I have some holidays over Christmas so will likely print the manual out and go back to it.

[Yaab]

Any Matrix Holiday Sale Ideas?
Itdepends

[:)]

[IdahoNYer]

Warspite - thanks for the link's to the AARs on Decisive Campaigns. They both look interesting!

[rustysi]

ORIGINAL: Itdepends

Struggling with the interface more than anything. It feels a bit clunky to navigate around the map and the unit capabilities are not obvious.

Honestly I probably need to RTFM. Normally I prefer a hardcopy but shipping the physical version to Oz was cost prohibitive (hot air balloons don’t grow on trees, and it’s not tornado season).

I have some holidays over Christmas so will likely print the manual out and go back to it.

Thanks, I'm looking to pick something up and even though its not on sale the price is still right.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Olorin

So, warspite1, since you bought TOAW4 and started an AAR there, I thought you might share your impressions here.

I know it's not on the sales list because it was released very recently, but the price is a bargain imo.

warspite1

First impressions? I can only speak about the campaign I am playing. Not all scenarios are playable against a functioning AI - but the one I'm playing is and so works for me.

I got this because I am desperate for a Mediterranean game (i.e. proper Mediterranean that starts in June (or December) 1940 and not February 1941 [8|].

I am playing Campaign for North Africa 1940-1943 (as the Commonwealth player I have chosen to start in December - but could have begun in June). There is a naval aspect, although to what extent this is really a factor I don't know yet - but probably not what it could be. No matter - its fun that there are some naval units to 'play' with and bombard the Italians [;)].

The game is of course not dedicated to this campaign and so I cannot expect WITE/WITW/WITP-AE type OOB accuracy, but the OOB so far is sufficiently accurate that it works for me by giving enough of an historical feel. One major issue [:D] is that there is no HMS Warspite.... (the game is based on a board game apparently and because of counter restrictions only certain ships were used). That said its great to be playing with and against some great names from my wargaming past (remember Desert Rats on the Spectrum ZX? [:)]) - I love that the Italian Divisions are given names not just numbers - Sirte, Sabratha, Tridentina, Trento, Ariete etc and as for the British. I must confess I almost soiled myself on seeing the 7th Bn, Royal Tank Regiment and the 3rd Bn Coldstream Guards. Then of course there is my favourite non-British Division: the 2nd New Zealand [&o]

The game mechanics, and specifically the '10 Rounds', took some working out - but after getting to grips with it - thanks to a lot of gratefully received assistance from a helpful community - I find it a very interesting mechanic that gives one a lot to think about rather than just move-attack-move-attack. I like the ability to use combined arms - artillery, air, infantry etc to win combats.

The aesthetics - always important to me - are again, at worst functional with few frills e.g. no distinctive silhouette for different ships, but in most cases are better than that. Personally, the use of NATO counters are a must - and this game has them. The different nationalities have their own distinctive colour scheme - again that is an important aesthetic touch.

Level of detail is important in different ways to different people, but to me this has enough detail to make it interesting - without being a chore.

So my first impressions? Really pleased I bought the game. I think this will prove to be value for money. Its a shame that the Pacific War is PBEM only, but never mind, I've got my hands full in Cyrenaica at present [:)]


British, Indians, Aussies, Kiwis, Czechs, Poles, Free French, South Africans....a change of pants recommended when playing

[rustysi]

Thanks for the input warspite.

[HansBolter]

I picked up Strategic Command and Battlefront.

Haven't had time yet to wade through the SC manual.

Battlefront is an older game I had a copy of years ago, and lost.

I enjoyed playing the Saipan battle so I got a new copy of it.