first impressions

[beldurax]

I will hold off purchasing until I see some key items/exploits fixed. It is very encouraging to see Alvaro so active in terms of fixing issues right away, even addressing the concerns of the Wargamer review. Very encouraging.

[AlvaroSousa]

ORIGINAL: Toby42

Is this another re-hash of Strategic Command? Is anti sub warfare like playing whack-a-mole?

No whack-o-mole. There are convoy routes and you buy escorts for those routes and simply place them in the routes and leave it be. At the start of 1939 the Allies don't have enough but the Axis don't know where they are concentrated so it becomes a game of cat and mouse with 2 strategies developing. Do the Axis concentrate subs or do they split them up?

Air units still can strike at subs as do carriers. And any sub next to a non-ocean tile can be attacked by surface. But that's how it works. By 1942 if the Allies did it right the Battle of the Atlantic should be favoring the Allies as it was historically. Black May - Micheal Gannon.

[AlvaroSousa]

ORIGINAL: Meteor2

I just have begun playing, so These are really first impressions.

- Seems to be a very good design. I am enjoying it.
- I would prefer an extended FoW, where units in the far Hinterland of enemy territory can not be seen in very case.
- a weather forcast for the next turn would be fine.
- In "Reports and Stats" all information about enemies should be estimates, not real.
- In the "Turn report", maybe headlines would be fine (Naval / Army / Air / Events / etc.) for a better visibility.
- Maybe graphs about the development in different areas (I found them a good supplement to statistics in SC3).

Only remarks! I think, it is a good release. Becoming even better, when I understand everything. [:D]

[:D]

Noted and I put these idea on the list... The forces page are estimates BTW from what you think is on the map.

FoW you can't see rear units only that they are land or air. You don't know the type. This was modified late in Beta from a more visible system. Units need to be in high recon to have an idea of what they are. Next to a unit for the combat value to appear.

[AlvaroSousa]

ORIGINAL: beldurax

I will hold off purchasing until I see some key items/exploits fixed. It is very encouraging to see Alvaro so active in terms of fixing issues right away, even addressing the concerns of the Wargamer review. Very encouraging.

I would do the same. In the mornings I respond to posts. In the afternoon and night I do the bug and scenario fixes. I really enjoy working on this so to me it is not work.

[jjdenver]

Above I tried to link a review that points out some things that really should be improved to make the game worthy of a purchase. But I forgot to link the review. Reviewer seems to make some good points. Having said that this game is really promising and I'm excited to see it released - can't wait to see some of these problems addresses so I can spend the time to buy and play it!

Here is link:

https://www.wargamer.com/reviews/warplan/

[Worg64]

ORIGINAL: canuckgamer

The review over at Wargamer is lukewarm. The reviewer's biggest concern is that he thinks the German's fuel reserves is too generous and that playing the historical scenario they had more than enough past 1945. I'll wait for additional reviews and feedback. Nice to hear that work on the Pacific front has already started.

I have just passed the year 1941 and even if I tried to be carefull with the oil I run out of Oil as Germany.
I had to stop and stand still more or less for a couple of turns in late august to september.

If anything I think the oil handling can actually be to hard!

I saw a suggestion that units that was less strength would use less oil that can sort that problem out and maybe get the oil balance better.

[ShawnP]

After watching some YT videos and reading posts here in the forum, I am very intrigued by this game. And, Alvaro's presence and responsiveness is a big plus.

One thing I have not seen much mention of is what I would call strategic bombing - maybe folks just aren't that far into the game yet. Is that possible?

[Zovs]

Yes you can strategically bomb industry with bombers.

[sillyflower]

Looking forward to getting it early next year after I get a new computer and when many of the teething troubles are resolved.

Release of a complex design, especially from a small outfit, is always going to be a bit like a public beta. I played WiTE from day 1 and it was still being updated when I stopped playing it 5 or more years later.

I always have huge respect for designers who provide great customer support, and have learned not to buy from the other sort.

[Redmarkus5]

ORIGINAL: Toby42

ORIGINAL: gwgardner

I playtested and played both SC3 and Warplan. Both great games. And quite different, although on rather similar scales. Anti-sub warfare in Warplan is completely different than in SC3, as is all of the naval aspect of the game.

Better, or just different?

I own all the SC titles and have been playing WarPlan since yesterday. So far I see WarPlan as an improved version of SC. You'll recognise most of the features but the WarPlan developer has kept the best and added many good features from other games.

WarPlan actually has stacking! A standard large Corps is made up of three divisions and can be broken down or rebuilt as a 2-div or 3-div Corps. This adds a great deal to the game, although I would still like to be able to combine 2 Corps for true concentration of force. I'd also like to be able to build combined Air groups.

Nevertheless, I'd say buy it.

[AlvaroSousa]

I have seen several complaints on oil management. It is a strategy in the game. Players can't keep attacking forever in the rain, snow, at all times. Units need to rest, recover, and save supplies and oil for new offensives. There are strategies for oil management. It will take time to discover them.

I do not release strategy information for the game because I want the players to discover them. The beta testers and myself were discovering new strategies as we tested. This isn't your typical game.... it's a wargame. I have played World in Flames (board game) a good 15-20 times. Each time I realize something new.

Yes I am willing to break the mold in my computer games and go against what players are used to so I can challenge them to think deeper. Now if it is discovered it is too hard to maintain oil that is another thing.

So think about how you can save oil. Remember there is a cap to oil saving for countries.

[Dr. Foo]

ORIGINAL: Alvaro Sousa

There are strategies for oil management. It will take time to discover them.

Yes, I found one, use the editor and place an oil field next to Berlin and Rome. [:-][:D][:D]

Waiting for a video on oil management to better understand how to save and use oil.

[gravyhair]

Alvaro +1 … you're right on. This is genius-level stuff here. Very impressed with this game, even the AI (for what it is). In MP this will shine gloriously. Your support is terrific, as well.

[AlvaroSousa]

Thanks. I am always checking the forums even on days off. No coding today though.

[Redmarkus5]

ORIGINAL: Alvaro Sousa

Thanks. I am always checking the forums even on days off. No coding today though.

Very impressive game. Thank you.

[AlbertN]

Yes there are some ways to improve the oil management, but it is still little unless you play sitzkrieg between France and Barbarossa.
Then yeah you can swim in oil. Reach your cap. And then probably have UK swamping the map with units.

For now at Poland, in T1, Germany can pratically waste their whole oil stock that they begin the game with.
Which is 100.
By Barbarossa their cap is 800-900 (I think that may be generous), let's assume they got it. But also how many more troops have they got, that require fuel, from the starting setup?
Thus how long such oil will last?

2 strikes of a Medium Bomber is -6- oil. (And in many cases they net 0-1 damage).
An armour attacking 3 times consumers -6- oil.

Assuming Germany has let's say 10 planes (think that's low), averaging 2 oil each (1 fighters, 2 cas, 3 medium), 2 missions each = 40 oil a turn
Now let's add Panzers / Mechanized. Let's say that Germany has 10 of them as well. And that each move, and attack 3 times (spending 8 each) = 80 oil a turn

That is barring Mediterranean / Atlantic anything else operation.
It is litterally needed to play sitzkrieg for 4 turns of offensive, then sitzkrieg for almost year, 4 turns offensive.

If an issue is not seen in that, I do not know what to say.

[ncc1701e]

ORIGINAL: Cohen_slith

For now at Poland, in T1, Germany can pratically waste their whole oil stock that they begin the game with.
Which is 100.

Congratulations to the game. Historically, I remember that Germany had no more oil stock at the end of the Polish campaign.
At last, having a game representing this is a big improvement !!!

[AlvaroSousa]

The damage on plans is physical damage. it does more effectiveness damage. Fighters defending over their own hexes basically use 50% less oil. They have a 50% chance not to use oil.

Germany does get more oil from synthetic plants as the game goes on.

I looked at the rules.... The stats are wrong.
Air Sups are 1 not 2.
GS is 2
Tac is 2 not 3.

Thanks for spotting that. I thought I changed it in the manual but apparently not.

[MrLongleg]

Can a hex be attacked from more than one side?

[Panzeh]

ORIGINAL: MrLongleg

Can a hex be attacked from more than one side?

Absolutely. You just click the unit you want to attack with, shift and hold the mouse over all the other ones to include and then right click the poor bastard.