Immersion, unit details?

[AstroCat]

Hi!

I have had Korsun Pocket for a while now and I’ve had a hard time getting in to the game. I love the concept of the game and I was able to play through the tutorials and play a bit afterwards with knowing what I was doing but I’ve got a problem getting “immersed” in the game.

I think the biggest problem for me is the “abstractness” of the units. It would help so much if I could, for example, right click on a unit and select unit information.

This information would give me the type of equipment in the unit and the amount of troops. Even better, this would be dynamic, as I gained or lost troops and gear the stats would be adjusted. Maybe some unit history would be fun as well.
This would really, I think help me get in touch with the history of the game and make whole experience a lot more immersive. I feel at times now I'm just pushing numbers around and not tanks and troops.

I currently play a lot of the Combat Mission games and Strategic Command and I was looking for the perfect operational level game in the middle and the Decisive Battles series seemed so close.

Any suggestions or comments would be really appreciated.

Thanks!

Jordan “AstroCat”

[Fred98]

No, not much of that.

But I have been completely seduced by the game system. In played the predecessor game – TAO2 for 2 years. I was never bored because the system is so good.

And now I have been playing Korsun Pocket for a year – and I have not finished with all the scenarios.

And now BIN has gone gold! The game together with the user made scenarios, will take at least 3 years before I am worn out – and then perhaps there will be the next one in the series.

I am a great fan of this game !

[Kevinugly]

If it's any consolation Astrocat, I feel the same way although maybe not for the same reasons. I'm still interested in BiN but it's not on my immediate 'purchasing horizon'.

[z1812]

Hi AstroCat,

I have the same problems with Korsun as you describe. It does not yet feel like a full fledged war game to me. It seems to me to have a very mechanical feel to it. Your description of it as feeling too abstract is what I have thought myself. I feel very little connection to the game. I tend to like games that feel intuitive and immersive. So far KP does not feel that way.

I am however trying to learn the system and while doing so have found a patient opponent to PBEM with. I want to be sure that I give the game a good try as it seems to be so popular with so many.

Bear in mind that this is my opinion and others surely feel differently. Not every games style suits everyone of course. Thank goodness for companies taking different approaches to war gaming. That insures there is something for everyone.

If you are looking for an operational level game you could try " Highway to the Reich" available from Matrix or one of the Panzer Campaigns Games from HPS games. I find them both to be very immersive.

[wodin]

I think operational games have a hard job at immersion. Its all down to the imagination which when playing games like Squad BAttles or SPWAW or CLose Combat that comes easy. With operational games its harder to depict without the game just seeming like a complicated version of chess. Good sound effects are usefull and often overlooked in games like this. Also battle description would be great with detailed unit losses etc etc but with a battle description how long would it be before the same thing was repeated and then it would lose all authenicity.

Tough one really. I played KP and got into it for a bit. However games likt Squad BAttles really have it for me. I even roleplay and do a running commentary in my PBEM games wiht thise series. Its very easy to do and adds a lot in immersion stakes. Its easy as your dealing with squads and named individual officers.