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I finally broke down and bought Kharkov after equivocating for some time. I have all of SSG's land war titles beginning with the original SSI TAO, and I couldn't resist this one ultimately. Especially with news of "Across the Dneipr" coming as an expansion. I'm getting my butt handed to me as the Soviets, as it's hard for me to embrace the concept of having so many units destroyed in the attack. The AI is really good as the Germans and will make you pay dearly for errors. I like the new artillery rules (they fire individually to inflict step losses) and the general advancement of the game system.

A couple of things awry that I noticed/questioned when I played:

• The mouse cursor sometimes goes on the fritz over certain buttons (incl. the buttons in the top right of the screen and the exit game confirmation pop-up).
• The Soviet "6 Gd Tank Brigade" lists the equipment as T-60s, but has a T-34 silhouettte.

These aren't big deals, just noting them to give a heads up. Seems like another very polished, high quality game from SSG.

Welcome aboard, glad to hear that you're enjoying the game, even if the AI is giving you a hard time. You will find that attacking high quality units with good defensive fire factors can be an expensive proposition but the Soviets have lots of units and can pay the price. The trick is to avoid getting depleted units killed when the AI counter-attacks, and this will require a reasonable amout of care on your part.

Gregor

ORIGINAL: Capitaine
...as it's hard for me to embrace the concept of having so many units destroyed in the attack.

This is something I've struggled with too, but I've got used to it now, and thoroughly enjoy the game. I've played a few scenarios where even upon reaching turn 15 you're not sure who's going to win (however, I'm also at turn 15 in another against a soviet opponent and he's going to win by a country mile [:(]).

Great game, just need more scenarios, but reading the notes on the other thread maybe they're in the pipeline.[:)]

Ah, I see Gregor.  Keeping the Soviet advance due East of Kharkov within the friendly front line so they can entrench makes a huge difference.  I haven't lost nearly anything but am creeping forward steadily.  No blitzkrieg allowed there.  But in the South where there are no panzers, I'm moving fast and not facing the devastating counterattacks.  I can see how this can work.  Just have to be careful of ctr-btty fire now.. [;)]

ORIGINAL: Capitaine

Ah, I see Gregor.  Keeping the Soviet advance due East of Kharkov within the friendly front line so they can entrench makes a huge difference.  I haven't lost nearly anything but am creeping forward steadily.  No blitzkrieg allowed there.  But in the South where there are no panzers, I'm moving fast and not facing the devastating counterattacks.  I can see how this can work.  Just have to be careful of ctr-btty fire now.. [;)]

It's arguable as to whether the Soviets ever do a classic blitzkrieg, perhaps 'crunchkrieg' would be a better term, and they really have to wait until 1944 to do it. Until then, you have to be careful, and work within the many limitations of your troops.

Gregor

ORIGINAL: Capitaine

it's hard for me to embrace the concept of having so many units destroyed in the attack.

It was stated somewhere in the manual that units being 'destroyed' does not mean they are destroyed. It's an abstraction. Say maybe the units have been so heavily pummeled they are simply no longer effective, and not that the whole division is dead/captured/wounded to the last man. I would say that case would hold only for surrounded units, but the game doesn't differentiate those cases (and it doesn't matter anyhow).

Okay, perhaps "units removed" would be a better phrase, huh?  Either way, it's unsettling to me. [;)]