Matrix Games Forums

Ok I don't have a poll because well I am not the sole person with a list of choices.

I am curious, what are we gamers looking to see in a major game undertaking that ISN'T an over worked over done, played do death setting.

Yes yes yes we all know about selling to the largest possible audience, That's why Combat Leader will be Russian Front in spite of the laments of the modern camp.

But in deference to those that wish to speculate, on future efforts, what fresh material is interesting?

I have a book I am part way through, The D-Day Dodgers a term that was applied to the troops fighting in Italy.
It has shown that there were plenty of very significant battles to be found out there. It wasn't always Normandy, Market Garden and Bulge.

Me I am putting in my vote for Ortona, also known as Little Stalingrad.
I won't steal all the other choices, and leave some room for others to weigh in on comments.

The Battle of Mortain, France where the 30th Infantry Division stopped a major counter attack by the Germans.

The German Order of Battle was the 1st SS Panzer Division, 2nd SS Panzer Division, 2nd Panzer Division and the 116th Panzer Division. Their objective was to cut the 3rd Army (Patton) supply lines at Avranches.

Hmmm good choice, I can even game that battle out in great detail with my The Longest Day monster game from Avalon Hill.

Battle of the Schelte Estuary.

So I am biased toward Canadian battles.

Ya they just don't do enough to game out the Long Left Flank do they.

Although Operation Veritable for my ASL game sure has a strong draw on my attention lately.

I might be drifting off the subject (WWII??), but I am really desperate for a strategic Roman empire game. There are so many WWII etc titles that I just can't deal with them.

WWI grand strategic game could be interesting, if there was one in the detail of War in Russia etc.

--Mikko

I'd also like to see something on WW1

Doomed

Operation Mars, Soviet Union vs. Germany 1942-3.

msaario have you ever seen Ceasar 1, 2 or 3?

Not quite a wargame, not quite a sim though I suppose. But I would wager that this game is likely the thresshold of a viable computer game for profitability sake.

I have not played it directly but I have seen a buddy play it alot.
It looked fun enough.

I don't suspect though, that there is a big demand for a Roman Legion era game at the same scale level of Steel Panthers (I could be wrong though).

I personally might find the game fun, just not sure if there are enough of us types to warrant the game being made.

The main problem would be from "already been done sorta" games that would impact the interest of the consumer.
After all, how often could anyone expect to market a Steel Panthers looking game? Same hurdle with a Civ or Ceasar looking game.

I would love to see a 'what if?' campaign of Opperation Sealion. What if the Germans had put as much planning and preparation into Sealion as they did into the invasion of France? I've done some searching on the 'net, and info on plans the Germans may have had on hand for the opperation seem to be as scarce as hen's teeth, but it would be interesting!)

Eric Maietta

Must be looking in wrong places for sealion then.

I just read a good book that discussed "what if" the evac at Dunkirk had been preceeded by an even worse debacle in the BEF sector, and the evac had gone bad. Which would have opened the chance of at least the Germans putting more interest in Sealion.

Same book explored what might have happened if the RAF had been attacked more effectively instead of the choice to attack the cities. No RAF would have also greatly impacted the role the Royal Navy might have been able to pursue.

Both stories were fictionalised accounts drawing on actual conditions that existed at the time, and logical progressions that could have occurred with minor changes, that were in some cases only the way they were due to the fickle hand of fate.

Sealion could have happened with only the most insignificant alteration of actual history. It is amazing that it actually didn't happen.

Originally posted by AbsntMndedProf
I would love to see a 'what if?' campaign of Opperation Sealion. What if the Germans had put as much planning and preparation into Sealion as they did into the invasion of France? I've done some searching on the 'net, and info on plans the Germans may have had on hand for the opperation seem to be as scarce as hen's teeth, but it would be interesting!)

Eric Maietta

Hey, I suppose you know that a Sealion campaign exists for SPWAW! Do you have downloaded it?

Scimitar posted:

"Hey, I suppose you know that a Sealion campaign exists for SPWAW! Do you have downloaded it?"

No, I didn't know one existed. Where can I download it? Thanks!

Eric Maietta

Rather than fixate on the European Theatre of WWII, how about the Battle of Imphal between the British and Japanese. It was a very close fight that could have gone either way.

Then there are other periods of History. What about some of the battles on the Eastern Front during WW1, Brusilov's Offensive, ot possibly Capretto, the first use of Strosstruppen.

What about a battle from the 30 years war, such as Brietenfeld. Gustavos Adolphus could have lost that very important battle. Or possibly the Battle of Hastings, again that one was a matter of a luckcy arrow that the Normans won.

There are a lot to choose from other than the WWII European Theatre.

Originally posted by AbsntMndedProf
Scimitar posted:

"Hey, I suppose you know that a Sealion campaign exists for SPWAW! Do you have downloaded it?"

No, I didn't know one existed. Where can I download it? Thanks!

Eric Maietta

OK, I've seen that you've had the answer in your "Operation Sealion?" topic in the section "Scenarios". If I remenber correctly, that campaign is not so old: end of last year/beginning of that year I think. Just tried the first mission; seems to be really interrestive (but actually I'm involved in MCLV...)

Originally posted by Les the Sarge 9-1
msaario have you ever seen Ceasar 1, 2 or 3?

Not quite a wargame, not quite a sim though I suppose. But I would wager that this game is likely the thresshold of a viable computer game for profitability sake.

I have not played it directly but I have seen a buddy play it alot.
It looked fun enough.

I don't suspect though, that there is a big demand for a Roman Legion era game at the same scale level of Steel Panthers (I could be wrong though).

I personally might find the game fun, just not sure if there are enough of us types to warrant the game being made.

The main problem would be from "already been done sorta" games that would impact the interest of the consumer.
After all, how often could anyone expect to market a Steel Panthers looking game? Same hurdle with a Civ or Ceasar looking game.

I've seen the Caesar games and almost bought the third edition (from the bargain bin). However, it looks a bit too much like - say - Age of Empires etc. (played a lot) so I thought: "ok, it's Roman stuff, but seen it done it before". I'd rather see a real wargame a la War In Russia plus the kinky Roman politics (if the praetorians asked you to be the caesar, you could only answer yes). I thought the new game - Legion - would fill the gap, but from what I've seen and read, it's like another Caesar...

I have a hard core Roman era board game (Imperium Romanum II?) that I never really played. Would be fun on a computer, though.

Not exactly a popular time period, unfortunately (it's like being a tea drinker in Finland).

--Mikko

Imo, the Caesar games aren't really wargames but city building games with a small 'war' element in form of wild animals and rebels.

Heh..I've played one game of Imperium Romanum II..noticed that it was a good old 'stack' game. Means that the army counter piles are higher than the diameter of 1 counter

I could recommend you a boardgame 'Republic of Rome'...used to have great fun playing it, but I dunno if it's still in print.

Voriax
(a tea drinker)

Originally posted by Voriax
I could recommend you a boardgame 'Republic of Rome'...used to have great fun playing it, but I dunno if it's still in print.

Voriax
(a tea drinker)

Thanks, but I think I'll stick with the computer games. If I was any good in coding, I'd make my own games.

--Mikko

Caeser is the 1st in a series of "City" Building games. There was Caeser 1,2 and 3, (set in the Roman Empire). Pharoh with the expansion pack Cleopatra (set in Egypt). and Zues with the expansion pack Posiden (set in Atlantis) Each used the smae basic game engine and each had improved features over is predicesor.

The next is a game set in Ancient China.

They are relatively well done games that are fairly bug free to start with.

There are small "battles". Dangers to your citizens with bandits and wild animals.

There are a long way from Age of Empires, although there are a few simularities.

For more info:

www.heavengames.com

What I'd like to see would be a grand scaled WWI game with a huge and detailed nautical part.
The only time Germany ever had a powerful navy...it was more powerful than the US navy during that war...and was second in size only to Britain's.

My second choice would be a military/political game for the Frederician years...1740-1786