Alex if you don't mind here is a rough translation in English. I will remove this if you prefer.
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So, friends , we have a new turn-based war game Piercing Fortress Europa simultaneous execution moves from Frank's Hunter'a and Matrixgames. This game tells the story of a long and bitter Italian campaign 1943 - 1945 period. During this campaign, the Allied troops first truly entered into a land war in Europe , which led to an early exit from the war in Italy and the influx of German divisions here , so necessary in other parts of Germany .
I want to talk primarily about what the new game differs from other representatives of the genre like the War in the East, Decisive Campaigns and other familiar wargames.
Piercing Fortress Europa
The game covers the fighting in Sicily and Italy in summer 1943 to April 1945. Each hex on the map corresponds to a distance of 12 km, game turn is 3 days during the fighting in Sicily , 4 days to 6 days of summer and winter campaign in Italy . The game has 6 scenarios ( two of which are campaigns - historical and alternative ) , game mode is supported by e-mail (PBEM) game mode and two people on one computer (Hotseat). This completes the basic information and move on to the specifics .
First of all, it is worth noting that playing Piercing Fortress Europa is markedly different from many poshagovy wargames . The first difference is the simultaneous execution of moves ( system WEGO). Of course , such a system is used in games from Ageod and a number of other products, but with WEGO ispolzoniem mechanism in relation to fighting regular armies with the need to maintain a solid front line for the first time I encounter . Another feature of the game is the possibility of each compound only perform one action at a time: to march and get in touch with the enemy , move and break contact, attack or stand still and take to replenish the supply . Here , for example, can not perform somersaults like cunning contraction forces to strike from different places , and then their immediate distribution to new positions in War in the East. This point is really important , so how to achieve the desired coordination of troops becomes much more complicated. He, together with the simultaneous execution of course , does not apply cunning and realistic techniques , typical of many war games, like pulling troops from the rear, attack these troops , and then leap forward with the forces that were at the forefront , but did not participate in battle, keeping all movement points .
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Piercing Fortress Europa
Confrontation on the Gustav Line
Further feature Piercing Fortress Europa is a lot of attention and supply of rear services . Here, a player has the opportunity to manually prioritize the request resources ( ammunition or fuel ) and automatically allocate these resources between the compounds . Each division or brigade has has 4 state supply status (0 to 3). The lowest mean lack of ability to attack and heavy fines for firepower during battle. High status contrary gives a great increase in the course of battle . During the planning phase, the player gives commands by hand delivery to supply the required compound . This allows an increase of 1 unit supply status . When delivering supplies accounted distance from ports and the state of the ports themselves . The poor condition of the port and the long distance leads to increased fuel consumption for delivery of ammunition. State captured ports in the game is constantly changing. Allies have the ability to send engineering units for the restoration of port facilities , and the Germans can use their aircraft to attack these objects , worsening the situation with the supply allies.
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Piercing Fortress Europa
Difficulties with supply
Combat mechanics in the game is very simple. There are two types of ground connections - tank and infantry . Each of them has its own attack and defense modifiers depending on the type of terrain. In addition , each compound considered his strength ( figure icon at the bottom ) , and experience fatigue. There are restrictions on the number of connections in the same hex , which depends on the size of these compounds ( figure in a yellow circle icon on the left) and the type of terrain . So , on the plain in the same cell can deploy troops in the total size of 10 units, while the cross-country limit are only 5-6 units, and in the cities on the contrary - to 12-16 units depending on the size of the city .
Gameplay is quite unusual for wargames operational scale . During each turn, the player determines the nature of the action of each compound (movement , landing , transfer at sea , attack, retreat , getting supplies, construction of fortifications ) , exposes the priorities of air support for different compounds , prioritize requests supplies, distributes tasks Aviation ( fighting for dominance in air support of ground troops , not the impact of the enemy ) . Order of motions or attack is as follows: the player selects the required force and end point - at this point the selected troops transferred to this point. As a result , after the distribution of orders, we can see on the map is not the current position of the troops, and a kind of plan of operations with the location, which should take our forces after the execution of orders . Key word here is " should take ." The fact is that after the deal teams progress payment for both sides is performed simultaneously and the resulting situation may be very different from planned .
Piercing Fortress Europa
Landing in Sicily
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conclusion
Conclusion I want to make very simple. Having played Piercing Fortress Europa, you know how many games on overloaded with unnecessary details and micromanagement . Does itself accounting for each tank , a soldier or a projectile in games like War in the East more realism and historicity ? I do not think so . As already mentioned , the emphasis in Piercing Fortress Europa placed on planning maneuvers and supply , ie to develop operations, rather than on detailed modeling of all types of weapons and equipment . I think that at the moment the engine of this game is the best for fighting the operational level . The obvious drawback of the game , only one - not much fun for our players the Italian theater of war. In this regard, look forward to the promised sequel to the fighting on the Western Front is World War II. In my opinion, wargame on the Western Front on the engine Piercing Fortress Europa looks promising next monster War in the West by Gary Grigsby .
The review has already begun on the AAR battle against man, but the party was suspended before the first patch , which is expected soon
