Matrix Games Forums

Here are my first impressions:

5 minutes:
My very first feeling was about the side to play. Allies contain USSR of course. But, I was thinking that Western Allies could have been splitted with USSR as one additional side to play.

Nice map, large and my initial fear about stacking has been reduced until I have seen Malta. I am wondering how I will be in position to prevent a landing with an anti-air only. Will see by playing. But I intend to send all my bombers there and I do not see from where the RAF fighters could come. A carrier in Valletta?

I was also surprised to see no MPP coming from USSR as German until I have seen the event when Poland falls.

First impressions was good overall but I miss stacking of ground/air units. The earlier remark of one V1 unit that could not be stacked with another ground unit is so true.


20 hours:
The game is very stable. No crash to desktop observed. Interface is annoying to disappear again and again.
The zoom must be reworked (one level is missing and the mouse cursor should be taken into account to center the screen).

I like geography thus I am thinking adding the main river names to the map would be a great addition.

The Royal Navy is very powerful against my subs. I find that the Carrier planes tend to never miss my subs. Whereas in 1939, subs should perhaps be able to avoid them a little more.

I am surprised by the scale of the DD and SS units. Are they really representing a single destroyer or single sub like the names seem to indicate?
Same thing, I am puzzled by the scale of the Tank Group. According to the name, it could be either a single division either a corps.

My feeling about USSR that should be splitted from Western Allies is a little reinforced by the fact that several decision events are against USSR as UK.


I have restarted the game many times to find UI bugs so far. But, it is hard to leave it for sleeping clearly.

Now let's play a real campaign !!! [:)]

No crash

I have had no issues whatsoever, currently up to May 1940.

Whereas in 1939, subs should perhaps be able to avoid them a little more.

And I think until at least the end of 1942, the Germans had an advantage in the sub wars.

I am puzzled by the scale of the Tank Group. According to the name, it could be either a single division either a corps.

From an historical perspective I agree. The Germans didn't use 'Tank Groups'. Maybe Kampfgruppe, but Korps or Division would be more accurate.

My feeling about USSR that should be splitted from Western Allies is a little reinforced by the fact that several decision events are against USSR as UK.

I can't speak for the developers of this one, but I know from another game that adding a third [or more] side is problematic [or maybe 'quite difficult' is a better way to put it].

I guess everybody would love a third war party (USSR, with its own war goals), but I guess this is a feature that will come only in the far, far future, too much work, too much to program, too difficult to balance). Maybe Hubert might be able to add this with a future release within the next few years.

From all i know the AI has the advantage on human players when it comes to spotting abilities. Might be wrong though. But if i remember correctly it can see farer into the fog of war than a human player can.

What you should try is to SNEAK into the Atlantic, avoiding Allied ports and territories. Don't end you turn anywhere near allied bases, nor to a zone where allied naval units might patrol (Scapa Flow to Norway, straight line).

What you should try is to SNEAK into the Atlantic, avoiding Allied ports and territories. Don't end you turn anywhere near allied bases, nor to a zone where allied naval units might patrol (Scapa Flow to Norway, straight line).

I haven't tried it extensively, after the first couple subs were lost trying thru the North Sea and another thru the Channel, and the German surface ships were decimated near Oslo [before I found out that Norway could be bought] I relegated the KM to port hopping.

In the one example where I had a sub in the Atlantic, I moved it to the shipping lane out in the middle of nowhere and set it to hunt, the next turn the British hit it and reduced it to 7, so I moved it due north as far it could go and the Brits easily followed it and knocked it down to 2. Again I moved it as far northeast as possible, but it was lost next turn. Only three times did the sub 'dive' to get away, but the Brits had no trouble re-finding it each time.

As I am a new player, I'm focused on learning other things right now.

ORIGINAL: ncc1701e

I am surprised by the scale of the DD and SS units. Are they really representing a single destroyer or single sub like the names seem to indicate?
Same thing, I am puzzled by the scale of the Tank Group. According to the name, it could be either a single division either a corps.

Naval units represent several combat and support vessels clustered around a named capital ship.

With the Tank Groups, it is hard to find names that cross the gap between Division and Corps throughout the war, because at the start Germany, France and the UK had no specifically designated Armoured Corps, but later that changed.

I don't really agree with the way that you worded that Bill, and since 'Tank Group' is a peeve of mine, I'll have a little bit of a rant here. [;)]

Thru the war the Germans typically grouped two panzer and one motorized division together in a korp. At the start in Poland they had four of these korps, XIV, XV, XVI and XIX. [Five if you count the Group Wodrig]. These were labeled as 'Motorized Korps' until redesignated as Panzer Korps in 1942. If it weren't too difficult for the coding, it might be nice historically to have German Motorized Korps until mid-1942 when they could be upgraded to Panzer Korps. The timing conveniently coincides with the introduction of larger numbers of Panthers and Tigers. I noticed in the game that the player can change names between Panzer, Panzergrenadier and Motorized, but the term 'Tank Group' is always there.

The Soviets started with Mech Corps that were horrid and should have basically no combat value, then started forming better Tank Corps and Tank Armies, which weren't effective at all until late 1942. [Of course, a Soviet Tank Corps was closer to a division and their Armies closer to a corps]. I am currently only in March 1941 and have no in game experience in Russia.

The Western Allies NEVER formed Armoured or Tank Corps. [They tried once at Caen in July 1944 and didn't like it]. For a game such as this I would think that all WA corps should be infantry corps of one armoured and 2-3 inf divisions. However, since the WA generally had a lot of transport, WA corps could be Mech corps, or upgradable to mech corps due to Lend-Lease.

I obviously have no idea if any of this steps in the way of the games' mechanics, but now that I got all that off my chest I hopefully won't go into again, plus I feel a little better. [:)]

ORIGINAL: Bill Runacre

ORIGINAL: ncc1701e

I am surprised by the scale of the DD and SS units. Are they really representing a single destroyer or single sub like the names seem to indicate?
Same thing, I am puzzled by the scale of the Tank Group. According to the name, it could be either a single division either a corps.

Naval units represent several combat and support vessels clustered around a named capital ship.

But, for uboats, I would prefer the unit to be named "1st U-boat Flotilla" than U-47 for example. May be for the Allied, it make sense to keep sub names. But, for the Axis, I do not see how we will be able to build 1000 subs. [:D]

ORIGINAL: sPzAbt653

I noticed in the game that the player can change names between Panzer, Panzergrenadier and Motorized, but the term 'Tank Group' is always there.

One of the thing I did try, seen this Tank Group term, and notice the same. [;)]

I agree with all what you said sPzAbt653 (hard to write by the way).

Now, I would like to know if the OOB we have now, for playing, is definitive or if we could change it to match history a little more? [&o]

Thanks

sPzAbt653 (hard to write by the way).

Yes, it is. Blame the Germans for naming their units 'schwere Panzer Abteilungs', and at least I used the abbreviation, lol.

sPz or 653 is just as good, or even my actual name, Steve !