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I am a longtime player of the Strategic Command series of games. The latest version SC WWII War in Europe may be more accurate with a more challenging AI but something crucial has been lost. It's no longer the "beer and pretzels" game where you could turn down the realism and have a game you could finish in a few hours. Instead, one can take naps during the AI's turn and take days to finish games even if you play several hours a day. Is there any way to turn back on the "fun" back in playing this game. It becomes a slog rather than a delight.

I am playing SC2 Assault on Communism as Axis concurrently with WWII playing as Soviets only. Turn times are similar, so WWII is more complex.

However, I could not finish any SC2 campaign game "in a few hours." Both are very good - far better than the Pacific game, imo.

I agree with less fun but for only one reason, the war in the east is a beast of war just by nature of the war itself. The Axis drive into the east and north to Leningrad is fun for me, but as soon as the winter strikes the game goes a little stagnet as it becomes almost trench warfare while you wait for the allied invasion in mid 1943.

I do not know what can be done, nor if any thing should be done it is the nature of the beast [:(].

Bo

In SC2 AoC, I have played Axis with "no weather" option. You are in sight of Gorky by late 1942. And I am a weak player.

ok
you are certainly allowed to comment but honestly I think you are in the minority. IMO this is by far the best in the series

I am totally for respecting everyone's opinion and for all to have the forum, to express that opinion. I couldn't disagree more. In my opinion, this is by far the best in the series. I beta tested this game and it has been the only PC game I have played since. I love everything about it and I think it strikes the perfect balance between beer and pretzels and a grognard monster. To each their own but, for me, this is a total classic.

If you want SC1, I'm sure it's still available. You can have one of my copies.

But....I can't imagine going back. I have every version, which I'll never play again!

ORIGINAL: Marcus the leper

I am totally for respecting everyone's opinion and for all to have the forum, to express that opinion. I couldn't disagree more. In my opinion, this is by far the best in the series. I beta tested this game and it has been the only PC game I have played since. I love everything about it and I think it strikes the perfect balance between beer and pretzels and a grognard monster. To each their own but, for me, this is a total classic.

Agreed 100%, there is a few minor adjustments that can be made, but if that is the only complaint then I feel this game is excellent.

Bo

I do think SC WWII War in Europe is the best version of the game. I would love to have an SC WWII War in Europe version of Winti's SOE Fast Play (mod) campaign from SC2 Global for a quicker playing slightly more B&P option, don't know if he/she is still around and modding though.

I feel this is the best version also. Just having hexes and losing the lousy DRM their previous publishers forced on us, makes it great.

If you want to speed things up a bit, instead of using garrisons have a certain amount of MPPs, say 50, to pay to suppress that partisan hex or an inherent defense factor for the hex, just like you apply anti-air.

That way you don't have to move and monitor actual units. Later if you need the MPPs, you just remove the defense factor and recover the MPPs, which of course activates the hex.

Well
I just had the ai push spain into the Axis fold in 41, could not reinforce G fast enough.. OMG, BUT Italy flaid in Greece and the germance stumbled attacking ussr.. al;l in all a wash, changes 42 objectives to retacking G and killing the Italians in NF

All that to say
WOW

Yeah I have to say this one hits the sweet spot precisely for me between grognard and beer and pretzels. I didn't play the earlier versions much, got bored quickly. There is a lot of depth to this game but it doesn't get bogged down by it.

But to each his own.

Well, Spain over runs Gibralter.. then invades Portugal?? US declares war in Sept... reinforces Port!! Germans tanks counter and drive the USA INF into the sea... egypt is a standstill USSR a fail for the Axis... ITs about the most fun in an Eastern Front game ever! aside fr4om two player games but man... Italy had not gotten the idea of rushing G, but sits nibbling away in the small pond.... It will be interesting now that Greece fell and its winter 41/42... Seeing German forces in Spain and the like makes my inner Red army general HAPPY
so
I think this game is about the perfect balance for ease and fun
BRAVO

now lets get some 2 player going!!!

I have also played the entire series, and this is the best version of the game yet - and by a large margin.

How would it be better by the fact that you could finish campaigns faster? The longer the better imo, what point is there to build an empire if you lose it all in a couple of hours?:D

I have the same thing going on in my game. Spain joined the Axis, then declared war on Portugal. I rushed US and Canadian units to save Portugal, now they are fighting a Finland, Italy, Hungary, Spain and Germany, all in Portugal. Bravo, great game!

Best of series by a mile

I've only played this version of the game series and think that once future patches adjust the play balance and fix the reported bugs, this game will be very fun to play for a long time.

It is a step above an "Axis and Allies" and below "War in the East/West" as far as learning curve and turn complication go. It also plays much quicker than they do but still provides a challenging and fun game. I've played 3 games so far as allies. Got myself beat bad in the first and managed to win the second two. However all three games played very differently with the main areas of focus in different areas of the map. In each one, I found myself sweating when trying to stop Axis advances and knew that with one bad choice on my part or a few "bad " dies rolls with the combat results, the game would have turned quickly against me. In each game, I found the “play one more turn” mentality to be there, which for me is a very large plus because it means I’m enjoying myself.

I think this game is going to be around a long time because with all of the decision events and choices a player must make on how to spend MPP (buy units, research, diplomacy, convoys, reinforce/upgrade), each game is going to be different right from the start. I can't see it being possible for anyone to follow the exact same plan from game to game once the die rolls start to occur. You may know how to take Poland in two turns, but one bad roll and it takes three to do so. Thus you are one week late moving units west for France. In France, one or two bad rolls there and they hold out a month more. Or possibly the AI (or human) decides that instead of the initial BEF force, they also send everything available to France, ignoring Africa. This slows you down a few more weeks or more. With that, the summer '41 USSR invasion is delayed or weaken making, it easier for USSR to defend.

Malor

ORIGINAL: von Warze

I have the same thing going on in my game. Spain joined the Axis, then declared war on Portugal. I rushed US and Canadian units to save Portugal, now they are fighting a Finland, Italy, Hungary, Spain and Germany, all in Portugal. Bravo, great game!

That is one feature in the game that I dislike. The ability to "Operate" units anywhere and everywhere each turn across the entire map is to great and not costly enough. First it makes it too easy to move units in too short of a time. Second, I can't really believe the Finns(or other countries) would ever have let their troops fight in Spain for any reason. It just did not mesh with their goals. I think there should be some morale penalty for units fighting far from home.

I can see eastern European countries fighting in the east against the USSR, but not in the west. Currently when watching the AI Axis fight, you can find Italian troops on all three USSR fronts, in Africa, Greece, Spain if they enter and on Garrison duty in France. All at the same time That does not see right and thus why some penalty should be applied. Maybe if the units are attached to an HQ for the same country (or due to attach limits, it is still nearby), the penalty would not exist signifying a national commitment of forces.

Malor