Advanced Tactics or Decisive Battles: Battles In Italy

[Rocko911]

Well I am going to treat myself to a new wargame. I have been mulling over Advanced Tactics or Decisive Battles: Battles in Italy. I like the Idea that DBI is historical versus Advanced Tactics, but I hear people are really enjoying AT and its flexibility. Some thoughts would help Thanks

[mtvaill]

why decide...? get both!

[jjdenver]

I've got both - and really I can never say a bad thing about SSG games - love those guys, and it's a good game. However if I had to take one game to a desert island - it would be AT.

[darrellb9]

ORIGINAL: jjdenver
However if I had to take one game to a desert island - it would be AT.

[:D]
Same here.

[Alan Sharif]

Same here too, have both, enjoy both, would get AT if I could only have one.

[jimi3]

Notes from a new addict: First off, never played Battles in Italy, however I do have 13 Matrix games more HPS than I care to think about. I was on the fence on AT and studied the Forum every day. The AT community is awesome. Finally ordered it and it sat for a while as I was learning other games. Started with AT and got so hooked that it is the only game I think about. It looks so simple but the depth is incredible (and I don't mod or PBEM). You can fight the war in Italy or anyplace else for that matter. I am still playing random games and I am having so much fun I have not even touched the historical scenerios. Bit of babbling, but this thing is taking over. Buy it, you won't regret it !!! [:)]

[emcgman]

Question:

Do you have any other DB series? Like Battles in Normandy or Korson Pocket?

If you do, then just get Advanced Tactics.

However, if you don't own any DB Series, then it's a tougher choice, especially since Battles In Italy has a fair amount of scenarios. And I agree that the historic aspect and more serious grognard aspect of BII is very cool. Plus it's straight up strategic/tactical action, no extra micro management with build `em up or supply.

[freeboy]

ok, in at you can have a callenging game against the ai, but no way on DB, both are great pbem vehicles, both are very abstract.. compare to other hex or now hex turn based games..
I prefer pbem AT because of the supply and build option, and air, all far supperior imo. Plus youwill end up with probably 250 scenarios by years end for at, and then there will be all that excitement over the next thing, whatever vic decides that will be...
I own every SSG title in the last ten years, including the last one.. and while they are all quality products AT is the one premier game on the market right now. I also am plauying two pbem games of Taow3, and own another 30 matrix games, so I have some perspective. Another great none- pbem game is th WW1 game, guns of Aug..

[Moltke71]

If you buy  DB:BiI, you'll have an excellent game of the Italian campaign but that's all.  AT opens up incredible horizons.

[Herode_2]

ORIGINAL: Bismarck

If you buy  DB:BiI, you'll have an excellent game of the Italian campaign but that's all. 

No, that's not all. A lot of great scenarios have been designed for BiI : Russian campaigns, Pacific War, France campaigns and so on. BiI is really a nice game.

I own both and after my opinion, the initial question is aporetic. The point is : do you want a grognard game (rigid and static set of rules, historicity not questionnable) ? BiI is for you. Do you want something more flexible ? AT is THE FLEXIBLE-UNIVERSAL GAME and displays an awesome quality for something so flexible. Really. As scenarios designers become more and more trained and acurate, we also have more and more historical scenarios which are not as historical as BiI's ones, nor any HPS Panzer Campaign's scenarios, of course, but which are very close in terms of credibility, flavour and gaming-depth.

I like historicity but I do not define myself as a grognard. Were I to take my turn on the Desert Island, AT would me my choice without any question : more flavours, more things to do, more sizeable, more choices, and... more games : AT is really a X games for one (X >>>> 1 [:'(]) as optional rules and settings really bring new points of views on the theater of war : the North Africa scenario is not the same game than Tweber's Great War, nor is the WaW one. A random game and Russia 41 are two different experiences. And so on.

My opinion is : no wargame player can avoid playing AT.
That's all. [&o]

[Rocko911]

Thanks to all and I bit and bought AT, any tips on learning?

[Joshuatree]

Yeah, the way I did it is reading some AAR's, especially the two sticky's at the top. Read the manual once and then keep it close Begin with some small random scenarios, then with North Africa 41 and Russia 41. In the beginning all those buttons and info on the counters can get somewhat bewildering, you just have to learn to read them.
There is a tutorial, but that covers really just the basics. After that the fun starts.
Enjoy.

[Herode_2]

North Africa is fine for a first step, Russia 41... maybe a little too heavy (imho, of course...) NA is easy with Axis side, a bit more kinda challenge as the Allies. I also suggest to have a glance on the combat log. Tons of valuable informations by there [8D]