How is the game?

Panzer VI · (This post was last modified: 05-20-2009, 01:51 PM by Panzer VI.)

I have enough for another HPS title.This musket and pike title looks interesting.I dont mind not have 3D graphics, as I play 2D in all John Tiller games(Panzer Campaigns, Campaign Series, Battleground Series).

The number of stand alone scenarios and campaigns, I think I might give it a go.

What do you guys think?

Steel God · 05-20-2009, 10:07 PM,

I have enjoyed it immensely and have completed a handful of games, with another handful underway.

The 3D graphics will be added down the road I have been told, maybe with the next release, but for me, 2D is not a big issue as I have played PzC and MC games in 2D for years. In fact looking at the board in 3D confuses me usually. There are a lot of scenarios in Renaissance, and despite the number of games I have played or am playing I still have not repeated a scenario and almost all of them have been fun to play and well balanced.

To counter that, I know very little about the period portrayed, so maybe it's a lousy simulation, but I certainly can't tell that. As far as a fun game system goes, I love it and plan on getting the next installment too.

Paul

Panzer VI · 05-21-2009, 01:33 PM,

the number of scenarios is a plus, over 100 stand alone and over 100 specific for Campaigns!

This is going to be my first non-Panzer Campaign HPS purchase.Hope it's good.

Steel God · 05-21-2009, 11:07 PM,

Panzer VI Wrote:the number of scenarios is a plus, over 100 stand alone and over 100 specific for Campaigns!

This is going to be my first non-Panzer Campaign HPS purchase.Hope it's good.

It was also for me my first Non-PC/MC related HPS purchase, and I have liked it enough that it piqued my interest also in the ACW and Nappy series by HPS. So much so that I acquired second hand copies of one title from each of those series and I'm trying to get a handle on those as well.

So, careful, you could be opening yourself up to a whole new addiction. Big Grin

Panzer VI · 05-25-2009, 03:51 AM,

Ok, I took advantage of the HPS sale at NWS Online Gaming Store and its on the way.$29.99 baby. Big Grin

Any tips before I get started?

**Mr Grumpy** · 05-25-2009, 05:07 AM,

Panzer VI Wrote:Ok, I took advantage of the HPS sale at NWS Online Gaming Store and its on the way.$29.99 baby.

Any tips before I get started?

Read the manual! LOL :cheeky:

Steel God · 05-25-2009, 05:13 AM,

Panzer VI Wrote:Ok, I took advantage of the HPS sale at NWS Online Gaming Store and its on the way.$29.99 baby.

Any tips before I get started?

The lesson I learned in one of my first scenarios was that you can "lose" a scenario on points, by winning it on the battlefield through endless cavalry charges. Cavalry loses, especially the heavies, are very expensive, so don't try and use them like panzers. :rolleyes:

**Mr Grumpy** · 05-25-2009, 05:21 AM,

This is actually the same in Nappy titles, Cavalry should only be used very sparingly as their losses attract a huge vp deficit. :(

Panzer VI · (This post was last modified: 05-25-2009, 05:53 AM by Panzer VI.)

I will read the manual as soon as it gets here.

I dont know anything about this era, so here are some questions on the game:
How is the musket and pike units handled?Do you stack musket units with pike units for protection?Are musket units vulnerable without the Pikes?

Is it a mostly pike show or is there alot musket shooting as well?(as in, are musket units rare?)

Steel God · 05-25-2009, 07:18 AM,

Well...

The game covers a century of warfare. Earlier in the century you find less muskets and more pikes, later in the century more muskets and less pikes.

Learning how to move and change formation has been the steepest learning curve for me. Mixing unit types in a hex in anything other than column formation earns you disorganization, which basically answers your question about staking the muskets and pikes together. The answer to that is no, unless you want your units disorganized. Moving in formation into any close terrain (village - rough - forest - etc) earns you disorganization also. Now you can still fire and melee when disorganized so it's not the same as a disruption in PzC, but it does draw a penalty. The trick becomes learning how to create a line that inter spaces your pike and your firing units (not just muskets but crossbows and archers too, and also cannon).

I find the most fascinating think is the route rules. Others familiar with ACW and Nappy games seem to take it in stride, but I have seen great plans fall apart because of routing, and likewise seen hopeless situations saved by the enemy routing. Unlike PzC where a unit breaks when it fails a morale roll, in this game, he morale rolls are cascading...when one fails the units next to it also check, and the units next to those check it they fail, and so on. You can loss a lot of units pretty fast.

Paul