comparison

[zap]

I have been very happy with Campaign Series. But maybe there is something I'm missing in PZB? or is it just the scale that is different?

Can you fellas who play both distinguish what those differences might be.

[Bayes]

I have been very happy with Campaign Series. But maybe there is something I'm missing in PZB? or is it just the scale that is different?

Can you fellas who play both distinguish what those differences might be.

In my opinion, both are great games. Panzer Battles is more akin to Panzer Campaigns (more operational) while the Campaign Series is more like Squad Battles (more tactical) as far as I can see.

Panzer Battles
- 30 minutes turns with sweeping more abstracted operations, grander scale.
- Company size counters that breaks down into platoons, etc.
- More historical loss rates at the end of a game?
- Streamlined user interface with all unit and terrain properties readily available in the side bar
- Very nice graphics
- Very nice historical scenario portfolios

Some properties that make Campaign Series different from PzB:
- 6 minutes turns
- More detailed weapon model (range attenuation specified hex by hex, for each weapon type). Some weapons are quite lethal at long range compared to PzB.
- Very lethal fire (tank combat/anti-tank fire approx. 10 times more lethal than PzB). Lethality more at the Squad Battles level. Consequence: Perhaps more important to reduce strong anti-tank positions with artillery/infantry before revealing your tanks. Etc.
- No recovery of action points at the end of your turn. Makes your units vurnerable if they spend all their movement (action points) because they will then not have any opportunity fire in the enemy turn. Consequence: In the Campaign Series, you have to consider saving some of your units to cover for your advancing troops with opportunity fire, or advance more cautiously to save action points for opportunity fire (reckless and fast vs more safely, but slow)
- Disruption immediate, no moral check. Stops advance. Even high morale units. Recovery from disruption at start of your own turn.
- Bursty quick-triggering lethal opportunity fire (high tactical tension). Units can get severely damaged in first burst of opportunity fire. Makes reconnaissance more important? (However, when opportunity fire is spent, it gets easier for second wave of troops)
- Flank vulnerability (don't advance vehicles ahead without securing flank). Hidden anti-tank guns can create havoc.
- More dynamic/chaotic battle scenes with less control (lots of troop triggered retreats, disrupted units can't advance towards enemy, troops decide to use ammo conservatively)
- More chrome? (Leaders, moral penalty in open,  moral bonus in city, etc.
- Ebb and flow of supply availability (Conservative mode)
- Stronger command and control effects. Range of HQs e.g around 5-7, while in PzB could be e.g. 30 hexes. Placement of HQs more critical in Campaign Series.
- Night combat fire rules
- Infantry is loaded in vehicle counters rather than having travel/combat mode
- Preplotted more lethal artillery fire, different preplotting patterns, empty hexes regularly bombarded? In Panzer Battles, artillery fire hits immediately, however, with milder effect (more averaged out?)
- Soldiers counted in half squads rather than individually
- 3D graphics
Perhaps more, these were the first that came up.

[Strela]

Zap,

I think Bayes has captured it well. 

To me the big difference is the 'time scale'. 6 minutes vs 30 minute turns brings a very different cadence.

It's possible to simulate a whole days action in Panzer Battles (between 40 to 48 turns) where as that would be significantly more effort in the Campaign Series. The longer 30 minute turn means many of the tactical requirements are abstracted (unlimited defensive fire, on call artillery etc) as compared to the focus in Campaign series.

It's important to realise that Panzer Battles is not (and was never intended to be) a replacement for the Campaign series. It was built off Panzer Campaigns and was always intended to be at a slightly higher scale operationally.

That said we're are looking at adding more features over time including alternative victory calculations, revised artillery spotting and use all that will fix areas that we believe do need more work.

Hope that helps a little.

David

[zap]

Thank you gentleman, that clarifies things very well.