Options 1.04

[Herr Straße Laufer]

By fun, I mean challenging and interesting.
Where most games, computer and board, lose their enjoyment factor is when they become too much a simulation. Steeped in realism. Or, when the game engine takes over.
Classic Talonsoft and Matrix version 1.00-1.02b all had that fun feel. It's a game. At it's base that truly is what it is?
If it was not fun it would not have lasted for as long as it did, through PBEM etc., which seemed to keep it alive.
The cyber world is littered with little silver discs that fell by the wayside because the games they represented were a too childish or a too technically "realistic" genre that sucked the fun out of playing them. Talonsoft and the Campaign Series original developers struck a balance between fun and simulation. I think they had it as "real" as it could get while maintaining flexibility and interest. It was/is the "opponent" that provides the true challenge in the game? The game itself should never take over to make it a challenge other than to face an opponent (even the AI) that puts up a good and fair fight? Might I say in scenarios that are "balanced" so that individual player skills are the most important factor to generate the fun?

Everyone brings up the AT remaining "hidden" effect as an excuse to bear with version 1.04. To me that was never a problem. The problem was (and is) the fact that there are many of us who see the old version 1.02 assault rule as too easy and the new extreme assault rule as too hard (which also allows the game engine to take over a game by chance die rolls).
There could have been a compromise? Or, an additional option for a toned down "less extreme" assault formula, that was actually asked for early in the process? Keeping small AT's hidden was never an issue. Hell, it's not even part of optional variable visibility, it is part of the game engine itself?
Hidden AT's, new OOB's, and the new graphics were worth the price of admission, for me at least.

Let us all know how "To Save Budapest" works out? Are you playing versus the AI? I've played it a few times against some very skilled opponents. You are in for a fun and challenging game.

Ed