"Shiny and New" - The New "Must" Have?

[Strela]

I have to agree with Kool Kat. There is a huge volume of gaming across the range. Even repeat playing of previously contested scenarios means there is always more that can be learned.

As I continue to work through the update process I'm just seeing how diverse the range of gaming there is in each title. If for example winter is not your thing then look at the desert or the range of summer titles. There is no shortage of them.

There is a thread with player's favourite scenarios, that's also worth revisiting and looking at why those scenarios work. That said the asymmetric scenarios are great for reverse pbems where players play both sides and compare results. Another great one is to pull out a title and pick a scenario neither player has done before. That's an interesting experience - go read Gstockbridge's AAR over in the PZB forums to understand how that impacts play.

Finally, there will always be more titles than time to design. At WDS we have a backlog of PZB games and yes PZC titles. With an average time of 18 to 24 months from start to finish there is only so many titles that can be released. I can tell you trying to do tasks concurrently just complicates things further. Over the last six months having the PZB Normandy and Kursk patches as well as coordinating both the PZB demo as well as PZB 3 has been a challenge in logistics much harder than anything I have done since starting design work back in 2009 on Kharkov '43. Add the updates for PZC and there is little time for further projects. Adding more designers doesn't always simplify things as there is usually a bottleneck somewhere in the process that requires the service of a single overworked individual.

None of this is excuses but an explanation of why things tend to trickle out. Please do revisit released titles in the meantime. I know for example I put 2x times more content in Moscow '42 than previous titles and people have hardly scratched the surface there. Very playable titles such as Sealion have languished, yet who doesn't love a good air/sea invasion? Add to that, though hypothetical, it was based meticulously on the actual German plans for the invasion. The same thing goes for the related series, FWWC is a very different animal to PZC yet uses the same basic engine. The same thing for PZB and it just underlines the versatility of Tiller's engine overall.

So do consider that 'shiny and new' goes beyond the interminable wait that we put you through for new titles, but games you may not have dusted off for awhile, or not added to your collection...

David