Interesting news over at Matrix guys.......

kineas · (This post was last modified: 03-17-2008, 06:12 AM by kineas.)

I don't really see the point in lacking micro and bean counting in a tactical level wargame. What is the player supposed to do then? I don't buy this as a great design idea.

Mad Russian · 03-17-2008, 07:22 AM,

Artur Wrote:I am not very happy with 1X1 km. It allows for only tiny battles. No big maneuvres whatsoever. The CMAK 4X5 km is desirable for me, I would like to have the same in CMBB instead of 3X3 km. 1 km is very small IMHO. especially for tank warfare.

Having no battalion structure is also a minus.

I don't mind having less micromanagement but I would like then a deeper hierarchy and bigger maps instead!

Artur.

There is no battalion structure in CM. The leaders are just there. They don't fit into a chain of command that a battalion structure would have. All they are in CM is super platoon leaders.

I believe that the future maps in PC are set to be much larger. There is not problem having tank fights in a 1k x 1k environment. The average tank engagement range in WWII is something like 400 meters.

So, bigger maps I believe are on the way. A Bn hierarchy you've never had and probably won't get with PC either.

Good Hunting.

MR

Mad Russian · 03-17-2008, 07:25 AM,

kineas Wrote:I don't really see the point in lacking micro and bean counting in a tactical level wargame. What is the player supposed to do then? I don't buy this as a great design idea.

What does a Company commander do? Or a Battaloin commander?

They give the orders that are followed by the companies and platoons.

There is enough micro management in the game that it's not all dry give 2 commands and see what happens.

There is a demo for PC: Operation Winter Storm if you are interested in trying it out.

Lest we forget most people thought that CM was a bad idea originally too.

Good Hunting.

MR

junk2drive · 03-17-2008, 07:46 AM,

In addition to MR's comments about 1k maps, the graphic and calc requirements for high unit play and visuals are tough enough on mid range systems because of relative spotting and poly counts. If/when larger maps become available you will need a high end computer to play battles with a couple of companies of tanks and a battalion of infantry.

PoorOldSpike · (This post was last modified: 03-17-2008, 12:16 PM by PoorOldSpike.)

I quite like the smallish maps in Winter Storm because they give a neat concise game rather than one sprawling out over a huge map.
Anyway the WS maps are quite big enough anyway, just look at the screenshots i've been posting and see the nice sense of space and distance.
I also like the "ready-packaged" quality of WS, no hassle of having to choose from a long list of parameters and battle types as in CM.
With WS its simply a matter of thinking something like "I'll have another crack at breaking the Aksay river line today", and bingo, you just load the scenario, buy your forces from a list, don your galoshes and you're away..:)

junk2drive · 03-17-2008, 12:17 PM,

Some scenarios that come with the games have more units than points and you have to decide what to purchase for the battle. Others have enough points to buy everything on the list. If you should get to the point where you can beat the AI on the hard level, you can choose to not purchase all the units on the list and handicap yourself.

PoorOldSpike · 03-17-2008, 12:41 PM,

junk2drive Wrote:..you can choose to not purchase all the units on the list and handicap yourself.

Yes that's another interesting aspect, and you can also experiment with a different force mix (tank-heavy/ inf-heavy/ combined arms etc) each time you play the scens to see how you get on..:)

Mad Russian · 03-17-2008, 01:44 PM,

Aircraft seem to work somewhat the same as in CM. You have no control over them and they can attack targets you can't see and don't know what are. I haven't used them enough to determine how effective they are or if they will attack friendly forces.

In one of the battles I played there was airsupport offered and I didn't take it.

For those of you that detest aircraft that could be a good thing.

Good Hunting.

MR

junk2drive · 03-17-2008, 01:51 PM,

No friendly fire from air in PC.

kineas · 03-17-2008, 05:35 PM,

Mad Russian Wrote:
kineas Wrote:I don't really see the point in lacking micro and bean counting in a tactical level wargame. What is the player supposed to do then? I don't buy this as a great design idea.

What does a Company commander do? Or a Battaloin commander?

They give the orders that are followed by the companies and platoons.

There is enough micro management in the game that it's not all dry give 2 commands and see what happens.

A wego game is a battle chess, nothing more. It's meaningless to fake a battalion commander simulator. That should operate in realtime and with limited battle awareness and with significant command delays.