Which First Game...

[SLudwig]

Which first game would folks recommend I get?? I am not new to HPS/JTS, played EAW, ACW & Nap for over a decade, but breaking into a new genre.

[Compass Rose]

When you look at all of the titles in the series, which ones interest you the most?

[SLudwig]

World War I, Advance the Reich and the Falklands all look interesting, but I am pretty open to suggestions overall.

A good mix would be nice, but something to just get started in the series would be a good way to go. I know of some folks, who know me a bit, to game with before I jump into a wider audience....

[Compass Rose]

Red Victory (RV) would be a really good title to start off with. It is arguable the best and most popular SB title to be released to date and there are some really good 3rd party art mods available for it.

I have heard Falklands to be very enjoyable title however, I do not own it, so I can't honestly comment on it.

WWI is also a fun title however, I am not sure if the other guys would recommend starting off with that title as your 1st ever SB title to learn from since the unit size is different from the rest of the series. As for enjoyment, Richie61 can go on for days telling you how much fun it is to gas your opponent!

[kolc]

The two that offer the most variety are WW1 and Pacific War. However, I would not recommend WW1 as a first SB game. If you want a WW2 title, start with Red Victory...post WW2 I would recommend starting with Tour of Duty.

[Stejones82]

Hi Scott! Welcome to the SqB world. I started with Vietnam and Eagles Strike. Both are good titles. Next was Advance of the Reich, then Red Victory and Pacific War.

I would suggest either ES or RV for your first title and then branch from there. And I would be most glad of the opportunity to help you learn as you play.

Don't give up! SqB is a fun game to play, but difficult to master. You WILL get frustrated. You WILL feel hopeless. The games almost always go the length and often hinge on the last turn or two. I find the games emotionally entertaining as well as just intellectually fun. Ask questions here and study the archived posts and the game manuals. It is a great system, not perfect mind you, but very enjoyable.

Hope this helps,

Steve (Lord of Rhode Island in the CCC)

[Rabbit]

It is surprising how well the individual Squad Battles titles capture the atmosphere of the different wars in terms of the style of warfare and strategies employed, given that it uses the same game engine. Hence it actually is a good suggestion to start with whichever war interests you the most.

Just for instance, I personally find SB-FWW a very well-thought out title that creatively uses the SB game engine to represent the style of warfare employed during WWI which is dramatically different from all the other SB titles. However it is a brutal affair and I find it grinds down my morale simply by playing the game.

Then you have something like the Africa At War mod (which you can download for free if you have the Squad Battles Pacific War title), which involves lots of vehicles and has an absolutely different feel to it.

And then a title like the Falklands War is fun because of its scale. Essentially you can play out the entire conflict.

Red Victory generally is considered the best title. However I actually might recommend starting with a different title. I say that because I think Red Victory offers the best challenge to seasoned players, so it might be a nice title to better enjoy once you have played some of the other titles. In that way you can better appreciate the subtle strategies intended by the designer. Red Victory certainly is great for novices, so I would recommend it if that's the only title you plan on getting. Otherwise I'd suggest choosing a title based on whichever war you prefer and then circle back to Red Victory.

And welcome to the community! I was reluctant to play other players online at first, but people are awesome here. Don't be intimidated by not having played much, you will quickly find that you have a blast playing against people of any level of experience. Cheers!

[SLudwig]

Gents,

Thanks so much for your input, each of you. It is helpful and I will think it over. I actually know three of you already and it is nice to meet you Rabbit.

I look forward to trying a new series and I am not afraid of the ups & downs, frustration, defeats et al. My career in some 6 different Clubs has yielded more defeats than victories by far and often in the final turns, so I am cool with that.

I am sure I'll buy something this weekend and go from here. May come calling at your door Steve!

Thanks all!

[Compass Rose]

Steve (Lord of Rhode Island in the CCC)

I didn't know we had any royalty here!

[Richie61]

Steve (Lord of Rhode Island in the CCC)

I didn't know we had any royalty here!

Guess it's a Navy thing. Word on the seven seas was that Steve was the
next Chester W. Nimitz