Gents:
I am thoroughly enjoying the Modern Series!
I own one title -Fulda Gap'85 and I purchased it mainly out of curiosity...
I had played the Flashpoint Campaigns by On Target Simulations and had really disliked the lack of command control and numerous bugs that never got fixed...
...so I was a little leery of diving into another modern game title.
However, I am so glad I made the plunge!
The Modern Series forces players to think about the battlefield in a whole new way from PzC WW2 fronts!
- Weapons are more lethal. Tank companies and infantry battalions can be rendered combat ineffective in just a few hours of deployment.
- Artillery loads are more varied (Air drop mines, persistent chemicals, regular bombardments) Players can interdict road networks with artillery deployed mines and chemical rounds make hexes very "nasty" for any enemy or friendly units that enter the chemical infected spaces.
- Vertical deployment. The use of helos (scouts, troop carrying, and attack) that can range far and wide in the battlefield makes even rear positions vulnerable to attack. Gone are the days that rear positioned units (HQ, artillery) are nearly invulnerable (or at least not detectable) by the enemy.
- Air power. Jet recon and day / night equipped attack bombers allow players to deliver lethal payloads to enemy targets anywhere on the battlefield.
- Specialized units / capabilities. Many of the Warsaw Pact infantry battalions and recon units are amphibious - allowing river crossings without the need for bridges. Enemy HQs can be detected, based on their radio traffic without the need for an adjacent spotting unit.
I am sure there are other positives to the Modern Series, but the above are some off the top of my head.
The Modern Series plays fast and can be deadly lethal. It rewards the players who can "think on their feet," understand how to minimize the vertical deployment threats, and who can adjust their tactics accordingly as the battle conditions change. It also punishes the player who only thinks in one dimension (e.g. static front lines, does not guard against vertical deployment threats, and who can't alter their battle plans).
For a player who was initially "turned off" by "hypothetical battles"... I have become a true believer!
So... if you have not tried the Modern Series and you have an interest in modern warfare... I encourage you to give these under rated (IMHO) game titles a go. I think you will be glad you did!
Regards, Mike / "A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week." - George S. Patton /