It’s all a compromise, in both games. Continuous pausable time gives you less down time and more feeling of control, but less actual control. The Flashpoint system gives you more or less precise control over some things, but it feels like less of a direct connection. Command Ops feels a bit distanced from the action for me, but I agree it’s more interesting to watch unfold. Visually, I find it easier to grasp Flashpoint as well, even though the maps aren’t necessarily as precise as those in Command Ops.
For me the maps/control hit the right level of abstraction. It wasn’t as precise as, say, combat mission, when you can see the AI break because of the extreme granularity, but it was granular enough for me to enjpoy the playback and be able to make small stories about the different units in my head. So it created the perfect suspension of disbelief.
It’s also easy to grasp enough that I felt I could dive into it without facing a learning cliff, which is huge when it comes to wargames for me (I’m not a grognard, just a hopeful).
You’re also right, I think; the level of abstraction is very graspable. My problem, and the reason I don’t play more Flashpoint, is that it takes real-time several minutes to process each turn, and it’s like watching paint dry. I have to do something else in between turns.
I wouldn’t say it takes minutes per minute. You can adjust the execution speed in the settings or press the - key (less is faster).
I also have to say I didn’t feel this way about it until almost 15 hours in. It has a pretty good Chick Parabola before then.
I’ve got it set at the fastest speed and it still takes forever, subjectively. And I’ve played it a lot–a lot more than 15 hours certainly. Again, I do like it, but my ADD tendencies make it hard to stay engaged with it.
I think the thing I’d like about Flashpoint Campaigns is that, like all turn-based games, it forces me to dither a little bit less. I’m always tempted to fiddle with orders in Command Ops, which makes me a terrible commander in that engine.
That’s one thing Flashpoint really does well, it forces you to decide and commit.
Schwerpunkt’s World War II Europe was released in December, and just a day or two ago, the developer Ron Dockal has uploaded a video explaining the game and playing it a little.
Its not a brilliantly captured video, it seems to be a camcorder on his PC screen, but its Schwerpunkts first proper video, and its the dev himself going through his labour of love. So worth a watch for information and a milestone in Schwerpunkts history.
Yeah Black Sea is pretty fun. After fussing around with kubelwagons it’s great to have these deadly toys that just zap death from one side of the map to the other. Like Tom said about Wargame: ALB - if you can see it, you can kill it.
Are they planning on releasing a demo? I loved the CMx1 series, thought CMSF was ok, but the CMx2 WWII ones bounced off me. Trying the new tech sounds interesting, but not enough to drop $55 without a test run :)
Supposedly, they are working on a demo now…
Just having played through the tutorial so far, it seems pretty good. Haven’t had time to put it through it’s paces though…
Sounds like a public beta will probably be coming soon for Command Ops 2. For $50 I think I’m probably going to jump on their early bird special.
So… summer timeframe? :)
I’m listening to the audio book Inferno by Max Hastings and now that it’s covering the Eastern front I’m intrigued by the siege of Leningrad. Can anyone recommend any good books on it? I’m actually not looking for grog books. I’m more interested in anecdotes than how many tons of bread the Russians were able to send into the city each day.
If you’re playing Command Ops vicariously through me, it’s back.
Canuck, one of my friends is a military history recommendation machine. I’ll ask him if he knows of anything along those lines and get back to you.