Oh, I wasn’t implying that one shouldn’t play the games, only that it’s seemed to me that for years that community over at Battlefront has been largely defensive, hostile to outsiders and pretty much impervious to criticism or even critique. Admittedly, I haven’t been there in years, having left after I just couldn’t take it any more even though I did have CM2 and Shock Force.
But then again, I did not like either game, really, nowhere near as much as I had enjoyed the original CM.
Great podcast, @Rod_Humble. But yeah, Miquel’s quote sums up the game for me. Everyone is loving on a mod that doesn’t exactly “sim”accurately. :).
“But it’s an AI sim, Pat!”
‘Yea, I think any number of players here would be a better Armored Brigade commander than that thing”.
Edit: Rod does indeed have BBC voice. I thought it was Sir Melvyn Bragg. :)
I would be very interested in Shock Force 2 but for the hilarious price tag of $125 for all the campaigns.
It has changed as the number of posters has decreased, in my appreciation, over the years. Since BFC is still in business of a sort, Itake that as a sign that a significant part of their audience just lurks the forums for information on releases, development status and “roadmaps” for future releases. I seldom post there anymore, they have a product which I can enjoy in very specific ways and that’s it.
The reason - my guess - why they haven’t made a more public release is because the British and NATO modules campaigns aren’t working at the moment… So if you were in it just for the campaigns, you would be dissapointed.
It is effectively an “early access” release.
Thanks! Yeah I am not sure AB is particularly smart, but is feels smart because of its clever decision to limit information to the player.
Agree it could use a campaign or linked operations. Its a flaw in my eyes.
@Navaronegun thanks! I actually hate my whiney voice, then again I dont really like English accents much at all.
I find it to be a very clever juxtaposition of smoke and mirrors and actual smarts. The formation movement in complex terrain is quite credible and it is not an easy thing to do.
Where I find it to fall flat on its nose is when reacting to incoming fires. Vehicles use smoke but don’t maneuver to get out of the kill zone. Infantry stays put in the open, rather than scrambling for nearby cover or concealment. I am not sure it is a technical limitation rather than a surprising design decision, though.
The enthusiasm on that 3MA episode was infectious. I will definitely grab the game next year!
I still have to unwrap mine and bust it out.
Ugh, yet another game I must own. Why are there so many?!
This is an actual political thesis in game form. It’s not a groundbreaking thesis (that an RF-led white minority government may have been able to institute a peaceful transition to a functional black-majority government by implementing liberal reforms while doing just enough to preserve white privilege to keep the electorate in line) but the way it plays out in the game is brill. This is a real politics-and-policy model that plays great as a game. It blows so-called political wargames like COIN off the map.
I saw “Cold War Trilogy,” there and got a little excited. I see the designer’s name on Gorbachev. Do we know anything about that one? And, it did say trilogy. Did I miss the third game?
Mulling over War in the West with Operation Torch. With an 18% off coupon I have laying around I can get both from Matrix for $32.
Note that I have but have basically never played War in the East.
Not having played WitE isn’t a handicap, really. On the contrary.
Happy to take up a match when you feel ready.
I’ll mark my calendar for about five years from now, then?
Playing the game in real time is an excellent idea. So thematic!
Actually it would be kind of “fun” to do a head to head game of War in the Pacific Admiral’s Edition, 1 turn a day with a turn scale of 1 day, starting on December 7th.
Over at somethingawful there was a person, Grey Hunter IIRC, that did a let’s play of WITP playing at a rate of 1 game day per day.
I was waiting for Grigsby’s WitW to go on sale again, so I picked it up. I’ll easily get my money’s worth messing around with it. 65% off on Steam for whoever may be interested.
I wish Gary would hurry up and finish his spiritual successor to Steel Panthers that he has been working on.
