It is a shame no one has continued to do the mixed games like SimCan did or try to improve upon the idea. I never played one at the time, but I remember reading about their games that would be the ancestor of what eventually turned into the Flashpoint Campaign stuff at Matrix, and thinking how cool that sounded.
The SimCan stuff showed you what could be done when you didn’t have to worry about graphics. Even then, that was a huge part of the expense and difficulty of making a commercial game. Those challenges have only gotten worse really.
I’ve been so good so far this year about playing the backlog of games that I have, but the Noble Knight sale got me over the weekend…
Absolutely. And the tension and drama and perceived realism was at least as great as any game with graphics.
Can you build a scenario with some kind of probability of inclusion or other randomness in it, such that when you play the scenario you’ve created, there is still fog of war tension?
I didn’t see any options for random placements, things like that. But, you can upload scenarios and download and play other’s creations. I just checked out the workshop and it looks like there are leader board scores for each scenario so you can compare how you did playing each scenario against the scores from other players…
Edit: I take it back, there are some variable placements for Artillery and hidden enemy units. You can place multiple alternate locations and the guns and hidden enemy units will populate at one of the possible locations. It’s not totally random but it’s better than no variability. I need to read the manual before I answer anymore!
I went into the editor, made a small map. I then painted every space on the enemy side with a variable placement for two artillery units. I then ran the scenario multiple times and they started in different hexes each time. I dont see an option for variable units but variable unit placements does work.
I don’t think Second Front has anything like the old CMBO quick battles yet, or any real sort of random forces capability. Closest thing to that I guess would be playing other people’s scenarios. I’m hoping he adds something along those lines eventually. I really would prefer to see multiplayer before anything else, even though I think a dlc is already in the works to add the Brits. It’s a cool game but playing the AI is never as good as playing against my friends.
Wishlisted for sure. This looks a little more ambitious than Vietnam '64 and Afghanistan '11. Hopefully this turns out well.
I have a few qualms about playing as the soldiers of the apartheid regime fighting against what, arguably, can be considered an anti-colonial military organization, or at least one with its origins in anti-colonial struggle. The blurb on Steam mentions the UN and popular support, etc. but nothing about apartheid or the implications of the racial dimensions off the conflict. I mean, yeah, one can find all sorts of things to criticize about the US vis a vis Vietnam, but nothing that is quite like the situation with South Africa.
Looking forward to Angola 86. I can think of a few board games on the topic, but I do not think there has been a computer game on the topic.
There is a Mius Front expansion. It lets you play both sides.
Looks like GMT is adding a couple more games on P500 for anyone that needs another Cold War gone hot, or US vs Russia game:
Spearhad: The Balloon Goes Up! Vol 1
I had forgotten about that! Never got into Mius Front. I might try it out.
Any grogs here play Firefight? It’s a solid Close Combat clone released by Sean O’Conner (most famous for Slay) in 1998 along with his other Windows games. Every half a decade he updates it, first porting to iPhone in 2016, then making a HD Steam release. The other month he added Russian units. And this week he’s added multiplayer support!
Oh man, there’s an Android version and it’s quite highly rated, too. I feel another unnecessary purchase coming on!
The music in that trailer screams “90s military flight sim” to me. Love it.
Is this RTS?
Ohhhh, how did I miss this? I love Close Combat! Thank you!
That’s awesome! I have the old original version and some of his other games from back then. He did a cool version of the boardgame Atlantis I think. Will have to check out the updated Firefight.