I'm going on vacation soon and I'm looking to bring a relatively simple "Beer & Pretzels" operational or tactical level TBS (see Panzer General). It doesn't need to be any particular period (yes, I know you hate that Jeff ).
Does Flashpoint Germany fit the bill? I haven't played Steel Panthers in nearly a decade so I have no idea how SP:WAW is difficulty wise. How does WinSPMBT compare? Are Tiller games more detailed than what I'm looking for (as I suspect they are)?
Anyone have other suggestions?
You do not take from this universe. It grants you what it will.
Flashpoint Germany is a LONG ways away from being a beer and pretzels game.
What makes FPG complex?
It's more of a simulation with a wego system.There are different SOPs that have to be given for each unit. The air/artillery system has to be preplanned.There's artillery tracking radio traffic from HQs and artillery battles.It's a very detailed system.It might be to your liking but a beer and pretzels game it is not.
Flashpoint Germany is a LONG ways away from being a beer and pretzels game.
What makes FPG complex?
It's more of a simulation with a wego system.There are different SOPs that have to be given for each unit. The air/artillery system has to be preplanned.There's artillery tracking radio traffic from HQs and artillery battles.It's a very detailed system.It might be to your liking but a beer and pretzels game it is not.
There are those details but like most games you can distill them down to heuristic rules that (hopefully) follow from real-life. Plus all those details are usually taken care of by a few mouse clicks anyway.
1. SOPs. At most I could think of having 3 different SOPs assigned based on the unit task. Recon units retreat when fired on, Assault units stay and fire back, reserve units move toward and fire when fired on. That's just me, but still it all boils down to "What should this unit do when it gets fired on, and why am I having it do that?" Generally once SOP is set you don't really need to change it.
2. Preplanned artillery/air. Isn't it a case of mouse clicking where you want the ordnance to land? So the player has to decide where to click, that's not so bad is it?
3. Artillery tracking radio traffic. The game simulates the ability of both sides to triangulate the location of a headquarters unit based on how many orders it gives out. Each order to a subordinate unit means more radio traffic. Shows up as a nice meter bar. If it gets high enough artillery starts landing on the HQ unit. The player learns soon that he has to make a plan at the start, figure out which units to order to make it happen, and let it happen. Micromanagement kills.
4. WEGO. I don't really think WEGO vs IGOUGO pushes it above beer and pretzels category.
Is FPG more complex than Panzer General Yes! Is it more complex than World at War? No. Is it more complex than HOI2? No. And definitely not as complex as the John Tiller games.
Strategic Command
Tin Soldiers: Alexander or
Massive Assault
These were the three closest in spirit to Panzer General I could think of. Also, if Panzer General is the only one in the series you've played, there's also:
Allied General
Pacific General
Panzer Genereal II
Panzer General 3d
People's General
Panzer General III Scorched Earth
"The old lady told me that all the girls in the village of Annezin prayed every night for the War to end, and for the English to go away - as soon as their money was spent. And that the clause about the money was always repeated in case God should miss it." Robert Graves
I'm trying to stay at a operational or tactical level. Why? Cuz I feel "closer" to my units. I'm a big softy, ya know?
Tin Soldiers: Alexander or
That's an interesting idea.
Massive Assault
I've read that MA and Domination are "puzzle-y" in that its more of trying to find out how to win than employing good tactics. Is that true? This could be a good recommendation too.
These were the three closest in spirit to Panzer General I could think of. Also, if Panzer General is the only one in the series you've played, there's also:
Allied General
Pacific General
Panzer Genereal II
Panzer General 3d
People's General
Panzer General III Scorched Earth
Do any of these work in XP? I had a bitch of a time when I tried to get PG2 to play in XP a ways back.
You do not take from this universe. It grants you what it will.
The Preacher wrote:
I've read that MA and Domination are "puzzle-y" in that its more of trying to find out how to win than employing good tactics. Is that true? This could be a good recommendation too.
As far as Massive Assault goes, I have played the demo and it did not find the demo too puzzle like. I have the full game as well, but it's at the end of a long backlog and I just have not gotten around to playing it.
Allied General
Pacific General
Panzer Genereal II
Panzer General 3d
People's General
Panzer General III Scorched Earth
Do any of these work in XP? I had a bitch of a time when I tried to get PG2 to play in XP a ways back.
This faq and its related links suggest that all or most of the panzer general series will work under XP. I have all of the listed panzer general games (and have played them all- unlike massive assault ) and would be happy to boot one up and let you know how it runs, if there is a particular one you are interested in.
"The old lady told me that all the girls in the village of Annezin prayed every night for the War to end, and for the English to go away - as soon as their money was spent. And that the clause about the money was always repeated in case God should miss it." Robert Graves
Massive Assault is good, although against the AI, it is more of a puzzle game.
Tin Soldiers is ok, but it never really clicked for me. Mostly, the abstraction of modeling conventional miniatures felt off...like the battles were very small scale tactical affairs rather than large-scale operations. The "Great Battles" series just *felt* better.
Tiller's recent First Blitzkrieg game is supposed to be a little simpler than his other games (which aren't really as complex so much as detailed sometimes to the point of bogging down).
I haven't bought or played anything since early spring, so my experience of current fare is lagging a bit at the moment.
).
) and would be happy to boot one up and let you know how it runs, if there is a particular one you are interested in.