Lock 'n Load Tactical Digital

[Jarhead0331]

Does anyone play this? They have released some interesting battle packs, most recently some battles in the Pacific and the Falklands.

[al_infierno]

According to Steam I put in around 10 hours, mostly with the various Vietnam scenarios.  I found it to be a great digital adaptation of the board game rules (which I've admittedly never played, but I have the rulebook and Heroes of the Motherland so I have some basic familiarity with the rules).  It was a great way to learn the "impulse" rules, which were a bit confusing for me coming from the rigid turn order of Advanced Squad Leader.

Definitely worth the asking price if you're interested in the rules.

[z1812]

I bought the base game about 2 months ago. I enjoyed it so much that I now have all DLC's. Quite a good game. It has become one of my favorites.

There are players on Steam and PvP is lots of fun. Some very interesting twists and unexpected turns in the scenarios.

[Jarhead0331]

Thanks for the comments, guys. Going to go pick up a few battle packs.

[nelmsm]

I have it and all the battle packs except for this one today. Love the way it plays and I've just played the ai

[Zulu1966]

Yeah. Very good. Inexpensive and the subject of constant updates.

Still some bugs around some of the rules. I reported one the other day around what seemed a core mechanic in the rule book but got an instant response from the developer saying would be fixed in the next release.

Some interesting mechanics and a wide range of scenarios large and small.

For the price it represents excellent value for money

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

I have physical copies of several of the LnL titles (Falklands, Red Star, Days of Infamy, Prophet and the Bear, Normandy, Pacific, N. Africa) and I've picked up a fair number of the digital titles as well.  It's a nicely done port of the board games and it plays out very quickly.  You can bang out a scenario in 30-45 minutes which is much quicker than playing the physical version.  Having said that, I personally find that the game loses something when playing a virtual version.  If I'm going to be sitting at my PC, I find that most times I'd rather play a game designed for the PC rather than a ported version of a board game.

But I just went and bought the Pacific DLC so what do I know?

[Apocalypse 31]

I played Hero's of Stalingrad for a while but got really tired of it because it tries to hard too be a tabletop board game.

Either be a board game or be a computer game. Please don't try to be both; its just annoying.

I will say this - the artists who works on these LnL games is awesome, and I really dig the artwork.

[Sir Slash]

I gave the game a long, hard look recently. At $5, it's a great deal. But I ultimately passed because like Apocalypse says, it looks very board-game-ish and turn-based. The additional content however does look very intriguing.

[z1812]

I gave the game a long, hard look recently. At $5, it's a great deal. But I ultimately passed because like Apocalypse says, it looks very board-game-ish and turn-based. The additional content however does look very intriguing.

It is turned base but in a very interesting way. They use, what Lock and Load publishing calls, an impulse system. Which seem to me, to be a compromise between turn based and wego.

At the beginning of the turn a simulated dice roll decides which side gets initiative, they move first.

Each side has a rally phase. Then the "turn" starts. Each side gets an impulse which allows you to move a stack,  a combination of units within a stack, or a single unit, until each side has moved all their units. Firing or conducting a Melee is also considered an impulse. Once each player has completed their "impulses" the turn is complete.

The next turn starts and the above process repeats until the game is over. Typically a game is 6 to 8 turns. The game generates hidden events that provide spontaneity. Heroes can also be generated as a result of combat.

Bear in mind that dice rolls will have as much to say about your success as your movement and tactics. If that bothers you, then the game may not be one you will enjoy.

I really like the game and find it to be a good compromise bewteen skill and chance.

[Toonces]

Not too many Falklands games out there.

[Jarhead0331]

Bear in mind that dice rolls will have as much to say about your success as your movement and tactics. If that bothers you, then the game may not be one you will enjoy.

But are units stat based? Does the system take into account unit quality and firepower based on the particular weaponry?

I'm not a big fan on the outcome being almost totally reliant upon chance and the roll of the dice.

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

Yup, each squad or fireteam has stats for firepower, range, movement, and morale.  They might also have modifiers that let them fire-and-move, fire at very long range, move stealthily, or be better at close combat.  (The Brits in the Falklands even get a weird mod that let's them roll an 8-sided die when firing instead of a 6-sider like everyone else).  Heavier weapons like machine-guns, mortars, flame-throwers, ATGMs, SAMs, etc all have their own stats and some have special tables on the rear of the counter that show accuracy and effectiveness at different ranges.  Some MGs can be bipod or tripod mounted, some are prone to jamming, and all that's baked in. 

In addition, each scenario has special nation-specific rules that add more uniqueness to each nation.  In the Falklands scenario, to represent that the Brits are elite paras or SF, they get the better firepower die, are better in close combat, and squads can self rally if attacked in close combat (most squads need a leader to rally).  The Argentinians are very unpredictable.  On some turns, they'll be frustratingly passive and just hide in their foxholes.  On others, they'll flip out and become super aggressive.

The Japanese in The Pacific are probably the most unique in that they never suffer morale checks.  They just take casualties and keep going.  Some also get an extreme version of the stealth skill that basically let's them pop up anywhere on the map.  It works well to represent their use of spider holes, hiding under bodies, etc but I wish the devs called it something other than ninjitsu movement.

[Jarhead0331]

^lol....is that really what they call it? As you were describing it, I was thinking to myself, "like ninjas!"

Anyway, all that sounds great and is exactly what I would expect to be modeled and more.

[Boggit]

Sorry... misposted on wrong thread...