New Vietnam War strategy game for iPad

Started by Vietnam65, September 09, 2014, 12:56:02 AM

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Vietnam65

Command the 1st Air Cavalry Division in Vietnam. Search for and destroy the Vietcong and keep the North Vietnamese Army at bay in this totally immersive single player, turn based strategy game.
Every decision and move you make has an impact on the Hearts & Minds of the local population, the only real way to win this war!
Vietnam '65 captures the true essence of the Vietnam War, both the counter insurgency as well as the conventional warfare aspects are represented in depth, making for a unique gameplay that will keep you engaged, game after game.
Rise through the ranks and watch your personalized uniform transform from a junior Lieutenant to General as you wage the Vietnam War.
Features:
Full range of US units including transport helicopters, APCs, armor, Gunships, Engineers etc Firebases and artillery support
Special Forces operations (Green berets)
Intelligence gathering
Training of ARVN troops
Napalm Airstrikes
Medevacs and repairs in the field Minesweeping
Full unit supply model
Road construction Operational intelligence map NVA offensives
Ambushes and RPG attacks on helicopters

Launch date: 1 October 2014 ( App Store)

Videos, tutorial, user reference guide and more on the website.

Www.vietnam65.com

bayonetbrant

Sounds pretty interesting, but I'm curious how - as a 1CAV officer - you get the SF involved, since they exist completely outside the divisional chain of command?

I think the battle could be pretty interesting, especially since 1CAV fought a lot of pretty big ones.  I'm just concerned about how the SF will be portrayed in what sounds like a tactical battlefield game.

What can you tell us about how you integrated the SF with what is described as a storyline about 1CAV?  What are some of the battles you used to build scenarios?  What's the ratio to historical / ahistorical battles out there?  What are some of the COIN 'levers' that the player gets to pull and how might they affect what's going on with the local population?  What about the influence of Vietnamese politics on how the locals interact with the units?  If you're portraying 1CAV, where are the APCs / armor coming from?  RPGs as an anti-air asset didn't really develop until Afghanistan in the '80s; why build that into a Vietnam game?

You've given us the "back of the box" marketing text, but you've done so on a site full of pretty knowledgeable military / history buffs, including the occasional history professor, and (more commonly) the occasional military veteran (some of whom are still serving).  So you're going to get some tougher questions here than you might at a non-strategy game site.

I'm excited to see what you've come up with, as I'm sure others here are.  We'd just like to know some more about the game :)
The key to surviving this site is to not say something which ends up as someone's tag line - Steelgrave

"their citizens (all of them counted as such) glorified their mythology of 'rights'...and lost track of their duties. No nation, so constituted, can endure." Robert Heinlein, Starship Troopers

Barthheart


Vietnam65

Hi, thanks for the post.

I understand the 'tough questionsetc'

Some background, I am 48 years old and served four years in the South African army , in the height of our 'Vietnam', the Angola bush war. I was an infantry Lt, so I appreciate the purist view on the military.

I have followed the 1Cav regimental history from the days of Custer to to today, and collect 1Cav militaria. It is the airmobile aspect of the Cav that has always fascinated me.

So back to the game, it's actually a micro Vietnam, I just labeled it with the Cav due to my very keen interest as well as the fact the game is dominated by Airmobile operations.

So please forgive me in the 'mixing up' of the fine regiment with other elements , I just could not contain myself, please afford me some creative license :)

I have been to Vietnam and have walked every major battlefield, north to south, it is a passion of mine, I have also played every single Vietnam war game , from board gaming to digital.

So the real premise of this game is that of beginning with counter insurgency then progressing to conventional. I am yet to find a game that capture counter insurgency effectively, so at the heart of this game is the Hearts and Minds of the local population.

At the start of every game a random trail is generated running across the map, from which VC units are launched to perform missions, I call it the oh Chi Minh trail, once again that license as the trail was actually largely across border, just trying to 'capture' the essence of Vietnam in 90 min.
The VC then progress towards the villages, if they reach them they decrease the HM of that village, should that drop to below 40 % the NVA enter the fray and move from across the border to setup bases to dominate the area, this is the basic premise of the game.
The SF component is mainly about detection and the training of ARVN forces, so in game the SF are used to detect the enemy, they have larger detection ranges , an then also to man SF bases to train ARVN infantry, who are weaker than US infantry but better at gathering intel from villages, another very important part of the game, intel.

Please feel free to ask and delve into the machinists, that is precisely why I am on this site!


Vietnam65

One more quick comment , the original prototype is available for free download on the website, it is a little cumbersome as it is a proto, but I still personally prefer playing it than the new iPad version, it's just got a more military feel ....

Www.vietnam65.com

It will give you a very clear indication of the mechanics.

MikeGER


bayonetbrant

Quote from: Vietnam65 on September 10, 2014, 01:59:43 AM
Some background, I am 48 years old and served four years in the South African army , in the height of our 'Vietnam', the Angola bush war. I was an infantry Lt, so I appreciate the purist view on the military.
I've gamed a few of the SA - Angola games.  I rather liked the one from S&T back in '06 or so.

Quote from: Vietnam65 on September 10, 2014, 01:59:43 AMI have followed the 1Cav regimental history from the days of Custer to to today, and collect 1Cav militaria. It is the airmobile aspect of the Cav that has always fascinated me.
Well, 1CAV didn't exist until 1921, tho some of the regiments certainly go back before that :)

Quote from: Vietnam65 on September 10, 2014, 01:59:43 AMSo back to the game, it's actually a micro Vietnam, I just labeled it with the Cav due to my very keen interest as well as the fact the game is dominated by Airmobile operations.
That's fair; just be aware that you've got folks in this particular audience that will see the name and pick up on it

Quote from: Vietnam65 on September 10, 2014, 01:59:43 AMSo please forgive me in the 'mixing up' of the fine regiment with other elements , I just could not contain myself, please afford me some creative license :)
Nothing wrong with some creative license; see comment above about this crowd tho ;)

Quote from: Vietnam65 on September 10, 2014, 01:59:43 AMI have been to Vietnam and have walked every major battlefield, north to south, it is a passion of mine, I have also played every single Vietnam war game , from board gaming to digital.
that's a lot of game...  that's also a lot of walking!

Quote from: Vietnam65 on September 10, 2014, 01:59:43 AMSo the real premise of this game is that of beginning with counter insurgency then progressing to conventional. I am yet to find a game that capture counter insurgency effectively, so at the heart of this game is the Hearts and Minds of the local population.
Some games to check out then
GMT's COIN series: Andean Abyss, Cuba Libre, A Distant Plain, Fire In the Lake
Ici c'est l'France
just about anything here: http://brtrain.wordpress.com/btr-games/
A Force More Powerful, mentioned here: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/issues/issue_167/5248-The-Thinking-Man-s-Warfare
other games mentioned here: http://www.defensenews.com/article/20120201/TSJ02/302010011/Firmer-Ground

Quote from: Vietnam65 on September 10, 2014, 01:59:43 AMAt the start of every game a random trail is generated running across the map, from which VC units are launched to perform missions, I call it the oh Chi Minh trail, once again that license as the trail was actually largely across border, just trying to 'capture' the essence of Vietnam in 90 min.
Ah - gotcha.  We're not looking at true historical battles, but 'feel'.  Now I understand :)  I like the idea of 90 minute playtimes, too.  I wish I had more than 2-3/year to play a real knock-down, drag-out 6 hour game, especially on the tabletop

Quote from: Vietnam65 on September 10, 2014, 01:59:43 AMThe VC then progress towards the villages, if they reach them they decrease the HM of that village, should that drop to below 40 % the NVA enter the fray and move from across the border to setup bases to dominate the area, this is the basic premise of the game.
fair 'nuff

Quote from: Vietnam65 on September 10, 2014, 01:59:43 AMThe SF component is mainly about detection and the training of ARVN forces, so in game the SF are used to detect the enemy, they have larger detection ranges , an then also to man SF bases to train ARVN infantry, who are weaker than US infantry but better at gathering intel from villages, another very important part of the game, intel.
good call working in the intel!  that's one of the hardest pieces to develop in a game


The key to surviving this site is to not say something which ends up as someone's tag line - Steelgrave

"their citizens (all of them counted as such) glorified their mythology of 'rights'...and lost track of their duties. No nation, so constituted, can endure." Robert Heinlein, Starship Troopers

Jarhead0331

Quote from: bayonetbrant on September 10, 2014, 08:25:20 AM
Quote from: Vietnam65 on September 10, 2014, 01:59:43 AMSo please forgive me in the 'mixing up' of the fine regiment with other elements , I just could not contain myself, please afford me some creative license :)
Nothing wrong with some creative license; see comment above about this crowd tho ;)

Brant if you're struggling with the use of the name, wait until you see the uniform hanging in the closet where all your medals are displayed. Its not exactly in accordance with AR 670-1  ^-^

Seriously though, so far its a very satisfying and unique mobile gaming experience.
Grogheads Uber Alles
Semper Grog
"No beast is more alpha than JH." Gusington, 10/23/18


Jarhead0331

Quote from: Vietnam65 on September 10, 2014, 01:59:43 AM
Hi, thanks for the post.

I understand the 'tough questionsetc'

Some background, I am 48 years old and served four years in the South African army , in the height of our 'Vietnam', the Angola bush war. I was an infantry Lt, so I appreciate the purist view on the military.

I have followed the 1Cav regimental history from the days of Custer to to today, and collect 1Cav militaria. It is the airmobile aspect of the Cav that has always fascinated me.

So back to the game, it's actually a micro Vietnam, I just labeled it with the Cav due to my very keen interest as well as the fact the game is dominated by Airmobile operations.

So please forgive me in the 'mixing up' of the fine regiment with other elements , I just could not contain myself, please afford me some creative license :)

I have been to Vietnam and have walked every major battlefield, north to south, it is a passion of mine, I have also played every single Vietnam war game , from board gaming to digital.

So the real premise of this game is that of beginning with counter insurgency then progressing to conventional. I am yet to find a game that capture counter insurgency effectively, so at the heart of this game is the Hearts and Minds of the local population.

At the start of every game a random trail is generated running across the map, from which VC units are launched to perform missions, I call it the oh Chi Minh trail, once again that license as the trail was actually largely across border, just trying to 'capture' the essence of Vietnam in 90 min.
The VC then progress towards the villages, if they reach them they decrease the HM of that village, should that drop to below 40 % the NVA enter the fray and move from across the border to setup bases to dominate the area, this is the basic premise of the game.
The SF component is mainly about detection and the training of ARVN forces, so in game the SF are used to detect the enemy, they have larger detection ranges , an then also to man SF bases to train ARVN infantry, who are weaker than US infantry but better at gathering intel from villages, another very important part of the game, intel.

Please feel free to ask and delve into the machinists, that is precisely why I am on this site!

Interesting background Johan. Would love to see a future title modeling the S. African Border Wars. Would also love to hear your perspective on them, both military and political. Do you still live in South Africa?
Grogheads Uber Alles
Semper Grog
"No beast is more alpha than JH." Gusington, 10/23/18


Vietnam65

Sorry about the uniform guys, I am an indie developer and its an expensive business, creating all the rules for the uniform was a challenge, the addition of the uniform was out of scope, but I tried the best I could, bearing in mind my primary audience for this game. I still don' t like seeing it the way it is but there are always compromises, the air assualt badge poitioing is particularly disturbing to me :) but the addition of the personlized uniform was a good thing in the end.... (methinks)

I am awaiting my copy of Fire in the Lake, should be here soon, i see it has shipped. Living on the darkest continent, thing take a little longer, I am living in Johannesburg.

when I refer to Cav I am reffering to the regiments going all the way back to the indian wars, but you know that right  ? :)

so in game, the intel works by the infantry entering a village, the Hearts and Minds score determines the chance they will give intel, which is locations of mines, troops etc everything is tied to the HM of the game, for a further example the overall HM for the province (average of 10 villages) determines the chance of new missions being commissioned, so I tried to keep the HM central to the game.

Thanks for taking the time for such detailed postings , I really appreciate it.




Vietnam65

So Jarhead, your reference to the game, are you the guy I sent the promo code to ?

Vietnam65

IOS launch on the 1st of October 2014 , then PC version, already have full working PC version but needs to be cleaned up a little before release , then depending on reception android....

Jarhead0331

Quote from: Vietnam65 on September 10, 2014, 01:52:52 PM
So Jarhead, your reference to the game, are you the guy I sent the promo code to ?

I am indeed, one in the same.
Grogheads Uber Alles
Semper Grog
"No beast is more alpha than JH." Gusington, 10/23/18


Vietnam65

Good stuff, I would really appreciate your input on the difficulty levels of the game, I am of the opinion that the Veteran mode is no challenging enough, in fact I briefed the programmer to increase the level of the VC activity as I was winning decidedly every game, his argument was I have an in depth understanding of the AI model, so over to you....