Decisive Campaigns: Barbarossa

[Queeg]

The tutorial videos do cover pretty much everything for this game. A nice surprise bonus.

Agreed.  Which is another indication that the guys who made this game have a very clear design vision for it.  This is a first-rate effort all around.   

[JasonPratt]

And yet I get the impression they're going to abandon the Eastern Front hereafter rather than pursue anything beyond Case Blue -- in effect they're going to sell DCX to modders (or maybe provide it for free to those who own DC3? -- I can't recall the details), and let the mod community work on the games hereafter.

Which I suppose is maybe just as well. That way they can concentrate on... goodness, what?  ???

[Queeg]

Which I suppose is maybe just as well. That way they can concentrate on... goodness, what?  ???

I can think of a dozen other settings for this engine.  North Africa.   Western Europe after D-Day.  Even WWI. 

[-budd-]

hope they continue in the east. Bound to get it sooner with a lot of the components in place already.

[Cyrano]

As to the future, I am constantly delighted by the fact that the whole of DC really seems to have sprung from Vic being a bit peeved with those who claimed "Advanced Tactics" wasn't sufficiently historical -- whatever that means.  I'd like to ask him whether he feels vindicated in having created some of the best-received WWII games at this level on the PC.

...and we really should start up an AT game hereabouts...

[spelk]

As to the future, I am constantly delighted by the fact that the whole of DC really seems to have sprung from Vic being a bit peeved with those who claimed "Advanced Tactics" wasn't sufficiently historical -- whatever that means.  I'd like to ask him whether he feels vindicated in having created some of the best-received WWII games at this level on the PC.

Hear, hear!

...and we really should start up an AT game hereabouts...

I tried to mod the original AT, and massage the rulesets into giving us an Invasion of Zululand in 1879. The AT engine was quite flexible, but my poor understanding of it all, probably led to the mod not being that groovey to play.. although adapting to a totally different time period and seeing what you can do with some tweaks to the numbers on unit make-up is really interesting.

http://advancedtactics.org/scenario.php?nr=134&tpage=0&tplayer=1983&ttag=0&tai=0&tdeleted=0&tengine=0

Blathering on about my feeble effort, I forgot to mention Grymme's scenarios (he did a number of ancient and musket era ones, as well as others)

https://atgscenarios.wordpress.com/

I'm looking forward to what can be achieved by much more talented modders and the DCX modding engine.

[JudgeDredd]

I've got the utmost respect for anyone who does ANY modding - whether it's hugely successful or not.

The effort - even if I don't play them - is always welcome. So thanks to all modders out there - however advanced or lite the mod is.  O0

[-budd-]

hear, hear,....modders are great, i'm certainly glad someone wants to spend their time modding games that improve my game experience.

[JasonPratt]

+ 10K !

[spelk]

Community majiggy out now!

http://www.vrdesigns.nl/?p=1234

[mikeck]

Some on this forum really value the opinions of others on games. I would generally NOT be one whose opinion SHOULD be valued since I let my fanboy side interfere with Total war games and AGEOD games in particular. But for whatever it's worth, this is the best strategy/operational war game I've ever played...not just WW2 game...I mean war game for any time period.

Whether it's GG war in the east/west or a tiller game, the main thrust of these games is moving chits around to attack stuff. Sure, they handle logistics, refit, air support, Etc differently, but in the end, as supremes commander of whatever army in whatever war, your job is to move units and attack stuff.

This game is so different. Sure, there is a time to move divisions, attack, move supply bases, assign artillery support and all the other accouterments of operational/strategy war gaming; but just as important are decisions you have to make presented to you by subordinates, OKW, chief of staff and Adolf himself. From the first turn alone you have several decisions that need to be made. The Fuhrer wants all armies moving east and encircling. Agree with him and you earn politics points. But you can also decide to drive straight for Moscow or thirdly, on Leningrad as priority. You can choose those but they cost PP and will irritate the boss. Certain decisions will simply be denied...but in this case, Hitler went along with my plan to drive on Moscow at the cost of 3 political points.

Other decions include routes of advance for the 3 army groups. The railroad guys need to know which railroads to prepare to work on so you need to decide which routes to take. You could decide to leave that to a junior officer like one of you subordinate generals recommends. Why do that? Because every decision explains how it effects your relationship with other generals. Agree with them and they like you more. That's important because at times, you need things from them

Another decision (all these before the fight begins) is to decide whether to modify fuel distribution based on your strategy. Whomever you take from will get pissed. I also made the decision to ask Hitlers chief of staff for more allotted fuel overall to be diverted from Africa operations. It costs 6 political points and i have about a 40% chance of getting it. I could have asked Adolf himself and had a 60% chance but that costs 16 PPs.

You have decisions about whether to join the nazi party, divert vehicles to the construction battalions, alter the attack plans, request fuel from the Luftwaffe, etc, etc
Every turn you have these macro decisions affecting the war in the way that a REAL commander would.

In reality, Field Marshall Halder, June 21, 1941, was not ordering division commanders to attack here or move there. He was signing fuel orders, planning supply routes, asking for favors, soothing concerns subordinates upset by his refusal to allow them to do what they want. These decisions created friends and enemies that made his job easier at times and harder at others

THAT'S what this game does. Every turn there are host of letters on your desk requiring decisions. Decisions have consequences. It is so much more than moving chits

Best strategic/operational war game I've ever played for that reason.

Edit: second turn I was notified that my "oath of allegiance" was missing. Himmler was sure there was just a misunderstanding but he made clear that taking the oath and joining the NAZI party would be beneficial to my career. So I scroll through the recommendations of other officers on this decision.(every decision offers recommendation and comments from several officers). I'm thinking "no brainier...Hitler and his Choef of Staff like me more...I get more stuff and my way!!!

Unfortunately, my chief of staff pointed out that the colonels, and most generals did not like or respect those in the NAZI party seeing them as anathema to the operations of a professional army. If I taken the oath, my subordinate generals will like me less and be less likely to do things I want. The more they dislike me, the more PP I have to spend to get them to do something. On the other hand, I have a better chance of getting approval for changes in operations, requests for parts or requests to have certain subordinates removed by Hitler himself.

[Barthheart]

Yeah... what he said.  O0

[JasonPratt]

This is why it takes Bart more time to do his moves than me. As Stalin, I have almost no political points, so I have a hard time getting any special actions to be taken, but I'm totally in control so I don't have to juggle a bunch of prima-donna cats around. If I want them shot, they get dragged out back and shot.

Of course, that's also a large reason why Russia At The Start Of Barbarossa is in a mess.

(The other big drawback being that I'm R.A.T.S.O.B.  ::) )

[Barthheart]

Umm... sorry for the delays...

It takes me about 1.5 hours to do the turns and take all the screen shots I need for the AAR. Then about 1.5 hours to write it all up and post it.

Next week I'm off until Jan 5. so should be faster turn arounds.... should be... not enough hours in the day fer all I've committed to.... 

[mikeck]

Sorry for the wall-o-text but so rarely am i this impressed with a game...and a WW2 game no less!