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Digital Gaming => Computer Gaming => Topic started by: acctingman on January 23, 2016, 07:56:25 PM

Title: Need some help with WW2 PC games
Post by: acctingman on January 23, 2016, 07:56:25 PM
Hello

I wish there was a game that encompassed all of WW2. The only game I know of is SPWaW. Great game but the graphics are just too much for me.

Can someone recommend any turn based squad level games that cover......

Western Europe 1939-41
North Africa 1940-42
Eastern Europe 41-45 (a series of games is fine like 41-43 and 43-45)
Allied Invasion of North Africa/Italy 42-44
D-Day to Berlin 44-45
Pacific Theater 42-45

I do prefer better graphics that SPWaW. THe Combat Mission series (new and old) are out. I've tried the demo and it's just too complicated for me AND I prefer larger conflicts/battles.

Really would like a game that has mods.

Any recommendations I'll consider.

Who sells games other than Matrix and John Tiller?

Thanks for any help
Title: Re: Need some help with WW2 PC games
Post by: gameleaper on January 23, 2016, 08:31:23 PM
spelk showed us this link http://schwerpunkt.wargamer.com/ I have not tried it but it may be what you are looking for

you could checkout http://www.freewargamer.com/   make sure you download the free game  http://www.freewargamer.com/wartactical-mini-site/

also try this free squad level bit of fun

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ngc76v5khjb8hqu/MASL09.zip?dl=0
Title: Re: Need some help with WW2 PC games
Post by: FarAway Sooner on January 24, 2016, 12:45:46 AM
It ain't squad-level, but Unit of Command provides a great example of "simple mechanics but very complicated strategy to combine those mechanics skillfully".  It's also got AI that won all sorts of plaudits from critics and fans alike.

Again, it's not squad-level.  But it's more like a traditional WW II war game than anything I've played in a long time, and I'll be damned if it's not pretty fun.  If you want squad level, have you tried Battlefield Academy?  There's a demo out there, that would give you a decent chance to try it before buying.
Title: Re: Need some help with WW2 PC games
Post by: Bison on January 24, 2016, 01:27:57 AM
Battle Academy series.  It's Slitherine/Matrix, but it's good fun.  Africa/West/East Fronts and there are some mods for WW1 too.
Title: Re: Need some help with WW2 PC games
Post by: FarAway Sooner on January 24, 2016, 02:45:37 AM
It ain't squad-level, but Unit of Command provides a great example of "simple mechanics but very complicated strategy to combine those mechanics skillfully".  It's also got AI that won all sorts of plaudits from critics and fans alike.

Again, it's not squad-level.  But it's more like a traditional WW II war game than anything I've played in a long time, and I'll be damned if it's not pretty fun.  If you want squad level, have you tried Battle Academy?  There's a demo out there, that would give you a decent chance to try it before buying.

(note on the edit:  Thanks for the name fix, Bison!
Title: Re: Need some help with WW2 PC games
Post by: undercovergeek on January 24, 2016, 02:57:09 AM
The art of war 3 - never played it but I think that ticks all the boxes, might be wrong
Title: Re: Need some help with WW2 PC games
Post by: Crossroads on January 24, 2016, 03:33:38 AM
John Tiller's Campaign Series bundle of West Front, East Front and Rising Sun (ie. Pacific Front) covers the whole war, albeit at platoon not squad level.

Hundreds upon hundres of scenarios, with editors and campaign generator to top them. The 3D table top miniature model view is I guess at least on par with SPWaW.

USD 29.99 at the moment for digital download.

Oldie but Goldie I'd say, but then again I am obviously biased  :)

edit Here's a LINK to a AAR (http://www.theblitz.org/message_boards/showthread.php?tid=57814) I did a few years ago.
Title: Re: Need some help with WW2 PC games
Post by: gameleaper on January 24, 2016, 04:01:41 AM
I have looked for you for an hour to find non matrix or tiller site games.

tank operations European campaine on sale at https://www.humblebundle.com/ for £2.39 75% off
the few on sale at https://www.humblebundle.com/ for £1 75 %off

all I ask is you maybe think about looking at mt game https://www.dropbox.com/s/ngc76v5khjb8hqu/MASL09.zip?dl=0
Title: Re: Need some help with WW2 PC games
Post by: spelk on January 24, 2016, 04:24:12 PM
If you do Android gaming, you can get almost any era/theatre from any number of Joni Nuutinen's Conflict Series..

https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Joni+Nuutinen

Title: Re: Need some help with WW2 PC games
Post by: JasonPratt on January 24, 2016, 05:15:28 PM
(It's Unity of Command, by the way. It's a pun for being one of the first games made with the Unity engine.)

Ditto, don't know of any squad-level game series that cover the whole war. Tiller's Campaign Series comes closest, and can be bought from Matrix/Slitherine, though not from Steam yet.

HPS has a number of squad level games, but not covering the whole war (except maybe for mods).


If Battlefront's Combat Mission could be too complicated to learn, you're going to have trouble with just about anything. However, fans have modded Barbarossa to Berlin and Afrika Korps (of the original CM series) to feature battles covering not only the whole war but even things like the Spanish Civil War. And many of those battles can be massive. Which, I mean, massive means more complicated not less complex, so...?  ??? If you want larger squad-based battles than CM can provide (with easily more than a hundred units at your command), less complex than CM, then I really don't know what to suggest.

You could try Close Combat, which is a top-down squad based system, with many games covering key West Front operations (and at least one East Front, at Stalingrad), and a very active modding community that has no doubt created missions (and maybe even whole campaigns) covering the whole war by now. it's a little less complex than CM (which borrowed a lot of its mechanics from CC), but it also can't feature nearly as many units on the field at once so it isn't as potentially massive.
Title: Re: Need some help with WW2 PC games
Post by: Nefaro on January 24, 2016, 06:05:09 PM
WW2 games?


Noooo! 


Danny you're a young man, don't do it!
Title: Re: Need some help with WW2 PC games
Post by: FarAway Sooner on January 25, 2016, 03:08:43 PM
Ha!  That was certainly a typo on my part. 

Unit of Command sounds like a bad adult-industry video title...
Title: Re: Need some help with WW2 PC games
Post by: Bison on January 25, 2016, 04:31:35 PM
Quote from: Nefaro on January 24, 2016, 06:05:09 PM
WW2 games?


Noooo! 


Danny you're a young man, don't do it!

Crumageon.
Title: Re: Need some help with WW2 PC games
Post by: acctingman on January 25, 2016, 05:56:13 PM
Do the John Tiller Squad battle games keep track of individual losses after each battle?

For instance, after the battle is over is there a screen that shows how many men were lost? how many Panzer III's were lost?...etc...

Title: Re: Need some help with WW2 PC games
Post by: Nefaro on January 25, 2016, 06:13:14 PM
Quote from: acctingman on January 25, 2016, 05:56:13 PM
Do the John Tiller Squad battle games keep track of individual losses after each battle?

For instance, after the battle is over is there a screen that shows how many men were lost? how many Panzer III's were lost?...etc...

Yes.



Quote from: Bison on January 25, 2016, 04:31:35 PM
Quote from: Nefaro on January 24, 2016, 06:05:09 PM
WW2 games?


Noooo! 


Danny you're a young man, don't do it!

Crumageon.


(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/a1/24/58/a12458d1d23f76212e2e6afbd771309b.jpg)
Title: Re: Need some help with WW2 PC games
Post by: Bison on January 25, 2016, 06:34:39 PM
Quote from: acctingman on January 25, 2016, 05:56:13 PM
Do the John Tiller Squad battle games keep track of individual losses after each battle?

For instance, after the battle is over is there a screen that shows how many men were lost? how many Panzer III's were lost?...etc...

Down load the demo game for Squad Battles at John Tiller Software.
Title: Re: Need some help with WW2 PC games
Post by: gameleaper on January 27, 2016, 10:28:20 AM
https://www.humblebundle.com/

this ww2 bundle £8  80% off
Title: Re: Need some help with WW2 PC games
Post by: acctingman on January 27, 2016, 10:32:44 AM
Quote from: gameleaper on January 27, 2016, 10:28:20 AM
https://www.humblebundle.com/

this ww2 bundle £8  80% off

Thanks Gameleaper, but I already have all but 1 or 2 of those titles in that bundle  :)
Title: Re: Need some help with WW2 PC games
Post by: gameleaper on January 27, 2016, 11:39:32 AM
ok, just spotted it and thought of you .
Title: Re: Need some help with WW2 PC games
Post by: Richie61 on January 27, 2016, 12:05:20 PM
Here is a SB Red Victory video.

https://vimeo.com/18245771
Title: Re: Need some help with WW2 PC games
Post by: acctingman on January 27, 2016, 12:09:38 PM
Quote from: Richie61 on January 27, 2016, 12:05:20 PM
Here is a SB Red Victory video.

https://vimeo.com/18245771

Is it my 47 yr old eyes or does Squad Battles graphics looks the same as the JTCS graphics?

I see the Red Victory can show 3D units, but why do some of the other SB titles do not have that option?

Thanks for the video Richie!
Title: Re: Need some help with WW2 PC games
Post by: Philippe on January 27, 2016, 12:13:30 PM
Sometimes it's better not to ask why when contemplating features of Tiller games.


The less facetious answer is that Red Victory is a more recent game.



Title: Re: Need some help with WW2 PC games
Post by: Richie61 on January 27, 2016, 12:22:29 PM
John Tiller designed JTCS before he went to HPS.

He then split from HPS to start his own place.
http://johntillersoftware.com/index.html

I don't know why Red Victory, Advance of the Reich, Eagles Strike, First World War have 3D and the others don't. I would guess that the (2) Pacific titles, (2) Nam titles, Korean, Winter War and a few others
don't could be that they don't have the correct terrain or 3D models.

I don't care for the 3D views in the Tiller/ HPS titles at all. The terrain looks DOS like to me. The new Campaign Series: Middle East 1948 -1985 has better 3D, but I like the 2D views better. To each their own.

Now I love the 3D in the Battle Academy titles, but I also use the top down views at times.
Title: Re: Need some help with WW2 PC games
Post by: Richie61 on January 27, 2016, 12:26:17 PM
Quote from: Philippe on January 27, 2016, 12:13:30 PM
Sometimes it's better not to ask why when contemplating features of Tiller games.


The less facetious answer is that Red Victory is a more recent game.

I think FWW (First World War) is newer and has 3D in it.