Battle Academy

[Barthheart]

I believe in the SB series that weapons degrading also takes into effect ammo usage as that's not tracked separately. So it's not only the weapon wearing out.

[Gusington]

I love, LOVE BA2 because I am obsessed with the Eastern Front of WWII. Like some above I have never played the original.

[Father Ted]

FWIW I would suggest giving CM another go - it is probably the best option for simulating squad-to-battalion size battles in WW2, especially if you want 3d.  However, it might be worth going for Red Thunder rather than CMBN - fighting in Normandy does not make for a fun game.  You could even look at the CM1 games - cheaper, with bigger scope, and with pretty much  the same game-play.

There is also the Operation Star series, which does a similar thing, but has an overlying strategic layer as well.  Still pretty complex, though.  And there's the rub:  you won't get realism without a hefty dose of complexity.

I know you don't like the top-down view, but the Close Combat series is worth considering, too.

[Bison]

I believe in the SB series that weapons degrading also takes into effect ammo usage as that's not tracked separately. So it's not only the weapon wearing out.

This makes sense. 

[Barthheart]

I believe in the SB series that weapons degrading also takes into effect ammo usage as that's not tracked separately. So it's not only the weapon wearing out.

This makes sense.

Yeah... I'm not convinced it makes sense... one of the areas I don't like in SB....

[acctingman]

Thank you all for all the suggestions and comments.

I'm leery about dumping money into PC games and them not panning out. I guess that's the thing....gotta plunk down the money and take the plunge. I think I want too many games to make it work for me. 

I'm strongly considering getting my WW2 gaming itch scratched via board games (conflict of heroes or the Panzer Grenadier series)

[Bison]

The conflict of heroes on matrix is fun too.  :)

[Bison]

I believe in the SB series that weapons degrading also takes into effect ammo usage as that's not tracked separately. So it's not only the weapon wearing out.

This makes sense.

Yeah... I'm not convinced it makes sense... one of the areas I don't like in SB....

It has to be modeled somehow.  I've honestly never really given it much thought.

[FarAway Sooner]

It's a bit off the beaten path, and if you're looking for a strictly historical wargaming experience, it won't fit the mold, but if you're looking for a good squad-level tactical game featuring WW II weapons, Valkyria Chronicles is proving immensely fascinating to me right now.

It's a console import, but when you look under the hood, it's also an extraordinary squad-level war game.  Think of it as blending the character-specific mechanics of X-Com with the puzzle-like nature of individual maps that you find in all the Panzer General clones.  It takes place in a fictional European setting around the time of WW II, featuring you as the defender of a Balkan neutral country that gets invaded by a much larger, vaguely Prussian empire in Central Europe.

It is NOT at all historical, and the game starts to get more fantastic after a while, but I'll be danged if it's not a very satisfying wargame with some pretty interesting tactical depth.  It took me a little while to get used to the anime-ish feel of the cut scenes, but now that I'm past that I'm getting totally immersed in the story.  It's one of the best story lines in any WW II-era game I've ever played.

[Rayfer]

The conflict of heroes on matrix is fun too.  :)

Yes....+1.  A good board to pc game conversion IMHO.

[BanzaiCat]

It's a bit off the beaten path, and if you're looking for a strictly historical wargaming experience, it won't fit the mold, but if you're looking for a good squad-level tactical game featuring WW II weapons, Valkyria Chronicles is proving immensely fascinating to me right now.

That IS a rather intriguing game and enjoyable. I want to go back to it at some point - I only played a little of it.

[FarAway Sooner]

It's killing me that the demo for Conflict of Heroes no longer seems to be available anywhere.  It was published once upon a time, but none of the first 5 or 6 links that I checked featured it any more.  That title seems very intriguing to me!

[Richie61]

I believe in the SB series that weapons degrading also takes into effect ammo usage as that's not tracked separately. So it's not only the weapon wearing out.

This makes sense.

Yeah... I'm not convinced it makes sense... one of the areas I don't like in SB....

I have a buddy the modded SB into a mod called X mods. It got rid of the stupid degrading. Love the SB titles and hate the degrading part.  :)
http://www.theblitz.org/message_boards/showthread.php?tid=67512&highlight=x+mod

[jomni]

I got used to it and don't mind. Added an element of saving ammo. But why not just track ammo like Steel Panthers?