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Digital Gaming => Computer Gaming => Topic started by: Bison on January 29, 2012, 11:21:04 AM

Title: Command Ops: Highway to the Reich
Post by: Bison on January 29, 2012, 11:21:04 AM
I'm going to pick this up next week, when I get home.  I'm pretty stoked.  Except when my laptop crashed last August, I lost Battle for the Bulge so I'll need to redown load that too.  Then it's wargaming time again.

After a few months of disappointment with Tiller and now Ageod, I'm just relieved that one of my favorite wargame developers is still pushing to improve their games.  Sure some with complain about it's just a remake.  However, there are a ton of differences between the original HttR and the new Command Ops engine to justify the $25 IMO.
Title: Re: Command Ops: Highway to the Reich
Post by: LongBlade on January 29, 2012, 11:25:15 AM
Yeah, once we're satisfied these forums are firing on all cylinders and the front page easily accepts content I'll start working on an article about it. I can't wait to play it.
Title: Re: Command Ops: Highway to the Reich
Post by: Bison on January 29, 2012, 11:30:49 AM
The plan is to bring this joint up to a full review and news site too?
Title: Re: Command Ops: Highway to the Reich
Post by: LongBlade on January 29, 2012, 11:34:45 AM
Quote from: Bison on January 29, 2012, 11:30:49 AM
The plan is to bring this joint up to a full review and news site too?

Initially we just wanted a place to hang, but a bunch of guys here are writers and they are eager to keep writing so it's inevitable. Besides, it's fun.
Title: Re: Command Ops: Highway to the Reich
Post by: Bison on January 29, 2012, 11:38:25 AM
That's cool.  I'd be up for writing some AARs once life settle down into some sort of normalicy for me. 
Title: Re: Command Ops: Highway to the Reich
Post by: LongBlade on January 29, 2012, 11:39:57 AM
Great!
Title: Re: Command Ops: Highway to the Reich
Post by: Jarhead0331 on January 29, 2012, 11:50:38 AM
I was sort of excited for this one too. But in truth, I never learn the system so I don't stick with these games.  I have the original HTTR on cd...I'm assuming the expansion will work with this?
Title: Re: Command Ops: Highway to the Reich
Post by: LongBlade on January 29, 2012, 11:57:47 AM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on January 29, 2012, 11:50:38 AM
I was sort of excited for this one too. But in truth, I never learn the system so I don't stick with these games.  I have the original HTTR on cd...I'm assuming the expansion will work with this?

Battles from the Bulge has an outstanding video tutorial. Play through those and you'll have no problems.
Title: Re: Command Ops: Highway to the Reich
Post by: Bison on January 29, 2012, 12:04:16 PM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on January 29, 2012, 11:50:38 AM
I have the original HTTR on cd...I'm assuming the expansion will work with this?

No this is an expansion for Battle of the Bulge.  It took the original HttR and upgraded it to the newest panther engine.  So unfortunately you'd need to get BftB first to play it.  However LB is correct the video tutorials for BftB are great and really help you grasp the gameplay much easier.  They are very in depth about the engine and how to plan using UI features.
Title: Re: Command Ops: Highway to the Reich
Post by: Jarhead0331 on January 29, 2012, 12:17:01 PM
Quote from: Bison on January 29, 2012, 12:04:16 PM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on January 29, 2012, 11:50:38 AM
I have the original HTTR on cd...I'm assuming the expansion will work with this?

No this is an expansion for Battle of the Bulge.  It took the original HttR and upgraded it to the newest panther engine.  So unfortunately you'd need to get BftB first to play it.  However LB is correct the video tutorials for BftB are great and really help you grasp the gameplay much easier.  They are very in depth about the engine and how to plan using UI features.

Are you absolutely SURE about this? I have BftB, but I thought this new expansion required HTTR.
Title: Re: Command Ops: Highway to the Reich
Post by: Bison on January 29, 2012, 12:24:59 PM
Yes.  The new expansion requires BftB.  It is the old HttR game where the scenarios have been updated to the BftB engine.
Title: Re: Command Ops: Highway to the Reich
Post by: son_of_montfort on January 29, 2012, 01:34:25 PM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on January 29, 2012, 11:50:38 AM
I was sort of excited for this one too. But in truth, I never learn the system so I don't stick with these games.  I have the original HTTR on cd...I'm assuming the expansion will work with this?

I'm exactly the same way. I get very excited for the system and I jump into learning everything I can about it, but I play a few scenarios and never feel I grasp what is going on enough to do well.

I would put in more time and get the expansion (well... If I can find the copy of BftB I had) but I still have so much left to learn and do in Distant Worlds and its expansion that I think it would be a lost cause.
Title: Re: Command Ops: Highway to the Reich
Post by: Bison on January 29, 2012, 02:12:09 PM
Well one of the nice things about the Command Ops system is that you can get into the weeds of detail as much or as little as you want.  Generally I limit my commands to BN level.  Occassionally I'll go down to company, if there is an object or OP that I want to hold.  One of the tricks to learn is to NOT continually change your mind after an order has been issued.  The ripple effect of reorg by your subordinate units really will stall out any advance or defensive plan you've made.  I always how ever keep the artillery under my command to put fires where/when I want.  The one exception is the mortar plt I leave them to support their battalion.
Title: Re: Command Ops: Highway to the Reich
Post by: LongBlade on January 29, 2012, 03:56:29 PM
Quote from: Bison on January 29, 2012, 02:12:09 PM
Well one of the nice things about the Command Ops system is that you can get into the weeds of detail as much or as little as you want.  Generally I limit my commands to BN level.  Occassionally I'll go down to company, if there is an object or OP that I want to hold.  One of the tricks to learn is to NOT continually change your mind after an order has been issued.  The ripple effect of reorg by your subordinate units really will stall out any advance or defensive plan you've made.  I always how ever keep the artillery under my command to put fires where/when I want.  The one exception is the mortar plt I leave them to support their battalion.

That's how I play.
Title: Re: Command Ops: Highway to the Reich
Post by: Bismarck on January 30, 2012, 02:38:04 PM
A nice piece would compare this to the original HttR.
Title: Re: Command Ops: Highway to the Reich
Post by: LongBlade on January 30, 2012, 03:13:08 PM
Yes it would. We should chat offline about that.
Title: Re: Command Ops: Highway to the Reich
Post by: Grim.Reaper on January 30, 2012, 08:56:51 PM
I picked this up as well, but haven't played much.  I like the concept of the game system where you don't have to micromanage, but it has still been hard to wrap my head around the system even though I own all the games in the series.....my darn impulse buying gets me all the time.
Title: Re: Command Ops: Highway to the Reich
Post by: LongBlade on January 30, 2012, 09:13:25 PM
I like to look at it like a movie. I set all the orders in motion, then I speed up the system and watch things unfold. You've got to be really light on the touch with the orders and just let the AI work out the details. It's difficult, especially since I'm a tactical gamer who prefers to push individual squads around. But once I get into the system, it's kinda Zen.
Title: Re: Command Ops: Highway to the Reich
Post by: Grim.Reaper on January 30, 2012, 09:25:28 PM
Thanks LB.  I am sure I will get the hang of it someday, determined to actually finish a scenario this time around.  Just have to find the time to absorb the tutorials and figure it out.  Until at least Crusader Kings II comes out and hopefully takes all my time away.
Title: Re: Command Ops: Highway to the Reich
Post by: gabeeg on January 31, 2012, 01:26:46 AM
Quote from: Bison on January 29, 2012, 11:21:04 AM
...After a few months of disappointment with Tiller and now Ageod, I'm just relieved that one of my favorite wargame developers is still pushing to improve their games.  Sure some with complain about it's just a remake.  However, there are a ton of differences between the original HttR and the new Command Ops engine to justify the $25 IMO.

Bison,

  Just out of curiosity, what has disappointed you with Tiller...is just their slow development and improvement to thier engines? The new HttR is excellent, still on my first scenario but it in combination with the last to updates to the BftB engine have really put a nice icing to an already excellent game.
Title: Re: Command Ops: Highway to the Reich
Post by: Bison on January 31, 2012, 02:40:40 PM
Quote from: gabeeg on January 31, 2012, 01:26:46 AM
Bison,

  Just out of curiosity, what has disappointed you with Tiller...is just their slow development and improvement to thier engines? The new HttR is excellent, still on my first scenario but it in combination with the last to updates to the BftB engine have really put a nice icing to an already excellent game.

Honestly I'm still a little disappointed about how the shift from HPS to JTS DRM became such a dramatic event.   I think that all sides to include myself got bitter and hostile about the changes.  In the end, I don't think it was good for the Tiller game community at all.  I guess that is the major reason.
Title: Re: Command Ops: Highway to the Reich
Post by: son_of_montfort on February 01, 2012, 11:26:28 AM
So I found my copy of BftB and installed it... only to find out that the fonts are all messed up because I use higher DPI fonts with my large screen monitor!  >:(

If I switch the DPI, then I can play it fine, but it means logging out and back in and then my screen gets all messed up (and I am convinced it looks different from before, but I can't pick out why). I checked the Matrix forum and Arjuna said that this was "too time consuming and expensive to fix" and basically told us to lump it or leave it (a bit more politely, but only a bit).

I guess the expansion won't make this any better? I also think I had the same problem with GG:WitE, but didn't know what it was.

Yes, war games are a niche product, but can we not make them work a bit better on a wide variety of resolutions?
Title: Re: Command Ops: Highway to the Reich
Post by: LongBlade on February 01, 2012, 12:32:48 PM
Quote from: son_of_montfort on February 01, 2012, 11:26:28 AM
So I found my copy of BftB and installed it... only to find out that the fonts are all messed up because I use higher DPI fonts with my large screen monitor!  >:(

If I switch the DPI, then I can play it fine, but it means logging out and back in and then my screen gets all messed up (and I am convinced it looks different from before, but I can't pick out why). I checked the Matrix forum and Arjuna said that this was "too time consuming and expensive to fix" and basically told us to lump it or leave it (a bit more politely, but only a bit).

I guess the expansion won't make this any better? I also think I had the same problem with GG:WitE, but didn't know what it was.

Yes, war games are a niche product, but can we not make them work a bit better on a wide variety of resolutions?

This is interesting. My initial reaction tells me that it could be the first sign that Slitherine is intervening - money is definitely the motivator.

But OTOH these guys are a small outfit and they do have to pick their battles. Screen resolution seems to me to be a "nice to have" rather than necessary place to devote resources.

Screens are getting bigger and cheaper so they ought to at least tip their hat in acknowledgement, but grogs can be grogs and they may be set in their ways.

So whiled I'd like to pile on, in the end I'm thinking that I'd give them a pass. They probably do have better places to apply their efforts, though a more well considered response would have been in order.
Title: Re: Command Ops: Highway to the Reich
Post by: son_of_montfort on February 01, 2012, 02:03:00 PM
It isn't a screen res thing - it scales to the 1920x1080 res fine. It is a font DPI issue. I'm not sure why they made the font dependent upon the computer's settings and not internally controlled, but that is what they did.

I wouldn't blame Sliterine for this one. If anything, Matrix has always been bad about supporting higher resolutions (Crown of Glory, for instance). They have improved at this over the years.

Yes, it absolutely is due to the fact that Arjuna and company don't have the resources to fix this without a complete overhaul. It isn't game-killing for me, more of an annoyance, but for some it surely would be.
Title: Re: Command Ops: Highway to the Reich
Post by: Bison on February 01, 2012, 02:07:17 PM
No this is a common issue with games on Win7 where text size size is increased by default.  You see it in Ageod games and HPS/JTS games too for example.
Title: Re: Command Ops: Highway to the Reich
Post by: son_of_montfort on February 01, 2012, 04:16:56 PM
Quote from: Bison on February 01, 2012, 02:07:17 PM
No this is a common issue with games on Win7 where text size size is increased by default.  You see it in Ageod games and HPS/JTS games too for example.

Yes, that is true. But it is still a DPI issue. You can correct it by setting the DPI lower. O course, when I set the DPI that low, I can barely read my other text.

And resetting back to "normal" has made things look "funny." May be my imagination, but my fonts look different than they did before!
Title: Re: Command Ops: Highway to the Reich
Post by: Bison on February 01, 2012, 04:34:53 PM
Maybe your clear font got dropped somehow. 
Title: Re: Command Ops: Highway to the Reich
Post by: son_of_montfort on February 01, 2012, 06:23:29 PM
Quote from: Bison on February 01, 2012, 04:34:53 PM
Maybe your clear font got dropped somehow.

No, but I think I may have altered the cleartype font. I'm getting used to it now, though.