Vietnam '65 announced @ Matrixgames/Slitherine

[JudgeDredd]

The first one definitely needed work - but not the kind of work given on the second!

[Jarhead0331]

I think you guys are being a little too grumpy and a bit unfairly critical. It is not meant to be as hardcore as War in the West, but that doesn't mean it can't explore interesting strategic issues unique to the Vietnam War. How many games are out there focusing on Airmobile operations in the 1960s? Exactly! 

When I played the preview build, although it had issues and I wasn't in love with the look of the game, it did successfully model the dilemmas of counter insurgency operations where you are cut off from your main bases of supply and support, in deep jungle and mountainous terrain against an enemy who outnumbers you and can often times attack without warning. It was critical to keep those choppers coming in and out with fresh supplies and troops. I did enjoy it.

Anyway, let's face it...even if it was the next War in the West, there are people who would complain about that too.

[bboyer66]

I was hoping for your standard "grog" type game - that looks like Apple bollox

Premature judgement, I know - but it's definitely not the view I was hoping for.  :(

+1

the graphics / art design turning me somewhat away.... even so the gameplay underneath may be good, we will find out

i would have wished for playing it on a 'kind of topo map' and with military symbols/icons ...Westmoreland's-HQ -style and not with cartoon-ish animated sprites where everything is blown out of proportion n size.   

is this the same game? ...or an earlier developing stage?   

...before some lead artist turned it into ridiculous beer hot milk 'n pretzels looks

- - - edit - - -

the first vid is actually an early stage! ...and its free to test on the PC here   8)
http://www.vietnam65.com/download-prototype.html

My exact thoughts Mike. Still looking forward to it though, despite the change to the cartoonish style of art.

[JudgeDredd]

I wasn't suggesting it should be WitW in Vietnam - it's just not my thing. I don't like wargames looking like that. That's pretty much it.

[MikeGER]

...well, of course i enlisted for the beta(lottery)   O0    ...and will surly not raid their office for using cartoons  ;)

[Bison]

I don't know.  It looks pretty dang good to me.

[GDS_Starfury]

I think you guys are being a little too grumpy and a bit unfairly critical.

its what we do here.  8)

[Slick Wilhelm]

I looked at the Matrix Coming Soon section the other day and it made me a bit sad. Absolutely nothing (bar Brother Against Brother) to look forward to (for me).

Good luck waiting for Brother Against Brother. The game has potential, but will they ever finish it? I am on the beta test team, and was extremely active in it's development three years ago. But I gave up waiting for the dev team to keep working on it.

[jomni]

I was hoping for your standard "grog" type game - that looks like Apple bollox

Premature judgement, I know - but it's definitely not the view I was hoping for.  :(

+1

the graphics / art design turning me somewhat away.... even so the gameplay underneath may be good, we will find out

i would have wished for playing it on a 'kind of topo map' and with military symbols/icons ...Westmoreland's-HQ -style and not with cartoon-ish animated sprites where everything is blown out of proportion n size.   

is this the same game? ...or an earlier developing stage?   

...before some lead artist turned it into ridiculous beer hot milk 'n pretzels looks

- - - edit - - -

the first vid is actually an early stage! ...and its free to test on the PC here   8)
http://www.vietnam65.com/download-prototype.html

My exact thoughts Mike. Still looking forward to it though, despite the change to the cartoonish style of art.

Reminds me of how they bastardized Field Commander Rommel.
By the way where do I get the game in the first video?

[JudgeDredd]

In the link at the bottom of the post you quoted  :P

[jomni]

In the link at the bottom of the post you quoted  :P

SEEEEESH! How did I miss that?

[Jarhead0331]

Reminds me of how they bastardized Field Commander Rommel.
By the way where do I get the game in the first video?

Only a truly OCD groghead would insult the game and then immediately ask where to get it.  O0

[endfire79]

Reminds me of how they bastardized Field Commander Rommel.
By the way where do I get the game in the first video?

Only a truly OCD groghead would insult the game and then immediately ask where to get it.  O0

[emoji6]

[JasonPratt]

To be fair, the game in the first video was an early build that looked 'better', so not quite as OCD as it seems.  :))

[Apocalypse 31]

I played two very long sessions of the PC build.

Interesting game, and I'm glad someone is doing something different. Having done counterinsurgency in Iraq and Afghanistan, this game hits home. I liked the mix of combat and logistics, something often overlooked with games. I find it satisfying to drop supplies to Soldiers who I've tasked to conduct a week-long movement to contact in search of NVA forces. I think about when I was the guy on the ground and how I felt getting resupply after a week of combat operations.

I think there needs to be more depth, especially in terms of intelligence gathering - right now you either gather intelligence or you don't. Villages are either friendly or not. Regardless you never get information from villages.

Intelligence drives Operations, and operations drive intelligence. In real life we rarely just perform operations. We perform operations based on intelligence. During operations we gather more intelligence to drive more operations.

There also need to be an operational level of intelligence. After every turn you should receive some kind of briefing on enemy troop movements or developments in the area.

As well as more realistic ways to win over the populace. I recommended to the creator that he add Civil Affairs units with the ability to build civilian projects to sway the populace. He liked it. Ideally, it would be nice if the game had a Civilization approach, where each town could be developed independently with certain buildings.

I'm glad this guy got picked up by Slitherine, hopefully they can help him fill some of the gaps, maybe provide some artists.