The State of my Library... (recommendations welcome!)

[DesertFox]

Hi guys,
I'm new around here and I've seen various threads on the different games I've been toying around with lately, but I wanted to list them here and see if y'all had any recommendations on something good to focus on.  As I've gotten older, I've found myself to be almost more of a collector of games than an actual gamer...  I still keep up on things and usually can't resist jumping on a good sale when something I've been following goes up... I just don't have as much free time any more so I usually have to focus on one or two things.  Anyways, here's some of the stuff I have:

Combat Mission Series:  CMx1 was my introduction to PC wargaming and still stands as the pinnacle of wargaming for me..  to this day it has best captured that balance of strategy/tactics/realism/immersion/fun for me that I'm looking for in any game.  I had huge hopes for the CMx2 series and I own most of them and occasionally still play them but they just don't quite have "it" for me.  I still think they are great games and will always support Battlefront though.

Steel Panthers (World at War and Shrapnel's WW2/MBT):  WaW was my other introduction to wargaming, and it has all the same magic as CMx1 for me.  I started with the free edition then bought the Generals Edition for the Mega-Campaigns (which I have still yet to tackle).  I eventually found WW2 and MBT and I particularly enjoy MBT for the variety of settings (especially the Vietnam maps) but games can just take soooo long.

Advanced Tactics Gold/Decisive Campaigns (Warsaw to Paris and Ardennes Offensive)/Shadow Empire:  I'm listing all three of these together because they seem to be built on a similar engine/concept and I've just recently developed an interest in this kind of game.  I figured ATG would be the simplest of the three (and I'm still guessing it is), just haven't had the time to delve into any of them.  Even though I guess these games aren't considered operational-level, I've just started becoming more interested in operational-level games and these feel more on that level than most of the games I own...

Close Combat: The Bloody First (and the original CC games):  I had a hard time getting into the CC series because I started on Combat Mission and something just felt missing here.  The AI pathfinding is super annoying (especially for armor), and I guess starting in the 3d world of CMBO just kind of ruined some of the magic I would've felt for this series if I'd played it first.  I really like the Normandy mod for TBF though and I still hold onto hopes for this game...

Graviteam Tactics:  This is probably the strangest relationship I've had with a game.  For the longest time I'd start up a game, feel like I had no clue what I was doing then quit, only to somehow get drawn back to it.  I started watching YouTube videos (something I normally don't have the patience for, I'd rather read a manual), and started piercing through the issues with the UI and trying to learn my way around.  This has been probably the most rewarding wargaming experience for me as I've started slowly "getting it".  It has been well-worth the effort, and what I'm playing most these days.

Other honorable mentions in my catalog that I haven't had time to play: Armored Brigade, Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm, Fields of Glory II (and Medieval), Grand Tactician: The Civil War, Second Front, Unity of Command II, Campaign Series (JTCS, Middle East, and most recently Vietnam)

[SirAndrewD]

Of those games outside the legacy of Steel Panthers, Combat Mission is the one that I spend the most time with and feel is the best to put some hours in. 

If you feel an itch for something new that I don't see listed here, a couple of games I absolutely LOVE that are better for my older, shorter attention span are the Decisive Campaigns series and Armored Brigade.  I find those, especially AB, to be very satisfying and easy to pick up and put down. 

However, the true Grog answer is to be a game whore and own them all!

[DesertFox]

I've fortunately/unfortunately been taking the "whore" route and now have more stuff than I have time for!  But I've been thinking the Decisive Campaigns series might suit me right...

[Sir Slash]

I'll put in a recommendation for the Decisive Campaigns series. They're great if you like Strategic/Operational Level games.

[DesertFox]

Thank you, sir!!  I've kinda felt a pull towards that series and Ardennes Offensive is really interesting to me.  (Bastogne/The Breaking Point were my favorite Band of Brothers episodes!)

[DesertFox]

Of those games outside the legacy of Steel Panthers, Combat Mission is the one that I spend the most time with and feel is the best to put some hours in.

Do you play the original CM games or CMx2?  and is there any particular game/front in that series you focus on?  Also I'm curious if you play Cmx2 games if you play them real-time or turn-based...?  My instinct with the CMx2 games has been to play them turn-based because I thought that system was so cool in the first generation of games but I'm starting to think (based on my limited experience) that real-time may be the way to go on smaller battles (which is the way I like to play).

[greengiant]

I'll put in a recommendation for the Decisive Campaigns series. They're great if you like Strategic/Operational Level games.

I'll second that and recommend Barbarossa due to the RPG aspect not found in any other VR games.

[Jarhead0331]

Have you ever looked into the John Tiller games, now marketed under the WDS brand? Lots of different series to consider at all levels from the tactical to the operational. These games have all aged well and have updated with graphics and UI enhancements. New titles are still being released too. Lots to choose from.

Also, if you're looking for a full time job, there is of course the Gary Grigsby titles...War in the East, War in the west, War in the Pacific...nothing else compares to these games in terms of detail, but the complexity will either appeal to you and suck you in or scare you away altogether. Either way, I feel that no grog collection is complete without them.

Finally, for some more casual play, you might want to check out the Strategic Command and War Plan series. Strategic and operational games that are still fairly easy to get into.

[JasonPratt]

The Decisive Campaign games are absolutely operational level! I own but haven't played the latest entry (on the Bulge), ditto Case Blue, but I've finished multiplayer games in the other two. The UI is kind of finicky, and most-so on the first entry (the Blitz).

Vance Strickland, the Groghead member named Barthheart, wrote the tutorial for the Blitz game; and he's who I played the two mp games against.

I set up AARs for both games, providing a sort of tutorial system of my own in the process (and learning the hard way not to stack too many units in a hex even if I can!)

After fixing the video code for the thread (I should do that on more of my threads, since the forum migration to a new engine)...

Here is my side of the DC1 match

And Barth's side

My side of the DC3 match (screenies only, no videos)

Barth's side of the DC3 match

The combined aftermatch commentary thread for DC3

[DesertFox]

Thank you guys for all your input!  Jarhead I have a few of the John Tiller/WDS games and I really like them.  I think I like Squad Battles the best just for the scale (I can't control massive rosters of units) but I bought Battles of Kursk and Normandy awhile back and I really like those also.  I have a few of the Civil War and WW2 JTS games on my iPad also (they work pretty well with touch controls once you get used to them).

Strategic Command has been on my radar for awhile, and I bought SC: War in Europe awhile back when it was on sale but have maybe played it 10 minutes.  Might need to invest a little more time into that one.  I've read a little bit about the War Plan series but have never owned or played any of them.  I've only recently become more interested in operational-level games, and I bought Gary Grigsby's War in the West in one of the past Steam sales but I haven't had near the confidence to attempt to tackle it.  For some reason operational-level stuff is intimidating to me, but hopefully just because I don't have enough experience with it.

And thank you for your AAR links, JasonPratt!  Looking forward to digging into those a little!

[Father Ted]

FWIW I'll make a few observations...

IMHO CMx2 is CMx1 just slightly prettified - absolutely worth your time/money if you like the originals. Also, carry on playing them  WEGO as God (and Battlefront) intended.

I would separate out Shadow Empire from its stable-mates as it really is a whole new deep-dive venture.

From your also-rans, Flashpoint Campaigns and Fields of Glory are definitely worth your attention (again IMHO).

Something that hasn't been mentioned yet - and it is one of the "Big Beasts" of computer wargaming -  is Command Operations 2.  There is a free demo which is well worth a look.

[DesertFox]

Thanks for the input, Father Ted!  It's definitely possible I just haven't put enough time into CMx2 games to appreciate them as much I should.  I guess I was just hoping for more ...breadth? (maybe the word) from them.  Stuff like RobO's Quick Campaign kinda native with the game.  I already think the engine and graphics were way above most of the wargames I've played.  But anyway, not to disparage them because I think they are great games (and probably more deserving of my gaming time).

Flashpoint Campaigns is one that I really feel I've been missing the boat on.  I've played through the tutorial guide maybe once or twice but haven't really advanced beyond that.  I've really enjoyed the Fields of Glory games also but haven't advanced very far beyond tutorial-level and a few battles (pretty common theme here).

Command Operations 2 is one that hasn't been on my radar and sounds intriguing for sure.  I will definitely look into it!!

[Sir Slash]

I like CM 2 better than my beloved CM 1. But I totally suck at the game.  But I keep playing it anyway. Even though it makes me feel like these guys...

[JasonPratt]

Command Ops 2 (and the many iterations before it, all published by Matrix/Slitherine until COps2) is arguably the most complex real-time strategy game ever, certainly in the top 3 (if various Paradox Clausewitz engine titles are grouped as one entry). Although there are things like Dyson Sphere now which may be more complicated.

And yet, it's only as complex as you wanna be: for any mission, you could literally find your on-map boss (essentially the HQ unit which is your representation on the field), drag him over to where the mission goal is, and then unpause the game, and watch the AI fight itself.

It does have shortcomings which become more obvious once you mess with the game, but it's still an amazing game system.

[Phantom]

I too like the Decisive Campaign series - fairly easy to pick up & if you follow military logic you'll most likely get good results.
However, I have found myself drifting more into board games - I'm fortunate in that I have a room set aside so can set out a game & go back to it as & when I have time or suddenly think of a good move or strategy - its also great for looking at the board state & then ruminating on the next move. its far more relaxed & allows more consideration than PC games.
Don't get me wrong, I still like PC games, but I'm really glad I've discovered this whole new strand, though I do shy away from more complex "fiddly" chrome heavy wargames & tend to go for series games like COIN or Levy & Campaign, where I can learn one (generally simpler) rule set & play a lot of games on the back of that.