PanzerCorps AfrikaKorps has been out for a month now. There are almost no reviews out. Wargamer, ArmchairGeneral, Gamespot, etc....... just no word yet.
I turned down reviews for several sites because of time deadlines that did not fit my work schedule. I gave Jim my review last night after playing the game 30 to 50 hours.
I'll let the review speak for itself. But I'm pretty amazed that there have been so few reviews of the game (NZGamer is about it). I expected to see something by Jim Cobb or someone else whose opinion I valued - but pretty much radio static out in review land.
I have read your review and feel it is quite authoritative. I'm hoping we can get it published by Friday.
Fingers are hovering over the purchase button as we await the verdict. Or is it the Shopping Cart Check out
to be honest i am surprised how much feedback the game gets. it's a remake of a classic that got several expansions back in the day.
now they have redone it and as far as i see it they charge for new add ons.
who are the customers? gamers that were too young to play the original one? did you play Panzer General Airboy?
i bought three of the original ones PG/PacificG / PG II... and wouldn't get any more fun out of it. also it doesn't look like the engine has evolved like CIV I to CIV V.
not to bash the game, just really wondering why you would spend the money if you had the original titles.
Quote from: Keunert on September 05, 2012, 03:04:43 PM
to be honest i am surprised how much feedback the game gets. it's a remake of a classic that got several expansions back in the day.
now they have redone it and as far as i see it they charge for new add ons.
who are the customers? gamers that were too young to play the original one? did you play Panzer General Airboy?
i bought three of the original ones PG/PacificG / PG II... and wouldn't get any more fun out of it. also it doesn't look like the engine has evolved like CIV I to CIV V.
not to bash the game, just really wondering why you would spend the money if you had the original titles.
would you believe I had kids to raise and had to pass on it?
i would rather believe you were living through your 50 hot secretaries world tour.
Quote from: Keunert on September 05, 2012, 03:18:03 PM
i would rather believe you were living through your 50 hot secretaries world tour.
just one... she was enough...
Quote from: Windigo on September 05, 2012, 02:58:13 PM
Fingers are hovering over the purchase button as we await the verdict. Or is it the Shopping Cart Check out
Wait until you read the review.
Panzer Corps is sad. It says something about the state of the hobby that a game that is a retread of a 20-year-old design is being touted as a hot item.
I played Panzer Corps PBEM with Shelldrake. It was an enjoyable game for what it was, but nothing memorable. I played Panzer General to death, and I can't get excited about its resurrection. The game is too dowdy - and probably too fiddly, strange as that sounds - for the younger crowd. The older crowd may buy it out of nostalgia or because it's quick and easy relative to War in the Pacific, but I think you're seeing the excitement ebb as yet another expansion is released.
As a business decision, I understand why Slitherine went with a proven, albeit uninspired, design. As a gamer, I hope our hobby can look forward to something more innovative.
Quote from: Keunert on September 05, 2012, 03:04:43 PM
to be honest i am surprised how much feedback the game gets. it's a remake of a classic that got several expansions back in the day.
now they have redone it and as far as i see it they charge for new add ons.
+1
completely agree. i *loved* Panzer General back in the day, played the thing to death. But I definitely regret slapping down $40 on Panzer Corps. Meet the new game, same as the old game.
edit -- funny DicedT, posted this before reading your post. Seems we agree. And both played PG to death.
Quote from: Keunert on September 05, 2012, 03:04:43 PM
to be honest i am surprised how much feedback the game gets. it's a remake of a classic that got several expansions back in the day.
now they have redone it and as far as i see it they charge for new add ons.
who are the customers? gamers that were too young to play the original one? did you play Panzer General Airboy?
i bought three of the original ones PG/PacificG / PG II... and wouldn't get any more fun out of it. also it doesn't look like the engine has evolved like CIV I to CIV V.
not to bash the game, just really wondering why you would spend the money if you had the original titles.
I had Panzer General and all of its iterations (Fantasy General was the 2nd best one).
I liked Panzer Corps & its first 4 expansions ('39 to '44). I found them to be fun, relaxing beer & pretzels gaming. I wrote reviews of Panzer Corps for ArmchairGeneral and of the '44 Expansion for Wargamer. So my detailed thoughts are only a google away.
Same, regret buying panzer korp. Too much puzzle, too little innovation, endless hordes of enemy scripted to arrive in counterattack scenarios. It's less strategy game than very difficult puzzle game to me. No sense of manuever and even the combined arms is far too simple paper/scissors/rock to be much fun.
Quote from: airboy on September 05, 2012, 07:22:38 PM
Quote from: Keunert on September 05, 2012, 03:04:43 PM
to be honest i am surprised how much feedback the game gets. it's a remake of a classic that got several expansions back in the day.
now they have redone it and as far as i see it they charge for new add ons.
who are the customers? gamers that were too young to play the original one? did you play Panzer General Airboy?
i bought three of the original ones PG/PacificG / PG II... and wouldn't get any more fun out of it. also it doesn't look like the engine has evolved like CIV I to CIV V.
not to bash the game, just really wondering why you would spend the money if you had the original titles.
I had Panzer General and all of its iterations (Fantasy General was the 2nd best one).
I liked Panzer Corps & its first 4 expansions ('39 to '44). I found them to be fun, relaxing beer & pretzels gaming. I wrote reviews of Panzer Corps for ArmchairGeneral and of the '44 Expansion for Wargamer. So my detailed thoughts are only a google away.
I am a hard-core Grogz-man... I'll wait for it to be splashed up on this website
Does it add new features? If it's just a bunch of scenarios and campaigns. The reviews for the base game is sufficient.
Looks like we are really hard to please. Release a game/squel with new grpahics and features = we dislike it. Relase a game that is a carbon copy of the original = we also dislike it.
Quote from: jomni on September 06, 2012, 04:06:19 AM
Looks like we are really hard to please. Release a game/squel with new grpahics and features = we dislike it. Relase a game that is a carbon copy of the original = we also dislike it.
Not true really...I think we just like innovation and would prefer not to be sold a product we bought 15 years ago in different wrapping.
Quote from: jomni on September 06, 2012, 01:46:19 AM
Does it add new features? If it's just a bunch of scenarios and campaigns. The reviews for the base game is sufficient.
I think this hits the issue square in the face....what would the review be about? The scenarios? Probably only of interest for those that are really into the game. It's the same reason you don't see many reviews of John Tiller games. While JTs titles are good, the engine hasn't changed since the invention of dirt. Under those circumstances IMHO, a review is tiring to write, and tiring to read.
Quote from: jomni on September 06, 2012, 01:46:19 AM
Does it add new features? If it's just a bunch of scenarios and campaigns. The reviews for the base game is sufficient.
Mines are the big new feature.
Quote from: LongBlade on September 06, 2012, 07:22:31 AM
Quote from: jomni on September 06, 2012, 01:46:19 AM
Does it add new features? If it's just a bunch of scenarios and campaigns. The reviews for the base game is sufficient.
Mines are the big new feature.
the question to be answered for me is "If you never bought into the series previously, is this a good game?"
Quote from: Windigo on September 06, 2012, 08:46:31 AM
Quote from: LongBlade on September 06, 2012, 07:22:31 AM
Quote from: jomni on September 06, 2012, 01:46:19 AM
Does it add new features? If it's just a bunch of scenarios and campaigns. The reviews for the base game is sufficient.
Mines are the big new feature.
the question to be answered for me is "If you never bought into the series previously, is this a good game?"
Yes and no.
I have not played Afrika Korps. I did play the first one. It was OK, but I like my games with more substance. I think it was a successful resurrection of the title and did the things it was supposed to do based on the original game from 20 years ago.
However, I personally look for more meat in my games. Opinions on that matter can vary.
Quote from: jomni on September 06, 2012, 04:06:19 AM
Looks like we are really hard to please. Release a game/squel with new grpahics and features = we dislike it. Relase a game that is a carbon copy of the original = we also dislike it.
I don't think I'm hard to please. I like war games across the whole spectrum from Total War to Conquest of the Aegean. BUT i do like a game system that is somewhat gritty and multi-layered. So in Total War (I played Fall of the Samurai most recently) you have an interesting strategic map with interesting strategic problems (eg. protecting your trading ships early on). Then you have the level of
controling your holdings and then diplocmacy et. etc. and that is all pretty beer and pretzles BUT it does offer lots of different and ever-changing ways of looking at what is going on in the game. From what I've heard (and I've never played one of the Panzer xxxx games)
the Panzer XXXX games went a little too far in stylizing the problems of operational warfare.
Quote from: ArizonaTank on September 06, 2012, 06:40:18 AM
Quote from: jomni on September 06, 2012, 01:46:19 AM
Does it add new features? If it's just a bunch of scenarios and campaigns. The reviews for the base game is sufficient.
I think this hits the issue square in the face....what would the review be about? The scenarios? Probably only of interest for those that are really into the game. It's the same reason you don't see many reviews of John Tiller games. While JTs titles are good, the engine hasn't changed since the invention of dirt. Under those circumstances IMHO, a review is tiring to write, and tiring to read.
The engine has changed some. The France 1914 game has a slightly different feel from the earlier games. But yes, basically,
nothing mch has changed in the world of JT games ever.
Quote from: airboy on September 05, 2012, 12:56:11 PM
PanzerCorps AfrikaKorps has been out for a month now. There are almost no reviews out. Wargamer, ArmchairGeneral, Gamespot, etc....... just no word yet.
I turned down reviews for several sites because of time deadlines that did not fit my work schedule. I gave Jim my review last night after playing the game 30 to 50 hours.
I'll let the review speak for itself. But I'm pretty amazed that there have been so few reviews of the game (NZGamer is about it). I expected to see something by Jim Cobb or someone else whose opinion I valued - but pretty much radio static out in review land.
I betaed this version. It's the best add-on of the bunch.
I picked up the original Panzer Corps and just could not get in to it. I don't know why that was the case...maybe I didn't really want a new school Panzer General as much as I'd always thought I did. More than likely the nostalgia was in full effect and I was forgetting the many aspects of that style of game that I find quite annoying.
One other major added feature is changing the objectives during a scenario. It is essential to some of the scenarios and was a pretty inspired decision.
So....you liked it?
This will probably go live over the weekend. With DC Case Blue being inducted into the Order of the Hex, we don't want to pull it down too quickly.
I liked the originals and I bought Panzer Corps when it was released by Matrix - but once the nostaliga factor wore off - it was just the same game in different wrapping. Not necessarily a bad game - but just the same.
After I had my nostalgia fix I wasn't buying into any expansions. As someone else alluded to - it's a rock/paper/scissors puzzle. And very little manouvering involved/allowed.
I never played the original but got Panzer Corps and enjoyed it. The only real negative for me is like JD mentioned there is little room for maneuver and I always felt very rushed by the turn limits. Though that could have something to do with me as a player.
Quote from: TheCommandTent on September 06, 2012, 06:07:46 PM
I never played the original but got Panzer Corps and enjoyed it. The only real negative for me is like JD mentioned there is little room for maneuver and I always felt very rushed by the turn limits. Though that could have something to do with me as a player.
The Afrika Korps add-on has lots of room to maneuver. A very confusing press release indicates that it'll be released soon as a stand-alone.
PanzerCorps AfrikaKorps is a stand alone game. I played it 30-50 hours before writing the review.
I strongly recommend reading the review when posted before purchasing.
PS - I agree that letting the Code Blue review have its day in the sun is wise. Excellent review by Jim Cobb.
It's a stand alone? Now I'm confused. Can you merge it with the original?
Anyway what I hated about the original Panzer Corps or even Panzer General is the strict time limit. Given that units carry over to the next battle, I would like to take things slowly but surely. Since the scenario are basically very strict on time, the game is not really suited to my play style.
It is a stand alone game. Can be played with or without the original Panzer Corps to the best of my understanding.
The review is pretty mixed. I've played this game through to completion and also played a lot on multiple difficulty settings. This release could have been awesome with just a little more work. Unfortunately, play balancing and documentation were done poorly.
Quote from: jomni on September 06, 2012, 08:16:25 PM
It's a stand alone? Now I'm confused. Can you merge it with the original?
Anyway what I hated about the original Panzer Corps or even Panzer General is the strict time limit. Given that units carry over to the next battle, I would like to take things slowly but surely. Since the scenario are basically very strict on time, the game is not really suited to my play style.
There is a 'cheat' where can change the number of turns (I forget what the syntax is, like turns= or something like that)..
Everything after the Tutorial for me, there was no way I could complete in time (I guess I just suck). I agree, I like to 'preserve' as many units as possible when playing a game, especially if they're being 'carried' over.
I'm enjoying the game quite a bit. The one thing I want to mention though is that it plays very very well on a netbook. That is a nice bonus feature for me.