Steel Division 2 Brings Single Player Strategic map campaign similar to totalwar

[hellfish6]

My one and only serious problem with the Eugen games isn't the AI being too dumb or too clever, it's the AI knowing where all of my units are at all times. I play one skirmish every day or so and there has never been a game - in SD2, SD44 or any of the Wargame series where I did NOT see the AI drive right up to one of my nearly invisible scouts and kill it. Or target my infantry reinforcements or artillery far behind the lines before they've even unloaded from their trucks.

I realize a huge number of games out there of all types - RTS, turn based, even FPS - don't 'hide' player units from the AI, but the way the SD/WG series blatantly takes advantage of it really stinks. I keep buying and playing these games and I enjoy them most of the time, but this one issue is like having a pebble in my shoe that I can't get rid of that severely hampers the entire experience for me.

It actually rankled me enough this weekend that I went back and installed one of the Combat Missions again... only to remember why I finally uninstalled that. I think I'm stuck with Eugen now, pebble and all, for my WW2 tactical gaming.

[Destraex]

I have to say, it does feel like that a lot of the time. But I don't think I have noticed the AI home in on any of my units very obviously. I mean take a right hook off a road and go flying towards a hidden infantry recon unit with a tank that could not possibly see them.

[hellfish6]

That's actually exactly what happens sometimes - a lone tank will drive up to my two-man recon team (with no AT weapons of their own). The tank will drive right up on my guys, open fire at 5m and kill them quickly.

[Destraex]

Well the Allies DLC is out as a tribute to D-Day. But it's $18 here in AUD... for six divisions from SD1. Needless to say I pulled the trigger.
I am a sucker for this game. It's a great balance of wargame and RTS.

I have been watching the $350 competitive play offs and been enjoying it like a game of football.

[sandman2575]

Just a general heads-up --

SD2 is on sale now on Steam for a cool $15.99.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/919640/Steel_Division_2/

Looks like this is a short-term 'daily deal,' so if you've been on the fence, this is a good time to pick it up.

[Father Ted]

I almost went for this, but managed to see sense in time.  I've played a bit of Airland Battle and bought and refunded SD1.  For me this is just one of those games where the promotional screenshots have little relevance to the actual gameplay I've experienced.  That shot in Destraex' last post of infantry rushing across a road looks intense and exciting, yet I'd never see that when playing - they'd just be an icon.  Likewise, detailed models of AFVs pictured firing over a valley would not feature in my playing experience.

I realise that such things are present in the game, but I know they're just wasted on me when I try to play it.  The scenery and models are stunning - they're just not relevant to the gameplay.  This game would work just as well with a 2D representation.  In fact I'd probably play the game presented that way because then I wouldn't be feeling guilty that I was ignoring all the tremendous graphics.

[sandman2575]

I definitely know what you're talking about, Father Ted. I'm almost always zoomed all the way out when actually playing. Still, there is one feature that's worth considering, which is the auto-record feature. You can watch any of your battles after the fact 'cinematically' this way -- you can get rid of the UI as well if I'm not mistaken.

Anyway, the thing that keeps me glued to SD2 is the tremendous campaigns. I love these, and many are equally interesting played from either the German or Soviet side. A lot of replayability here.

For the past year, I've found myself playing SD2 at the expense of most other games. I think it really hits the sweet spot between arcady WW2 RTS (Company of Heroes) and grindy, very time consuming games like Graviteam Tactics Mius Front.

[hellfish6]

I'm almost ashamed to admit this, but the SD series has eclipsed Combat Mission for me. I don't say that lightly - I was in on the old CM tech demo/alpha thing back in the late 90s and I've poured thousands of hours into it over the year. I have all the titles (even the Afghanistan one) and the series holds a close place dear to my heart.

However, the CM of today is still a lot like the CM of old. It hasn't changed much, and it's stale for me. That, and the replayability is surprisingly low. I spent most of my CM experience playing quick battles. However, in CMFB, the last title I played before finally uninstalling all of them, the QB experience is pretty awful. In the vast majority of games I play, i pick my own forces and let everything else be randomized, I always seem to end up fighting an opponent (almost always the Germans) who instead of bringing a combined arms force, always seems to buy a Wespe battery and one Stug. Almost every single time.

That, and the lack of interesting and suitably large maps has, over time, caused me to lost interest. Yeah, CM looks okay, but it doesn't have nearly the replayability that the SD series has. And even for all of SD's many (many) faults, it gives me a more enjoyable and re-playable experience. And I can easily squeeze it into my schedule, and good skirmishes can be over in half an hour - or an hour if I prefer.

[al_infierno]

I know what you mean Hellfish.  I keep wanting to give this series a shot for the exact reasons you described.  Maybe I'll go blow some money on DLC to justify spending time with the game again.  ;D

[Gusington]

So you're all saying that this is a steal at the 15.00 price?

[sandman2575]

Very definitely, Gus. I pretty much only play the Single Player campaigns, and I absolutely love this game.

[Gusington]

*runs frantically to Steam*

[Destraex]

$15 on steam atm for you Americans. A steal in my book. I usually recommend against stealing. So don't get it! 

[Destraex]

Interview with DEVS on upcoming future of SD2, VulcanHD 1hr Youtube Video Camera


This was really good. Check out Madmat's expression, We are exasperating him. Sorry mate. :)
Good to put a name to the face Matthieu. Great interview Vulcan

Key points so far:
* No new maps for the Romanian front campaigns - maps in future though which will make me happy

* Possible new western DLC in future - this would make me very happy

* Possible expansion to another theatre in SD2 - this would make me very happy

* A focus on new player accessability some time in the future before any more free weekends are possible if they happen at all. Happy with this if NO STEP BACKWARDS is taken in terms of game complexity and realism.

* Map editor is in the works but probably a long way off if it gets finished at all. 6 months or more. This more than anything else has me excited because it means people will have endless replayability.

* Recon rework in future - Again I hope they do not over do it and make it like normal units have blind men in them and reckon can see through trees.

* The HP bar for units may come back in future. They believe SD2 is based too much in randomness for kills. - Not sure if I like this as games then become less about a story and more about mechanical perfectness. In short the game could become like starcraft. Where formulas rule along with clicks rather than tactics and strategy. Where if you do 1+1+2 the outcome will always be 4. This could be a step backwards for me, but would of course encourage the competitive spreadsheet boys.

* APCR and sub\rifle\mg range order priority may be added.

* A stat choice to show closer penetration or max range penetration on unit cards.

* Smart orders will be developed further

* The urban map being shown off will not be a city with dense tall buildings, it's more suburban than city. Which may come further down the track... this would be a test bed.

* Competitive community seasons may be put in game as official game seasons stucture.

* Community run servers may be coming at some point

* 10 v 10 may come to smaller maps

* Steel Division 2 will be around a long time before any #3 is considered. No SD3 for at least another year or much longer.. perhaps even 3yrs or more.

* Save campaign game in enemy turn may be added

* Smoke Rounds may be added. However they are limited to number of weapons per unit. This could mean imho that they do so unrealistically. I.e. Tanks that can fit smoke get it, where tanks that historically had smoke rounds may not get it. This is a slippery slope in my opinion.

* Weapon stat calcs may be published but only when they finalise all the changes they want to include finalise.

* Wargame4 not ruled out for the future but they are more excited for SD2 at the moment.

* Coop Army general is on the way.

[hellfish6]

I still really enjoy this game. I've not been as absorbed in the operational campaigns as I expected to be (the mechanics of it still kind of baffle me) but I spend about an hour a day doing skirmishes. I love the fact that I can fight the Brits with my Soviet tank corps if I want to.