The Great War: Western Front

[Zulu1966]

Well - just had to kill the game as the first tutorial got stuck

Doesnt bode well if that doesnt work

[SirAndrewD]

The first tutorial has issues with scroll/pause/unpause. 

I think that's the nature of the game force pausing and unpausing to issue tutorial steps.  Shouldn't be a issue in the main game.

[Gusington]

*please be good*
*please be good*
*please be good*

[SirAndrewD]

*please be good*
*please be good*
*please be good*

I would say it is but I can't on the first 3 hours with it give it an unabashed glowing "Holy Cow this is a game changer" take. 

I have a feeling this will be one that hopefully gets some back and forth love from the developers. 

Just off the top of my head artillery accuracy needs to tone down a bit, and there has to be some kind of skirmishing/suppression mechanic that will make offensive ranged combat less reliant on arty.

Also, as far as I can tell AI knows where your units are at all time.  In my fight in Aaras I noticed that the assault I quietly moved up on the right in a treeline against loosely held entrenchments got constantly targeted by arty even though they were concealed and far from the trench line with no balloons. 

It's still pretty easy to avoid arty on the attack if you're careful, but don't think you can sneak units into place behind cover, the AI knows where you are.

Biggest danger from arty right now is that it will target and quickly destroy any MG placements you have, but you can do the same to them.   I didn't see MG's last too long or be too much of a problem for me in my first fights, but it is 1915.

[W8taminute]

Downloading now but probably won't get to play until tomorrow.  Too many distractions!!

[SirAndrewD]

The game has a bit of a way to go. 

It's fun, but a bit more of a puzzle game due to the odd infantry mechanics and kill times than direct tactics. 

[Sir Slash]

Games like these are why God made, 'Sick Days'.

[W8taminute]

Interesting observations Andrew.  Can't wait to try out for myself. 

I'm back at work but for some reason I feel 'ill'.  Maybe I should go home. 

[Gusington]

'Puzzle' was the one magic word I did not want to read 

[Jarhead0331]

How did we get here? The demo left people with the impression that this may be a gem in the making. What happened?

[W8taminute]

The chatter doesn't sound good but I won't comment until I've put my hands on the game.  All the LPs I've watched on YouTube (2 so far) seem to show a game that is solid.  Not sure why there are claims that the game is flawed, although the flaws are plausible.

[Tamas]

I must be doing something wrong, well, in general but with artillery vs. MG nests in particular as I don't seem to be able to take them out, always need infantry to close in to destroy them. And MGs seem decisive when I am coming up against them (haven't done much defense yet) - my guys just melt away in their fire.

But, again, I am clearly not doing something I am supposed to be doing, because battles which are marked as "great victories" on auto-resolve I still end up losing or at best exhausting both forces to a standstill before achieving proper status-reducing victory.

So yeah mixed feelings so far, but at this stage I am perfectly willing to attribute the negatives to my inexperience/incompetence.

[SirAndrewD]

'Puzzle' was the one magic word I did not want to read 

It's my impression, and it's not quite as negative as it would be normally.  It is however very much a game of "There is a way conduct a battle and if you don't do it exactly right, there's no margin for error". 

I think why it feels that way to me is simply how fast infantry gets eliminated and how the vast majority of units are only good for melee. 

Two infantry companies that run into each other in an open field engagement don't last very long as weapon accuracy is close to 100%, so a rifle exchange will pretty well wipe any infantry unit to the point its worthless so you want to avoid that. 

One MG nest can mow down thousands of attacking infantry, so defense can be extremely strong. 

However, Arty can laser destroy any infantry unit or MG nest that you can see in a trench, so that's your method in taking them out.  However, your shells come from your supply and you have to spend supply before battle to do things like build trenches, place artillery, field balloons, put up wire ect. 


Supply is very limited for the player making for hard choices.  The AI is not as constrained by supply issues, and I regularly see it fielding large numbers of very expensive balloons while affording ample infantry, unlimited shelling and regular reinforcement.  The AI CAN run out of supply though, it just starts with a lot more and takes longer. 

This to me leads to a bit of a puzzle solving mentality.  There's a formula to winning.  Spend and make sure you have that balloon, spot, lay arty and assault only under the cover of heavy shelling. 

With enough guns and supply you can make the dream of the Somme come true, walking over the artillery destroyed works and corpses of the enemy, but it takes very careful planning, methodical play and to me it feels like solving a problem.

That's not in and of itself a bad thing, and please make note, I am playing in 1915, so I don't have any really interesting gadgets yet like tanks, gas, stormtroopers or flame units.  Both sides are also relying on rudimentary trenches. 

While the experience for me wasn't that much different with the 1918 Demo, I can't imagine it'll be the same as long as the war lasts for me past 1916 (which in my first Germany game seems unlikely).

[W8taminute]

SirAndrew are you describing the historical battles or actual campaign play?

Although you and Tamas seem discouraged with the game from what you describe I'm wildly excited.  WW1 is working as intended.  Of course men are going to get mowed down quickly out in the open, this is WW1. 

Have you guys tried timing the barrages to occur just before your advancing infantry come into machinegun range?  Remember, this is WW1, we all have to think outside the box with this game because quite frankly I suspect most of us are too ingrained with WW2 style fighting. 

I have the feeling that many battles are simply going to be nothing more than firing a few barrages, scouting out the area, then click on ceasefire.  It took the real life armies many months of preparation in stockpiling supplies before even thinking about launching a grand offensive.  Only to have most of your attacking army die on day 1. 

WW1 Western Front, a lot of men died quickly and en masse within seconds. 

[Gusington]

Great post, thanks D. Sounds like it is a different type of puzzle solving vs. Unity of Command, mostly because of scale.

And W8 I read in a few reviews that timing of artillery is key. It has to be done precisely.