field commander rommel PC

[jjdenver]

I picked up the game for iPad but there is no tutorial and no included manual so I'm really struggling with how to play and how to play effectively.

Anyone know how to learn the game?

Answered my own question. PDF manual here:
http://images.dvg.com/www.dvg.com/RommelRules.pdf

[Cyrano]

Second rule of bureaucromancy:  ALWAYS be the person in the room brave enough to say "hey, does anyone else think that's a really bad idea?"

You've got a game, and in fact a company, that has succeeded on the love afforded it by grogs.  The odds, even if coated in glucose, that non-grogs are going to embrace a game of this sort are long indeed.

Shenandoah should hold seminars...

Best,

Jim
"Cyrano"
:/7)

[Swatter]

You guys are brutal!

If they faithfully brought the tabletop version to iPad (and the tabletop version was a classic), then that should be the important part, right?

They graphics are not my cup of tea, but not terrible by any stretch. I must be missing something.

[jomni]

You guys are brutal!

If they faithfully brought the tabletop version to iPad (and the tabletop version was a classic), then that should be the important part, right?

They graphics are not my cup of tea, but not terrible by any stretch. I must be missing something.

Im pretty sure the rules are spot on. But the thing is, they already had the artwork done, why not just reuse it for the computer game? Isn't that less work?

And Phantom Leader did it right. It has already set the bar.

[smittyohio]

You guys are brutal!

If they faithfully brought the tabletop version to iPad (and the tabletop version was a classic), then that should be the important part, right?

They graphics are not my cup of tea, but not terrible by any stretch. I must be missing something.

I can handle them for an ipad game,  not sure on the PC.   What is driving me nuts is the lack of a tutorial, or even a link to the manual.  I can't figure out what I'm supposed to do, and the interface is not helpful.   I also am 99.9% sure this is by the same guy who did Phanton Leader, which has its positives and negatives.   I mean, seriously, what are the odds both companies have the work Finch in them?  He does a good job implementing the rules, and has learned a lot on making a better interface.  But he fails on explaining the damn interface.  I'm sure if you already know the game you can figure it out, but I'm struggling.

[Staggerwing]

Smitty, jjdenver posted a link to the manual a few posts up from yours. Hope it can help you get started.

[smittyohio]

Smitty, jjdenver posted a link to the manual a few posts up from yours. Hope it can help you get started.

Thanks, I did find the manual, and it is helping.  It's just nuts they wouldn't provide it in-game or at least with a link.    Aside from the Battle Plans, there is little in-game help that I can find.   While I'm more than willing to poke, prod, and do outside research, some people won't, and it will hurt their reviews.

[Nefaro]

You guys are brutal!

If they faithfully brought the tabletop version to iPad (and the tabletop version was a classic), then that should be the important part, right?

They graphics are not my cup of tea, but not terrible by any stretch. I must be missing something.

Im pretty sure the rules are spot on. But the thing is, they already had the artwork done, why not just reuse it for the computer game? Isn't that less work?

And Phantom Leader did it right. It has already set the bar.

This.

Their PC version of Phantom Leader used the tabletop graphics.  I think it looks good, sets the mood, and conveys a bit of that tabletop feel. 

This one looks like something from Fisher Price in comparison. 

[jomni]

I'm stuck.  What do I do during axis resupply phase? 
Says select an area to recieve new forces.
But can't figure out how to place new units and I can't proceed to next turn.

[finchdigital]

I can handle them for an ipad game,  not sure on the PC.   What is driving me nuts is the lack of a tutorial, or even a link to the manual.  I can't figure out what I'm supposed to do, and the interface is not helpful.   I also am 99.9% sure this is by the same guy who did Phanton Leader, which has its positives and negatives.   I mean, seriously, what are the odds both companies have the work Finch in them?  He does a good job implementing the rules, and has learned a lot on making a better interface.  But he fails on explaining the damn interface.  I'm sure if you already know the game you can figure it out, but I'm struggling.

Hello, this is Craig Finch, the developer for Rommel.  First let me say thank you for giving the game a try, and believe it or not the name Finch is a complete coincidence with the Phantom Leader developer company!  That being said, I am sorry for the lack of explanation on the Rommel interface.  It is something we are working to address, but in the meantime if you have any questions, please contact me and I will be happy to walk you through.

[finchdigital]

I'm stuck.  What do I do during axis resupply phase? 
Says select an area to recieve new forces.
But can't figure out how to place new units and I can't proceed to next turn.

Yes, this is one of the most complicated aspects of the interface.  Again, apologies that it is difficult at the onset, but hopefully after this explanation it will be much easier to use...

In the side panel, you must first move forces from the center 'Reinforcement' column to the right 'Resupply' column. You do this by selecting a force in the center, then clicking the RP button above the center/right columns. You must have at least as many RP as the attack value of the selected force in order to do this.

Once you have one or more forces in the right 'Resupply' column, you can then select a resupply area on the map that is Axis controlled. This will present the popup for the area, and your force(s) will be available in a small section at the bottom of the popup. Select forces you want to move into the area.

As with most of the other actions you can take in the game, you can undo the placement by selecting the force again, and also you can open the panel and select forces in the right 'Resupply' column, click the RP button above the center/right columns and the force will be moved back to the center 'Reinforcement' column, crediting you back the RP you spent.

Buying back destroyed forces works in a similar fashion - chose the force in the left 'Destroyed' column, click the Supply button over the left/center column, the force will move to the center and 2 Supply are spent. If you change your mind, simply select the force again and click the Supply button again.

I hope this helps.
-Craig

[smittyohio]

I'm stuck.  What do I do during axis resupply phase? 
Says select an area to recieve new forces.
But can't figure out how to place new units and I can't proceed to next turn.

It's tricky... if you want supplies, click the little supply button at the bottom of the window that scrolls in from the right.  You get 2 supplies per "resupply" point.   You can see the number of points you have at the bottom of the screen.   If you want to rebuild a unit, click on it, and then I think there's something at the top to click.   To add a reinforcement, click on the unit, and then there's a little box at the top with the "resupply" icon, and I think a number in it  (like -2, -3, etc) depending on the unit you clicked.   Once you "buy" the reinforcement, click off that window, and then click a reinforceable area, the right window will open, and you select it at the bottom I think.   Sorry if this isn't 100% right, I'm doing it off memory and haven't played all that many games yet.

I'm kinda enjoying it, and once you get used to the interface, it's well done (especially compared to Phantom Leader) ... one thing that is irritating though is that they don't seem to show the Allied Orders anywhere in the game, and since the manual also doesn't show it, I have no clue what the possibilities are for the Allies during that phase.   The game is also brutally hard, even for campaigns that Rommel rolled the Allies in.   Which I guess in some ways is good, but it's a little tough to swallow being steamrolled so easily at times.  This of course is not unique to the iOS game, but the boardgame.   I hope their sales are good enough to get to the Nimitz game... That one *really* interests me.

[smittyohio]

I can handle them for an ipad game,  not sure on the PC.   What is driving me nuts is the lack of a tutorial, or even a link to the manual.  I can't figure out what I'm supposed to do, and the interface is not helpful.   I also am 99.9% sure this is by the same guy who did Phanton Leader, which has its positives and negatives.   I mean, seriously, what are the odds both companies have the work Finch in them?  He does a good job implementing the rules, and has learned a lot on making a better interface.  But he fails on explaining the damn interface.  I'm sure if you already know the game you can figure it out, but I'm struggling.

Hello, this is Craig Finch, the developer for Rommel.  First let me say thank you for giving the game a try, and believe it or not the name Finch is a complete coincidence with the Phantom Leader developer company!  That being said, I am sorry for the lack of explanation on the Rommel interface.  It is something we are working to address, but in the meantime if you have any questions, please contact me and I will be happy to walk you through.

Hi Craig, thanks for stopping by!   That is quite a coincidence on the name.   I don't regret the purchase at all, it just took me some time to learn the game and figure out how the interface worked.   My only gripes (besides the lack of some of the charts / tables as reference) are really more with the rules / AI themselves, which of course goes back to the boardgame.   Some of it is probably my newness to the system, and part is just a byproduct of making the game challenging even when in history the scenario was more one-sided.   That said, for the people who aren't fond of the graphics, are they moddable in any way, at least on the PC?   

[finchdigital]

My only gripes (besides the lack of some of the charts / tables as reference)

Yes, we tried to find a convenient place for that information, but it didn't really work out and figuring that it was really there for the AI, we opted to leave them out.  I've attached a file that has them for your reference.

That said, for the people who aren't fond of the graphics, are they moddable in any way, at least on the PC?

Unfortunately no, not at this time. 

[jomni]

Oh no!  The French has a T-80!