Brother against brother

[magnus]

 Orders can be fouled up and not followed or not understood by the unit.

Effectively showing command control or lack of in these battles.

[JudgeDredd]

It's released.

Ouch!

£35.99+VAT = £43.19 DD
£56.99+VAT = £68.39 Collectors Edition

I know - we say it all the time - but I think the term rhymes with "Clucking Bell"

Sorry Erik , Eric and Gil - I just can't.  :'(

Good luck though.  O0

[tgb]

I pretty much figured $50 based on how Matrix has priced comparable titles.

[JudgeDredd]

Including local tax (VAT here) that's $64 and $101

[bbmike]

Bought! I'm swamped with so many games I want to play right now.  :)

[Anguille]

It's indeed fairly expensive for today's standards...if I knew I'd spend the next 3-4 months with it maybe, but I've got so many other games to play first...

I will have to wait...but it stays on my list.

[Tuna]

Lets start a pool for how long JD can hold out! 

[Jarhead0331]

Start posting impressions, boys.

[ERutins]

Hi guys,

VAT should actually be included now - are you seeing it as still a separate charge, JD?

$49.99 is actually a pretty good price and about average for a wargame, especially with the time that went into this one, but it's absolutely your call if that's the right price for you.  I can only say that I think it's worth it!  :-)

In case you missed the Twitch Livestream, you can now watch it here:

https://youtu.be/rJI9L2yh9uE

That should hopefully answer a lot of questions as well.

The game fully supports modern resolutions and the command and control system works very well.  You have functions for each command echelon.  Each regiment can change formation and be given orders, there are brigade orders and significant effects on brigade coordination and orders change based on the brigade commander.  The division level can help set the objective for the division, Corps level handles intelligence/fog of war, scouts and can speed divisions.  Army level can be a big help with overall morale and breaking point, etc.

If you have excellent command, formation and orders changes can be quick.  Turns are about 20 minutes each.  If you are out of command or your commanders are not that great, or something simply goes wrong, it can take much longer to get things re-organized and moving in the right direction.  It's all based on the real historical challenges of command and control in this era.

Regards,

- Erik

[JudgeDredd]

Yes Erik - that seems to be different. I could've been wrong, but I'd swear it said + tax before.

Anyway...truthfully £35.99 is easier to swallow. I'll still have to think though Tuna - so keep the bets coming in 

[Philippe]

I had really wanted that title to see if it was a viable alternative to Tiller's ACW games.

I fully appreciate how much research goes into something like this, and understand that the researchers and developers need to be compensated for several years of unpaid work.

But I think the pricing is a mistake.

With the exception of Bull Run these are fairly obscure battles that are unlikely to win much of a mass audience.  The only way to attract a mass audience for the series (if there ever is a series) is to price the games low enough so that the typical Steam user says 'what the heck, I've never heard of Wilson's Creek, but for twenty bucks it might be fun'.  Impulse buys happen at ten dollars or less, at twenty bucks you need to have some connection to something to attract new users.  There's not much of a connection here, and the price is a killer.

This is priced higher than a Tiller game.  The time in development and amount of research involved is comparable to a Tiller title, but Brother against Brother delivers a fraction of the number of scenarios you'd expect from a typical Tiller title.  The graphics seem better and hopefully the AI is better (that' should be easy because Tiller ACW AI is pretty awful).  Tiller games shine in PBEM, and this game is probably saddled with Matrix's boneheaded PBEM scheme.

At this price the game is probably not going to attract new users to the hobby, so I have to worry about the continuation of the series.  And the rest of the series is why I would have bought the game in the first place (Wilderness and Peninsula campaigns).

So my wallet is going to stay in my pocket, and will probably stay there for two or three years until Matrix figures out what a sale really looks like.

Which is a shame, because I would have liked to support this game at the outset.

[JudgeDredd]

Erik

Can you tell us what is with the Collectors Edition - that's quite a jump in price. Is the manual as good as the War in the West one? Hard backed? With a hard spine? or spiral?

[Toonces]

It really bums me out when new game discussions immediately devolve to price discussions.   :-\

[Rayfer]

Philippe...I agree with your first statement...I had really wanted that title to see if it was a viable alternative to Tiller's ACW games.
...that's precisely what I'm hoping this game is.  Somewhere along the way I'm getting this game but I want to see some reviews and feedback first.

[Pete Dero]

I could've been wrong, but I'd swear it said + tax before.

You're not wrong.  It seems all their prices went down for me.   This morning Flashpoint Campaigns was 60 € (price + 21% VAT) and now its 49,99 € (price VAT included).
If these prices stay (and I really hope they do) it's like having another easter sale for us in Europe.