matrix 2018 holiday sale

[Jarhead0331]

I think I may pick up the DLC for SoW:W.  They're going for the price of a pint of beer each.   It's a game I really want to like, and the holidays could be the time to try to wrap my head around the system once more.

The whole series is on  sale on steam for $10!

[Grim.Reaper]

I think I may pick up the DLC for SoW:W.  They're going for the price of a pint of beer each.   It's a game I really want to like, and the holidays could be the time to try to wrap my head around the system once more.

The whole series is on  sale on steam for $10!

Do you have a link to the $10?  I see the bundle around $24 but maybe looking in wrong place.

[Gusington]

I picked up three DLCs for Order of Battle, each for that same price of a pint.

[RommelFox]

I picked up three DLCs for Order of Battle, each for that same price of a pint.

Which DLC did you pick up? 

I'm working my way through Germany at War, but I do want to hop on oob at some point.

[Gusington]

I got the Morning Sun campaign (1930s Sino Japanese War), I got the Panzerkrieg campaign (Eastern Front, ~1943), and then I went back to pick up Winter War (Soviet Invasion of Finland, 1939).

Originally I felt Order of Battle (original game) was a bit too scripted but the rare conflicts portrayed in the above made me come back and overlook scripting, if it is still an issue.

[JasonPratt]

I'm working my way through Germany at War, but I do want to hop on oob at some point.

Is that the PG-ish Barbarossa game? I've had it and its predecessor forever but haven't tried it/them yet...

[Gusington]

Order of Battle? Yes.

[JasonPratt]

No I meant "Germany At War". It's supposed to be a very detailed Barbarossa game.

[Tuna]

How is Germany at War?

[Jarhead0331]

^Somehow that one slipped my notice, even though Jim Cobb reviewed it for us in 2013. PG with more complexity sounds great to me. Purchased.

http://grogheads.com/review/2458

[Gusington]

^Game slut.

[JasonPratt]

How is Germany at War?

That's what I wanna know!  :D

...I mean, not that it matters I guess, I've already got it (and its predecessor).

Not many PG successors deign to use NATO symbols. And the map zooms in for a 3Dish view. Scale is uniformly maintained across the huge campaign, or the four huge campaigns rather. In that sense it's rather like the full Unity of Command game, but at much smaller scales (1 Turn always equals 1 day; 1 hex always equals 1 km), and at a much more granular level of upgrade (similar to many other modern PG heirs).

In some ways it looks like a much more accessible War in the East (or the main campaign does).

[Gusington]

I hate you.

[RommelFox]

I'm working my way through Germany at War, but I do want to hop on oob at some point.

Is that the PG-ish Barbarossa game? I've had it and its predecessor forever but haven't tried it/them yet...

How is Germany at War?

     I find it strikes a great balance in complexity.  It's one of those easy to learn hard to master games.  It adds just enough complexity to the Panzer General/Corps formula for me to like it.  Also the interface is well explained in the manual and pretty much every number/symbol you see in the game will pull a tooltip up when you mouse over it, so there's no scratching your head and constantly digging through the manual trying to remember what a squiggle represents.

The supply system adds more depth than say Panzer general/corps.  You have to account not only for manpower, but ammo and fuel also must be supplied taking away from your resource points.  Yes your tanks can shoot across that map, but do you have the resources to replenish their fuel after that advance?  I bamboozled a scenario by forgetting to rearm my aircraft and ended up with multiple turns of not being able to make use of aircraft until I got them rearmed.

The graphics are decent enough, and there's the usual marching sounds and gunfire effects.  You can also switch between NATO counters and sprites/polygons whatever they are. 

As a note, I've mostly played some of the easier intro scenarios, so I'll reserve judgment on the AI's ability until I get into a more serious one.  It does seem capable though, as during one scenario it was clear I as going to overrun the AI's positions so it attempted to quickly withdraw its forces and establish a new line.

I also believe the dev still updates the game and has some patch in the pipeline currently.

[Gusington]

I...may have to get this. Now I'm a gaming slut too.