Slitherine to release Brian Kelly's Stalingrad 31st March

[Boggit]

WEGO World War II: Stalingrad is the flagship of Brian Kelly's operational level, ground-centric, WEGOWW2 game system. Built on the framework of Desert War 1940-42, this hex-based wargame captures the drama of the epic German offensive to capture the industrial city of Stalingrad in the Summer of '42. It consists of a series of historical scenarios and campaigns that allow the players to explore the ebb and flow of the actual combat operations. It's playable by both sides using hotseat, versus the AI, or Play By Email.

WEGOWW2: In many board and computer wargames, one side will move its units and resolve combat, followed by the other side repeating the process. This game mechanic is known as IGOUGO ("I GO YOU GO"). WEGOWW2 is different. WEGO by its nature is about the player's ability to plan for and manage chaos; to find solutions to perceived challenges and accomplish the mission with the tools at hand. Despite the fog of war...against a thinking opponent who must problem-solve and plan under the same conditions-- Every decision you make must be carefully considered. Learn to think three moves ahead to outsmart your opponent!
WEGO World War II: Stalingrad 1942 comes with three campaigns. Each campaign consists of three to six linked scenarios. The game uses stylized maps of the Russian steppes over which a hexagonal grid system has been superimposed. This grid is employed to help regulate land unit placement, movement, and combat. Air, Naval, and Ground Assets are off-map capabilities that can be brought into play when the owning player sees fit.
Ground units range in size from company to regiment/brigade level and are represented on the game map using counters with stylized or NATO icons to display unit types.
Air assets represent air groups that can conduct counter-air, interdiction, air re-supply, bombardment, and ground support missions.  Air reconnaissance assets can collect information about enemy location, unit types and strengths.
Naval Assets represent the Soviet Volga River Flotilla. These assets can conduct bombardment and ground support missions.
Ground Assets provide additional capabilities that can influence the outcome of on-map battles. Ground Assets include electronic warfare assets, command and control (C2) activities, and Special Forces.
Logistics Assets provide additional resources that can enhance the movement, combat, or replacements priority to player selected units or organizations.
Ground Scales: There are two ground scales in the game. The operational maps use 2500 meters (~1.5 miles) per hex. The tactical level city maps of Stalingrad use 500 meters per hex.
Time Scales. The number of turns per day depends on the ground scale of the scenario. Scenarios that have a ground scale of 2500 meters per hex have five game turns per day. For example, game turns 1 through 4 are considered day turns (each ~five hours long); game turn 5 is a night turn (~four hours long). Scenarios that have a ground scale of 500 meters per hex have two turns per day (one day and one night).
FEATURES

Feature List:
•    WEGO - simultaneous movement and combat resolution system.
•    Fog of War and intelligence collection capabilities.
•    Off-map assets that include air, naval, command, intelligence, supply, partisans, and special forces.
•    Complete game editor included. Create maps, units, assets, scenarios, campaigns, AI scripting, and more.
•    Linked Scenario-Campaigns.
•    Night Turns with night-capable units and penalties for conducting night operations.
•    AI Staff Assist. The Staff AI can help the player by creating ground battles and assigning air/ground assets. This can be set to happen automatically at turn start, or at any time using hotkeys.
•    Air transport assets can supply encircled units.
•    Air assets and artillery have their own bombardment results table.
•    Supply Depots and Airfields are added supply sources.
•    Logistics management includes fuel, ammo, personnel and equipment.
•    Replacement system to re-build under-strength land units.
•    New Terrain: Rivers, bridges, steppes, mud flats, and city hexes.
•    New Units: Bridging Engineers can repair/destroy bridges or create Pontoons; there are ski troops, partisans and security forces.
•    Players can breakdown regiments/brigades into three battalion-sized task forces, or combine three battalions into a regiment/brigade.
•    Divisions can attach/detach from one corps to another.
•    An in-game Attack Editor. The player can right-click on a planned attack to see the units and assets currently involved. Using the Attack Editor, you can remove or add ground units, artillery support, and air assets to the attack. The player can also assign different attack orders to each separate unit in the attack

[Zulu1966]

Excellent. Looking forward to this one.

[Boggit]

Excellent. Looking forward to this one.

From what I've seen of it, it looks a lot of fun. Nice graphics too.

[JasonPratt]

I liked his Desert War game system a lot, even though it was a bit clunky in execution.

I'm confused about his scale/timing though. At 2500 per hex, he's going to have turns in five hour pulses -- okay. But at only 500 per hex, he's only going to have turns in 12 hour pulses?? ???

I would have thought that would be the other way around, if anything. At 2.5km per hex (about 1 mile), and larger unit scales, a unit might need 12 hours to do much in or around Stalingrad. But smaller scale fighting might track events four times a day plus a rest period.

[Zulu1966]

I liked his Desert War game system a lot, even though it was a bit clunky in execution.

I'm confused about his scale/timing though. At 2500 per hex, he's going to have turns in five hour pulses -- okay. But at only 500 per hex, he's only going to have turns in 12 hour pulses?? ???

I would have thought that would be the other way around, if anything. At 2.5km per hex (about 1 mile), and larger unit scales, a unit might need 12 hours to do much in or around Stalingrad. But smaller scale fighting might track events four times a day plus a rest period.

Yeah good point - perhaps it has been written the wrong way round ?

[Father Ted]

I really need to play his desert game...

[Sigwolf]

I really need to play his desert game...

$14.00 at 65% off right now on the Matrix site, so now's a good time to try.  I'm tempted.

[Father Ted]

I really need to play his desert game...

$14.00 at 65% off right now on the Matrix site, so now's a good time to try.  I'm tempted.

Oh, I've got it - just haven't done anything more than dabble in the tutorial as yet.

[Geezer]

It's out now.  Currently $35.99.

[GroggyGrognard]

 A WEGOWW2 game system of one of my favorite eastern front campaigns?

I'm all in.

[Grim.Reaper]

Looking forward to impressions.  Been keeping an eye on the official forums and hasn't been much feedback that I could find, seems pretty quiet after release.  Likely will get at some point if good feedback, price is just a little out of my auto purchase range:)

[Rayfer]

Looking forward to impressions.  Been keeping an eye on the official forums and hasn't been much feedback that I could find, seems pretty quiet after release.  Likely will get at some point if good feedback, price is just a title out of my auto purchase range:)

+1  Anyone have some initial impressions to share?

[nelmsm]

 Just waiting for my anniversary coupon at the end of the month to pick this up

[Zulu1966]

Just played around with the tutorial so far.

Looks like an interesting game.

Bit disappointed there is no long small scale scenario that concentrates on the fight for the city itself - several cover various actions but not one for the whole thing.

Interface takes a little getting used to - but there have been improvements made in the Wego system that makes things clearer - one thing always struggled with in WEGO systems is visualising where troops end up but there is plenty here that gives a better picture.

About all I can say ATM.

[Grim.Reaper]

Just played around with the tutorial so far.

Looks like an interesting game.

Bit disappointed there is no long small scale scenario that concentrates on the fight for the city itself - several cover various actions but not one for the whole thing.

Interface takes a little getting used to - but there have been improvements made in the Wego system that makes things clearer - one thing always struggled with in WEGO systems is visualising where troops end up but there is plenty here that gives a better picture.

About all I can say ATM.

Thanks for the feedback.  So far not getting good vibes enough to make the purchase as even in the official forums still quiet for a new game release.  Maybe a sale pickup at the end of the year unless a lot of positive comes flowing in....