Phantom Leader!

tgb · April 06, 2013, 08:24:10 AM

This morning I started a medium USAF '67 campaign and discovered that the machine guns work pretty well for suppression, even if they take a 10 to do so. I had a perfect first mission and was feeling pretty good, except that on the return phase, the event card I drew said that I couldn't attack any sites on the next mission. Needless to say, Day 2 was a disaster. Grrrr.....................

One thing I need to be more mindful of is making sure aircraft is at the right height. More than once I discovered that I couldn't fire any of my weapons because I was too high (the plane, that is). This game is frigging hard.

jomni · April 06, 2013, 08:45:44 AM

67 is really hard for me... small missions (2 planes), low tech weapons.

tgb · April 06, 2013, 09:14:30 AM

What's amazing to me is how much I'm enjoying the game. If you had told me when I was 17 or 18 (1970) that one day I'd be planning air missions over Viet Nam and weighing the uses of napalm, I probably would have slashed my wrists.

Grim.Reaper · April 06, 2013, 03:19:20 PM

I love the game description on their web site:

"This is the same fully function computer game as we have on the iPad! The game keeps track of all the rules, dice rolls, and modifiers!
When you purchase this game, within 24 hours, we will send you an email with a link tp download the file. This is a digital download game.
This is not a Vassal game!"

I would really hate to accidentally purchase the "only partial function" version of this game versus this "fully functon" game:) Couldn't have just same the same version as the iPad:)

All kidding aside, keeping my eye on this one too...

spelk · October 21, 2013, 03:30:25 PM

I've just stumped for the PC version, and am now sitting in the waiting on Dan's manual email delivery system... its not really in the spirit of digital distribution. Should get someone like Matrix involved methinks.

jomni · October 21, 2013, 06:35:38 PM

Quote from: spelk on October 21, 2013, 03:30:25 PM
I've just stumped for the PC version, and am now sitting in the waiting on Dan's manual email delivery system... its not really in the spirit of digital distribution. Should get someone like Matrix involved methinks.

Matrix did Hornet Leader last time. But hey, we don't want "premium pricing".

Nefaro · October 21, 2013, 08:39:20 PM

Quote from: spelk on October 21, 2013, 03:30:25 PM
I've just stumped for the PC version, and am now sitting in the waiting on Dan's manual email delivery system... its not really in the spirit of digital distribution. Should get someone like Matrix involved methinks.

Let's not.

He could just as easily put it up on some place like GamersGate if he wanted to, without needing a publisher or a price increase. It's already finished. I'd rather have manual delivery than have the retail price doubled. :P

Mine showed up the same day I ordered it; within an hour or so IIRC. It was freshly released a day or two before that, however, so I'm sure it was being monitored closely.

spelk · October 22, 2013, 06:03:56 AM

I only threw in Matrix because it was at the top of my list of places I download wargames from, I'd go for ANY digital distribution mechanism, if it means, "when I pay I can play!".

Still waiting on download link. :/

Nefaro · October 22, 2013, 06:20:00 AM

Quote from: spelk on October 22, 2013, 06:03:56 AM
I only threw in Matrix because it was at the top of my list of places I download wargames from, I'd go for ANY digital distribution mechanism, if it means, "when I pay I can play!".

Still waiting on download link. :/

Yeah, I agree.

Between manual distribution and not really having the thing advertised on their front page anyway, you'd think DVG didn't want to bother selling it much. ???

I recall it being a chore to track down the damn sale page for it, when I heard it was released. If someone hadn't heard it specifically mentioned it in a wargamer forum, I still wouldn't know it existed. Poor job of distributing it. You should email them the next day, if you still don't have it, and also suggest they put it up on some place like Gamersgate or Desura for more visibility (and thus sales) while you're at it. ;)

Hell.. I'm wondering if they've needed to update it since I downloaded the thing, but have no idea what's going on. It has been working just fine for me, but that doesn't mean there could be an issue somewhere.

agathosdaimon · October 22, 2013, 07:02:26 PM

Yes very odd that such a game is so hard to find info about, only when it was mentioned in a thread i made re hornet leader.
Despite the fact hornet leader was a frustration to get going because of its locked resolution, i can play it in a vmware guest os fine and quite enjoy it. I can only hope that more of his games go digital. He has a lot of great board games!

spelk · October 23, 2013, 04:41:15 AM

I tweeted Dan, and he has sent me the download link now! Time to splash some bandits!

MikeGER · October 24, 2013, 02:49:31 AM

I wish Dan would team up with Matrix / Slitherine and after some hard negotiations, sell them a licence to produce TAL or the new Huey Leader for PC / Android / ...and maybe Ipad too

The graphics are all already there, only have to be scanned in.
The AI (rules) and balancing is already there, only has to be transformed into code. (that is just work)
Its Single Player only, period! No multiplayer needed to be forced into with that inhouse-PBEM++--?? server stuff...
The UI is the more tricky part, which has to be designed and then developed. But using a game engine -probably Unity- , they wont have to go from scratch...

These are so brillant games for a single player, and can be a bridge to the casual (war)gamer with a tablet and would have a wider market out of our niche (includs those hardcore board gamer who even frown on VASSAL-users....)

(The TAL rule-system is not so complicated, but after a while of not playing TAL i just forget stuff... and so ruin my game-expierience, and long for convenience ... its all the other stuff i have to memorize in all the other software i use, like key-strokes here, sub-menus there, and so on ...esp. when its about those grognardish sims.... DCS, CMANO, you name it ... i am not hardcore board gamer material it seems ;-))

agathosdaimon · October 24, 2013, 04:11:10 AM

hell yeah - Thunderbolt Apache Leader, Modern Naval Battles, Field Commander Napoleon, Rommel, UBoot Leader - all excellent games i would buy in a snap if hornet leader is anything to go by

spelk · October 24, 2013, 09:20:57 AM

Trying to install the program and my anti-virus says it contains suspect file, and knobbles it. I've tried it on two different anti-virus systems (Symantec Endpoint Protection and Avast) and both flag the contents of PhantomLeaderSetup.exe as having something suspect in it. :(

Will have to submit it and see if they give it the thumbs up after a labs test...

Barthheart · October 24, 2013, 09:22:55 AM

Quote from: spelk on October 24, 2013, 09:20:57 AM
Trying to install the program and my anti-virus says it contains suspect file, and knobbles it. I've tried it on two different anti-virus systems (Symantec Endpoint Protection and Avast) and both flag the contents of PhantomLeaderSetup.exe as having something suspect in it. :(

Will have to submit it and see if they give it the thumbs up after a labs test...

This happened to a few people. There is no bug. Just disable yer AV software while you install.