Vic
Posts: 8262
Joined: 5/17/2004
Status: offline
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Hi,
Here are some answers to common questions that might be helpful.
It's Micromanagement Free?
The game has been designed from the ground up to remove micromanagement. There is plenty of detail and depth but all the fiddly bits have been taken out. There is still a requirement to move the counters yourself. This is quite manageable though as the number of counters has been kept to the minimum possible and the map is split into three separate operational theatres which each act as their own 'mini-game'. A lot of your job as Operational Commander is in allocating resources and prioritising the different theatres in order to get them all working as a whole and aimed at your objective.
Why aren't there any Air or Artillery Units on the map?
The only units on the map are Divisions and various levels of HQ's. Everything else has been removed - air, artillery, engineers etc. This has been done to keep the unit count and map clutter down to a manageable size and to remove micromanagement. They are gone but not forgotten.
The Luftwaffe is present and accounted for and has been modeled in a fair amount of detail. A lot of decisions revolve around this important aspect of the campaign. Each of the three theatres has it's own dedicated Luftflotte and main air base which is required to be rolled forward as you advance into Russia. Rather than deal with the constant micromanagement of individual air units doing this or that you are required to make decisions but they are ones that have an impact.
Eg. Should I relocate my AGC base to a more forward but base with a lower quality field and infrastructure? How far am I willing to advance my Panzergruppes knowing that I may be putting them out of reach of air support? Which Panzergruppe or Army will I assign
tactical air support? Should I fly a resupply mission to the Army of there knowing it'll reduce my ability to support the advancing Panzers? What operational doctrine should the Luftwaffe be authorised to fly under? Can I afford to hive off some of their highly refined fuel for other purposes? Am I willing to put Reichsmarschall Göring off side and deal with the fall out?
Artillery is similarly abstracted. Individual Divisions have artillery built in and you are required to allocate Theatre level artillery support to a specific Army within each theatre. There is scope to authorise additional trains to be dedicated to artillery ammunition resupply or for you to 'borrow' truck columns from artillery support in order to keep the fuel flowing to your Panzergruppes. Doing so has consequences.
How Historical is the OOB?
Like any OOB there are fudges and comprises but overall it's pretty solid. Beyond a certain level of detail, however, the OOB has been simplified for reasons of comprehension and playability.
The actual Divisions themselves, their place withing the force structure and their commanders will be historically correct. Their TO&E's will be ball park. If you reach for a standard German Light Infantry Division the games approach is that you should know what you are dealing with and as such all normal German Light Infantry Divisions, for example, have an identical TO&E.
The focus of the game is on Operational Command and the fact that the 162nd Infantry Division had an additional HMG battalion compared to the 163rd is, for this particular game, not important. Small differences between identical Division types are not modeled however all the important differences (doctrinal shifts, equipment changes, all main division types, qualitative, key sub-Division formations as attachments, etc.) are taken in to account.
Is there only one Scenario?
Yes. It's the campaign from the opening days of Barbarossa (June '41) to the completion of the main part of the Soviet Winter counteroffensive in Jan '42. Our approach has been that it is better to provide a single immersive, in depth, experience than a series of shallower, cookie cutter, scenarios.
The campaign has been constructed for maximum replayability and offers a unique, deep, experience . Each side features completely different game mechanics and provide a contrasting view on command. As the Germans you are operating from within the Command hierarchy and have to deal with both superiors and subordinates whereas the Soviet player takes the role of Stalin and has to cope with his own paranoia, a laggard, disorganised, Red Army and a cast of, typically, incompetent, yes-men commanders.
One side demands attention to detail, the ability to identify whats important among all the noise and a deft political touch while the other is an exercise in ruthless, back-to-the-wall, power.
How good is the AI?
Very good. It's a point we are proud off and Vic has excelled himself.
Can it handle PBEM/PBEM++?
Yes. Find your opponent and fire up the Panzers. Tell him passwords aren't necessary. Tear out his wobbly, Bolshevik, jugular.
How much of a Graphical WOW factor is there?
You can take off your stare down the sun Ray bans and designer duds. Forget about the selfies. You're in the wrong spot.
How long does it take to play through the Campaign?
Depends on your style. Playing in the evenings probably no more than a week.
Is there a Tutorial?
We've opted to provide 14 tutorial videos that will get you up to speed quickly and can be accessed from within the game or out of it.
How complicated is it?
There is, admittedly, a lot of depth. The manual runs to over 300 pages. However the game is designed to be 'pick up and play'.
You can jump straight in, ideally after watching a few quick videos, and have a crack at it.
It won't be that long before the wheels fall off and everything grinds to a halt but you'll have the satisfaction of rolling your victorious Panzers through villages where the ladies throw flowers at you. If you pay attention to all the in-game tool tips, watch the rest of the videos and stop using the manual to shoo away the dog you might make it to places where the ladies hurl Molotov cocktails at you instead.
How Challenging is it?
It's designed to be tough but there are plenty of options to make the experience easier if you wish.
You'll be juggling a lot of balls at once. You'll drop some. Occasionally you'll drop the lot. It's the gnarly experience of Operational Command. You're expected to get back on your feet, pick up those balls and keep going. With grit and determination you can still win.
What's different about it?
There's a big focus on people and decisions. The game is built around them. You can't fight a war without dealing with people and if you're going to have to make a lot of decisions they should be about something that matters. Oh, and there's an ethical dimension (optional). Cut too many corners and you'll find yourself, if you aren't on the team that scored the gold medal, explaining yourself to the War Crimes Tribunal. It won't end well if you've buckled to pressure from above.
The game is also very big on the immersion factor. There are lots of mechanics, report and decisions that are there to grab you by the ankles and drag you down the rabbit hole.
Is it any Fun?
We wouldn't have made it if it wasn't.
Cheers,
Cameron & Vic
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