Goodenough
Posts: 35
Joined: 6/20/2016 From: UK Status: offline
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quote:
Overall, gameplay and atmosphere are great. I really like and recommend this game. It's a big improvement over older operational Bulge games. For me, it hits the nail. It reminds me a lot of the original "The Ardennes Offensive" game from SSG in 1996 or 1997 ("TAO2"), only better :) The recon, weather, LOS and combat systems are deep and full of choices and possible outcomes, the map and unit representation is gorgeous. You can really immersive yourself to be there in that desparate offensive in the woods and hills of the Ardennes in winter... Where I'd like to see improvements: AI - Most important: Higher priority for defending supply sources/bases and victory locations. There are often only road block units in the victory hexes while stronger units lingering around in hexes nearby. In many small and medium scenarios I won too easily just by capturing the supply source and weakening the enemy decisively. - Much less unit splitting. The AI splits far too many units into task forces / Kampfgruppen. I doing so they cover a larger front line but they also loose nearly all offensive punch and weaken their defensive power. There are well known phrases from Frederik the Great: "He who tries to defend everything/everywhere, defends nothing at the end!" and from Heinz Guderian: Concentrate/mass your forces, do not spill/splash them ("Klotzen, nicht kleckern!"). - Arty units move much too often. I mostly play the German side and my fear of the American firepower is nearly gone. They show their opportunity fire power too rarely because they are always busy moving around. Victory Levels - Higher victory levels for singleplayer, at least in the smaller and medium scenarios. I won a major victory in every scenario I played at the first attempt. It wasn't easy per se and it was fun anyway, but it didn't felt quite right. A visualization for arty range. At least for the short-ranged German arty it's a constant matter for the player: How far do I have to move them to be in firing range the next turn? And no, counting hexes is no fun at all ;) An option to show only arty units in the combat window. It's a mess sometimes when many direct fire units are also in range but I only want to choose from my arty units. I'm with FlyingEagle, agree wholeheartedly with all points. Just finished Wacht am Rhein scenario, terriffic experience but would love to see the AI defend important towns and villages better. Too often VP locations were empty. Artillery is deadly especially in large concentrations. A visual range option would be nice. I sometimes found Artillery units obscured from the combat window so an Artillery only option would be good. One point of my own is that in the main WaR scenario it is possible to push along the map edges, North and South which prevents the Allies from entering along those edges. I don't think anything can be done with the current game but a German no go zone of 3 or 4 hexes along North and South map edges would force the Germans to commit to a more historical defence in those areas. I also loved SSG's Ardennes Offensive, but this game is something special. The scale is amazing, the map detail and size is great. A truly fantastic game!
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