atheory
Posts: 210
Joined: 6/5/2006
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I was going to to wait, but there was a lot of talk about the AI. Therefore, I decided to pick up the game and dive right in.
Do I regret the purchase, no. Do I regret the purchase at $50, yes. I don't feel this is a $50 game, but that is just my opinion obviously. And I'm still skeptical that this will turn into a DLC sink.
I feel like the map is a step backward. I'm just left with "meh".
Death of the right click? I am one who loves to use his right mouse button and I am sadden when i can't use it in a game. Is it relevant here, nah, not really. Just give me the cheese.
The game is so streamlined, it could be the next evolution of beer and pretzel strategy games. Nothing wrong with that, just not my cup of tea. Was this designed to be ported to ipad/smart phones? Sure feels like it.
I spent several hours attempting to remove my WITE mentality in order to appreciate what this game was trying to accomplish. After a dozen restarts I thought I was finally clear of mind and ready to start fresh. 8 Turns into that game I was already longing for WITE.
Let me leave WITE and its success and failures aside and focus on what I found in DCB
1) AI - as boasted, the AI I found quite good. Adequate in creating a challenging game. It's rare to find such a game where the AI can't be exploited. At least from what I've seen thus far.
2) Innovative - The Cards and Decisions were a nice touch/add-on. I feel their impact would be more acutely felt it they were more interactive with the player as they advance on the map. In a way it is now, but you have to go to a separate tabs taking you away from the map. Perhaps an adjustment could be made, for example, if I take Riga, perhaps a ? can be placed over the city signaling a decision is available, or a pop-up immediately happens with the decision options.
The impact of the decisions were less a novelty to me as my selections became pretty much the same over time, unless you decide to play a certain way for whatever reason. It offers a subtle flavor which I'm okay with. It is important to time your troop movements in conjunction with moving FSBs. My Wiking Division took Kiev on turn 4, but having moved an FSB forward I was out of gasoline and it could not move. Over the next 3 turns 2 Soviet Armies moved in and eventually surrounded Kiev isolating the poor guys. An element of the game that is both frustrating and pleasantly refreshing to see, especially from an AI.
3) 3 theaters - Separating the east front into its 3 appropriate regions where troops, for the most part, were tied to their respective regions was a good choice. For me, it actually expanded the game, allowing me to focus on one Army Group at a time without necessarily getting distracted elsewhere.
4) Command range limit - I both like and hate this. You have to be mindful of where your divisions are and where their HQ is. Get too far away and that division is left struggling. Without the ability to transfer divisions between HQs makes it imperative to keep the Armies attacking together. For this game, it works.
5) Reinforcements spawn on HQs - Again, I both like and hate this. It's a simple decision that keeps your armies charging forward without having to worry about transporting those reinforcements forward. The game already takes into account that these units were being sent forward.
6) The death of Micromanagement - this has been simplified and the only aspects of it are dealt with through a few Decisions and a handful of cards that can be played. For this game it seems to work, just not my cup of tea.
7) Knowledge is power - bio information and other facts have been implanted throughout the game and I found this refreshing. The information was detailed, informative and relevant.
Overall, I feel like I'm just pushing counters and quickly I feel like the game bogs down into an almost WW1 feel. The counters are cookie cutter copies of each other with not life in them. Between that, an unappealing map and a few other aspects, it's just not my cup of tea.
With that said, I did find the game challenging, with new ideas giving a fresh new look and feel on Barbarossa. If you're a micro-manager type person like me, you may not grow fond of this game, but if you like a challenging AI and a more streamlined approach to operational tempo, I am comfortable recommending this game to you.
Despite my bias towards WITE, which is flawed in itself, I give DCB a 7/10 rating.
I will leave with last thought. When I select a unit, why can it not by default, be placed in movement mode. Not sure I understand why I have to push an additional button to do so after having selected it.
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Not my cup of tea, but with positives - 
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