Recomendations for a wargame

[marxeil]

I thougth I'd try this sort of game. I've looked at the games at Matrix Games and thought about getting Campaigns on the Danube 1805 & 1809. Is it any good?
If anybody has a better suggestion for a wagames newbie please do. It has to be a downloadble one cause I'm not paying for it to be shipped here.

[spacerat]

Matrix has some good ones (all downloadable I think).

Im partial to WWII wargames, so I would recommend:

- Korsun Pocket: classic turn-based, hex-based design, but a highly refined version thereof. I remember there being a long thread on this game a while back, so its probably worth searching for that.

- Highway to the Reich: continuous-time open map (i.e. no hexes) design, with a great command and control structure, so that giving objectives to a high level command unit results in the AI moving subordinate units in a very believable fashion, in order to carry out those objectives.

Both of these have a non trivial learning curve, so expect to spend some quality time with them. However, both are very high quality games, and well woth the time investment my opinion.

[Dirt]

Is the Operational Art of War: Century of Warfare still worth getting?

[Xemu]

I really enjoy Strategic Command for my strategic-level WW2 jonesin'.

The Hearts of Iron series is the right idea but just too low level for me, and has too many implementation flaws.

Gary Grigsby's World At War is supposed to be out imminently, and looks like Axis & Allies ++.

For wargaming at the squad-level, you cannot go wrong with Combat Mission. The latest in the series, Afrika Korps, is the best, IMO.

If you like good-old hex based wargames, Korsun Pocket is good but I recommend the latest in the series, Decisive Battles in Normandy.

It's an awesome time to be a wargamer... but I really hope someday someone will do a game on the scope of the recent World At War boardgame, or heck, even a faithful adaptation of Squad Leader.

[Troy S Goodfellow]

Is the Operational Art of War: Century of Warfare still worth getting?

Absolutely. Still my favorite wargame.

Troy

[Pie4Foo]

Paradox recently purchased the rights to Squad Leader...

But for now we have Close Combat (in its infinite variations and mods) and Combat Mission.

For newbs, I'd recommend starting with Combat Mission, Korsun Pocket, Highway to the Reich, and maybe even Hearts of Iron 2.

[Jon Edwards]

If you have an Xbox, there is Dai Senryaku VII. It's a good, simple wargame although not historical. A co-worker is really enjoying "War in the Pacific," but it's hardcore: I'm joking that he's fighting the whole war in real-time. I'm looking forward to "World At War" when it comes out. It just went gold.

[Lum]

If you're looking for downloadable wargames, you can download Korsun Pocket's ancestor for free:

http://www.fileplanet.com/129034/120...es-Offensive-2

If you like it, you can purchase and download the next games in the series (Korsun Pocket and Battles in Normandy) from http://www.matrixgames.com/

[mutt]

For a simple, abstract wargame on the computer, Empire still rules:

http://www.the-underdogs.org/game.php?gameid=369

[Vic Davis]

Paradox recently purchased the rights to Squad Leader...

Damn those crazy Swedes are on an IP buying binge. I'm pretty sure they own Conan and The Mutant Chronicles as well. Sure wish they would come out with some original games using those IP's.

As for wargames: Wargaming newbies should definately try out the Matrix/2by3 "War in the Pacific." If you like that then you can go straight to grogard and start debating the muzzle velocity of a fully laden sparrow. Seriously though, I would recommend Battles in Normandy. It's got a great boardgame feel but uses the computer to do what computers do best. You also can't go wrong with Combat Mission. It will accomodate newbs to grogs. HPS has a bunch of opertional level games. They can be a bit overwhelming but complexity-wise I personally don't think they are anything a newbie couldn't master. Plus you can find alot of gamers willing to play you by email. I think there is a club called the blitz.

Hope this helps

[Pie4Foo]

As for wargames: Wargaming newbies should definately try out the Matrix/2by3 "War in the Pacific."

I also like to recommend Point of Attack 2 for the n00bs.

Harhar.

[Xemu]

Combat Mission is good against just the AI too, in fact I've never played it against humans... too intimidated to go up against the experts without a matchmaking system of some kind to buffer me...

[Mark Crump]

Is the Operational Art of War: Century of Warfare still worth getting?

Is this still out in retail markets? If so, I need to get it. I got the first TOAW and it was excellent.

[Brian Rubin]

Is the Operational Art of War: Century of Warfare still worth getting?

Is this still out in retail markets? If so, I need to get it. I got the first TOAW and it was excellent.

The Take 2 Store stills sells the jewel case version, as does the NWS store. This reminds me that I should snag a copy. I only owned the first one, but I loved it, and there are apparently a ton of scenarios available for it.

[jpinard]

Gary Grigsy's World at War would be PERFECT for you. It gets released this week too! http://www.worldatwaronline.com/

[Calistas]

I wish wish wish I could find a multiplayer strategy/operational level game.. like the war in the pacific one, but with less detail, and multiplayer.

I think i'd be quite happy then :)

[jpinard]

That would be World at War maybe :)

[buckstar]

"Civil War, The Battle of Bull Run, Take Command: 1861" - The History Channel backed real time war game is AWESOME! For $19.99, you cannot find a better deal. I am just in the training part and I am having a ball. If you cannot find it at EB or "your other fine games store", try Walmart or Target, they have it.

[Skinner]

I wish wish wish I could find a multiplayer strategy/operational level game.. like the war in the pacific one, but with less detail, and multiplayer.

I think i'd be quite happy then :)

Someone mentioned it earlier but have you tried Strategic Command? Quite good. Not complex. Great multiplayer. Demo available too. http://www.battlefront.com/products/.../stratcom.html

Computer AI was okay but multiplayer was a lot of fun. Coming out with another sometime soon....

[SlyFrog]

Gary Grigsy's World at War would be PERFECT for you. It gets released this week too! http://www.worldatwaronline.com/

Believe the new date for release to retail establishments is actually March 28 (per a quick read of Matrix's forums).

[Mike Hussey]

Combat Mission is good against just the AI too, in fact I've never played it against humans... too intimidated to go up against the experts without a matchmaking system of some kind to buffer me...

Don't be, I felt the same way until I took the plunge and joined one of the ladders and found the vast majority of the people I played to be friendly and helpful, wargaming doesn't really attract the 'HAHAHAHA you loose N00b!' crowd anyway :). You'll probably lose your first couple of games, but CM's replay from any angle, any number of times, feature makes learning from your mistakes relatively easy.

[Xemu]

Any recommendation for good sites to find opponents? A quick googling didn't turn up anything that still looked very active...

[russellmz00]

Any recommendation for good sites to find opponents? A quick googling didn't turn up anything that still looked very active...

cm opponent finder forum, also links to chat area

[Mike Hussey]

The venarable Blitzkrieg club still seems to be going strong, they cover most wargames not just CM. The link to their CM section is:

http://www.theblitz.org/ladders/index.php#cm

[Troy S Goodfellow]

Combat Mission is good against just the AI too, in fact I've never played it against humans... too intimidated to go up against the experts without a matchmaking system of some kind to buffer me...

Don't be, I felt the same way until I took the plunge and joined one of the ladders and found the vast majority of the people I played to be friendly and helpful, wargaming doesn't really attract the 'HAHAHAHA you loose N00b!' crowd anyway :). You'll probably lose your first couple of games, but CM's replay from any angle, any number of times, feature makes learning from your mistakes relatively easy.

I play CM in MP all the time, but mostly against people I know (or as well as you can know someone you've never met.) This means that the debriefing afterwards in IRC is almost as much fun as the game itself. CM lends itself well to this sort of thing, especially if you generate a random scenario.

I think that CM is probably the single best tactical wargame series ever made, and it keeps getting better with each iteration.

Troy

[tglennow]

Paradox recently purchased the rights to Squad Leader...

Damn those crazy Swedes are on an IP buying binge. I'm pretty sure they own Conan and The Mutant Chronicles as well. Sure wish they would come out with some original games using those IP's.

Yea, they do own those, and also Diplomacy and AirFix (you know, the model airplanes). Mutant Chronicles is an in-house created property though, from the days when they were called Target Games and were mostly doing pen and paper stuff. I know they gave a couple of guys from Central Europe the leeway to work on an MMORPG based on Mutant Chronicles, but I think it fizzled out.

[Skinner]

Any recommendation for good sites to find opponents? A quick googling didn't turn up anything that still looked very active...

An opponent for what game? You can always find an opponent in the battlefront.com forums for their games (CM, Strategic Command, etc).

Just go into the forum and ask if anybody wants to play. You'll get swamped with offers. I had five PBEM Strategic command games going on at one time.

[Ergo]

If I remember correctly, Matrix is also developing a computer version of World in Flames. That's the wargame I'm waiting for.

[marxeil]

Thanks for the recomendations. I got BiN demo and also found a free full game: Steel Panthers - Worls at war.
Right now I am reading the manual to Bin. Seems awfuly complicated :P

[spacerat]

If I remember correctly, Matrix is also developing a computer version of World in Flames. That's the wargame I'm waiting for.

Prepare to be waiting a while longer...development has been slow or nonexistent for many months now. The reason for this seems to be that the main dev was basically finishing another game (Flashpoint Germany I believe, which itself was way behind schedule).

Matrix publishes some great games, but the ones they develop in house take a looooong time to see the light of day...