Wargamer's Corner

Just played a few scenarios of Conflict of Heroes. Tremendous fun.

One principle I've uncovered is to be aware of the scale. A gap of 3 hexes or so is enough to survive moving in the open (maybe 73% chance each attack that you're okay.) So don't think you have to "bush hop" in a scenario where you have to cover a lot of ground. Put your head down and bull through.

I picked up RUSE for $5 during the Steam sale. I've only played a few campaign missions, but it seems it's pretty cool. If anyone else has it, feel free to friend me up on Steam. We can try some co-op or multiplayer.

Gunner wrote:

Scenario: Matrix Games vs. Gunner's Wallet
A goodjer that should know better is downloading the demos for Conflict of Heroes and Hannibal: Rome and Carthage in the Second Punic War.

Decisive Matrix victory: Buys both games before the downloads finish.
Marginal Matrix victory: Buys both games after trying demos.
Draw: Buys one game only.
Decisive Wallet victory: Decides to just play more Unity of Command and War in the East.

Who will win?

Matrix

garion333 wrote:
Gunner wrote:

Scenario: Matrix Games vs. Gunner's Wallet
A goodjer that should know better is downloading the demos for Conflict of Heroes and Hannibal: Rome and Carthage in the Second Punic War.

Decisive Matrix victory: Buys both games before the downloads finish.
Marginal Matrix victory: Buys both games after trying demos.
Draw: Buys one game only.
Decisive Wallet victory: Decides to just play more Unity of Command and War in the East.

Who will win?

Matrix

As an update, I did pick up Hannibal and absolutely love it. Managed to get a win on medium difficulty and it was quite difficult! Will see if I can get some screenies and impressions up later.

Conflict of Heroes I wasn't as impressed with after playing a couple of scenarios. There's still time in the sale though, so I'll make my final decision in the next week.

Wait for next year's sale for CoH then and re-buy UoC on Steam.

Gunner wrote:

As an update, I did pick up Hannibal and absolutely love it. Managed to get a win on medium difficulty and it was quite difficult! Will see if I can get some screenies and impressions up later.

If I hadn't just spent a bit too much money on the Steam sale and if downloading and installing Slitherine games wasn't a giant pain in the ass, I'd be all over this. Sounds heavenly. Is there multiplayer?

Gunner wrote:

Conflict of Heroes I wasn't as impressed with after playing a couple of scenarios. There's still time in the sale though, so I'll make my final decision in the next week.

I can't even get the damn demo to install. But good to know I'm not missing all that much. Looks sweet, though.

garion333 wrote:

Wait for next year's sale for CoH then and re-buy UoC on Steam.

Have already bought 5 copies for myself and others so far, but you make a good point.

Natus wrote:
Gunner wrote:

As an update, I did pick up Hannibal and absolutely love it. Managed to get a win on medium difficulty and it was quite difficult! Will see if I can get some screenies and impressions up later.

No multiplayer from what I gather. Furthermore, you can only play as the Carthaginians. Don't let that dissuade you though! The game is great and has an actually good AI. I'll take a well-honed focused experience over something like the mess you find in Total War games' strategic level any day.

Natus wrote:
Gunner wrote:

Conflict of Heroes I wasn't as impressed with after playing a couple of scenarios. There's still time in the sale though, so I'll make my final decision in the next week.

I can't even get the damn demo to install. But good to know I'm not missing all that much. Looks sweet, though.

The biggest turn off at first was that the interface was unpolished and finicky, which was especially glaring coming off of Hannibal which has an absolutely fantastic one. (Did I mention that Hannibal let's you independently scale the resolution for its map/play area and the interface? Something I really wish Paradox allowed for -- those games can be quite difficult on high resolutions!)

In addition, the two scenarios I played saw me completely steamroll the AI. Granted, I have played a good amount of the board game, but I was hoping for a bit of a better starting place in that regard. The big thing I did like was the ability to have multiple activated units you can switch between. Great way to implement a mechanic that makes total sense, but would be a big pain to keep track of without computer bookkeeping.

Cross-posting from the deals thread: Subscribers to the Paradox news mail, check your inbox for a free steam key for Europa Universal is III: Chronicles!

Related: I have one of said keys to give away to a deserving Goodjer. First non-grinder to PM me gets it. I'll be checking a little later.
Claimed.

Selling a bunch of (mostly) GMT wargames. If anyone is thinking of getting into Combat Commander, Miklos's American Revolutionary War series, or Musket & Pike, take a gander! PM me if interested.

Has Spring Sprung? Sale

Onward, Christian Soldiers [Berg] Like New. $60
Successors 3 [Berg, Firer, Simonitch] Very Good $75
Sun of York [Nagle] Very Good $20
Stalin's War [Raicer] Like New $25
Case Yellow [Raicer] Very Good--Played Once $25
There must Be a Victory [Rohrbaugh] Like New $15
Breakout: Normandy [Greenwood] AH edition, Very Good, complete and unpunched, minor scuffing on box $75
Unhappy King Charles! [Vasey] Very Good, almost totally unpunched $35

Combat Commander: Europe [Jensen] w/ many additional C3i scenarios First Printing Good $40
CC:E Mediterranean [Jensen] Very Good, unpunched $50
CC:E Battle Pack #2 Stalingrad [Jensen] Like New, unpunched $20
CC:E Resistance! [Jensen] Like New, unpunched $30
Package Deal: $125

Monmouth [Miklos] Like New, unpunched $20
Brandywine [Miklos] Like New, unounched $75
Package Deal: $85

This Accursed Civil War [Hull] Very Good $60
Sweden Fights On [Hull] Like New, almost totally unpunched $75
Under the Lily banners [Hull] Very Good $80
Gustav Adolf the Great [Hull] Like New, unpunched $65
Nothing Gained But Glory [Hansen & Grunitz] Like New, unpunched $25
Saints in Armor [Hansen & Ekberg] Like New, unpunched $40
Package Deal: $330

Gah! I would love to grab CC:E from you. I don't think I'd ever find anyone to play it with, though. Still trying to convince my wife to step up to Hammer of the Scots. Combat Commander might be too big of a leap.

fleabagmatt wrote:

Gah! I would love to grab CC:E from you. I don't think I'd ever find anyone to play it with, though. Still trying to convince my wife to step up to Hammer of the Scots. Combat Commander might be too big of a leap.

Let us know how HoTS goes. Great game.

Yes, CC:E is too good a system to rot on my shelves largely unplayed. I'm in about four game groups, but I can't ever seem to get it to the table.

Ooo, very enticing. Would have snatched up Combat Commander a few months ago, but I'm pretty happy with Fighting Formations for now on that front. The Musket & Pike series has always caught my eye though. Will give it some thought over the next few days.

Hey gang. I've been a little absent from this thread for a while, and from Swampy and I's ongoing email games. But this is what I've been working on for Russ over at Polygon. Enjoy.

http://www.polygon.com/features/2013...

I read that earlier today and totally missed that you had written it. Excellent piece, my only wish is that it was longer.

Yeah, good stuff. Keep up the great work man!

TheWanderer wrote:

Hey gang. I've been a little absent from this thread for a while, and from Swampy and I's ongoing email games. But this is what I've been working on for Russ over at Polygon. Enjoy.

http://www.polygon.com/features/2013...

You're a superstar; that is what you are.

Natus wrote:

Selling a bunch of (mostly) GMT wargames. If anyone is thinking of getting into Combat Commander, Miklos's American Revolutionary War series, or Musket & Pike, take a gander! PM me if interested.

Has Spring Sprung? Sale

Onward, Christian Soldiers [Berg] Like New. $60
Successors 3 [Berg, Firer, Simonitch] Very Good $75
Sun of York [Nagle] Very Good $20
Stalin's War [Raicer] Like New $25
Case Yellow [Raicer] Very Good--Played Once $25
There must Be a Victory [Rohrbaugh] Like New $15
Breakout: Normandy [Greenwood] AH edition, Very Good, complete and unpunched, minor scuffing on box $75
Unhappy King Charles! [Vasey] Very Good, almost totally unpunched $35

Combat Commander: Europe [Jensen] w/ many additional C3i scenarios First Printing Good $40
CC:E Mediterranean [Jensen] Very Good, unpunched $50
CC:E Battle Pack #2 Stalingrad [Jensen] Like New, unpunched $20
CC:E Resistance! [Jensen] Like New, unpunched $30
Package Deal: $125

Monmouth [Miklos] Like New, unpunched $20
Brandywine [Miklos] Like New, unounched $75
Package Deal: $85

This Accursed Civil War [Hull] Very Good $60
Sweden Fights On [Hull] Like New, almost totally unpunched $75
Under the Lily banners [Hull] Very Good $80
Gustav Adolf the Great [Hull] Like New, unpunched $65
Nothing Gained But Glory [Hansen & Grunitz] Like New, unpunched $25
Saints in Armor [Hansen & Ekberg] Like New, unpunched $40
Package Deal: $330

I want all of these. I don't know if I'm willing to pay for them. I do know that I don't want to ask for them for free, since I'll probably only rarely find time for them.

wordsmythe wrote:
TheWanderer wrote:

Hey gang. I've been a little absent from this thread for a while, and from Swampy and I's ongoing email games. But this is what I've been working on for Russ over at Polygon. Enjoy.

http://www.polygon.com/features/2013...

You're a superstar; that is what you are.

Coming from afar?

A friend of mine and I are wanting to play Unity of Command online.

Are there any other scenario beside the one? Good user-made ones?

Oh, I forgot to mention, AGEOD has released the second game in the Alea Jacta Est series. It covers the "Birth of Rome" - various wars of unification. It obviously uses the same engine as AJE.

Strangeblades wrote:

A friend of mine and I are wanting to play Unity of Command online.

Are there any other scenario beside the one? Good user-made ones?

With the DLC there's over 20 scenarios. Are you asking if there's scenarios in different parts of the world? No clue...

Thanks Garion. I'll tell my friend that.

Yeah, Red Turn is the way to go for MP scenarios. Speaking of which, is anyone interested in giving one a shot?

Does anyone have a handle on when the new Paradox DLC and games release? Are some coming on the 15th? Or is it all in March?

Robear wrote:

Does anyone have a handle on when the new Paradox DLC and games release? Are some coming on the 15th? Or is it all in March?

March of the Eagles: 02/18/2013
Vicky 2: Heart of IronDarkness: Q1 2013 (which I believe means March here)
CK2: The Old Gods: Q2 2013 (I read somewhere late Apr/early May but cannot find source ATM)
East vs. West: Q2 2013
EU4: Q3 2013 (I believe I saw Nov 2013 for this but again cannot find source - I need to bookmark stuff!)

Not sure if I'm into March of the Eagles, but I'll take a look. The other stuff, though, day one buys. Thanks Mr. Boon sir!

(BTW, one of the sites I looked at quoted "end of March" for Heart of Darkness).

Robear wrote:

Not sure if I'm into March of the Eagles, but I'll take a look. The other stuff, though, day one buys. Thanks Mr. Boon sir!

(BTW, one of the sites I looked at quoted "end of March" for Heart of Darkness).

Quite welcome, my good sir!

Yeah not 100% sure about MotE; I've been reading the dev diaries and there seem to be some interesting things in there but I question whether the Clausewitz engine can be twisted into such a focused time period successfully. Plus half the fun of Napoleonics is the pretty uniforms and I don't see how they bring that across in this game. So that one is wait and see for me as well.

But I am with you on the other stuff. I am greatly looking forward to EU4, my most anticiapted game of 2013. I have some hope that Heart of Darkness can put some more polish on Vicky 2 (there's a fun game there but it is kind of hard to get to). CK2 pagans - nothing else needs to be said. And as a child of the Cold War, really interested in East vs West.

Paradox Development is really firing on all cylinders now. Great time if you are a fan of their style of game.

They really are at the top of their game. I would say they are the Microprose of our day.

I'm quite looking forward to everything on that list, with EU4 and the Vicky expansion at the top for me.

Based on RPS's preview, it looks like March of the Eagles may actually be a manageable candidate for multiplayer. I've never dipped my toes into the intimidating waters of Paradox mp, but a nagging interest has always been there. Would be hard to break the impulse to constantly pause though.

Unity of Command is on sale for $6.98 today, in case any of you haven't picked it up yet. Pretty much an unconditional recommendation for any wargamer out there (unless you only play games whose names start with either "Gary Grigsby's" or "John Tiller's").