Wargamer's Corner

It just came out today. I'm doing tutorials. So far, so solid. Very ASL in feel but moves quickly and doesn't seem tedious.

It's not Sid Meier's Microprose, it does not do development. It's a publisher in Australia that bought the rights to the name, and is publishing games that are similar in spirit and perhaps play to those that Microprose put out.

I didn’t grab it yet. I’m still learning Southern Storm. Maybe next weekend.

How does it compare to Lock and Load in terms of systems? The graphics look cool.

I got a bit of a head start, so I've got about 15 hours into the game at the moment. I'm enjoying it a lot, graphics are fine for me, gameplay feels really solid, and for a complex game they've done a good job with the tutorials getting you up to speed. I'd definitely recommend poking around the manual after you finish the tutorials too. There's a lot in there.

One tip that's easy to miss: Pressing F pulls up the Line of Sight tool, so you can check line of sight from any hex. Left click to go back to the regular mode.

I haven't played LnL Tactical yet, but I think Second Front feels a step more removed from a boardgame, even considering its ASL overlap. So Second Front feels like a game based on a board game, whereas LnL Tactical seems like a boardgame in digital form.

So far, for me still in the tutorials, SF seems to have a simpler interface while still maintaining complexity of systems. This could well be a winner.

I broke down and bought it. The Steam review that put it over the top for me was, "It's what Tigers on the Hunt should have been"

The graphics are a bit cartoony for my taste. I prefer chits and map boards but, hey, it's a computer game right?

The system looks pretty complex which is cool. I did a couple of the tutorials last night. There's already a ton of Steam Workshop content so that's cool.

Hopefully they'll add multiplayer. Not a HUGE deal for me, but, it would be cool.

I quite enjoyed this wrap-up of Zilla Blitz's favorite 2022 wargames, even though I only own two games mentioned. In particular, I am bound and determined to take on the Ruhnke Levy & Campaign series since I own Nevsky and friends own Almoravid and now Inferno. This means I'm going to read the rules and watch every how-to-play video.

Natus wrote:

I quite enjoyed this wrap-up of Zilla Blitz's favorite 2022 wargames, even though I only own two games mentioned. In particular, I am bound and determined to take on the Ruhnke Levy & Campaign series since I own Nevsky and friends own Almoravid and now Inferno. This means I'm going to read the rules and watch every how-to-play video.

Glad you enjoyed the video! It was fun to think back on the year and put them in order like that.

For Nevsky, I read the rules a couple of times and things just kept bouncing off. They are written in a format that I think makes them a great reference when you roughly understand how to play, but not for learning from scratch. Here is the tutorial series that "unlocked" the game for me. I'd recommend starting with this, it'll save you hours. It's just soooo good, and he has an awesome French accent:

Also, Nevsky just got released on Rally the Troops, so you can play asynchronous games online now, and the game engine will constrain you to rules-allowed moves, etc. I'd love to play on that platform in a couple of months, once I get through the backlog of games I'm playing.

Zilla Blitz wrote:
Natus wrote:

I quite enjoyed this wrap-up of Zilla Blitz's favorite 2022 wargames, even though I only own two games mentioned. In particular, I am bound and determined to take on the Ruhnke Levy & Campaign series since I own Nevsky and friends own Almoravid and now Inferno. This means I'm going to read the rules and watch every how-to-play video.

Glad you enjoyed the video! It was fun to think back on the year and put them in order like that.

For Nevsky, I read the rules a couple of times and things just kept bouncing off. They are written in a format that I think makes them a great reference when you roughly understand how to play, but not for learning from scratch. Here is the tutorial series that "unlocked" the game for me. I'd recommend starting with this, it'll save you hours. It's just soooo good, and he has an awesome French accent:

Also, Nevsky just got released on Rally the Troops, so you can play asynchronous games online now, and the game engine will constrain you to rules-allowed moves, etc. I'd love to play on that platform in a couple of months, once I get through the backlog of games I'm playing. :)

How funny, there was a discussion I think on BGG lamenting the same thing about the Nevsky rules. I have tried to read them and the Almoravid ones many times and my ADHD really kicks in because I can't find the thread. These videos are great (I, too, love the accent!), but it's too bad that GMT won't have a look at how the L&C rules are presented.

Natus wrote:

How funny, there was a discussion I think on BGG lamenting the same thing about the Nevsky rules. I have tried to read them and the Almoravid ones many times and my ADHD really kicks in because I can't find the thread. These videos are great (I, too, love the accent!), but it's too bad that GMT won't have a look at how the L&C rules are presented.

To be fair, though, once you learn the game the rules are a great reference. You can look stuff up really fast.

Also, there is a Nevsky upgrade kit for the upcoming second edition on the GMT site now.

A friendly PSA that there is the spring deployment for the online SD Hist Con, an all-virtual tabletop wargaming conference coming up on March 18. Done with Discord, Vassal, TTS, and other systems. $5 gets you a badge for the day. Usually about 200-300 people in attendance. Very welcoming and friendly group. I went to my first one a year and a half ago not knowing anyone and had a great time.

Linkie for more Information:
SD Hist Con

Battle Sector finally put chat into asynchronous multiplayer, so games don't feel sterile anymore and you can taunt your opponent when you take out his best units. Sisters of Battle are an interesting faction.

Now give us Orks.

Command Modern Ops for $27 is a steal! If you don’t own it, you’re missing out.

https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/co...

PWAlessi wrote:

Command Modern Ops for $27 is a steal! If you don’t own it, you’re missing out.

https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/co...

Time to finally snag it. Thank you!

Oh, and two more modules for Lock 'n' Load Tactical Digital came out this week, including 10 scenarios from Attu Island. There's also a new Panzer Campaigns covering the Philippines, from WDS. All very tasty.

Veloxi wrote:
PWAlessi wrote:

Command Modern Ops for $27 is a steal! If you don’t own it, you’re missing out.

https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/co...

Time to finally snag it. Thank you!

Subscribe to the community scenario pack on Steam. It has lots (hundreds?) of additional scenarios, each one that I've played has been high quality. You'll never run out of things to do in CMO. Additionally, they just recently dropped a HUGE update with some great QoL improvements.

Robear wrote:

Oh, and two more modules for Lock 'n' Load Tactical Digital came out this week, including 10 scenarios from Attu Island.

Totally bought those.

PWAlessi wrote:

Subscribe to the community scenario pack on Steam.

Heh, first thing I did once I bought them.

Oh, my goodness. That Command Modern Ops is so tempting. Great deal, too. Thanks for sharing.

It's an experience, but there are many ways to learn the interface and the systems - in-game tutorials, fan-made tutorials, Youtube videos... And there are scenarios to play at each step, from just small ships driving around shooting at each other near the Suez Canal in the 50's, to submarine ops, to aircraft strikes, to full multi-day campaigns with air/land/sea components. It's a grognards dream.

Looks like SGS has big plans for the next couple of years. They have a new Kickstarter for the launch of their SGS Battle Series. The first game is Stalingrad. If you aren't familiar with SGS they have about 20 games out on Steam and they all use the same game engine. They play a lot like a card driven game.

I find them to be hit and miss, but generally fun and a good value for the $. I'm excited for this series and it seems to me it will work well with the game engine.

Oh, And STALINGRAD!

SGS Battle Series Kickstarter

I really enjoy this series as well. I just finished up SGS Okinawa about a week ago, and that was quite engaging.

For a small team they are really cranking these out. And so far, at least, I've found the ones I've played to feel unique, despite using the same engine. (To be fair, I've only played 3 of them so far.)

I have not been able to figure out what to do with these games, which is very strange for me. I tried the Finnish one and the system seemed beyond obscure. I guess I'll give it another try, unless there is a better one to get into it with?

My first entry is SGS Korean War. I like the system and am quite enjoying the game.

Robear wrote:

I have not been able to figure out what to do with these games, which is very strange for me. I tried the Finnish one and the system seemed beyond obscure. I guess I'll give it another try, unless there is a better one to get into it with?

Hmmm. I think the Finnish one was one of the earlier ones made. Maybe later ones are better? The Pacific D-Day one has 5 small scenarios in it. It's pretty straightforward and each scenario has a modest scope.

I was eyeing that, just have to watch costs now and recently bought the new Philippines Panzer Campaigns game. So I'll probably back-burner SGS again. Although I did run through the tutorial videos on the Finnish one before putting it away.

Big update to flashpoint campaigns Southern storm is out. Definitely worth a look. That game is really, really good. Lots of QoL improvements over the previous iteration.

I wish they would give us Steam codes for this. But yeah, it's a fun game. Hard, though.

TAZ89 wrote:

Looks like SGS has big plans for the next couple of years....

Thanks for posting this, I hadn't seen it somehow. I pledged to lieutenant for the Stalingrad and Hue keys.

Rule the waves 3 is out today. The 90's windows/access database look of it is kind of a turn off for me. I've never played any of the rule the waves games. Any thoughts? Can you get past the spreadsheet look/feel of it to have fun with it? Do you have to be a hardcore dreadnaught nerd to enjoy it?

I've always understood that series was for the hardcore naval miniatures types, but the tactical stuff is supposed to be worth it. I'm thinking of trying it. Ultimate Admiral: Dreadnaughts has sadly hit a reef, repeatedly, do not buy that.

The cool part of this is that it extends into modern times, unlike the others. But then, there's also Command: Modern Operations, which while lacking a strategic layer does do operations and especially tactics.

PWAlessi wrote:

Rule the waves 3 is out today. The 90's windows/access database look of it is kind of a turn off for me. I've never played any of the rule the waves games. Any thoughts? Can you get past the spreadsheet look/feel of it to have fun with it? Do you have to be a hardcore dreadnaught nerd to enjoy it?

I've been following a couple of discussions on it, and the gameplay seems to be solid. However, the dated look and feel have me on the sidelines for now. If I didn't have anything to play at the moment I might be tempted.