Buying the Farm - some feedback for the designer.

[Holien]

**** SPOILERS ***

I have just had the pleasure of playing this and while I enjoyed it and at the time I thought I had it tough as the American's I had not seen what the Germans got and the choices for them.

I have offered to play it as the Germans to see if I could do any better and I had some cunning plans but all for nought as the Designer has limited what the German player can do and where he can set up.

Now I am no designer and there might be things I am missing but why oh why does the designer give so limited choices and complex set up patterns. Why not keep it simple and have broad areas for the entrenchments and minefields? Why is there a need to restrict the players choices and with such a complexity?

I can understand set up for Computer play and the way the forces have been deployed will allow for a defensive but when you are designing do you need to limit what a human can or can't do. Yes fair enough there are some choices you want to take out the hands of the player to stop gamey deployment, but if I want to set up a defence I want to make the choices.

Of course I could open the editor and re design the game but I just wonder what is the rational for such limited and at the same time complex groupings? If it is stated as being H2H then let the player make choices and do not be so prescriptive.

I will give it a go as the Germans and I can see I have some choices which are a clever feature of the game. I will not say what this element is as my Oppo will no doubt read this. This could be a great scenario if the designer just allowed the German human to choose his own defensive set up. As it stands it is a good one and for a quick 30 minutes game it poses some serious challenges for the American player to keep the tempo of attack quick.

Just my 2p and I hope of use to some designers.....

[Holien]

Just did a search on buying the Farm and there has been a redesign by Paper Tiger.

It can be found here : - http://www.battlefront.com/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=314&func=finishdown&id=1577

It gives the Germans a more simplistic set up allowing the player to choose where to deploy.

He has also made some other of the scenarios better for H2H.

Here : http://www.battlefront.com/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=314&func=fileinfo&id=1576

There is one change about Buying The Farm that I don't agree with but will take that up on the scenario / design forum.

Good to see this has already been changed and I hope anyone playing this will use the new version as better for H2H