John Kettler Posted October 2, 2020 Share Posted October 2, 2020 (edited) This is how BFC gained a new customer (or will be gaining one soon). One of our CoC colleagues wanted a WW II computer game at CoC level, so a number of us (myself included) pointed him squarely at CM. We told him it was a military grade tactical sim that modeled a wealth of things CoC didn't. In no way did we blindside him. To assist him in figuring out where in WW II he wished to fight, we told him where the demos were for all the games and that there was lots of coverage on YT, too. Somewhat later, he told us that CMBN was what he wished to play, so we naturally pointed out the numerous advantages and gaming flexibility (not to mention huge savings) in buying the CMBN Ultimate Bundle. And as we all know, getting one CMBN game, even fully loaded, is like eating a Lay's potato chip! And since everything is in the game and only needs Activation Keys these days, he's not having to schlep a pile of CDs or DVDs in their brittle jewel cases, either. Shipping his minis would've cost a young fortune, and he'd still be having to figure out how he was going to do the layout and such. Instead, his battles are now portable, and even w/o WiFi, should that occur, he can still do lots of wargaming. Going the CMBN route will open up unimaginable gaming vistas to him, changing his notion of what wargaming is forever. CM seems to be fairly popular among those who fight using miniatures. For example, one of my CoC colleagues is straddles multiple CM periods, playing both CMFB and CMSF2 with gusto, issuing frequent reports and posting game play vids found on YT as well. When you think about it, CM is virtual wargaming with miniatures, though admittedly with far fewer force options and two theaters of war missing. Regards, John Kettler Edited October 2, 2020 by John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bufo Posted October 2, 2020 Share Posted October 2, 2020 Call of Cthulhu? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted October 2, 2020 Author Share Posted October 2, 2020 Bufo, Was laughing so hard I could barely type! Frankly, it never occurred to me to consider the possibility you raised. Was referring to Chain of Command, by Two Fat Lardies. It's a WW II skirmish game that's typically played with a reinforced platoon. Like CM, it rewards smart play and mercilessly punishes bad tactics, but there is considerable scope for bad runs of luck, good luck and unforeseen developments, for the game is not deterministic but probabilistic. It is emphatically a leader driven game, and it's leaders who make things happen. Game tracks Force Morale, Shock accumulation, exertion effects, effects of subunit and leader losses, support weapon losses and more. Leaders can accumulate points toward command options over and above their usual capabilities, too. But the fundamental reality of the game is you could be king of the world for several phases, only to have stagnation start to occur or, worse, the bottom fall out altogether. There is no set number of phases in a turn, and it's possible to lose the entire battle before the end of Turn 1. Many a player has practically sweated blood hoping the turn will end so there's at least some relief from the mauling, being able to get out of the confounded mortar barrage, finally bring in troops, etc. If you play, or wish to play WW II in miniature, I highly recommend it. It's won multiple awards, and justly so. Also, there is the game before the game, the Patrol Phase, which shows the effects patrols made earlier have on tactical options in setting up the game proper. Screw it up badly enough and you've practically assured your own defeat. Anyone who's only played CM but never with miniatures is in for a shock, for what CM does under the hood has to be explicitly calculated, resolved and marked. But relative to CM, CoC is a sophisticated version of a beer and pretzels game, so is much easier to learn, but knowing how to play is just the beginning. Returning briefly to the other CoC, I once played it on Halloween solely by the light of a kerosene lamp. Scary as all get out! Gaming under these conditions was utterly different than the usual well-lit room and dining room table setting. Nor were we nibbling on chips in a bowl and downing sodas. Our host was quite the cook and had made us an elaborate and lush dinner, complete with drinks and dessert. Maybe that dropped our guards some. Guarantee you I wasn't the only one there whose skin was crawling. Regards, John Kettler 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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