Who's #1?

[OldSarge]

3 hours ago, Ultradave said:

One of my favorites (and I'm a beta tester too). I have had Red Storm and Reforged for quite a while. Southern Storm is a big step forward. SOPs are such a major improvement. It's not a competitor to CM - the scale is larger. More of a grand-tactical than a down in the weeds tactical scale.

 I've been playing the FPC series since they first produced Red Storm, since then there have been so many improvements. The quality of the manuals, the dedication of the dev team members is reflected in the product.

 

Quote

I'm also addicted to CMO. It must be because I spent 34 years designing and testing nuclear submarines.   That being said, the air war took (takes) me a LOT of learning. It's one of those simulations that you never stop learning how to play. Super complex, and the comment about the database being worth the asking price is spot on. 

Dave

I've been a fan of CMO since it first came out as CMANO.

My interest has largely been aimed towards air defense, both how to neutralize and how to not be neutralized. One of my first civilian jobs involved being embedded with a JTF unit exploring the problem of managing IFF information across the interconnected IADS domain (in the 80s, the US services hadn't properly standardized on a single datalink protocol). So, CMO fits that bill.

CMO is a complicated sim, and I'm only scraping the surface of what it can do. So, not for the faint of heart.

CM is still, my go to game. Pixeltruppen wallowing in the mud/dust is something I can relate to.

Edited June 22 by OldSarge

[StieliAlpha]

I find it strange to find SoW Waterloo in that list. Though I played SoW 2nd Manassas for a while and liked it, I never really got into SoW Waterloo.

[Warts 'n' all]

@BFCElvis Gets to the top of the charts because his aim is true.

[thilio]

7 hours ago, StieliAlpha said:

I find it strange to find SoW Waterloo in that list. Though I played SoW 2nd Manassas for a while and liked it, I never really got into SoW Waterloo.

You should try with the KS mod.

It's a totally different game both visually and for gameplay. Much better than the original.

Edited June 22 by thilio

[JM Stuff]

18 minutes ago, thilio said:

You should try with the KS mod.

It's a totally different game both visually and for gameplay. Much better than the original.

@thilio Agree the KS mod is a must  for Sow! 

I had also played Manansass in the past, but this one don't catch me as the Sow with mod included, I have to check perhaps there is another version as well for Manansass will see ?

[Probus]

Where do you guys find all these mods for various games?  I noticed https://www.nexusmods.com/ has a lot of mods, but otherwise probably support forums?

[thilio]

38 minutes ago, Probus said:

Where do you guys find all these mods for various games?  I noticed https://www.nexusmods.com/ has a lot of mods, but otherwise probably support forums?

For the KS mod

https://kriegsspiel.forumotion.net/t2331-ks-napoleon-mod-1-36-ks-sow-supplemental-maps-1-26-uploaded

[StieliAlpha]

3 hours ago, thilio said:

You should try with the KS mod.

It's a totally different game both visually and for gameplay. Much better than the original.

Thanks, man!

SoW Waterloo really bothered me back then.

As I said, based on Manassas, I liked the system.

Plus, I played the La Bataille board game series for about 20 years. Certainly Quatre Bras, Ligny and Waterloo 5 times each.

Plus many other board game iterations.

So I was very much looking forward to SoW Waterloo and was quite disappointed with the outcome.

Stupid question: I have the SoW collector’s edition. Does the KS mod work with that, too?

[StieliAlpha]

3 hours ago, JM Stuff said:

@thilio Agree the KS mod is a must  for Sow! 

I had also played Manansass in the past, but this one don't catch me as the Sow with mod included, I have to check perhaps there is another version as well for Manansass will see ?

I bought Manassas very early, so probably played the original version.

I loved the general idea of the system. E.g., that one could play it on different command levels. Leading Brigades, Divisions or Corps depending on one’s  preferences. That orders were submitted (or not) by couriers „physically“ running or riding across the battlefield. That subordinate commanders still would not necessarily carry out the orders. Etc…

As stated in the previous post, I am/was quite much a Napoleonic fan and, indeed, ACW is pretty different. So there certainly was some frustration playing Manassas (or ACW board games) for me. But still, I quite much liked the  SoW system.

Edited June 22 by StieliAlpha

[thilio]

23 minutes ago, StieliAlpha said:

Stupid question: I have the SoW collector’s edition. Does the KS mod work with that, too ?

Not stupid at all because it didn't work with my collector's edition initially.

I asked help to Uncle Billy (MTG, the creator of the mod) which uploaded a new AI.dll file allowing the mod to work fine.

[JM Stuff]

3 hours ago, StieliAlpha said:

I bought Manassas very early, so probably played the original version.

 

Me too, but this system was very nice for its time, but I don't know why this version had some bugs... later I downloaded a mod of American Independence 1812 and it was more fun to play with many different uniforms, and flags, zooming in, zooming out, I could see a red stain on the map of some "red coat" coming as reinforcements, very nice time to play with this system of game but sadly like I said with some bugs,...

sorry was before 1812 I think in the 1776,  dont remember...

Edited June 22 by JM Stuff

[Aragorn2002]

On 6/21/2024 at 12:21 AM, Vacillator said:

Number one is good.

I'd perhaps argue with this as part of the number one spot write-up;

The only franchise that can hold a dimly lit candle to Mius Front in terms of tactical complexity is -arguably- Combat Mission. 

Meh.

And it seems they've not heard of Cold War.

I agree. That statement is complete rubbish. 

[Thewood1]

To me CM and Mius are just different perspectives trying to reflect tactical combat.  I have always viewed CM as a digital miniatures wargame.  With enough detail to satisfy the type of players that would typically play board and miniature games.  Mius is more like a tactical decision-making simulation.

CM rewards a lot of execution micromanagement and very detailed analysis of every unit move.  Mius more rewards the player for building a plan in detail with only minor adjustments to individual units.  Most of the interactions during execution should be at the platoon and company level.

I play Mius when I want to see how the big picture comes together in a plan, but still want to watch individual actions play out.  I rarely play CM now, but when I do, I only play at the small scenario level because of the micromanagement needed to execute.  There is little real planning at the large unit level.

[A Canadian Cat]

Interesting to read his opinions. I don't have a lot to say since I really only play CM. I have no idea where I would find the time to play another game.

I remain shocked that, in this day and age, so many computer games insist on rendering hexes all over the f'in place. WTH people, graphics cards are now capable of ray tracing for crying out loud. Why are designers reaching back to Commodore 64 type graphics and or board games.

Even if your underlying game uses hexes (still super cringe) to manage stuff don't show that to me. Don't admit you are stuck in 1980 something.

That I do have an opinion on.

Edited June 25 by A Canadian Cat

[Thewood1]

Its the core issue I have with all boardgame-like PC games at the tactical level.  Interestingly, CM's "action squares" are closer to hexes than not.  They just don't show them.  And they have slowly and smoothly made them less noticeable over the various iterations since the original CMSF. 

[fireship4]

On 6/21/2024 at 8:49 PM, thilio said:

Nice to see Scourge of War Waterloo is included.

Being remastered if you didn't know: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2205330/Scourge_Of_War__Remastered/

[JM Stuff]

Don t appear on the list, but also a very good game for the Napo fans @Aquila-SmartWargames give us an exelent aspect of it !

 

Later version !

 

Edited June 27 by JM Stuff

[thilio]

4 hours ago, fireship4 said:

Being remastered if you didn't know: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2205330/Scourge_Of_War__Remastered/

Yes, this should be for june.

Will this include a new GUI ?  Because this was a weakness of the game.

[thilio]

1 hour ago, JM Stuff said:

Don t appear on the list, but also a very good game for the Napo fans @Aquila-SmartWargames give us an exelent aspect of it !

 

Later version !

 

Yes, a very good game I played a lot until ten years ago and some heavy bugs after a patch.

Waiting for a rework and a new version since this time...

[Probus]

On 6/25/2024 at 3:06 PM, A Canadian Cat said:

I remain shocked that, in this day and age, so many computer games insist on rendering hexes all over the f'in place.

Wargamers gotta wargame!  I've had hexes on the mind since 1976.  But it is kinda crazy, now that we have computers for bookkeeping, that we continue to use hexes.  Maybe we are just in love with those squiggly roads hexes make. 

[Redwolf]

20 hours ago, Probus said:

Wargamers gotta wargame!  I've had hexes on the mind since 1976.  But it is kinda crazy, now that we have computers for bookkeeping, that we continue to use hexes.  Maybe we are just in love with those squiggly roads hexes make. 

Many wargamers are only comfortable with computer games if they do all the calculations and at the same time the calculations are so transparent that you can re-do them yourself. Hexes help a lot here compared to arbitrary move ability.

[Lethaface]

On 6/23/2024 at 2:32 PM, Thewood1 said:

I rarely play CM now, but when I do, I only play at the small scenario level because of the micromanagement needed to execute.  There is little real planning at the large unit level.

That depends on how you play. You can make plans at higher level, in your head and or written notes. However indeed making a plan for a larger scenario and then executing it in detail for all units, company by company, platoon by platoon and down to split squads can be a lot of work. But in H2H that's where CM shines imo. 

Edited June 28 by Lethaface

[MarkEzra]

Well deserved to be sure. And the future is bright

[Vinnart]

Always good to see CM rightfully so at #1. I've played some of the other games on the list and they were good, but I can only say CM has kept my interest for 20 yrs.

Not on the list, but recommend checking out a hex game called "Hex of Steel" by an independent developer. Has basically anything in a hex game one could want.