Command Ops: Legend of the Blitzkrieg...

[JasonRimmer]

Well I've died and gone to heaven. This game was mentioned by Dave (Panther Games head honcho) a couple of months back but nothing certain was said as to whether it would even come out nor how far along they where. Well a new thread over at The Matrix forum has been posted by Bill H who is working on the game. it also has a couple of screenies which look excellent. The game is France '40 and covers Rommels attack.

Command Ops at Platoon or squad scale has always been a dream of mine. I'd love to see an Eastern front version and even better cover the fighting at Stalingrad, say scenarios like the Pioneer attack on the Barrikady factory. Still France '40 will do. It's a must buy for me which I can't say to often really when it comes to wargames, one because I lost my wargame Mojo and two the scale I love which is tactical is very rarely done and when it is it's to abstracted for me (like Company of heroes and even Squad Battles which is an old love of mine but it's limitations in the end began to grate to much).

Anyway follow the link...

http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=3117106

[Joan d'Arc]

Very nice, and it won't feature the never seem to be able to avoid them big cats the Germanophiles seem to be unable to live without.

[Void]

Great!
That's exactly what I wanted. Squad level is my favourite.

I would prefer the game to by about Poland and France, but France alone must do.
I always had problem with the thick armour of French tanks when playing Germans. I hope they will model that France was defeated because of bad commanding, outdated doctrine with tanks spread thin and low experience. When they are commanded right they are very hard to defeat.

Can you write a review of "Commands Ops: Battles from the Bulge"? I have played the demo, but I was confused and overwhelmed by the large force under my command. I have really trouble commanding when at the same moment I have an infantry companies and platoons the same time next to each other.
Had they patched older titles from the series to the newest versions, ie. "Conquest Of The Aegean"? Can those scenarios be run under "Battles from the Bulge" engine?

[Void]

Very nice, and it won't feature the never seem to be able to avoid them big cats the Germanophiles seem to be unable to live without.

I've almost never feared the Tiger when playing Steel Panthers (except really open maps) when playing Steel Panthers. I prefer to have a 2-3 size group T-34/85 for that cost.
When playing Germans I liked Panthers thou.

[JasonRimmer]

Command Ops really is about giving orders out to battalions really as the lowest common dominator. I usually give orders to battalions or regiments. However I prefer the smaller scenarios and also the Bulge I found didn't have the flexibility that COTA gave due to the terrain etc. There will be a COTA expansion pack coming out for BFTB though. Again though you have to change the way you play wargames and as far as micromanagement goes and play a more hands off style where your giving out higher orders and more overall plans. Once the mechanics click and you become less controlling and think at a higher commander level it soon feels more natural.

Bill H who seems to be the lead with LOTB also preferred the smaller scenarios with a more tactical bent which is good news as far as I'm concerned. Again BFTB was rally the most difficult so far to get into as a newcomer and I think LOTB will be suited alot more to those new to this kind of game mechanic.

[sulla05]

The scenarios from the older games will not run in BFTB. They are going to make another add on with the COTA scenarios sometime soon.

If I read the post on Matrix about it it pretty much said all they did was somehow put the old scenarios throught the BFTB editor.

[Bil H]

Thanks guys, more information and a few new screenshots from Legends of the Blitzkrieg can be found on the Real and Simulated Wars BLOG here: http://kriegsimulation.blogspot.com/

I'll be interested in your thoughts.

Bil

[JasonRimmer]

Welcome Bil H good to see you hear. I've also mentioned the game over on my FB page Tactical Wargames. Really looking forward to this in a big way.

[JasonRimmer]

Bil, will troops enter buildings? Will there be house clearing (Tigers Unleashed another platoon level game has SOP's you can set for unit's to enter IPs\Buildings and also an SOP called clear rooms, this means it takes time per building for the unit to move through as they are presumed to eb going into rooms checking there clear).

Will walls and such like give cover?

Will platoon be the smallest unit or will it be Platoon being an HQ and having squads coming of it? Similar to the way Battalions are in CO at the moment with coy's coming off it.

Say we give an order to a coy to attack will it leapfrog platoons using fire and movement?

[Bil H]

Bil, will troops enter buildings? Will there be house clearing (Tigers Unleashed another platoon level game has SOP's you can set for unit's to enter IPs\Buildings and also an SOP called clear rooms, this means it takes time per building for the unit to move through as they are presumed to eb going into rooms checking there clear).

Well, if you have played BFTB then you know what the maps are like... towns do not have individual buildings per se, only an area that is outlined on the map. So there can be no "room clearing" as you describe. This is a tactical game yes.. but is is more a map exercise than what you are describing which I would say has a more micro-management bent. If you suspect there are enemy forces in a built up area then it is up to you as the commander to tailor their orders appropriately.

That being said built up areas definitely provide cover and concealment.

Will walls and such like give cover?

I don't know that the movement grid we are using would really do any walls placed on the map justice.

Will platoon be the smallest unit or will it be Platoon being an HQ and having squads coming of it? Similar to the way Battalions are in CO at the moment with coy's coming off it.

Say we give an order to a coy to attack will it leapfrog platoons using fire and movement?

The smallest units on the map will be platoons and for special weapons, teams, HMG teams etc. HMG teams will have a platoon HQ unit if that is what was in the OB for that formation. Units will act in battle the same way they do now in BFTB.. only on a smaller scale. So again if you have played that game you will understand how a formation maneuvers its units. Don't expect any fancy tactical movement options for this game... we have a lot of fish to fry before we revisit the movement code for the engine.

Bil