Noob Wargame Question

[Nutrino]

[font="Times New Roman"][/font]Many years ago I had an AH tabletop wargame called Blitzkrieg. It was a very basic red v blue hex simulation that seemed to me to be a great "starter" game, being a great stepping stone to the teaching of the fundamentals of how more complex games are played.

I've searched the internet and have yet to find where this game was ever translated into a PC game. Is there a modern game out there in the PC world that's similar in nature to the simple old Blitzkrieg game that would introduce a noobie to the world of military simulations without causing learning curve overload?

Thanks for any suggestions that anyone may have.

Nutrino
"It takes a BIG dog to weigh a ton!" ~Fat Jack Clark

[shunwick]

Hello Nutrino,

The Operational Art of War III has the scenario Blitzkrieg by Curt Chambers based on the old Avalon Hill Blitzkrieg game. See ...

http://www.the-strategist.net/RD/scenar ... Blitzkrieg

There are some Blitzkrieg variants available as well.

Welcome to the Matrix forums.

Best wishes,
Steve

[Saint Ruth]

While "The Operational Art of War" is a good game it has a very steep learning curve so not sure it'd be a starter game.

Something like Unity Of Command is a lot easier to learn.

[Alex777]

Many years ago I did a mod of AH's Blitzkrieg for Empire II, a wargame at the easy end of the complexity scale. I also did Tactics II and posted them both at the Wargamer. The Wargamer's scenario archive seems to have disappeared but I will be happy to send you a copy if you happen to have the game.

[shunwick]

ORIGINAL: Saint Ruth

While "The Operational Art of War" is a good game it has a very steep learning curve so not sure it'd be a starter game.

Something like Unity Of Command is a lot easier to learn.

With all due respect.... Rubbish!

TOAW III is very easy to learn. If the OP is already familiar with Blitzkreig the boardgame then Blitzkreig the TOAW scenario should not present any difficulty whatsoever.

Best wishes,
Steve

[Saint Ruth]

The TOAW III rule book is over 150 pages long, and you need to read it.
It's hardly a Noob game.

[Kuokkanen]

ORIGINAL: Alex777

Many years ago I did a mod of AH's Blitzkrieg for Empire II, a wargame at the easy end of the complexity scale.

Original Empire by original author is available here free of charge. In case you don't have PDP-10 in working condition, Windows versions are available as well

[shunwick]

ORIGINAL: Saint Ruth

The TOAW III rule book is over 150 pages long, and you need to read it.
It's hardly a Noob game.

So there is a little light reading before bedtime. [:)] That does not mean it is difficult to learn.

The important thing is that is that you do not need to read the manual before playing the game. You only need to read the manual to gain a deeper understanding of what is going on or if you have specific questions.

Best wishes,
Steve

[Ranger33]

TOAW is not that difficult to learn in terms of basic controls. The tutorial scenario does a fine job of that. The tricky part is knowing what the heck to do once you fire up a real scenario and are handed an entire army to command.

I have this problem with several wargames, the "how" is not that difficult but the "what" and "why" are real head-scratchers. Which to me is the mark of a great wargame.

[shunwick]

ORIGINAL: Ranger33

TOAW is not that difficult to learn in terms of basic controls. The tutorial scenario does a fine job of that. The tricky part is knowing what the heck to do once you fire up a real scenario and are handed an entire army to command.

I have this problem with several wargames, the "how" is not that difficult but the "what" and "why" are real head-scratchers. Which to me is the mark of a great wargame.

The larger scenarios can be overwhelming. Begin with the smaller scenarios and then gradually move to larger ones over time is usually the best advice. Defeating the Soviet Union in 1941 was something even the real-life planners had a problem with.

One of the really nice features that version 3.4 brought to TOAW, was the ability to put your army under AI control apart from the formation(s) that you wish to control directly.

Take for example the monster scenario Europa 1947, a beginner would be easily overwhelmed by the size of it. But if playing the allies for example, you can elect to have the AI control the entire allied force apart from, let's say, the British 10th Corp - a formation with only five units in it.

So all you need to do, as a player, is control those five units while the rest of the war goes on around you. Or perhaps, you might feel up to controlling the eight army, or the entire Commonwealth force. Or the French or the Russians, or the Americans. Better yet, you can alter what you directly control on the fly.

It gives players the opportunity to tailor the scenario to exactly what they think they can handle while still participating in a gigantic war to liberate Europe. It's actually role playing in a wargame. Beginners need never feel overwhelmed no matter how large the scenario.

Best wishes,
Steve

[Ranger33]

shunwick,

Yes that is definitely one of my favorite features of the game! You can trim down things to what you want to handle. This has the added bonus of feeling like you are commanding a small force that is part of a much larger conflict. A playstyle that can be even more fun by giving a roleplaying sort of feel like you said.

[Saint Ruth]

ORIGINAL: shunwick
So there is a little light reading before bedtime. [:)] That does not mean it is difficult to learn.

Maybe it's just me then!
Anyway, it's a great game.