Desert War: Why Didn't You Buy?

Brian Kellys Desert War: 1940-42 captures the drama of the campaign for North Africa during World War II.
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wodin
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RE: Desert War: Why Didn't You Buy?

Post by wodin »

Personally the scale. I prefer tactical games. Next I have a phobia of big stacks..and Desert War looks like it has big stacks:)

Also even if it's purely chrome I do like to see casualties counted per soldier etc, thats not a no buy killer but something that may make me buy or at least take a good look at. Again silly really, but hey ho.

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RE: Desert War: Why Didn't You Buy?

Post by James Taylor »

Ditto the too many units and large stacks, terrain and unit information gets lost.

Personally, I prefer battalion size units in this theater, much like SPI's PanzerArmee Afrika and AH's Afrika Korps.
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Searry
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RE: Desert War: Why Didn't You Buy?

Post by Searry »

ORIGINAL: zakblood

ORIGINAL: stuart3

Properly used, Java isn't unsafe per se. But it isn't updated often enough and, the last I heard, it still doesn't auto-update. That means that it is a wonderful tool for professionals who have protocols in place to keep all of their applications up to date, and a ticking bomb for ordinary mortals who tend to load their software and leave it running, getting more and more out of date and more and more vulnerable.

I have never read an article about it that said that the operating system makes a difference, and these publications know that most of their readers use win 10.

If you do decide to use it, download it only from it's own site. Don't trust third party sites.

Java updates now all the time and is a auto one as long as you don't disable it.

and most who moan about Java being unsafe, still use out of date and unsupported O/S is what i mean, so there opinions don't count [:D]
There is absolutely no reason to let obsolete and unsafe stuff like Java or Flash to infest your computer. For gods sake developers! Use modern stuff! Is it really too much to ask to keep up with the times?
Even AV's exploit you nowadays with "signing" your emails without asking and hiding the option to remove it in a mess of UIs or they send you spam mails trying to advertise their product.
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DonCzirr
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RE: Desert War: Why Didn't You Buy?

Post by DonCzirr »

It wasn't released on IOS.

I have plenty of games on PC that cover the Desert War but not on IOS.

Port it there and future games with this engine and I'll buy.
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gabeeg
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RE: Desert War: Why Didn't You Buy?

Post by gabeeg »

I plan on buying it, maybe D-day sale or Holiday sale, but it was not an instant buy due to the theater...not that I mind the desert...but I have a few games that cover the desert and I prefer west front more (east front as well...but I have a ton of those). I have a back log of operational games right now. I do look forward to getting this eventually.
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milkweg
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RE: Desert War: Why Didn't You Buy?

Post by milkweg »

I bought it just yesterday but if I wasn't going to buy it it would be because the game requires Java. I like to run a tight ship and that means preferably no Java on my PC.
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RE: Desert War: Why Didn't You Buy?

Post by laska2k8 »

ORIGINAL: DonCzirr

It wasn't released on IOS.

I have plenty of games on PC that cover the Desert War but not on IOS.

Port it there and future games with this engine and I'll buy.
There is absolutely no reason to let obsolete and unsafe stuff like Java or Flash to infest your computer. For gods sake developers! Use modern stuff! Is it really too much to ask to keep up with the times?
Even AV's exploit you nowadays with "signing" your emails without asking and hiding the option to remove it in a mess of UIs or they send you spam mails trying to advertise their product.

< Message edited by Searry -- 6/8/2018 5:48:28 PM >
ORIGINAL: milkweg

I bought it just yesterday but if I wasn't going to buy it it would be because the game requires Java. I like to run a tight ship and that means preferably no Java on my PC.


java is a developer framework and a dev language not different from c++, php or python, android apps are java based. The web in front of you probably have some internal javascript code because is reliant and fast.

The 14 most popular programming languages, according to a study of 100,000 developers

explanation

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Rosseau
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RE: Desert War: Why Didn't You Buy?

Post by Rosseau »

Unity isn't even listed, or is that not a PL?
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RE: Desert War: Why Didn't You Buy?

Post by laska2k8 »

ORIGINAL: Rosseau

Unity isn't even listed, or is that not a PL?

Unity internal coding language is C#
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jacktimes2
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RE: Desert War: Why Didn't You Buy?

Post by jacktimes2 »

Honestly, I got very busy with work and completely missed the release date. I plan to buy it next month when things slow down.
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RE: Desert War: Why Didn't You Buy?

Post by Numdydar »

As others have said, the one and ONLY reason I did not buy this was the lack of a campaign game. I just find it hard to believe that when this was being developed that no one said, "What about a campaign scenario?" as that would have been the first thing I would have thought of.

The fact that one was not included with the game just screams "We don't care what people want." Or worse, "Since we know everyone will want a campaign scenario, let's make the campaign a DLC and make even more money from our saps. Whoops, customers." I know that is not true, but that is how it makes me feel anyway.

Unfortunately they are right in the fact that I would buy the base game and a campaign DLC. It would piss me off, but I would still do it simply because it would be the only game with the detail for this theater/time period.
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johng5155
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RE: Desert War: Why Didn't You Buy?

Post by johng5155 »

I broke down and bought the game after all, and gotta say it is pretty darn good. Reminds me a bit of the GDW game Operation Crusader (1978).
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RE: Desert War: Why Didn't You Buy?

Post by oaltinyay »

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: bcgames

I'm working on the requirements document for the next game using the Desert War Engine (DWE) and have a very important question for you to answer--why didn't you buy Desert War? Was it the topic? Was it the scale? Was it the documentation? Was it the AI? Size of the scenarios? The reviews? The use of Old School hex system? Pasta? No Pasta? What? Let me know your views.
warspite1

Not quite answering your question but I bought it because of the topic - I want more game of this massively under-appreciated theatre and so wanted to show support.

That said I wasn't thrilled with the lack of a campaign game. The Desert War 1940-43 featuring land sea and air from Gib to Suez is begging to be wargamed - a game that either side could win, a game that has absolutely everything (except carrier vs carrier battles).

I second every line in this message. Look at WITPAE grand campaign and do sth similar please. Non-grognards will never buy games like this anyways so play to their taste.
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RE: Desert War: Why Didn't You Buy?

Post by bcgames »

ORIGINAL: Numdydar
As others have said, the one and ONLY reason I did not buy this was the lack of a campaign game. I just find it hard to believe that when this was being developed that no one said, "What about a campaign scenario?" as that would have been the first thing I would have thought of.
I have found that people define game terms differently from how the military defines them. Coming from the military side of the house, I have learned that it best to listen to the gamer's definition of what words mean. Can you list your criteria for a correct and acceptable campaign scenario? Thanks.
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RE: Desert War: Why Didn't You Buy?

Post by bcgames »

ORIGINAL: bcgames
ORIGINAL: Numdydar
As others have said, the one and ONLY reason I did not buy this was the lack of a campaign game. I just find it hard to believe that when this was being developed that no one said, "What about a campaign scenario?" as that would have been the first thing I would have thought of.
I have found that people define game terms differently from how the military defines them. Coming from the military side of the house, I have learned that it best to listen to the gamer's definition of what words mean. Can you list your criteria for a correct and acceptable campaign scenario? Thanks.
Anyone else with views on this topic--feel free to chime in. Convince your peers.
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RE: Desert War: Why Didn't You Buy?

Post by 76mm »

ORIGINAL: Numdydar
The fact that one was not included with the game just screams "We don't care what people want." Or worse, "Since we know everyone will want a campaign scenario, let's make the campaign a DLC and make even more money from our saps. Whoops, customers." I know that is not true, but that is how it makes me feel anyway.
Huh? To me it just screams "We're a very small team and are focused on getting out an operational-level WEGO game in the North African Theater, not to bolt on a campaign feature that most players may or may not like anyway.

The problem with campaigns is that there many ways to do them, but however you do them many/most players will complain that you didn't do it one of the other ways...
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RE: Desert War: Why Didn't You Buy?

Post by Numdydar »

ORIGINAL: bcgames
ORIGINAL: Numdydar
As others have said, the one and ONLY reason I did not buy this was the lack of a campaign game. I just find it hard to believe that when this was being developed that no one said, "What about a campaign scenario?" as that would have been the first thing I would have thought of.
I have found that people define game terms differently from how the military defines them. Coming from the military side of the house, I have learned that it best to listen to the gamer's definition of what words mean. Can you list your criteria for a correct and acceptable campaign scenario? Thanks.

Its very simple for this game since naval units are not involved.

You start with the Italians/British in 1940 and end in 1943. The DAK can arrive as a script or as a form of reinforcements.

Basically take the Campaign for North Africa board game https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/4815/campaign-north-africa and use this game system to replicate it.
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RE: Desert War: Why Didn't You Buy?

Post by Rosseau »

Here are some assumptions:

1. Patches will keep coming for free
2. A campaign will require and deserves extra paid DLC
3. A new theater of war may or may not require the effort of a campaign DLC.

I would much rather have a new theater of war using this game system. But I would also buy the campaign.

Not that any of this is a really big deal. The big deal is that this game remains healthy in terms of sales and continual updates and community support.

I am a bit surprised that someone hasn't made some modifications to change-up the existing scenarios. My work would be a historical atrocity, so I'm not the ideal one to do it. Nor do I expect we get the TOAW effort that took decade(s) to build. Just some changed reinforcement schedules, unit positioning and strengths. We do not expect to see people doing Operation Huskies every day [;)]

Forgot to add that of course I bought the game. There is nothing else like it since SSG, in general.
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RE: Desert War: Why Didn't You Buy?

Post by bcgames »

ORIGINAL: Numdydar
Its very simple for this game since naval units are not involved.
A trivial point...but Desert War does include naval units.

More significantly, a Campaign for North Africa that does not include a substantial naval component kinda misses the whole historical boat for a joint (air, land, sea) campaign about the control of the Mediterranean. How should we reconcile this requirement?

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RE: Desert War: Why Didn't You Buy?

Post by Smirfy »

ORIGINAL: bcgames
ORIGINAL: Numdydar
Its very simple for this game since naval units are not involved.
A trivial point...but Desert War does include naval units.

More significantly, a Campaign for North Africa that does not include a substantial naval component kinda misses the whole historical boat for a joint (air, land, sea) campaign about the control of the Mediterranean. How should we reconcile this requirement?

A trivial point...but Desert War does include naval units.

More significantly, a Campaign for North Africa that does not include a substantial naval component kinda misses the whole historical boat for a joint (air, land, sea) campaign about the control of the Mediterranean. How should we reconcile this requirement?

Apart from the important naval aspect, Air was the decisive factor of the campaign the 8th army were repeatedly saved by the desert airforce, whilst the Afrika Korps were badly let down by the Luftwaffe, who basically treated the whole campaign as a knights cross hunt letting their supplies and troops suffer massive interdiction whilst they racked up impressive scores of obsolete fighters.
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