Strategic Command Blog Post #1: "New Features and the Game's Scope"

[Daniele]

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[center]Read the full entry here[/center]

Strategic Command WWII: War in Europe is the ground-breaking next step in the highly acclaimed Strategic Command series of turn based strategy games.

A Return to Hexes

Our aim with the Strategic Command series is to make attractive, playable and historical games. Our aim for this release is to make a game that will provide one of the best strategic level re-creations of 20th century warfare, while also being a whole lot of fun to play.

The first and possibly biggest decision for us was to return the series to using hexes rather than tiles. There are pros and cons to both, but it was clear that the majority of those who expressed a preference preferred hexes, and we didn't disagree. So hexes are back!

Accessible and Entertaining Historical Games

The concept behind our games is that they should be easy and fun to play, while also being fully immersed in their historical setting.

So combat is quick to carry out, simply click on your units to move/attack. German units can be near Warsaw in no time at all!

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[center]Read the full entry here[/center]

[James Taylor]

How about for future movement, we Ctrl-left click on each unit selection we wish to move in a grouping, then as the movement possibilities are highlighted(slowest unit or add motor pool), we then pick the way-points by Ctrl-right clicking, continuing on further than a singular turn movement allows and all those units continue moving until they reach the final way-point turn after turn automatically.

[djxput]

Enjoyed reading that ... The dynamic movement sounds real good. Makes sense.

[TheGreatRadish]

All very nice, thanks for this. However, i assume no mention of the ability to play as individual nations and not a whole alliance means it is not one of the new features? [:(]

[Iñaki Harrizabalagatar]

What about the supply system? has been changed from SC2?

[Capitaine]

Excellent blog post. I've never played any of the previous SC games but am looking very forward to this one.

[BillRunacre]

ORIGINAL: Iñaki Harrizabalagatar

What about the supply system? has been changed from SC2?

Hi Iñaki

Not as such, though the supply system did receive a big overhaul in recent years for SC2, starting with one of our WWI releases.

We also made it so that damaged HQ units would a) provide less supply and b) require more than one turn to repair to full strength.

This release takes those improvements and adds a little more around the edges, e.g. researching Logistics increases the amount of HQs a Major country can build, and also their Minimum Supply Value, thus potentially increasing a country's supply infrastructure.

Bill

[James Taylor]

Hi Bill,

And what about that reduction of supply per turn a unit is surrounded? Are we talking only two units necessary to accomplish the isolation or will it take more?

I would think with eight tiles taking four units, that for six hexes we'd expect three units.

[BillRunacre]

Hi James

That remains the same, not because you're necessarily wrong but it's something I thought might be best left to experience to tell us whether or not to change it.

Now that you've raised this, it's got me thinking about it a bit more and I think that in a WWI game with hexes the rule might be better set to 3, but this feature is perhaps of less importance in a WWII game as the frontlines are more fluid and more tools exist to reduce the strength of resources, e.g. Strategic Bombers.

That said, we shall see as initially I didn't want to change it until we had a better feel through practice.

Bill

[James Taylor]

That sounds reasonable as the time per turn could be variable depending on the designer of the scenario.

Not sure what the turn sequence will encompass as far as time, but a good standard to use might be the siege of Leningrad, although there were breaks when Lake Ladoga froze over.

Still we definitely want to avoid the surrounded HQ(as well as units) that never diminishes in prowess and gains in experience to a point where they can never be vanquished.

James (Brad) (SeaMonkey)

[BillRunacre]

Ah, I never realised you were SeaMonkey! [:)]

[Yogi the Great]

I had both SC & SC2 they were among my favorite games at the time. SC1 in particular reminded me of AH 3rd Reich. I am glad to see them return to hexes although that was a very big topic of conversation as SC2 was coming out on the Battlefront Forums. Those SC forums could be fun but to be honest could also be a bit frustrating. Some of the "Strong Personalities" could be very vocal, very political and quite rude and insulting at times. Being a good player and a respectful forum participant did not always go hand in hand. The Matrix forums would not have allowed much of the type of posts that Battlefront did.

I am looking forward to SC3 and hopefully it will be as good or even better than the first two.

[James Taylor]

Since there will be a possession front line denoted for SC3, I'm assuming that will dictate supply status?

Now let's say there is an HQ(full strength) with a number of units trapped in a pocket including a supply hex. Can you(Bill) elaborate on supply status?

Further, since the best way(again assuming prior mechanics)is to bomb the supply points(hex and HQ)will there be a provision for limited air operations in inclement weather?

I'm remembering Burma in AoD where it was very difficult to reduce a pocket of enemy units without an abnormal abundance of resources(air & ground).

[BillRunacre]

The front line feature is just for clarity's sake, so the ebb and flow of battle can be clearly seen, rather than affecting game play as such.

A full strength HQ where the resource drops to a strength of 5 would have a supply giving value of 8, therefore providing 7 or less to nearby units, depending on roads, terrain, weather (if the road is unpaved) and proximity.

A damaged HQ will have a lower supply giving value, so hitting that with aircraft and any other indirect fire will be beneficial.

Hitting the resource itself with Strategic Bombers and any other indirect fire weapons will also help.

Pockets will still retain some ability to hold out, and that is essential really as otherwise we could never have a Bastogne or Stalingrad style situation. But damaging the defender's HQ and resources will weaken their ability to survive, enabling the one surrounding the pocket to destroy the pocket unless a relief force gets through.

Rain does allow aircraft some limited rebasing, but no attacks.

[The Guru]

Hi there

looking very promising, can't wait

Is there going to be a three-player option? ( West-Germany-Soviet)

that would be nice...

Also, since (if I'm not mistaken) support units will be allowed to stack with regular units, does that mean the end of the two-hex range indirect fire? I must say I don't mind abstractions, but that, at this scale, really always bothered me...

[James Taylor]

Wouldn't that be great if we could stack an asset with the main, parenting unit. Actually, the upgrades kind of presented that possibility, only thing was, those assets were not unattachable as in real life.

What I would like to see is that according to the skill level of the governing HQ, a number of attachments or proficiencies were available to the units under the HQ's command.

They could be automatic as in the case of proficiencies(attack, defend, or mobilization) or an actual manual attachment of that particular asset(heavy tanks, anti-tank, artillery, etc.).

[Iñaki Harrizabalagatar]

ORIGINAL: James Taylor

Wouldn't that be great if we could stack an asset with the main, parenting unit. Actually, the upgrades kind of presented that possibility, only thing was, those assets were not unattachable as in real life.

What I would like to see is that according to the skill level of the governing HQ, a number of attachments or proficiencies were available to the units under the HQ's command.

They could be automatic as in the case of proficiencies(attack, defend, or mobilization) or an actual manual attachment of that particular asset(heavy tanks, anti-tank, artillery, etc.).

That is a great idea IMHO

[James Taylor]

Thanks Inaki, every once in awhile I have an epiphany![;)]

[Auchinleck]

Include a representation of the number of casualties in the game results. So the war has more meaning when an icon disappears (is removed) from the map. I think too many war games don't represent the staggering number of men killed, which eliminates the cruel reality of what war actually means. A whole lot of dead men.

[Auchinleck]

Include a representation of the number of casualties in the game results. So the war has more meaning when an icon disappears (is removed) from the map. I think too many war games don't represent the staggering number of men killed, which eliminates the cruel reality of what war actually means. A whole lot of dead men.