So why didn't you buy?

[WaffenSS1943]

Waiting for Steam, many people buy in Steam

[Vasquez]

Steamrelease.

[EwaldvonKleist]

I am very happy to see a WEGO game and am intrigued by some of the mechanics. However, I prefer the grand operational scale and would like to see the engine extemded so you can play With regiments/divisions campaigns like Poland 39, France 1940, Operation Typhoon 1941 etc.
Barbarossa 1941 would be amazing but of course a really big project.

[Duck Doc]

I bought Desert War but did not buy Stalingrad. After Stalingrad's release, I reinstalled DW and it quickly reminded me of the micromanagement struggles I had previously experienced and which drove me away. Realizing Stalingrad was a different scale I looked at some of the YouTube previews and it quickly became apparent that most were playing casually as if it were a RTS game (like Attack at Dawn which I also did not get). Your WEGO system packs so much information and is so multifaceted and requires such attention to detail that it seemed to disrespect the game to showcase it this way. I got disillusioned at that point and decided to move on. I was also put off but the different scales used in the game.

I don't understand the Steam fan's reluctance to buy on the Matrix site and then wait for a Steam key. I buy at Matrix and then get the Steam key if it is released.

You know, a WW2 North African campaign WEGO game on a divisional/ regimental scale would work great. I look forward to a Market Garden game as well.

[Saint Ruth]

Yes, we tried to fix the stack issue in Desert War. Market Garden would be good as it'd allow the entire campaign to be played in a single scenario at the current battalion scale... time will tell, Thanks, Brian

[MrLongleg]

I am waiting for a Steam release. I do like the WEGO concept....

After watching "Der Hobby General" on Youtube I decided to buy...

[bcgames]

Bar None -- Der Hobby General has played the game as designed with the greatest skill and entertained with very creative presentations. I watch all his videos on Stalingrad and can understand what is "going on" in his game even though my knowledge of German is limited to three years of "GI in the FRG". I like when his cat pays visits too! I've started watching videos on the other games he plays because of the artistry of his presentations (visuals, running narrative, and thoughtful observations). I wish our AI was as good as his game. Someday...

[canuckgamer]

I along with two friends bought Desert War and played it for about almost a year. We played the medium complexity scenarios but scenarios such as High Tide at Alam Halfa had two many units for our liking. We have been playing the Combat Mission series for 20 years and it was the first game to use a turn based WEGO system so we were very familiar with the game system.

I consider Desert War to be operational level and from what I've seen in videos of Stalingrad it too is operational level. I think Desert War is a very well designed game so expect that Stalingrad is even better with refinements from DW. I consider Desert War to be a real wargame unlike many of the games at Matrix Games which are beer and pretzel abstractions. I remember one of the suggestions I made for DW which you implemented was showing the casualties as numbers rather than percentages in the initial release. One of the "issues" we had with DW was how scenarios ended and a lack of a "victory screen". If I remember correctly the replay at the finish of a scenario was from the start of the scenario to the end which was a little confusing.

When Stalingrad was announced I thought it would be focused on the fighting in the city itself and would be a slugfest. However it appears that there are some scenarios of the 6th Army advancing on Stalingrad. To me this is a plus.
Personally, I have not bought Stalingrad yet because I have 5 PBEM games going and don't have the time to learn and play another at this time, especially in the spring and summer. I prefer battles where each side can go on the offensive at some point and I assume Stalingrad allows that.

The WEGO system can only be implemented in a computer wargame and adds an element of realism to the standard IGOUGO system in boardgames. I intend on buying it this fall and hope that future titles will cover some battles in the Pacific such as Guadalcanal.

[Saint Ruth]

Great, thanks for the feedback, we tried to reduce the slugfest, and especially reduce the unit count by combing units (so one Regiment counters can be split into 3 battalion counters and vice versa).
Anyways, constant improvement is the way forward!
Thanks,
Brian

[RichG]

Now that Matrix have done right with this weeks sale, I couldn't really refuse to buy it.
Looking forward to having the time to learn and play!

[Saint Ruth]

Great!

[Mappi75]

Bought the game now..but i was on holidays so no time to play atm.

Now i installed the game and i was a litte bit afraid because i have to install java runtime like in the old micraft times.
Is there a way that you can integrate java runtimes in the game only so i dont have to install a java runtime?
Its because of (personal) security reasons. Thanks.

[bcgames]

St. Ruth will have to answer this one. He will be back from vacation next week.

[Mappi75]

Thank you.

[AbeMuc]

Bar None -- Der Hobby General has played the game as designed with the greatest skill and entertained with very creative presentations. I watch all his videos on Stalingrad and can understand what is "going on" in his game even though my knowledge of German is limited to three years of "GI in the FRG". I like when his cat pays visits too! I've started watching videos on the other games he plays because of the artistry of his presentations (visuals, running narrative, and thoughtful observations). I wish our AI was as good as his game. Someday...

Thank you very much for the kind words about my videos. Great to see a feedback here. Will keep up doing videos on WEGO Stalingrad. I really love the game!

-Der Hobbygeneral (forumname differs, as it is difficult within the Slitherine/Matrix-world to change names or merge accounts)

[bcgames]

Glad you like the game. We like and appreciate your videos. AND--because "No Good Deed Goes Unpunished"--we will be updating the AI to better deal with your excellent gameplay. Thanks for your insights into how to make the game better.

Are you former military? I see a soldier's hand in your analysis and resulting actions. Regardless, I like the way you play.

[AbeMuc]

Glad you like the game. We like and appreciate your videos. AND--because "No Good Deed Goes Unpunished"--we will be updating the AI to better deal with your excellent gameplay. Thanks for your insights into how to make the game better.

Are you former military? I see a soldier's hand in your analysis and resulting actions. Regardless, I like the way you play.

Former military would be quite overstretched. I had a 18 month tour of duty as a draftee in the Bundeswehr some 20 yeras ago, got released as a corporal. But beeing just a grunt, this has nothing to do with operational skills. 30 years beeing an avid wargamer sure helps a lot more

[Fraggo5]

Off topic I know but:-
Der Hobby General , I have to agree with regard to your videos being very good and in honesty I think you are the best streamer I have watched on you tube for war-games even with the language barrier .
You have a real grasp on the units and the mechanics of WeGo Stalingrad keep that content coming I'll catch up eventually.
Thanks for all your work

[bcgames]

...I had an 18-month tour of duty as a draftee in the Bundeswehr some 20 years ago, got released as a corporal. But...this has nothing to do with operational skills. 30 years being an avid wargamer sure helps a lot more

Indeed. I like the way you describe "The Big Picture", translate that into a scheme of maneuver, and then dive into play. Nice!

[hazxan]

I have Desert War. Really liked the underlying game design. It had some neat design ideas. However, I found the User Interface rather eccentric and clumsy. Lags a bit (maybe due to Java?). Haven't played for ages, so can't remember exactly, but it was more a collection of minor irritations (oh, and the mega-stacking covering the map), that just mounted up and made the game not fun. Following the conventions we are used to (right click = move; double click = detailed info) from many other games makes a game so much easier to play and it baffles me why wargame devs often ignore all that and reinvent the wheel as a triangle.

From what I've seen, it looks like the UI has not changed from Desert War. And that is my main reason for not buying. If it was on Steam, I'd probably risk Stalingrad a go, thanks to the 2 hour refund policy.