Real Time Strategy Games

[Rockape]

Can you help....?

In the day's of my Lost Youth I belonged to a War-gamming club we used to have "Tournies" playing the old turn based dice games, one of my favoutites was a set by a company known as Avalon Hill (I think) called SQUAD LEADER.

Does anyone know if there is an equivalent in the computer games world, preferably RTS in nature?

Thx in advance......

[Honor]

Well, this little company called atomic games was going to make a computer version of ASL, but they decided to go real time and ended up making Close Combat (and four sequals). I've played the first 3, they are pretty good. One of the strengths of the CC games is the morale system. Green units can be easily pushed back with some decent firepower, whilst veteran units can take a lot of heat. From what Ive read and played, the problem seems to be that the games are consistant. One game will have pretty good tank AI and the next sequal will have piss poor tank AI. Another issue is that these games have been around a while and you may have a time finding opponents.

The good news is that some intrepid people have modded the games (CC3 especially) so some of the problems are less noticable.

some demos and other stuff available at http://www.atomic.com/

Also, another company tried to do an electronic ASL game, and ended up making Combat Mission, which uses a you plan, I plan, then we go system ala TacOps. CM is very popular, but people do have issues with it, such as having tanks not choosing the most lethal target. There is a sequal for combat mission that covers the Russian front (the original only covered t western front) The demos for both CMs are available for download at http://www.battlefront.com/ .

Lastly there is Steel Panthers. This is the most traditional of the 3 I can think of. The best part is that it is free, and it covers pretty much every aspect of land combat in WWII, from the sands of Northern Africa to the jungles of Malasia. And this free version has been polished by some very knowledgable folks. get it at
http://www.matrixgames.com/games/WorldAtWar/features.asp

[Moggy]

those wargaming days before computers were the good ole days Rock.

I go back a bit earlier than squad leader...back to Panzer Blitz. Ever play
the squad leader card game...Up Front? Best face to face game i have ever
played. Out of print now of course.

RTS gives me a headache. Too much going on. Wego is much better.
Just a thought.

Playing Decisive Action at the moment. Fun game.
:)

[Ssnake]

The original team to develop Advanced Squad Leader 2 were the Combat Mission (http://www.battlefront.com) guys (BigTime software). After Avalon Hill refused to accept a non-hex based 3D environment, they decided to do it on their own, but I consider Combat Mission as the true heir to the Squad Leader board game.

[Rockape]

Honor..
ASL another fine TTG, funny I never knew CC was the electronic version. I looked at CC some while ago (demo) but it never made an impression, armed with knew insight I shall have to give it another go, Ahh Steel Panthers now there's one I could never find alway's fancied that one, problem now is that download Soooo Biiiiig :o .

Moggy..
Wahay! Panzer Blitz... of course first TTG I ever played the one that got me hooked if I remember there was a series of PBz wasn't there, don't recall Up Front though.

Ssnake...
Thx for the heads up about CM never knew that about the Dev Team, there's a copy of it on the shelf at the local GAMES FORUM in town, I know where I'm heading this weekend.

Hey anyone play a game called FIRE FIGHT by Bruce Rea-Taylor (Tabletop Games) many a bored weekend spent in the NAAFI on camp with a crate of Pils playing that one, don't know if we ever finished a scenario of that one, to drunk at the end to remember :P

Thx for the info guy's.

[Werewolf]

those wargaming days before computers were the good ole days Rock.

I go back a bit earlier than squad leader...back to Panzer Blitz. Ever play
the squad leader card game...Up Front? Best face to face game i have ever
played. Out of print now of course.

RTS gives me a headache. Too much going on. Wego is much better.
Just a thought.

Playing Decisive Action at the moment. Fun game.
:)

Damn! I thought I was the only old guy in this crowd. I played all of those too. Got my start though with Risk in about 1962 and have never given up the hobby in all these years (and I'm not much better at it at 50 than I was at 10 :D).

So how do you like Decisive Action - different huh? A thinking mans wargame (if it can be called that). Have you given any thought to creating custom OOB's and unit counters for other nations? There's a good group devoted to DA on yahoo that you might consider joining.

[Moggy]

wolf.

yes, Panzer Blitz, Panzer Leader, Tobruk. In high school we used
to play Richtofens war. remember that one. We would join a
squadron and get a crummy plane, like an old paltz...then if you
could survive a few mission the CO would give you a better plane.

I can still remember the pain of being shot down flying a D7 with
12 victories and then having to rejoin the squadron when a spot
opened up with another damn paltz.

I like Decisive Action. Just posted a scenario over there on the
yahoo site. No body is writing scenarios for that game. I think
I came up with a good one. I certainly had fun creating it and
play testing it.

US forces land at Dubrovnik in Bosnia. Then have to push north
to liberate Sarajevo from Serb forces. 3rd Mech Div + 101 Airborne
Air Assault Brigade.

Good fun. Learning a lot about OOBs!

cheers m8.
Mog.

[GsMcAmis]

I have often wondered why someone doesnt come out with a super realistic real-time strategy game for modern warfare... no candy assed graphics.. no "Target the ten year old" just as realistic as humanly possible real-time strategy.

Would be wonderful.

[Ssnake]

There's BCT and TacOps. What more do you want?