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Armored Brigade

Started by BradS62, October 11, 2017, 03:37:37 PM

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Kushan

Only have time to post a quick impression, my family is actually eating on time today, and now I have to rush to get out the door.

Finally had a chance to play it last night on my Twitch stream. Played the Rear Guard scenario as the US. The interface was really smooth, and easy to use. Took me a few minutes to get how air support and artillery work, and with some help from the programmer, it works pretty well.

My biggest complaint was that there is currently no way top counter battery enemy artillery. I had a lot of time in between soviet attacks where I just had to endure their barrage with no way to counter. I feel like I lost most of my force to it rather then the T-80s attacking me.

Did see one instance of weird AI movement. I was tasked with defending two VP, and somehow a lone T-80 got through my entire force, zoomed strait through both zones to capture them, then after a short gun duel with a Bradley, moved on to take position on the south side of the southern VP...where it would later get destroyed by my M1s. Seems weird to me a lone T-80 would continue to attack. Other then that I like the AI. It felt to be playing the same game I was, without any crazy bonuses to prop it up.

There is also currently no EW, so no radio direction finding units.

Overall I like it. I don't think its currently on the level of game play systems as FCRS, but with some improvements both will have a place on my hard drive.
PanzersEast: Have to think to myself.... will I play the first one by the Winter Sale?  Probably not, then I should remove Dragonfall
PanzersEast: but that is thinking too logically.... and Steam Sales are about ignoring Logic

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Apocalypse 31

#166
I went against my better judgement of buying another Slitherine/Matrix game.

Again, really disappointed with Armored Brigade.

Understanding Terrain
It's extremely difficult to read the terrain in the 2d mode, unless I want to analyze every grid. There are no definition of heights on the 2d map and the isometric map is ugly and useless (I dont want to have to constantly switch back and forth while in the fight)

SOPs
Unit SOPs do not save for grouped units (only work for individual units, but then you suffer from long Command Delays). You have to constantly save SOPs and micromanage how units move and fight. Not fun, or even reasonable.

Pathfinding
Unit pathfinding is awful; as in, I wanted to rip my face off as I watched a tank platoon use 4 different routes (each vehicle found a different way there) and nearly 10 minutes to make a simple, 300m movement (fast movement, out of contact). It's not as bad on large open maps like NTC where units can move together, but that just limits where you can fight - on the only 4 maps available. Finland is a useless map - un-maneuverable for vehicles, and infantry units lose contact with HQ too easily and suffer extreme command delays.

Content
No tutorial missions, no campaign. Just a bunch of poorly defined scenarios, with super-detailed orders like "Seize the Objective" with literally no graphics anywhere (where is my objective?).

The battle generator is also crappy; AI units just defend wherever they feel like, totally abstract of the defined objectives. During on of my games, the entire enemy force was defending the bottom left side of the map even though the objective was on the opposite side of the map. Never mind the AI trying to put together a cohesive attack plan!

Command Delay
Command Deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelay for everything! Want your unit to drive 2 meters down the road? That'll be a 1 minute command delay! Unrealistic, and I would fire my LT or CPT in real life if it took him/her that long to get their unit moving while in combat.

Dynamic Re-tasking of Artillery and Aviation
Nope. God forbid the anticipated target is not where you thought it would be.

Grid System
The grid system is weird; I can't occupy a grid with more than 1 unit at a time. I can't pull two tanks up next to each other to blast away, nor can I have two rifle squads working closely together in densely wooded terrain. Weird game dynamic and I dont like it.


Things I liked:
-Graphics are cute
-Combat is good!
-It runs well on my tablet

Yskonyn

I am still quite happy with the game, but I concur about the pathfinding. Its weird and makes coordinating movement fiddly.
"Pilots do not get paid for what they do daily, but they get paid for what they are capable of doing.
However, if pilots would need to do daily what they are capable of doing, nobody would dare to fly anymore."

IronX

This is quickly becoming one of my favourite Slitherix games. While pathfinding is somewhat of an issue - perhaps the most direct route should be the default rather than the quickest - I've not experienced the frustration of other players with this and other aspects of the game. I'm looking forward to playing on more maps - I see that the community is already working on a couple - and also with new units.

Rayfer

Quote from: IronX on November 26, 2018, 11:53:47 AM
This is quickly becoming one of my favourite Slitherix games. While pathfinding is somewhat of an issue - perhaps the most direct route should be the default rather than the quickest - I've not experienced the frustration of other players with this and other aspects of the game. I'm looking forward to playing on more maps - I see that the community is already working on a couple - and also with new units.

+1

budd posted some helpful comments earlier about pathfinding and setting waypoints, and there are a number of YouTube videos with helpful gameplay tips. Regarding Apoc31's issues....I would ask; have you read the 65 page manual? Initially I struggled just as you did...and then I read the manual.  It details and addresses many of your concerns. On the surface this game is deceptive, it seems quite simple when in fact it is actually a deep, complex game with layers of decisions to be made before hitting the 'play' button.

Apocalypse 31

#170
Quote from: Rayfer on November 26, 2018, 12:10:37 PMRegarding Apoc31's issues....I would ask; have you read the 65 page manual?

Ill give it a browse, but I don't think it's going to solve any of the issues I listed, or give me a better understanding of poor pathfinding or the fact that units don't act like units when grouped together.

You know what would help even more (than a 65 page manual) is a TUTORIAL MISSION.

WHY would we have that? The game has only been in development for 7 years! ;D

Gusington



слава Україна!

We can't live under the threat of a c*nt because he's threatening nuclear Armageddon.

-JudgeDredd

IronX

No tutorial. It has a "game guide", although this is pretty much a bare-bones version of the manual.

After watching a few YT vids of gameplay, I tried the first scenario, which is very manageable and just jumped in and played around with the controls. It's pretty easy to pick up the basics. With every new game I played, I tried something new, like adding aircraft or off-board arty. Wasn't long before I had a pretty good grasp of how to play.

Gusington

I eagerly await some user made campaigns, then.


слава Україна!

We can't live under the threat of a c*nt because he's threatening nuclear Armageddon.

-JudgeDredd

Silent Disapproval Robot

I've got it.  I found it quite easy to pick up and play but I agree with Apocalypse31 that playing a game that relies on LOS using a top-down 2D map is a frustrating experience.  It's OK but TBH, to me it feels like a budget version of better games like Graviteam Tactics or even Wargame: AirLand Battle.

Jarhead0331

Does the Isometric view and LOS tool not help with the terrain issue?

Also, Apocalypse31, given your military background and valuable personal experience,  I find your opinions interesting, compared to those of COL Fred Schwarz, USA (ret), which are posted a few pages back in this thread.
Grogheads Uber Alles
Semper Grog
"No beast is more alpha than JH." Gusington, 10/23/18


-budd-

Quote from: Jarhead0331 on November 26, 2018, 03:24:40 PM
Does the Isometric view and LOS tool not help with the terrain issue?

Also, Apocalypse31, given your military background and valuable personal experience,  I find your opinions interesting, compared to those of COL Fred Schwarz, USA (ret), which are posted a few pages back in this thread.
Isometric view, height map, and Los tool all help, the contour lines are pretty useless, reading terrain at a glance, on the fly isn't easy. What helped me with the pathing is realizing only one unit to a cell is currently allowed so spacing is important. Seems like if a unit is in a cell in front, especially units that are moving at different speeds they will detour, also active wrecks, ones burning, units will detour. That and using the proper settings, I've had pretty good luck with pathing, yes they do still go wonky at times but not near as much. I think the dev mentioned they might change it to allow two units per cell, I'm just not sure if that will make the pathing better or worse.
Enjoy when you can, and endure when you must.  ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Be Yourself; Everyone Else is Taken ~Oscar Wilde

*I'm in the Wargamer middle ground*
I don't buy all the wargames I want, I just buy more than I need.

Apocalypse 31

Quote from: Jarhead0331 on November 26, 2018, 03:24:40 PM
Does the Isometric view and LOS tool not help with the terrain issue?

Also, Apocalypse31, given your military background and valuable personal experience,  I find your opinions interesting, compared to those of COL Fred Schwarz, USA (ret), which are posted a few pages back in this thread.

Isometric view looks really poorly done and it's not practical to constantly switch between modes. This is an RTS and not a TBS. I don't have time to analyze that while on the move.

Re: My life. I'm not going to continue to harp on all of the bad aspects of the game. I think I made my point a few posts up.

I will say this....the combat is GOOD. No, it's awesome. The engagements are fast and exactly what I would expect from (somewhat) modern weapons in a conventional fight. My unts spot something, engage it, and someone usually dies , and quickly.

This is a nice change from other games like Steel Panthers MBT and Flashpoint Campaigns, where opposing icons will generally engage each other for unusually long periods without battle damage...more reminiscant of a WW2 fight than one using modern weaponry.

So at least the game has that going for it.

Rayfer

A short but well written article on setting up and utilizing 'hunter-killer' teams in Armored Brigade. This game is deceptively deep and requires time and effort to play effectively.
http://kriegsimulation.blogspot.com/2018/12/armored-brigade-hunter-killer-operations.html

Jarhead0331

Grogheads Uber Alles
Semper Grog
"No beast is more alpha than JH." Gusington, 10/23/18