Desert War 1940-1942 Release date announced

[JasonPratt]

Now for good news: I'm reading Slick Wilhelm's tutorial for the game (a pdf provided with the game and accessible via the usual Matrix front-option screen), and I already love this system. 

Someone needs to write them a better description on its Matrix store page -- I stand by my humorous ribbing of it -- but this game is full of squee. Any grogs should seriously look into detailed reviews of it, at least. Already an early contender for Reader's Choice Wargame 2018.

[Grim.Reaper]

Already an early contender for Reader's Choice Wargame 2018.

Based on what?  Sounds like you still haven't actually played the game yet based on your AV issues and reading the documentation?

[JasonPratt]

Based on reading the documentation, which I'm still doing. Early contender in this case means I think it has real potential. It's a deep system, a little fiddly (as with any deep system), but with lots of tooltips for explaining information.

Whether I'll actually nominate it later (or agree with a nomination) remains to be seen -- it might be a buggy mess for all I know. I remain very impressed in principle so far. I'm sure I'll go into details later. It's about 9pm here and I want to poke around in the actual program a little before bed.

[Johnnie]

I agree with Jason so far.  I have only played thru Slick Wilhelm's tutorial, but I like the presentation very much so far. "Deep" is an accurate description of the system.  Lots of choices, and all seemingly on point.  Interface easy and comfortable.  More to follow after I play it awhile.

[JasonPratt]

I will qualify Johnnie's statement about the interface: it's easier if you learn at least some of the hotkeys and combine those with mouse moves and clicks.

[Crossroads]

Based on reading the documentation, which I'm still doing. Early contender in this case means I think it has real potential. It's a deep system, a little fiddly (as with any deep system), but with lots of tooltips for explaining information.

Whether I'll actually nominate it later (or agree with a nomination) remains to be seen -- it might be a buggy mess for all I know. I remain very impressed in principle so far. I'm sure I'll go into details later. It's about 9pm here and I want to poke around in the actual program a little before bed.

Thanks for that Jason, I played the free version at the time and rather liked it then, and the underlying concept indeed is an intriguing one. Do post here as how you like it once you have a good few hours under your belt. No H2H AARs though before you've got the the DC Fall Gelb AAR going on first  8)

[JasonPratt]

Ha, no promises there!

I'm looking forward to getting back into it today, although I'm not sure how much time I'll have (if I'm off this afternoon to watch one or two movies with the Bro. Or get him into a game this week perhaps while the wife and kids are gone!)

I did want to report that I actually dreamed about this game last night, which amused me greatly -- and seems a good sign about how much I like it! Apparently part of my head was comparing it on one hand with the Decisive Campaigns engine, and on the other hand with a game that doesn't exist yet but which my brain REALLY REALLY REALLY WANTS TO EXIST! Namely a turn-based game where we can zoom in on the positioning of the units like in SD44 (except even better). My guess is that I was wishing for someone to adapt Panzer General to PG's own fantasy descendant the Fantasy Wars / Elven Legacy engine.

[JasonPratt]

Incidentally, I should clarify that anything from the Campaign Series team released this year automatically gets a wargame of the year nomination from me. ;)

[JasonPratt]

So since my brain didn't have anything real for a third comparison last night in my dreaming, this arrives this morning: http://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=21965.msg0#new

...AM I LEGITIMATELY A PROPHET Y'ALL!!?  :D :D


(Although I suppose technically a Tunisia adaptation was released earlier. Still, a good reminder of the system's existence.)

[Crossroads]

Dreaming about games is definitively A Good Thing   :bd:

Thanks for your kind words, we're definitively working very hard towards a fun and historically accurate Vietnam game.

[JasonPratt]

Shot and recorded material for an AAR yesterday but didn't get it edited together in time. May be able to have it edited and uploaded by tonight. First ep is coming soon tho. (No multiplayer yet, maybe later.)

[JudgeDredd]

I am shocked at the luke-warm reception this game is getting with respect to its subject matter.  From AH's Afrika Korps on, the North African Campaigns have been among the most popular of consumer wargaming subjects.  The subject retains its appeal for me: WWII, mobile warfare, Germans v. Brits;  tanks, tanks and more tanks.  I guess tastes have changed.

I'm starting to think that grogheads is filled with former wargamers as opposed to active, enthusiast wargamers. Back in the day, we all would have gone apeshit for a title like Desert War. Now, we seem to find the tiniest detail warranting a pass. $40 for a wargame is too expensive? Really? Since when? I remember paying $50 for Operation Crusader back in 1994(?) and I thought it was a bargain.

I don't mean to call individuals out, and I am very much a "to each his own" kind of guy. But, geez, fellas. We're supposed to be supporting wargaming developers, are we not?

I probably wargame more in a month than you do in a year. And I spend plenty in support of devs. Sorry if an honest appraisal of a game doesn't sit well with you.

Mirth, have you played Desert War 1940-1942? I have, and I think it's a worthy title for anyone interested in the Western Desert theater of operations. If you're not interested, that's fine. But my beef is with people who wave off a game like this for something as trivial as how the counters look. The actual game play is very good! Sorry for sounding like an evangelist for Brian Kelly, but he is a really dedicated developer, and a nice guy. I wish him huge financial success with this game.

lol - I'm going to take a stab in the dark and say this was directed at me then 

For your information, I would absolutely class myself as a "former wargamer". I still play them - but they probably get maybe at most 10% of my gaming time.

As for "waving off a game like for something as trivial as how the counters look"...sorry pal. That's me. I like nice looking games and that goes for my wargames too.

[JasonPratt]

Edited introductory overview together tonight, but don't have time to upload/compile it. I'll set it to go before work tomorrow, should be available by mid-morning, lunch at the latest.

[JasonPratt]

It lives at a new thread for the purpose here! http://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=21988.msg603236#msg603236

For convenience, though, I'll double-post the video here:

[Rayfer]

Great Video JP...look forward to the next one!