GrogHeads Forum

http://www.matrixgames.com/news/2841/Take.WWII.into.your.hands.and.create.your.best.WarPlan!

This looks very promising -- like a nice bridge to the gap between Gary Grigsby and Strategic Command games.  Beta signups are open!

Looks promising indeed. Thanks for sharing.

I'm definitely interested.  Looks like the map only covers the European theatre?  No Pacific/Asia campaign then.

The dev commented in the form when asked about that and replied they wanted to shake out the concept  before going the whole world war route.

Sweet.  O0

Alright!  Another WW2 wargame! 

::)

Hopefully they can distinguish themselves, it looks super bland.

Quote from: Hofstadter on May 12, 2019, 07:52:47 AM
Hopefully they can distinguish themselves, it looks super bland.

This is a hilarious comment to me because I can't tell any of these games apart! :D

They all look awful, it's probably the main reason I haven't seriously dived into any of them.  Ironically enough I was thinking this might be the game I buy to take the plunge.

Quote from: Huw the Poo on May 12, 2019, 08:11:33 AM

Quote from: Hofstadter on May 12, 2019, 07:52:47 AM
Hopefully they can distinguish themselves, it looks super bland.

This is a hilarious comment to me because I can't tell any of these games apart! :D

They all look awful, it's probably the main reason I haven't seriously dived into any of them.  Ironically enough I was thinking this might be the game I buy to take the plunge.

It will look better when IronX does a counter and map mod for it, something like this http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=4584600  :)

^Wow. Those are beautiful!

release on october 24th....not sure if buying, but by then I should have my matrix coupon in hand:)

After reading some of the Matrix forum I am less than optimistic about this game. I am ready to be wrong. I really want something deeper than Strategic Command.

I got into the beta and never really sunk my teeth into this one.  Something about it didn't grab me.  It felt a bit deeper than the SC series in terms of HOI-style alt history research and production, but not a whole lot else -- not that 30-40 minutes of dicking around in the menu can really tell you that...

Matrix WarPlan looks like an interesting game.  After reading this thread I watched a few u-tube videos of the Beta version of the game.  As I looked at the map and counters it reminded me of the Avalon Hill board game Rise and Decline of the Third Reich.  I eventually found and read the developer diaries for the game.  On the very first post of Dev. Diary #1 was a big screenshot of the old Avalon Hill game box for Rise and Decline.  The developer goes on to explain how he played the Avalon Hill board game as a kid.  It seems some of the inspiration for WarPlan came from the board game.  As a kid I also spent many hours playing the board game with the game map sections, counters, manual and a notebook spread out on the dining room table.  It was a fun board game.  Now with a computer handling the record keeping, number crunching etc. (instead of my notebook) it should, in theory, be even more fun.  :)     

Granted, my judgment is biased and clouded with nostalgia for a favorite old board game but still ..........  I'll follow this one with interest.           

This will probably be released on Steam, right?  I've decided I need this game.

No steam release initially and no confirmation it ever will be.

Quote from: Huw the Poo on October 09, 2019, 02:01:43 PM
This will probably be released on Steam, right?  I've decided I need this game.

I hope it goes to STEAM.  This question was asked on the Matrix forum and Matrix staff gave the below answer:

The game will first be released only in our store. As usual, we are not certain when/if a Steam release will follow, but just as with our other games, if we release it on Steam, your Matrix purchase will enable you to unlock the game on Steam as well.

Thanks chaps.

Manual released....

https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=4702452

In-game play.

I didn't have time to watch an hour long video, but I'm wondering about the naval piece of the game. Is it covered in the video? I hope it isn't like the Strategic Command series. Can you build fleets with carriers, destroyers, cruisers, etc. all in one hex?

From what I've read so far, naval units are groups of ships not singles. So you build carrier groups, patrol groups, battle groups, wolfpacks... that kind of thing as a unit. Each represents number of different ships based on it's type.

Quote from: Rayfer on October 18, 2019, 07:13:07 AM
Can you build fleets with carriers, destroyers, cruisers, etc. all in one hex?

Yes. In the video, naval units can stack in the same hex. A single naval unit represents a group (from the manual):

Carrier Group = 2–3 aircraft carriers with 150–200 combat aircraft
Battle group: 2 battleships/battle cruisers + support ships
Cruiser group: 4–6 heavy cruisers + escorts
Patrol group: 4–6 light cruisers + escorts or a destroyer patrol
Sub group: 10–15 active submarines out at any one time
Escorts: 8–10 frigates, escorts, and corvettes for trade routes
Merchant Marine: approximately 200,000 tons of active convoys

Naval groups can be used singly, or combined into larger groups or a single fleet.

Also, unlike Strategic Command, you can stack land and air units in the same hex.

Quote from: Ian C on October 18, 2019, 09:15:21 AM

Quote from: Rayfer on October 18, 2019, 07:13:07 AM
Can you build fleets with carriers, destroyers, cruisers, etc. all in one hex?

Yes. In the video, naval units can stack in the same hex. A single naval unit represents a group (from the manual):

Carrier Group = 2–3 aircraft carriers with 150–200 combat aircraft
Battle group: 2 battleships/battle cruisers + support ships
Cruiser group: 4–6 heavy cruisers + escorts
Patrol group: 4–6 light cruisers + escorts or a destroyer patrol
Sub group: 10–15 active submarines out at any one time
Escorts: 8–10 frigates, escorts, and corvettes for trade routes
Merchant Marine: approximately 200,000 tons of active convoys

Naval groups can be used singly, or combined into larger groups or a single fleet.

Also, unlike Strategic Command, you can stack land and air units in the same hex.

Excellent. This is looking better and better. Thanks for clarifying.  My limited attention span precludes hour long gaming videos.  :-[

Quote from: Rayfer on October 18, 2019, 10:44:56 AM

Excellent. This is looking better and better. Thanks for clarifying.  My limited attention span precludes hour long gaming videos.  :-[

I have too much free time...  :D the place in the video is at 41:30 to 42:20.

Quote from: Ian C on October 18, 2019, 11:01:00 AM

Quote from: Rayfer on October 18, 2019, 10:44:56 AM

Excellent. This is looking better and better. Thanks for clarifying.  My limited attention span precludes hour long gaming videos.  :-[

I have too much free time...  :D the place in the video is at 41:30 to 42:20.

Watched the naval part and I am even more impressed. Begs the question; why didn't they do something like this with the newer hex based Strategic Command games? The naval stacking in WarPlan looks great.

From the manual it suggest the best play experience will be playing as Germany vs. the AI, or player vs. player.

QuoteThe computer A.I. was designed with a single notion, to not do anything stupid as best it can. It will not follow history but instead follow what makes logical sense for the countries to do. Germany will take key countries earlier in the war to gain operational advantage in France. Italy will not invade Greece on its own.
The Axis might not even invade Greece at all if they don't have time. There are limitations on how well a computer opponent can play in a game of this complexity. A computer opponent can't beat a fair human player in this type of game without help. No A.I. in a game of this scale can when the field is balanced, not yet at least. The intricacies of strategy are too complex for a single home computer to handle in a reasonable amount of time.
The Allied A.I. is designed to play with absolute historical forces. This means that the Russians will have the massive amounts of men they actually had in the war to compensate for their tactical blunders. The Western Allies will have a vast air force and naval superiority. This game will be best when played vs another person or as the Axis vs the Allied computer. If players want a better challenge, they can adjust the level of experience and supply the A.I. receives to make for a tougher game.

Hmmm.  I assume it'll be PBEM then?

There is already talk of adding the Pacific to Warplan.

https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=4704158&mpage=1&#4704158

Quote from: Huw the Poo on October 20, 2019, 07:45:49 AM
Hmmm.  I assume it'll be PBEM then?

Yes it has multiplayer.  Page 109 of the user manual states PBEM uses Matrix's Multiplayer server system.  A developer (I think) also mentioned that the game had multiplayer on the Matrix forum.   

Splendid, thank you.

Looks real good

Great news and hoping this game gets it right.  We need a better alternative other than the wretched HOI series from Paradox.

WarPlan = day one purchase for me (based on my research findings so far)

Release today 10:00 EST (15:00 UK).

We need tradition guessing the price, I'll go with 39.99

Quote from: Grim.Reaper on October 24, 2019, 06:21:19 AM
We need tradition guessing the price, I'll go with 39.99

33.99. Same as Strategic Command WWII: World at War.

.

Review over at the Wargamer. Just saying.  ::)

Quote from: Ian C on October 24, 2019, 06:34:01 AM

Quote from: Grim.Reaper on October 24, 2019, 06:21:19 AM
We need tradition guessing the price, I'll go with 39.99

33.99. Same as Strategic Command WWII: World at War.

Looks like actually 39.99:)

Quote from: Grim.Reaper on October 24, 2019, 10:07:59 AM

Quote from: Ian C on October 24, 2019, 06:34:01 AM

Quote from: Grim.Reaper on October 24, 2019, 06:21:19 AM
We need tradition guessing the price, I'll go with 39.99

33.99. Same as Strategic Command WWII: World at War.

Looks like actually 39.99:)

And it is € 38.99 or $39.99 (https://www.matrixgames.com/game/warplan)

I wonder why no first-week purchase discount like they did with the recently released CC: Bloody First...?

Quote from: Rayfer on October 24, 2019, 11:12:02 AM
I wonder why no first-week purchase discount like they did with the recently released CC: Bloody First...?

Maybe this one has been released without so many bugs ;)

^^ Lol'd!

Quote from: Pete Dero on October 24, 2019, 11:08:16 AM

Quote from: Grim.Reaper on October 24, 2019, 10:07:59 AM

Quote from: Ian C on October 24, 2019, 06:34:01 AM

Quote from: Grim.Reaper on October 24, 2019, 06:21:19 AM
We need tradition guessing the price, I'll go with 39.99

33.99. Same as Strategic Command WWII: World at War.

Looks like actually 39.99:)

And it is € 38.99 or $39.99 (https://www.matrixgames.com/game/warplan)

It is 33.99. I'm a Brit.   ;)

(https://i.postimg.cc/cJTFrNNG/Screenshot-2019-10-24-Matrix-Games.png)


I'm enjoying it so far.

$55.99 CAD.....  :(

The Dubloonie sucks. The game needs to be pretty special at that price.

Quote from: IronX on October 24, 2019, 02:30:00 PM
The Dubloonie sucks. The game needs to be pretty special at that price.

Yeah... and I'm not convinced of that yet....

Quote from: IronX on October 24, 2019, 02:30:00 PM
The Dubloonie sucks. The game needs to be pretty special at that price.

So how many things do you see in the screen shots you change😉

I'll probably pick it up this weekend. I really enjoy the SC games and this looks just like you have to consider I bit more.

It's very enjoyable.
I'm very engrossed in my first game as Germany with the 1939 start. I'll gladly answer any questions.

I generally like Hubert's SC series but IMHO the naval mechanics are unrealistic.  Far too easy for enemy ships to move in, attack, and move away with no interception or meaningful response from friendly ships in the immediate area.  So I'm curious how naval combat works in WarPlan.  Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Edit - I do see some naval discussion page 2 here so I'll also check that out more closely.

Quote from: Geezer on October 25, 2019, 08:09:39 AM
I generally like Hubert's SC series but IMHO the naval mechanics are unrealistic.  Far too easy for enemy ships to move in, attack, and move away with no interception or meaningful response from friendly ships in the immediate area.  So I'm curious how naval combat works in WarPlan.  Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Edit - I do see some naval discussion page 2 here so I'll also check that out more closely.

I know the SC series very well and have played most of them. Naval combat isn't the same.

In Warplan you can stack naval groups in the same hex and can sortie them to an unknown enemy naval presence in a hex but they don't automatically find them or start combat until a successful search is accomplished - which is not all the time. It is more or less difficult to find the enemy and start combat depending on the size of your group and the enemy group and the mode to which the enemy naval groups are set (Fleet or Raider mode). There's something called a naval 'Night Move' (read the manual!).

In play, I've sent out groups to where the enemy was and couldn't find them. Also my U-Boats while raiding came into contact with UK fleets that couldn't find them at times.

Also worth noting is that Oil plays a big role as well as resupply. Large fleets will cost a lot of oil usage. Also, you can resupply naval units at sea with Fleet Oilers (abstract units which you buy and expend).

I'm also impressed with the way they have abstracted Logistics points which restrict the maximum size of land sea and air forces you can build and it maintains historical realism. No more doom stacks of units steamrolling across Russia or Africa. Supply is well-done and it's impossible to ship massed armoured forces to North Africa without severe bottlenecks squeezing you dry of oil.

I like the game a lot and it does have that 'one more turn' thing about it.

Manual is here and it's really worth a look before buying as it covers all features: https://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/PDF/WarPlan/Warplan%20manual%20printer-friendly.pdf

Thanks much Ian.  Will have to RTFM.   ;)

Short take on my game experience so far.  Spent about 20 minutes last night as the allies in a new 1939 campaign.  My initial impression is positive. 

I will comment more when I get some more experience under my belt.

Looks like I might have found something for my anniversary coupon:)

I'm enjoying it so far.  Now to deal with the Soviet Union.  What could go wrong?  Just need to kick the door in.............  ;D

(https://i.imgur.com/PGF6Jq9h.png)

Don't forget your coat!   >:D

I would be interested in hearing if the game does a good job with Soviet troop strength.  My feeling was Hubert's SC underestimated Soviet manpower levels leading to the Axis easily knocking them out of the war early.

Quote from: MOS:96B2P on October 26, 2019, 04:44:18 PM
I'm enjoying it so far.  Now to deal with the Soviet Union.  What could go wrong?  Just need to kick the door in.............  ;D

(https://i.imgur.com/PGF6Jq9h.png)

That's one of the reasons I'm enjoying this so much. The map size is a feast of game. The AI turn length is also quite fast compared to other games too.

Quote from: Geezer on October 26, 2019, 05:55:57 PM
I would be interested in hearing if the game does a good job with Soviet troop strength.

From the manual, it appears it does but I've yet to get to that point in the game to see it working for myself.

I must say, this game is the closest I've ever come to experiencing that tabletop feel. I played Avalon Hill's Third Reich and SPI's ETO back in the day and this has the same classic feel.

I also really recommend reading the manual as there are many features not immediately obvious if you play the game without having read it first, such as beachead supply, night moves, HQ's ability to call tactical air strikes, garrison mode, splitting off divisions from a Corps, defend/hold mode etc.

Thanks Ian.  I have downloaded the manual and will look it over.  Please keep your impressions coming.   :clap:

Is there a setting for Fog of War? So far what I've seen from screenshots is that all units are visible at all times. Correct?

Quote from: rocketman on October 27, 2019, 10:11:29 AM
Is there a setting for Fog of War? So far what I've seen from screenshots is that all units are visible at all times. Correct?

They are present on map but unidentifiable if the recon levels are low in their hex and are displayed as 'unknown units'. Same for air units. Enemy units are identifiable only if recon levels in their hex is high.  Enemy naval units are never displayed unless detected.

On the production screen, the 'reinf/upgrade' section with the upright soldier figure with the 100 number, which is adjustable up or down....I'm not clear on what raising or lowering that number actually does? Thanks... ???

Quote from: Rayfer on October 27, 2019, 11:50:24 AM
On the production screen, the 'reinf/upgrade' section with the upright soldier figure with the 100 number, which is adjustable up or down....I'm not clear on what raising or lowering that number actually does? Thanks... ???

I believe it sets the limit on what to spend on reinf/upgrade per turn.

Quote from: Rayfer on October 27, 2019, 11:50:24 AM
On the production screen, the 'reinf/upgrade' section with the upright soldier figure with the 100 number, which is adjustable up or down....I'm not clear on what raising or lowering that number actually does? Thanks... ???

Budd is correct.

If you set it to zero, no production points are spent on upgrades and reinforcements. You can also set it to the max, in which case all production stops and you get to concentrate on massively reinforcing your units.

Quote from: Ian C on October 27, 2019, 05:12:04 PM

Quote from: Rayfer on October 27, 2019, 11:50:24 AM
On the production screen, the 'reinf/upgrade' section with the upright soldier figure with the 100 number, which is adjustable up or down....I'm not clear on what raising or lowering that number actually does? Thanks... ???

Budd is correct.

If you set it to zero, no production points are spent on upgrades and reinforcements. You can also set it to the max, in which case all production stops and you get to concentrate on massively reinforcing your units.

I can confirm that as well.  In my 1939 campaign as the allies Britain's production stockpile grew at a snails pace because most of their production points went into building up all of their little undermanned units to full strength.  Once that happened the monthly stockpile grew at a much faster pace.  I had reinforcements set to 100 the whole time.

Quote from: W8taminute on October 27, 2019, 07:07:38 PM

Quote from: Ian C on October 27, 2019, 05:12:04 PM

Quote from: Rayfer on October 27, 2019, 11:50:24 AM
On the production screen, the 'reinf/upgrade' section with the upright soldier figure with the 100 number, which is adjustable up or down....I'm not clear on what raising or lowering that number actually does? Thanks... ???

Budd is correct.

If you set it to zero, no production points are spent on upgrades and reinforcements. You can also set it to the max, in which case all production stops and you get to concentrate on massively reinforcing your units.

I can confirm that as well.  In my 1939 campaign as the allies Britain's production stockpile grew at a snails pace because most of their production points went into building up all of their little undermanned units to full strength.  Once that happened the monthly stockpile grew at a much faster pace.  I had reinforcements set to 100 the whole time.

Thanks all....this makes it clear.

I think the supply truck is one of the most valuable units in this game. ;D   Some thought must be given to supplies / logistics.  And bad weather has a very noticeable effect on operations (as it should).  It also seems the Soviets are destroying the logistical network as my panzers advance.  Because of this scorched earth policy I've had to airdrop supplies to my lead panzer corps a few times.  And winter is coming ............  Interesting game.     

Quote from: MOS:96B2P on October 28, 2019, 10:12:53 PM
I think the supply truck is one of the most valuable units in this game. ;D   Some thought must be given to supplies / logistics.  And bad weather has a very noticeable effect on operations (as it should).  It also seems the Soviets are destroying the logistical network as my panzers advance.  Because of this scorched earth policy I've had to airdrop supplies to my lead panzer corps a few times.  And winter is coming ............  Interesting game.   

I completely agree. Since all units are supplied equally with the option to prioritize specific units if desired, I thought - why bother with supply trucks? In fact, as you point out, they are the most valuable units in the game.
Clicking on a unit's supply truck icon expends 1+ trucks from your pool (which you have to build) and as you expend them they increase your supply and increase effectiveness of the unit.

It's easy to overlook because other games don't model supply this deep, but if you extend your units too far you are in serious trouble -even if you think that because units are adjacent to friendly units they are ok for supply - they are not. It takes time to build supply chains in controlled hexes. Using the 'S' key to see supply coverage on map is vital.
I recent began Barbarossa and ran into difficulty as I got deeper into Russia and the October weather set in. Partisan activity, unavailability of air strikes due to heavy rains and long supply chains in new controlled territory have begun to slow me down. 

The key to supply is:

- ALWAYS use the 'S' key to see if you are over-extended and check supply each turn.
- Have an HQ unit within 6 hexes of surrounding units. (Also if you click on a supply truck on an HQ it will automatically supply any units within 1 hex of it and use the appropriate amount of trucks).
- Expend supply trucks for key units. They will increase unit's effectiveness (even over 100%).
- Prioritize specific front-line and rear-area units for supply / reinforcement with the green cross button
- Air lift supply for emergencies. This saved my ass in Russia when one of my Panzer Corps went too deep before I got to grips with how supply works.
- Oilers can supply naval units at sea without the need for them to return to port.

Supply Trucks, Air Transports and Oilers are found under the Build tab / Support.

Blizzards, over-extended supply chains and heavy rain has literally stopped my Barbarossa offensive in its tracks. I'm impressed. Not sure I've seen this in any other comparable strategic game.


(https://i.postimg.cc/Sx42fPQ5/Screenshot-55.jpg)

Quote from: Ian C on October 29, 2019, 06:06:38 AM

Quote from: MOS:96B2P on October 28, 2019, 10:12:53 PM
I think the supply truck is one of the most valuable units in this game. ;D   Some thought must be given to supplies / logistics.  And bad weather has a very noticeable effect on operations (as it should).  It also seems the Soviets are destroying the logistical network as my panzers advance.  Because of this scorched earth policy I've had to airdrop supplies to my lead panzer corps a few times.  And winter is coming ............  Interesting game.   

I completely agree. Since all units are supplied equally with the option to prioritize specific units if desired, I thought - why bother with supply trucks? In fact, as you point out, they are the most valuable units in the game.
Clicking on a unit's supply truck icon expends 1+ trucks from your pool (which you have to build) and as you expend them they increase your supply and increase effectiveness of the unit.

It's easy to overlook because other games don't model supply this deep, but if you extend your units too far you are in serious trouble -even if you think that because units are adjacent to friendly units they are ok for supply - they are not. It takes time to build supply chains in controlled hexes. Using the 'S' key to see supply coverage on map is vital.
I recent began Barbarossa and ran into difficulty as I got deeper into Russia and the October weather set in. Partisan activity, unavailability of air strikes due to heavy rains and long supply chains in new controlled territory have begun to slow me down. 

The key to supply is:

- ALWAYS use the 'S' key to see if you are over-extended and check supply each turn.
- Have an HQ unit within 6 hexes of surrounding units. (Also if you click on a supply truck on an HQ it will automatically supply any units within 1 hex of it and use the appropriate amount of trucks).
- Expend supply trucks for key units. They will increase unit's effectiveness (even over 100%).
- Prioritize specific front-line and rear-area units for supply / reinforcement with the green cross button
- Air lift supply for emergencies. This saved my ass in Russia when one of my Panzer Corps went too deep before I got to grips with how supply works.
- Oilers can supply naval units at sea without the need for them to return to port.

Supply Trucks, Air Transports and Oilers are found under the Build tab / Support.

I learned the supply truck lesson the hard way in Poland and France.  It probably would have been fatal not to understand supply trucks prior to entering the Soviet Union.  My Soviet Union operation may fail anyways ......... I'm not going to reach the Baku oil fields before winter.  I think the biggest lesson/surprise of my Soviet invasion so far has been the scorched earth policy.  Poland and France did not have scorched earth policies so I did not appreciate the extra logistic problems this would cause.  To complicate matters a few Soviet units broke out of an encirclement and once again tore up my Main Supply Route (MSR) on their way back to Soviet controlled territory.  I've been able to keep the partisans under control so far ........but again winter is coming.  After the rain turns to snow I'll probably dig in a defensive line behind some rivers and repair/reinforce in preparation for a Spring offensive. 

I haven't paid much attention to the naval part of the game yet.  However people seem to approve of how the game handles naval matters.  This is very good considering Alvaro has begun work on a pacific theater of operations.       

Quote from: MOS:96B2P on October 29, 2019, 07:55:42 AM
I learned the supply truck lesson the hard way in Poland and France.  It probably would have been fatal not to understand supply trucks prior to entering the Soviet Union.  My Soviet Union operation may fail anyways ......... I'm not going to reach the Baku oil fields before winter.  I think the biggest lesson/surprise of my Soviet invasion so far has been the scorched earth policy.  Poland and France did not have scorched earth policies so I did not appreciate the extra logistic problems this would cause.  To complicate matters a few Soviet units broke out of an encirclement and once again tore up my Main Supply Route (MSR) on their way back to Soviet controlled territory.  I've been able to keep the partisans under control so far ........but again winter is coming.  After the rain turns to snow I'll probably dig in a defensive line behind some rivers and repair/reinforce in preparation for a Spring offensive. 

I haven't paid much attention to the naval part of the game yet.  However people seem to approve of how the game handles naval matters.  This is very good considering Alvaro has begun work on a pacific theater of operations.       

I think this game is in line to become the best ETO strategic game out there. I'm finding it challenging, thought-provoking and thrilling. Weather and supply is handled really well and with great strategic impact. Very impressed with the realism at the strategic level and the planning you have to put into thinking ahead for your builds and taking weather and supply into account for your operations.

I'm in the month of May and it is 1941 in my allies 1939 campaign.  This game is really fun and does have that 'just one more turn' feel to it. 

WW2 is not progressing historically however and this is a good thing.  Here's what has happened so far:

1. Germany did not wait until April 1940 before invading Denmark and Norway.  Instead immediately after the fall of Poland and before winter 1939-1940 set in they invaded both countries and easily took them.  Britain and France (me) could not spare any land units to send to aid Scandinavia because we barely had enough forces to defend France.

2. Germany declared war on the Netherlands in early 1940 and conquered them uncontested by me.

3. Germany declared war on Belgium and Luxembourg in early May 1940.  The battle of France also begins.  France falls in August of 1940 creating Vichy France, Syria, and North Africa.  One funny note: Italy declared war on the allies when Paris fell.  The next turn I was able to recapture Paris.  Not enough of France was occupied by Germany so France did not immediately surrender after the initial fall of Paris.  As France I was able to capture Turin and one resource hex next to the city.  For some reason Italy offered negotiations to surrender which I gladly accepted.  But then Italy became part of Germany and ceased to exist. 

4. Germany declares war on Vichy France in September of 1940.  Vichy North Africa and Syria join the allies.  France is completely occupied by early October 1940. 

5. Germany declares war on Spain in spring of 1941!!  Since Italy was knocked out of the war there never was a campaign in North Africa.  England and Canada send forces to aid Spain with bulk of the troops coming from Egypt.  It is June 1941 and operation Barbarossa has not started.  Germany and Russia are still at peace.  Finland, Rumania, and Hungary have joined the Axis but are not at war with anyone.  Yugoslavia is not pro Ally but not in the Axis camp either. 

That's what has happened so far.  Not exactly historical but really fun non the less.  I'm glad the game can be random like this and not follow scripted history.  The general flow of historical events in my game are plausible and believable.   O0

Quote from: W8taminute on October 29, 2019, 08:32:54 AM
I'm in the month of May and it is 1941 in my allies 1939 campaign.  This game is really fun and does have that 'just one more turn' feel to it. 

WW2 is not progressing historically however and this is a good thing.  Here's what has happened so far:

1. Germany did not wait until April 1940 before invading Denmark and Norway.  Instead immediately after the fall of Poland and before winter 1939-1940 set in they invaded both countries and easily took them.  Britain and France (me) could not spare any land units to send to aid Scandinavia because we barely had enough forces to defend France.

2. Germany declared war on the Netherlands in early 1940 and conquered them uncontested by me.

3. Germany declared war on Belgium and Luxembourg in early May 1940.  The battle of France also begins.  France falls in August of 1940 creating Vichy France, Syria, and North Africa.  One funny note: Italy declared war on the allies when Paris fell.  The next turn I was able to recapture Paris.  Not enough of France was occupied by Germany so France did not immediately surrender after the initial fall of Paris.  As France I was able to capture Turin and one resource hex next to the city.  For some reason Italy offered negotiations to surrender which I gladly accepted.  But then Italy became part of Germany and ceased to exist. 

4. Germany declares war on Vichy France in September of 1940.  Vichy North Africa and Syria join the allies.  France is completely occupied by early October 1940. 

5. Germany declares war on Spain in spring of 1941!!  Since Italy was knocked out of the war there never was a campaign in North Africa.  England and Canada send forces to aid Spain with bulk of the troops coming from Egypt.  It is June 1941 and operation Barbarossa has not started.  Germany and Russia are still at peace.  Finland, Rumania, and Hungary have joined the Axis but are not at war with anyone.  Yugoslavia is not pro Ally but not in the Axis camp either. 

That's what has happened so far.  Not exactly historical but really fun non the less.  I'm glad the game can be random like this and not follow scripted history.  The general flow of historical events in my game are plausible and believable.   O0

Interesting stuff.  I didn't know the AI would be able to make so many non-historical decisions.  It seems like it is reacting to what the player does (or does not do) instead of following a strict historical based script.  As long as the actions are plausible/believable I think this is a good thing and adds re-playability to the game.   
 

Italy surrendering like that sounds like a bug.  You might want to report it in the Matrix forums.

Quote from: Geezer on October 29, 2019, 10:15:02 AM
Italy surrendering like that sounds like a bug.  You might want to report it in the Matrix forums.

I might just do that.

Going to have to survive the first winter.  In the Spring the panzer corps will roll on the Baku oil fields (as far as I know).

(https://i.imgur.com/pRQWnpIh.jpg)

Good luck with that. It looks like an awful l-o-n-g way down there.

Question,  compare this game to strategic command and is it worth getting?  I have Europe and WAW.  Just curious if I need another world war game

Quote from: demjansk1942 on October 30, 2019, 07:57:42 PM
Question,  compare this game to strategic command and is it worth getting?  I have Europe and WAW.  Just curious if I need another world war game

Yeah. What he said. It's been quite a while since I've bought a hex based game and even longer since it has been a Matrix one.

But I do like the looks of this. Or should I try to fire up SC, which I have never tried?

Quote from: demjansk1942 on October 30, 2019, 07:57:42 PM
Question,  compare this game to strategic command and is it worth getting?  I have Europe and WAW.  Just curious if I need another world war game

I've only put a few hours into it but I'm loving it so far.  I think it's absolutely worth picking up as it sets itself apart from the SC series by being a bit more in depth and crunchier without losing the accessibility appeal.  I also like that this game does not railroad you into an historical timeline, like SC does.  There are a few hard-coded dates like the United States joining the Allies in Dec. 1941, and a late-1942 deadline for the Soviet Union joining the war, with the possibility of those events happening earlier based on different circumstances. But aside from that, the AI just acts on the fly and doesn't pay attention to how things really went.

Also, the way stacking works is much better than SC.  In SC you can only stack 1 unit per hex, whether it's land, air, or naval.  This causes a lot of goofiness in regions with limited hexes to work with, like Italy and North Africa, since your air units can't support your front without blocking the advance/retreat of your land units.  In WarPlan, a hex can contain any combination of 1 land unit, 1 air unit, and multiple naval units - not sure the limit.  So there's still a similar dynamic of single-unit hexes and no power stacks.  And I actually find myself caring about the naval component, which is more than I could ever say for SC.

Yea, it is. I own all the SC games and I like them all, this is just a step up in complexity from the SC games. More things to consider and plan for. The stacking, the ability to attack from multiple hexes, the naval game, oil and production, special skills for units, are some differences from the SC games. It's a pretty well thought out game.

Budd and Infierno,,,   thanks for the advice, you explained it perfectly.  I will get this game.  I'll get from Matrix and then add to Steam?

I like the explanation of the stacking, good point

Quote from: demjansk1942 on October 31, 2019, 04:09:13 AM
I'll get from Matrix and then add to Steam?

Only available from Matrix right now so no Steam activation possible.

Quote from: Sir Slash on October 30, 2019, 06:27:58 PM
Good luck with that. It looks like an awful l-o-n-g way down there.

Yes, yes it is.  Also, America has entered the war and it has begun to snow...........

And a new patch was released.  The change log is below.   

v1.00.02
 Added A.I. declaration of war on Italy when they have 100% status.
 Added $DeclareWar command to event scripts
 Added $if_NegotiatedSurrender command to event scripts
 Fixed typos on the map
 Fixed border of Netherlands and Belgium
 Fixed mouse scroll on border of screen
 Fixed map shift buttons in editor
 Removed auto naming when saving game
 Timer on popup messages set to 5 seconds with a close button
 Added messaging to political attemps at intimidation
 Improved A.I. defense in North Africa and in UK
 A.I. now auto-declares war on Italy when they are at 100% status
 Fixed overrunning neutral air units
 Land units now move to closest hex when in neutral territory or get destroyed
 Fixed wrong manpower maintanance showing
 Fixed DOW bug
 Divisions now have ZoC vs partisans
 Lowered chance of partisan unit in game
 Fixed capital relocation
 Fixed Iraq and Persia joining Axis powers
 Fixed wrong mechanized unit technology
 Added historical minefields to the east coast of England and Germany
 Removed major powers from being influenced by diplomacy
 Fixed surrending of France
 Fixed infinite unescorted support bomber
 Fixed end scenario problems
 Fixed garrison logistic and production check
 Slightly improved on toggle image
 Fixed locked details window so it doesn't close on button click
 Added message when enemy fleet is overrun
 Corrected strategic bombardment damage
 Fixed end game victory when no there are no enemies left
 Influence points are gained based on the current morale and the diplomatic power of the nation
 Shifted Greece colors closer to tan
 Fixed HQ reinforcement toggle showing proper unit reinforcement icons
 Changed the way convoys are show on the map to path lines
 Reduced German and Italian landing craft from 40 to 10
 Minor Power's escorts added to the major controller's pool
 Moved menu panel items up 30 pixels to fit better on 1366x768 windowed mode
 Fixed air offensive operation point cost use. It was using double.
 Fixed German bomber tech in Prussia 1939 scenario
 Fixed Russian mech and armor tech in 1939 scenario
 Fixed countries having influence points at start of 1939 scenario
 Fixed surrendered nation build queue not clearing
 Fixed influence point gains
 Improved A.I. scripts and internal actions For France and Russia
 Modified Partisans to increase in frequency by year and country

Hopefully the patch is compatible with ongoing campaigns?

Quote from: Rayfer on October 31, 2019, 10:49:48 AM
Hopefully the patch is compatible with ongoing campaigns?

Some players reported problems where they lost the items in their production queue after patching an ongoing game.  So I'm going to finish the 1939 campaign before I install the patch.  I'm really looking forward to getting those divisions with anti-partisan ZOC for a future play through.     

Quote from: MOS:96B2P on October 31, 2019, 12:41:03 PM

Quote from: Rayfer on October 31, 2019, 10:49:48 AM
Hopefully the patch is compatible with ongoing campaigns?

Some players reported problems where they lost the items in their production queue after patching an ongoing game.  So I'm going to finish the 1939 campaign before I install the patch.  I'm really looking forward to getting those divisions with anti-partisan ZOC for a future play through.   

All looked ok for me until I processed an end-turn. In the ensuing turn everything in France's production cue was gone.   :-\

Quote from: Rayfer on October 31, 2019, 01:38:53 PM

Quote from: MOS:96B2P on October 31, 2019, 12:41:03 PM

Quote from: Rayfer on October 31, 2019, 10:49:48 AM
Hopefully the patch is compatible with ongoing campaigns?

Some players reported problems where they lost the items in their production queue after patching an ongoing game.  So I'm going to finish the 1939 campaign before I install the patch.  I'm really looking forward to getting those divisions with anti-partisan ZOC for a future play through.   

All looked ok for me until I processed an end-turn. In the ensuing turn everything in France's production cue was gone.   :-\

Sounds like a realistic assessment of French productivity

30% off ($27.99) if you buy from Matrix and use code: HappyHalloween19

Quote from: Grim.Reaper on October 31, 2019, 04:42:35 PM
30% off ($27.99) if you buy from Matrix and use code: HappyHalloween19

Okay. That did it.

Thanks GR.

Quote from: Moreb on October 31, 2019, 05:01:59 PM

Quote from: Grim.Reaper on October 31, 2019, 04:42:35 PM
30% off ($27.99) if you buy from Matrix and use code: HappyHalloween19

Okay. That did it.

Thanks GR.

Weirdly, they have this posted....but when I place in cart and use code, it works...so not sure if it will or won't work.

The following games are not part of the Halloween sale and the discount will not be applied:
- Close Combat: The Bloody First
- Warhammer 40,000 Gladius: Fortification Pack
- WarPlan
- Armored Brigade
- Armored Brigade Nation Pack: France – Belgium
- Armored Brigade Nation Pack: Italy - Yugoslavia

It was posted the purchase wont go through

Quote from: -budd- on October 31, 2019, 06:33:31 PM
It was posted the purchase wont go through

*Slowly puts card back in wallet

I'm a shell of my former self. There was a time, not long ago, that I would have had this the day of release. Have I changed or is it that the games have not changed enough?

Quote from: -budd- on October 31, 2019, 06:33:31 PM
It was posted the purchase wont go through

This is true, I tried it earlier today. The sale won't go through...

Quote from: Moreb on October 31, 2019, 06:59:24 PM

Quote from: -budd- on October 31, 2019, 06:33:31 PM
It was posted the purchase wont go through

*Slowly puts card back in wallet

I'm a shell of my former self. There was a time, not long ago, that I would have had this the day of release. Have I changed or is it that the games have not changed enough?

This is pretty good if its your thing. It's like the SC games....but has some big differences. I spend a lot more time considering things with this game. Plus the developer support is great and you can tell the dev takes pride in his game. Like i said before, it's just a well thought out game.

Quote from: -budd- on October 31, 2019, 07:51:19 PM

Quote from: Moreb on October 31, 2019, 06:59:24 PM

Quote from: -budd- on October 31, 2019, 06:33:31 PM
It was posted the purchase wont go through

*Slowly puts card back in wallet

I'm a shell of my former self. There was a time, not long ago, that I would have had this the day of release. Have I changed or is it that the games have not changed enough?

This is pretty good if its your thing. It's like the SC games....but has some big differences. I spend a lot more time considering things with this game. Plus the developer support is great and you can tell the dev takes pride in his game. Like i said before, it's just a well thought out game.

Yeah, I'm going to look at this tomorrow night when I'm not so tired. I'm falling asleep in my chair now.

Another update out via  the splash screen.

Quote from: Ian C on November 01, 2019, 01:35:31 PM
Another update out via  the splash screen.

I'm hoping it fixes the lost production cue from the last update.  The Matrix forums show a number of players have experienced this bug.

I elected not to update my version until I finish my current campaign.  I haven't experience any real bugs yet other than some minor issues which appear to be addressed in the current patch. 

Quote from: Rayfer on November 01, 2019, 03:12:47 PM

Quote from: Ian C on November 01, 2019, 01:35:31 PM
Another update out via  the splash screen.

I'm hoping it fixes the lost production cue from the last update.  The Matrix forums show a number of players have experienced this bug.

It does fix it.

Thanks for the info from those who have been playing it.  I love the Strategic Command games and will probably get this once the bugs have settled.  The inability to stack and the poor naval model in SC have always been limiting factors.  Does not matter much in WW1 but is a big limit in WW2.

I sent a ticket in to Matrix for the Halloween discount not working on WarPlan. I'll share anything I hear.

From today until October 4th the Halloween sale is on and you will be able to acquire most of our catalogue at 30% off discount.

All you have to do is enter "HappyHalloween19" in the coupon field when checking out. Please refer to this thread for more information on how to use a coupon.

The following games are not part of the Halloween sale and the discount will not be applied:

Close Combat: The Bloody First
Warhammer 40,000 Gladius: Fortification Pack
WarPlan
Armored Brigade
Armored Brigade Nation Pack: France – Belgium
Armored Brigade Nation Pack: Italy - Yugoslavia
The Halloween offer is valid until November 4th.

We are running a sale on Armored Brigade (base game) and the first Nation Pack (Italy – Yugoslavia) separately, for the launch of the new DLC, you can get more info here.

Slitherine wishes you a happy and scary Halloween 🎃

Quote from: Steelgrave on November 01, 2019, 07:33:37 PM
I sent a ticket in to Matrix for the Halloween discount not working on WarPlan. I'll share anything I hear.

You won't get it.

I was just requesting info, but I swear I've looked at the Matrix page and didn't see Warplan listed before.  :uglystupid2:

I'm hoping it will be in the holiday sale.  My anniversary coupon shows up right after Christmas. All this fawning is getting me interested in spite of the Wargamers review.

A cool mod, by Hairog, that makes the air counters round instead of square.  Not that they can launch attacks in this heavy rain but the counters still look cool.  :)

(https://i.imgur.com/t46bKPAh.jpg)

^ Looks awesome!  Is that on the Matrix forum?

Quote from: al_infierno on November 02, 2019, 09:57:46 PM
^ Looks awesome!  Is that on the Matrix forum?

Yes, at the top of the WarPlan page under mods.  He actually has four different types of round air counters.

Those round air counters look cool and extremely functional.  I have to get that mod.

With my aging eyesight it sometimes is hard to pick out the air units in game when there are a lot of counters concentrated on a particular area of the map.  (i.e. on the Russian Front)

Round counters looks great. Anyone know where I drop the file/mod for it to work properly?

Quote from: GeneralHawk on November 04, 2019, 03:13:07 PM
Round counters looks great. Anyone know where I drop the file/mod for it to work properly?

I was just about to post asking the same thing.  The Matrix forum post doesn't say anything about this.

documents/my games/warplan/campaigns/whatever campaign your playing folder

There are folders for each start date, put the file in any campaign you want them to show in. You'll have to rename it units.png If you don't want to overwrite the original, change the name of the original before copying the new file over, i change mine to units-orig.png so i can go back to stock if i want to.

Quote from: -budd- on November 04, 2019, 06:24:22 PM
documents/my games/warplan/campaigns/whatever campaign your playing folder

There are folders for each start date, put the file in any campaign you want them to show in. You'll have to rename it units.png If you don't want to overwrite the original, change the name of the original before copying the new file over, i change mine to units-orig.png so i can go back to stock if i want to.

That's odd... there are no units.png files in any of the "Europe 19XX" folders on my computer....
I replaced the units.png with the new one with the round air chits in the "Documents/my games/warplan/campaigns/new scenario scripts" folder and it works great.

Didn't try that folder, looks like it should work. In the forum it said put it in the campaign folders.

I will try the same thing later on today.  Last night I did not change the png filename and simply dumped it into the "documents/my games/warplan/campaigns/whatever campaign your playing folder" and the customer icons did not load. 

All the instructions (which are obviously incomplete/incorrect) say on the matrix forum is to place your mod into the "documents/my games/warplan/campaigns/whatever campaign your playing folder". 

Here are the test cases I will try tonight to see for myself which procedure is correct and then update the matrix forums with that information.

1. change png file name to units.png and place in "Documents/my games/warplan/campaigns/new scenario scripts"
2. don't change png file name and place in "Documents/my games/warplan/campaigns/new scenario scripts"
3. change png file name to units.png and place in "documents/my games/warplan/campaigns/whatever campaign your playing folder"
4. don't change png file name and place in "documents/my games/warplan/campaigns/whatever campaign your playing folder" [already done]

The file must be named "units.png" that's for sure.

Be sure to rename any existing "units/png" file before you over write it or you can't go back without re-installing the game.

Quote from: Barthheart on November 05, 2019, 11:45:57 AM
The file must be named "units.png" that's for sure.

Be sure to rename any existing "units/png" file before you over write it or you can't go back without re-installing the game.

Good point.  I'll remember to do that.  Looks like I can also cross off number 2 from my list above as well.   :)

I think I'm switching to this mod.  https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=4711017

Wish someone would take on the map. While perfectly functionally, I'm a sucker for a good looking map.

And so it begins................ and in the rain.

(https://i.imgur.com/ILF513dh.jpg)

And I was pleasantly surprised (and concerned) to see the AI attack and make a breakthrough in the area of Kiev while I was busy over at Stalingrad.  The AI seems to have a lot of units moving around, behind the lines. north and east of Kiev.  :o

(https://i.imgur.com/Gea2ry6h.jpg)

Quote from: -budd- on November 05, 2019, 12:06:06 PM
I think I'm switching to this mod.  https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=4711017

Wish someone would take on the map. While perfectly functionally, I'm a sucker for a good looking map.

Yeah, I like to colour choices. But still prefer the round air counters... maybe I'll stop being lazy and do my own counters.

I'd also like someone to tackle the map... no doubt someone will soon...

Think there's two versions, one has round air counters.

Yer right!  :bd:

So I was able to get the round air units mod to work only when I dumped the mod into "documents/my games/warplan/campaigns/whatever campaign your playing folder".

I couldn't get the mod to work with the New Campaign Scripts folder.  This might be due to installing the mod to affect my save game.  I didn't try starting a new game with the mod installed in the New Campaign Scripts folder.

Hey, as long as you got it working.  \m/

^True dat!   :peace:

Quote from: W8taminute on November 05, 2019, 06:52:01 PM
So I was able to get the round air units mod to work only when I dumped the mod into "documents/my games/warplan/campaigns/whatever campaign your playing folder".

I couldn't get the mod to work with the New Campaign Scripts folder.  This might be due to installing the mod to affect my save game.  I didn't try starting a new game with the mod installed in the New Campaign Scripts folder.

Frustrating...I can't get either approach to work; in the NC Scripts folder or the specific campaign year folder.  I download the mod from the Matrix forum link 'here' for the NATO counters with round air units onto my desktop.  Rename it "units.png" then take out the existing "units.png" file and put in the new one. It doesn't work in either folder.  What am I missing?

Not at my computer but it sounds right. Only thing is when I copied to the campaign year folder (39) there was no units.png in the folder the first time.

Also, maybe it has something to do with the unit alternate selection choice

Quote from: Rayfer on November 07, 2019, 11:44:42 AM

Quote from: W8taminute on November 05, 2019, 06:52:01 PM
So I was able to get the round air units mod to work only when I dumped the mod into "documents/my games/warplan/campaigns/whatever campaign your playing folder".

I couldn't get the mod to work with the New Campaign Scripts folder.  This might be due to installing the mod to affect my save game.  I didn't try starting a new game with the mod installed in the New Campaign Scripts folder.

Frustrating...I can't get either approach to work; in the NC Scripts folder or the specific campaign year folder.  I download the mod from the Matrix forum link 'here' for the NATO counters with round air units onto my desktop.  Rename it "units.png" then take out the existing "units.png" file and put in the new one. It doesn't work in either folder.  What am I missing?

I also had problems. I right clicked on the file and looked at the file's properties. It had the file name repeated. It looked like this: units.png.png However in the campaign folder only one .png was visible so it looked normal. I deleted .png from the file name in the campaign folder so the file looked like: units

Then it worked.

Don't know if it's the same problem you have but I might open the mod file (right click) and look under properties to see if the file name is correct (even though it displays correct when not looking in the properties screen).

Also, I placed it in the Europe 39 folder.  There was no unit file in the Europe 39 folder originally.  So maybe we have to place copies of the mod in all six campaign folders if we want it to appear in all six time frames?  Europe 1939, Europe 1940 etc... ? 

Quote from: -budd- on November 07, 2019, 12:23:39 PM
Also, maybe it has something to do with the unit alternate selection choice

This is probably the problem. In the game, go to the options menu and try different air unit factor displays.

Quote from: Barthheart on November 07, 2019, 03:28:48 PM

Quote from: -budd- on November 07, 2019, 12:23:39 PM
Also, maybe it has something to do with the unit alternate selection choice

This is probably the problem. In the game, go to the options menu and try different air unit factor displays.

Thanks for the tip but it didn't work.  I still enjoy the game but I can't get the mod to work.

Jesus christ why don't they just put the game on Steam and enable the workshop?

Read this review of WarPlan over at Wargamer.  https://www.wargamer.com/articles/warplan-gameplay/


The author states that WarPlan is great but is struggling to find it's soul.  My retort: "Go play Advanced Third Reich and then rewrite your article."

Quote from: W8taminute on November 08, 2019, 01:55:09 PM
Read this review of WarPlan over at Wargamer.  https://www.wargamer.com/articles/warplan-gameplay/


The author states that WarPlan is great but is struggling to find it's soul.  My retort: "Go play Advanced Third Reich and then rewrite your article."

Yeah I'm confused by that comment too.  The map isn't beautiful or anything but the game feels very soulful to me.  Even the music gets stuck in my head after I'm done playing.

Quote from: Huw the Poo on November 08, 2019, 12:35:01 PM
Jesus christ why don't they just put the game on Steam and enable the workshop?

Amen HtP...a big +1

Quote from: al_infierno on November 08, 2019, 02:01:26 PM

Quote from: W8taminute on November 08, 2019, 01:55:09 PM
Read this review of WarPlan over at Wargamer.  https://www.wargamer.com/articles/warplan-gameplay/


The author states that WarPlan is great but is struggling to find it's soul.  My retort: "Go play Advanced Third Reich and then rewrite your article."

Yeah I'm confused by that comment too.  The map isn't beautiful or anything but the game feels very soulful to me.  Even the music gets stuck in my head after I'm done playing.

You too!  The music sticks in my head as well right after I'm done playing.  Who said this game has no soul?

Those nice looking counters are released, two flavors.

https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=4711017&mpage=1&key=

^Nice!  Downloaded them and now let's see how they look in game. 

Trying out some new mods while waiting for patch v1.00.03

(https://i.imgur.com/Heypgmfh.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/qJyTgKEh.jpg)

Ten pages on the forum, must be something to this.

i will likely buy this when i buy command operations this week with my matrix discount coupon....it has been hard to hold off?

Those new counters look amazing.  Going to give them a try tonite

Completed my 1939 Campaign playing as the allies.  What a game.  I did notice something however that one needs to be aware of.

The US and The USSR have an incredibly large production output that actually can be deceiving.  I found myself giggling with glee at how easily these two nations can produce a large volume of units.  Then I stopped giggling when I realized my armed forces had become so huge in number that my logistics could no longer support all of them.  What this meant is that I would have dozens of understrength and damaged units sitting in the field and never getting replacements or repairs.  I simply did not have the logistics strength to keep up.  It was only after I disbanded a lot of those units that the rest finally received replacements and repairs.  I won the war but I had to learn to control my spending and not produce too many units that my nation could not support.  I really like this system.   O0

That's something Germany has to watch closely, oil also. I'm looking to have 12 to 13 mobile formations for Barbarossa mostly armored cores. Spending a bit of time putting units in Garrison mode and turning off upgrades for those Garrison units and prioritizing my mobile formations.

Been slow playing expecting the patch to drop,looks  like Monday now.

Quote from: W8taminute on November 14, 2019, 10:08:31 AM
Completed my 1939 Campaign playing as the allies.  What a game.  I did notice something however that one needs to be aware of.

The US and The USSR have an incredibly large production output that actually can be deceiving.  I found myself giggling with glee at how easily these two nations can produce a large volume of units.  Then I stopped giggling when I realized my armed forces had become so huge in number that my logistics could no longer support all of them.  What this meant is that I would have dozens of understrength and damaged units sitting in the field and never getting replacements or repairs.  I simply did not have the logistics strength to keep up.  It was only after I disbanded a lot of those units that the rest finally received replacements and repairs.  I won the war but I had to learn to control my spending and not produce too many units that my nation could not support.  I really like this system.   O0

Interesting observation and game mechanic. Also, nice recovery.  :bd:

Patch v1.00.03 has been released.  The developer is very active on the forum and seems to have added more fixes & features than are included in the below changelog.  Still finding these extras.  As an example convoy routes can now be turned on and off without canceling the actual trade agreement.  Very useful when the Baltic is frozen but the Axis player doesn't want to risk the Narvik route.    :)

1.00.03 Changelog

- Increased map scrolling to fall +30 pixels off the edge of the screen.

- Land units on the coast are now properly destroyed by air power.

- Units limited to 25 characters for name changing, was 40.

- Fixed resource #31 to include label of "port"

- Fixed 2 locations in England

- Fixed custom image loading when choosing another game

- Fixed late war retreat script in USSR

- Fixed minor country supply source retreat error

- Removed undu from merging and splitting units

- Adjusted unit ID image so air units are more clear

- Added unit type sorting to reports and statistics unit column

- Fixed air overrun adding to game stats

- Adjusted Allied A.I. for invading North Africa and Normandy

- Fixed only fleet mode navies intercept enemy forces

- Fixed hotseat games changing fleet modes on load

- Fixed misaligned victory location

- Added Allied Norway convoy route

- Fixed mine fields in all scenarios

- Fixed ZoC issue with neutral countries that was impacting rail movement

- Fixed plane range formula

- Changed Italy's morale break from 52 to 32 until the USA is in the war

- Fixed naval port attack indicator not showing on empty enemy ports or transport fleets

- Fixed showing proper invadable hexes

- Turned off main menu when doing PBEM upload

- Fixed paratrooper jump bug

- Added South Africa to map as an Allied supply source

- Pacific Resources is now a main supply source

- Added port supply denial if port can't reach main supply source

- Corrected Aqaba tile

- Fixed showing invisible convoy routes on information panel

- Fixed 2/2 patrol groups in 1939 scenario

- Fixed contested hex move cost

- Fixed naval operation points when undoing move

- Fixed WarPlan crash bug

- Added beach to Gibraltar

- Fixed oiler resupply in blizzard frozen ocean and port

- Fixed out of supply fleet able to perform beachhead supply

- Fixed graphical alignment on unknown land unit images on bottom of image

- Adjusted Netherlands coast

- Added tile for Netherlands coast to tiles.png for custom images

- Fixed major alignments for minors

- Improved Netherlands, Belgium, and Greece defenses

- Corrected rail in Turkey and made them scortched earth

- Fixed reinforcements and priority for naval and air

- Added ability to disable convoy route

- Corrected Spain does not enter Axis side if Gibraltar is Axis in scenario notes

- Added Baltic convoy route

- USSR set to surrender at 0 morale

- Cleared data corruption in stats for scenarios

- Adjusted air combat damage slightly for more losses

- Added Italian option scenario where Italy may declare war from the start of the war

Quote from: Rayfer on November 08, 2019, 03:26:56 PM

Quote from: Huw the Poo on November 08, 2019, 12:35:01 PM
Jesus christ why don't they just put the game on Steam and enable the workshop?

Amen HtP...a big +1

What they said.

Quote from: Bardolph on November 18, 2019, 11:10:00 PM

Quote from: Rayfer on November 08, 2019, 03:26:56 PM

Quote from: Huw the Poo on November 08, 2019, 12:35:01 PM
Jesus christ why don't they just put the game on Steam and enable the workshop?

Amen HtP...a big +1

What they said.

Agreed, this is deffo on my wishlist too but will wait.

Wow this patch fixes and improves a lot of things.  Now I can start a new campaign and give it a try. 

Quote from: W8taminute on November 19, 2019, 09:00:25 AM
Wow this patch fixes and improves a lot of things.  Now I can start a new campaign and give it a try.

Agreed...and I finally figured out how to get the counter-mods to work so it looks awesomely better now.  Starting a new campaign today.

Between this and Unity of Command II, I'm having some great WW2 gaming.

Quote from: Ian C on November 20, 2019, 07:18:29 AM
Between this and Unity of Command II, I'm having some great WW2 gaming.

!!!

Quote from: Rayfer on November 19, 2019, 11:08:21 AM

Quote from: W8taminute on November 19, 2019, 09:00:25 AM
Wow this patch fixes and improves a lot of things.  Now I can start a new campaign and give it a try.

Agreed...and I finally figured out how to get the counter-mods to work so it looks awesomely better now.  Starting a new campaign today.

How did you get the counter mods to work?  They don't work for me.

Quote from: gregb41352 on November 20, 2019, 04:29:10 PM

Quote from: Rayfer on November 19, 2019, 11:08:21 AM

Quote from: W8taminute on November 19, 2019, 09:00:25 AM
Wow this patch fixes and improves a lot of things.  Now I can start a new campaign and give it a try.

Agreed...and I finally figured out how to get the counter-mods to work so it looks awesomely better now.  Starting a new campaign today.

How did you get the counter mods to work?  They don't work for me.

I posted the question in the Matrix forums and a guy replied with this: C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Games\WarPlan\Campaigns and then I placed mine in Europe 1939.  After downloading the mod file to my desktop I moved by following his instructions exactly and it worked.

Many thanks!

I think this time I will try to take Spain & Gibraltar.  If Turkey does not willingly join the Axis some blue arrows will have to be drawn on that part of the map also.   

But first ........... in Poland it begins: 

(https://i.imgur.com/WZEc3Kfh.jpg)

Exclusive Discount Code for Grogheads!

http://grogheads.com/whatever/20405 (http://grogheads.com/whatever/20405)

Nice surprise, thanks all!

Quote from: Jarhead0331 on November 22, 2019, 10:21:37 AM
Exclusive Discount Code for Grogheads!

http://grogheads.com/whatever/20405 (http://grogheads.com/whatever/20405)

Thanks Guys

Quote from: Jarhead0331 on November 22, 2019, 10:21:37 AM
Exclusive Discount Code for Grogheads!

http://grogheads.com/whatever/20405 (http://grogheads.com/whatever/20405)

Crap...I wish I had waited.  Great game!

Thanks!  Will buy this weekend.

Quote from: Jarhead0331 on November 22, 2019, 10:21:37 AM
Exclusive Discount Code for Grogheads!

http://grogheads.com/whatever/20405 (http://grogheads.com/whatever/20405)

Now Launch the Alert 5 credit card.....

Thank you, fellas.

Just in time for the holidays. I've come close to pulling the trigger on this. The discount will definitely give the green light for firing off the credit card.


Groggy

Thank you JH!  Although I already bought the game day one I appreciate the ability of Grogheads to get discounts like these.   O0

The game is well worth it especially if you grew up on Avalon Hill's Third Reich/Advanced Third Reich.

Thanks Grogheads.  It's tempting me as it seems to be getting pretty good reviews.  Might hold out for my yearly Matrix discount which should be 40% or more and usually arrives in a couple of weeks.

Yay!  Purchased. 

Quote from: W8taminute on November 23, 2019, 03:09:57 PM
Thank you JH!  Although I already bought the game day one I appreciate the ability of Grogheads to get discounts like these.   O0

The game is well worth it especially if you grew up on Avalon Hill's Third Reich/Advanced Third Reich.

It's our pleasure! Next time we'll try to put these specials together much closer to release so more of you can benefit!

Thanks for the discount guys. Put me over the edge on pulling the trigger on this one.

Quote from: Jarhead0331 on November 22, 2019, 10:21:37 AM
Exclusive Discount Code for Grogheads!

http://grogheads.com/whatever/20405 (http://grogheads.com/whatever/20405)

Nice count me in! Thanks!

Just bought UoC2 and am trying to get my head round that, so I *shouldn't* be buying another game just yet...*but* Warplan interested me from the get-go and £8 is £8, so...

BTW, looking at the replies here, that discount was a sound marketing strategy

Can anybody comment on how the AI is in this game?  How is it on attack?  Can it make any kind of coherent plan?  Thanks.

Just purchased War Plan, using the discount that Jarhead mentioned.  Thanx for the Tip Jarhead

Quote from: Geezer on November 24, 2019, 07:08:22 PM
Can anybody comment on how the AI is in this game?  How is it on attack?  Can it make any kind of coherent plan?  Thanks.

Overall the AI is competent when on the attack.  This is based off of my two games I've played to date as the Allies.  The Axis AI does a great job taking Europe for a wild ride until you (as the allies) build up your forces with modernized equipment.  Once that happens the real fight begins and ai is not that bad on defense either. 

It does make some minor mistakes here and there such as leaving a gap in the line where to any human it's obvious that something must be placed there to plug a vital hole. 

At sea I think the Axis ai does a decent job attacking your convoys with it's subs.  I find that the UK can indeed get crippled economically if it allows the Axis ai to harass the convoys uncontested.  I learned a hard lesson that the only thing I could do at the time in my first game was to use the US's superior manufacturing ability to pump out merchant ships and escorts en masse.  Then theh UK got back on it's feet but had to rely a lot on the US merchant fleet.  (Allies and to some degree neutrals can share merchant ships)

Thanks W8taminute.  That sounds very encouraging.

This one sounds totally interesting!  It sounds like it can be played PBEM, but only 2 players?  (i.e., Axis and Allies?)

I'm really looking for a great theater-level (or global-level) game that can be played by 3 different players.  Don't care if it's co-op or country specific, but I've got two buddies I like to play these games with, and if we drop one of them, it's kinda sad for him...

Quote from: FarAway Sooner on November 27, 2019, 01:54:40 AM
This one sounds totally interesting!  It sounds like it can be played PBEM, but only 2 players?  (i.e., Axis and Allies?)

I'm really looking for a great theater-level (or global-level) game that can be played by 3 different players.  Don't care if it's co-op or country specific, but I've got two buddies I like to play these games with, and if we drop one of them, it's kinda sad for him...

You can play three, or more players. It's just a bit of work. Start the game a hot seat game. Save after playing the Western powers say. Then pass to the Russian player who plays and then ends then turn and passes the game to the Germans. All by manual email... you know... the way we used to do it in the olden days.

The game is very good, and we'll supported. I guess the game sold well enough Matrix asked the dev to start working on a Pacific game already. The dev has made his priorities pretty clear about dealing with bugs and game improvements for Warplan and working on the Pacific game when he has spare time. He posted a shot of in progress map of part of the Pacific.

THanks, Bart.  That does sound like a lot of work!

Any idea how long it'll take to download a copy of a saved on my 56.6K modem?   ;D

Quote from: FarAway Sooner on November 27, 2019, 11:09:07 AM
THanks, Bart.  That does sound like a lot of work!

Any idea how long it'll take to download a copy of a saved on my 56.6K modem?   ;D

Approximately 1.34 fortnights.

So, Warplan has been out for a while. What's the verdict?

I'd be interested to know as well.

I like it. It's fun and interesting to play.
The developer is still squashing some bugs and then he'll start some balancing, but it's still a good game now.
Just don't read the Matrix forums for the game... just wow...  #:-)

The idea that it can be functionally mp'd with more than two players, as described above, is intriguing......

So, looking over the description, does that work by players each picking one of the starting nations and going from there, with the AI playing everyone else (allied with any players or not), sort of like turn based HoI?

Thus for example five humans could hotseat co-op as (some or all of) the Balkan nations, teaming up with each other or not, as WW2 kicks up around us?

Quote from: JasonPratt on January 22, 2020, 10:11:05 PM
Thus for example five humans could hotseat co-op as (some or all of) the Balkan nations, teaming up with each other or not, as WW2 kicks up around us?

No this will not work. There is no neutral AI or side, therefore no way for players to take neutral countries.
There are only 2 sides Axis or Allies( this includes Russia).
Earliest the game starts is Sept. 1, 1939 with German at war with Poland, Britain, and France. Neutrals can do nothing until attacked by either side at which point they join the alliance of the non-aggressor.

My consensus is that it is Very Gud Indeed.

A reference to the November discount is still showing up on the mythical front page.  Given that the discount program ended one-and-a-half months ago, it might make sense to shut that down.

Or to just post two more articles so it gets bumped off the rotating display of the 7 most recent posts, and we have more fodder for talking about mysterious manuscripts that we've never seen...   :)

Version 1.00.08 for Warplan available.  This is a big update that includes many fixes, updates,new content and updated manual. 

The developer Alvaro Sousa continues to be very active and responsive to players on the Matrix forum.  He also has a sense of humor.  Buried in the long list of updates/fixes I found the below two entries.   ;D         

Added Candian HQ + Guy Simonds general
Removed Canadian wargamers revolt because Canada didn't have an HQ and Guy Simmonds

Link:

https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=4881967&mpage=1&#4881967

A North Africa scenario, eh?  Sounds interesting.  Wasn't expecting new scenarios aside from a PTO expansion/sequel at some point, but any new WarPlan content sounds great to me.

Glad to see our Canuck friends getting some love  :2funny:

I own this one and have had it installed, unplayed, for about a year now.  I'm glad they keep improving on it.

Same here

It's been several months since I have played WarPlan. With the latest update, my interest has been reignited. I may have to fire it back up this weekend.


Groggy

In my opinion Warplan is the currently the best European war grand strategy game out there. It has possibly the most accurate depiction of supply during WW2 in the ETO.

Just noticed it's 50% off on Steam. Very tempted

Quote from: fabius on September 08, 2020, 07:22:24 AM
Just noticed it's 50% off on Steam. Very tempted

Also 50% off on Matrix site (and gives you a Steam Key).

Quote from: Pete Dero on September 08, 2020, 07:55:20 AM

Quote from: fabius on September 08, 2020, 07:22:24 AM
Just noticed it's 50% off on Steam. Very tempted

Also 50% off on Matrix site (and gives you a Steam Key).

Hey, thanks for the heads up  O0

Quote from: Ian C on September 08, 2020, 05:28:09 AM
In my opinion Warplan is the currently the best European war grand strategy game out there. It has possibly the most accurate depiction of supply during WW2 in the ETO.

WarPlan is also my king of European-theater grand strategy wargames, for sure.  Dunno about "accuracy" per se, but the supply system definitely feels balanced, authentic, and satisfying to utilize.  The combat feels a good bit meatier than Strategic Command without bogging you down with so many details that you lose the forest for the trees.  The way paratroopers work feels a little wonky, and I'm still not sure if you can launch an airborne invasion from anywhere except a port.  Also, I'd like if there was a bit more flexibility with the timeline, like a chance that the USA might join the war late or not at all.

Quote from: al_infierno on September 08, 2020, 03:43:25 PMDunno about "accuracy" per se, but the supply system definitely feels balanced, authentic, and satisfying to utilize. 

The supply and logistics limits work really well to simulate the strategic problems that were evident in the war. Over-extending supply lines and the resulting problems, the limits of building an army (no doom stacks are possible) and only being able to field relatively light forces because of logistical considerations (e.g. in the North African campaign) are well-modelled by the game.

You guys are not making resisting this one any easier

Is the AI reasonable ?

Quote from: Ian C on September 09, 2020, 07:17:24 AM

Quote from: al_infierno on September 08, 2020, 03:43:25 PMDunno about "accuracy" per se, but the supply system definitely feels balanced, authentic, and satisfying to utilize. 

The supply and logistics limits work really well to simulate the strategic problems that were evident in the war. Over-extending supply lines and the resulting problems, the limits of building an army (no doom stacks are possible) and only being able to field relatively light forces because of logistical considerations (e.g. in the North African campaign) are well-modelled by the game.

You're right about that, for sure.  I'm just being a bit pedantic about "accuracy" versus "authenticity"  :buck2:  I think for it to be truly "historically accurate," it would need to somehow simulate wear-and-tear of roads and individual trucks and whatnot, like how WitE does.  But I'm glad this game doesn't do that, and opts for authenticity over painstaking accuracy.