Armored Brigade

[IICptMillerII]

budd and cptmiller....you did me in, downloading now and eager to get into it.

I hope I haven't led you astray!

Speaking of Flashpoint Campaigns, (another game I'm very fond of) I think it shares maps with Armored Brigade. Would be interesting to re-create a few of the scenarios from Flashpoint Campaigns in the Armored Brigade engine and see how similar the results are.

[GroggyGrognard]

These past several days I've only had a small amount of time to invest in the game, playing around with smaller maps and meeting engagements. But, so far,  I really enjoy the game. In an intuitive context, I've had an easier time wrapping my head around the system compared to Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm. (which is a fantastic game also.)

Sans some spotty counterattacks, the AI is pretty good. Nothing that can't be tweaked with future patches.




Groggy

[Capn Darwin]

As a quick public service announcement, FCRS maps and AB maps are completely different animals and not cross compatible.  O0

[Con]

Just got the game and playing around with it.  While still earning there are several features that I really like -
The big map picture and the ability to scope size and time/date from that with adjustable parameters (% destroyed, trees with/wo leaves etc) and the iso map feature - really gives a topo view to placing/deploying your forces.  Still playing with the balance and forces but it sure seems like you get spotted and killed very quickly

Con

[IICptMillerII]

As a quick public service announcement, FCRS maps and AB maps are completely different animals and not cross compatible.  O0

My apologies, I just meant that I think both games cover similar terrain in their own respective engines, and that it may be possible to generate a battle in AB that is in the same geographic location as a scenario from FCRS. I didn't mean to imply that the maps from one game could be ported to the other.

[Father Ted]

As a quick public service announcement, FCRS maps and AB maps are completely different animals and not cross compatible.  O0

My apologies, I just meant that I think both games cover similar terrain in their own respective engines, and that it may be possible to generate a battle in AB that is in the same geographic location as a scenario from FCRS. I didn't mean to imply that the maps from one game could be ported to the other.

Wow - captain-on-captain action!  I think you're OK there Miller - Darwin has his tongue in his cheek.  Your point is intriguing though - seeing how the same battle would play out in the the different games.

[ArizonaTank]

I found this interesting review on the Facebook group Computer Wargames: Tactical to Strategic

I would have posted the link, but not certain how to do it for Facebook

posted yesterday


Facebook user: Fred Schwarz

Some folks have asked me to give my comments on Armored Brigade, the recent release from Matrix Games. Some background first. I'm a retired USAR Infantry Colonel. I commanded a Bradley IFV equipped Mech Infantry Company in the 3d Armored Division from 1987-1988. I also was a civilian threat intelligence analyst for US Army TACOM for 24 years. I've been playing wargames since 1970.

I like this game a lot. It is accessible, easy to play, relatively quick to play and the interface and commands are intuitive. I like the view as it looks like a tactical computer screen that you would be seeing in your command post and you can zoom in to see your tanks taking on the bad guys. The US vehicles of the late 1970s even have MERDEC camouflage. Although I'm always a RTS fan, this game paces it just right. I do not feel the need to be clicking madly to get orders out, nor do I feel the need to micro manage my boys in the fight. They seem to do what they should do if you set the SOPs correctly (although there could be a "shoot and move back" type command which is how the crews are really trained).

I bought the game on release day but didn't get to sit down with it until a day or two later. I read the manual and then played a scenario from the battle generator making just a small similar force or force engagement. I did not find it hard to figure out at all (now I did watch a few videos by Commissar Roach before release, although not tutorials one can pick up how to play form watching him play). So far I've been playing reinforced company meeting engagements using various nations forces and have a blast doing so. Battles are easy to generate once you do a few you have it down. I find this the fun part, picking various orders of battle and seeing how they will do. And you can pick anywhere in West Germany to fight so I'll be able to actually play out what would have been my GDP back in the Spearhead Division in the late 1980s: Hunfeld, Germany.

Since I have been playing meeting engagements I've figured to win these you find a good position and let the enemy come to you where you force him to do so in open terrain. I so far usually shoot them up. Now I am not going to say this is poor AI because this is how we were trained to fight, maneuver to good positions and attack by fire, let the bad guy move to his death. I have yet to play the Soviet side nor have I attacked. Although in one meeting engagement I aggressively went for the OBJ and my poor M48A3s got hammered.

And speaking of Patton tanks, this game allows you to play from 1966 to 1991. This is great! not many games cover the 60s and 70s and it is fun to go back and play with the not-so-great-tanks. Heck even a caveman can win with M1A2s! try it with the older ones and its not so easy.

Its been a long time since I've been immersed into a computer wargame (I playtested Talonsoft's Campaign Series for many years) and i am so far getting into this one. There are complaints about no campaign nor multiplayer. These don't bother me a this game does just what I want it to do, give me the ability to gin up a battle covering any part of a long period of Cold War history. I can't wait for the DLC. bring on the French!

If you like modern armor, this game will likely be for you. I recommend it.

[Lowenstaat]

@ArizonaTank: Thanks for posting COL (Ret.) Schwarz' thoughts about the game. It was interesting to read about his take from his historical perspective.

[Moreb]

Budd. Played almost all the way through that scenario. On my way to a huge victory with not too many losses.

A couple of questions

1. How did you arrange the units initially and set the orders without the system rearranging them to something else? It keeps doing that to me.

2. Do helicopters stay mostly stationary? The enemy helicopter showed up and stayed in one place until it was taken down by an eventual SAM.

Good little battle. The enemy just needs a bit more to have a chance. I'm reading a bit online about the various equipment. Near modern is new to me so the weapons and their correct usage are still a mystery. It is awesome watching the various missiles take flight. I think I'm hooked.

Thanks again. If I wasn't so tired I'd finish mopping up tonight. We are going out of town for 4 days to our cabin again so I'll have plenty of time to mess with the system. So far I really like it.

[-budd-]

I used the scenario basically for plotting movement practice.

1 use free formation, it shouldn't rearrange then.
2 I've only seen the AI helos stay stationary, you can bounce your own helos  between BP's, haven't seen the AI do this yet.

Every time I hear a missile fire I'll pause and locate, it is pretty cool. I just played a mostly infantry battle on a small city map, set the AI to mechanized and watched a missile travel 1700 meters down main street for the kill.......Yes, and the quarterback is toast....sorry obscure movie quote.

Have fun at the cabin, after tomorrow 4 day weekend so after the Family, Food, and Football, it's AB time.

[Rayfer]

My first foray into the game. Set up a small USA mech platoon (me) meeting engagement with a Soviet mech platoon (AI), circa 1980.  Ended with a major defeat.  Need to read the manual to better understand how and when to unload mech mounted troops. The AI did so sooner and took out my mechs while still loaded with infantry. Haven't even tried artillery, tanks and air assets yet.  I can see sinking many a hour into this sandbox game.

[-budd-]

Glad your enjoying it, I'm kind of getting fond of the 60's, 70's gear, a bit more survivability .

[trek]

Thinking of buying this. Just wondering if the game has a save feature? I know the upcoming Close Combat TBRO will finally have a save mission feature. Hoping AB has this too.

[Capn Darwin]

@trek, you can save and exit a mission at pretty much anytime. There is a resume game from the main menu as well.

[trek]

Thanks for the quick reply and info. Looks like I will be buying AB.