Review finished

[PoorOldSpike]

Okay guys my BA review over at The Few Good Men is finished, go check it out if you like in this thread-

http://www.thefewgoodmen.com/thefgmforu ... ld-Academy

If you'd like to leave comments or death threats etc over there, be my guest and register..

[Sleet]

Ahh ya gotta luv grognards...



Thanks for the review. I like it for many reasons but one of the main now is I can play a quick one or a few multiplayer turns (in a few different games) while on my lunch break or when I have a few moments.
RL has taken its toll on me being able to sit down and get deep into the realistic wargames (or what some consider) I used to play (Like CM).

There is a lot more depth to the game than some may think. I personally really like the graphics and cut-scenes.

Great job by the Slitherine crew.

[pomakli]

There is a lot more depth to the game than some may think.

Exactly!

[PoorOldSpike]

For the record, here's how I rounded off my BA review-


Okay i can't think of much more to say about BA, so to sum up i'd say it rates about 5 on the complexity scale, a nice easy-to-play job, not too simple, not too complex.
(For comparison I'd rate the old Panzer General about 4, Steel Panthers about 6, and Combat Mission about 7).

BA has only been released a few days and already the first patch is out, to their credit the designer is listening and talking to people in the BA forum and is taking feedback on board.
Once the tiny glitches are ironed out I can see BA becoming a big seller among the majority of wargamers, although old fart 'serious' gamers might be put off by the slightly cartoony graphics.

Personally I only have 2 real gripes-
1- The map view system isn't flexible enough because you can't elevate the view to look towards the horizon, meaning that in 3D view your eyes are fixed at 45 degrees looking down at the ground all the time.
2- A couple more zoomout levels are needed in the game because at the moment you can't zoom out far enough to see the whole map, so you have the hassle of scrolling around.

1 and 2 therefore give me the very uncomfortable feeling of playing with blinkered 'tunnel vision', so for that reason I myself am regrettably out as far as being a loyal BA disciple is concerned..

[DaveyJJ]

I strongly agree that the zoom out needs at least a bit more height. It feels very constrained to me as well. I wouldn't mind seeing a bit more range in the angle as well.

The counter argument from the devs standpoint might be saying that the limited viewing angle and distance makes you focus on one part of the battlefield at a time and makes it harder as a commander to understand everything that's happening everywhere (i.e., the god's eye view problem found in most board-based war games).

Personally though, yeah, more height and allowing me to angle the camera a bit more towards the horizon would be great.

[PoorOldSpike]

Even though we'd be able to see the whole map with a new tilting view angle, the fog of war would mean we still wouldn't be able to see enemy units who weren't near us, and that's how it should be..

[childress]

The Fog of War could be a little more thoroughgoing. When you shell a position without LOS, like an urban area, the game informs you of casualties, retreats and suppressions. The unit details are not provided however.

[pipfromslitherine]

We found that it was too 'empty' when we didn't tell you whether your artillery etc had any effect - not quite entirely realistic to be sure, just one of those gamey decisions.

Cheers

Pip

[childress]

We found that it was too 'empty' when we didn't tell you whether your artillery etc had any effect - not quite entirely realistic to be sure, just one of those gamey decisions.

Interesting. And it makes perfect sense. In a Zen kind of way.