The Singularity Trap AAR

 

 

  UPDATED 13thJune 2017

This AAR will be published over time so keep checking back as more turns get added!


Link to game rules.

 

                                                                                 Sengoku Jidai Review


  I want to be truthful up front. I am a certified nut when it comes to Japanese military history and an Oda fanboy. I also happen to be a great admirer of the game 'Pike and Shot' which 'Sengoku Jidai' is based on. Let's see how the newest use of the game engine measures up.

   Nobunaga, Hideyoshi and Tokugawa were watching a cuckoo bird, waiting for it to sing, but the bird wouldn't sing. Nobunaga says "Little bird, if you don't sing I will kill you". Hideyoshi says "Little bird, if you don't sing. I'll make you sing". Then Tokugawa says to the bird "Little bird, if you don't sing I will wait for you to sing".

 The tale above was taught to Japanese children for the longest time and may still be. This is a tale to explain the three different ways that Oda Nobunaga, Toyomoti Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu dealt with situations. These three men were leaders of armies during the end of the Sengoku Jidai (warring states  period) of Japanese history. The  Sengoku Jidai  era is usually listed as 1467-1603. Armies roamed all over the Japanese islands at this time in an attempt to make their lord the Shogun. Shogun is the short form of Sei-i Taishogun (Commander-in-Chief of the expeditionary force against the barbarians). The shogunate lasted from 1192-1867. There was still an emperor during this time, but the Shogun was the real ruler of the state.

  The game spans hundreds of years in the scenarios. It shows the change of the samurai from archers to mostly swordsmen.The actual Sengoku Jidai period takes the player from battles where matchlocks are unknown, to where they have become a decisive weapon. By the 1580s, the Japanese, especially under Oda Nobunaga, were capable of meeting a western army as equals. Under Tokugawa Ieyasu,  and his descendants, the Japanese ability to wage war was stifled in its cradle. So, by the time Perry came to Japan in 1853 he was presented with a medieval society.

 We are used to the western way of war, cavalry on the flanks and infantry in the center. The actual Japanese battle formations were actually much more complex. They sometimes resembled a marching band that spells out their school name on the field.

 The game itself comes from a mod that someone created for 'Pike and Shot'. It is published by Slitherine games. 'Pike and Shot' is a tactical renaissance game. 'Sengoku Jidai' is a tactical wargame of different eras of Japanese history. The game comes in two flavors: 'Sengoku Jidai: Shadow of the Shogun', and 'Sengoku Jidai: Collector's edition'. You can also purchase separately the DLC that turns ' Shadow of the Shogun' into the collector's edition.The collectors edition and DLC add the following: the Bjeongja Horan campaign, the Genko campaign and the Genko skirmishes. It also comes with three books in PDF form. These are 'Colonies and Conquest' army book, 'Empires of the dragon' army book and 'Field of Glory renaissance core rules' book.


 There are five modes to play in. The tutorial/historical, campaigns, skirmish, multiplayer and editor.It is a turn based game. As in, IGO-UGO. There are also six difficulty levels to learn or play against. The skirmish scenarios can be randomly generated  for hours and days of extra playtime.

 The biggest change from Pike and Shot is the addition of general units. They can influence both combat and morale. They can even be used to attack your enemies' generals.

It comes with a three part tutorial. There are fourteen historical battles to choose from, nine from the Sengoku Jidai period and five from the Imjin war ( Japanese invasion of Korea). There is an astounding six campaigns to choose from. These are Tenka Fubu, Sengoku Jidai, Imjin War, Sekigahara, Byeongja Horan and Genko. These take you from the thirteenth to the seventeenth century. Tenka Fubu is the campaign of Oda Nobunaga to conquer all of Japan. Sekigahara represents the campaign where Tokugawa Ieyasu becomes the strongest leader in Japan. Byeongja Horan is the campaign between the Joseon ( Korean kingdom) and the Manchus. Genko is about the Mongol invasion of Japan in 1281 and is non-historical because it does not have the Mongol fleet destroyed, as it was in the previous invasion attempt, by the kamikaze (divine wind).

 Multi player uses the same system as Pike and Shot and is pretty much seamless. The editor gives the player the power to create new, or to adjust scenarios as they see fit.

  Tried and true tactics win the day here. Inflict casualties and disruption with ranged fire, and then strike home with high value melee units. Keep reserves to exploit a weakness in the enemies line or to plug a hole in yours.  As in Pike and Shot, the AI is no slouch. You will be hard pressed to pull out a win in some scenarios. Make a mistake and it will punish you. Woods and broken terrain affect the movement and effectiveness of your units.

 For lovers of Japanese history and tactical wargames you can't do better. I have always wanted to destroy the Takeda cavalry as Oda Nobunaga, but understand completely why the battle of Nagashino is only playable from the Takeda side. To me, the only thing that is missing in this game is a Gempei war campaign (Taira and Minamoto war 1180-1185). Hopefully, it will be added as a DLC or a fan made mod. I have always longed to teach Minamoto Yoritomo a lesson.

  Are you fit to be Shogun? Do you have what it takes to face down Oda Nobunaga, or possibly the guy down the street? Yes, you know the one, he has a full set of life sized samurai armor in his den. Then look no further. Revel in this new release from Matrix/Slitherine.

 For people who are not familiar with Japanese military history this is a great place to start. Especially with the collector's edition added books. For those of you who only like WEGO games, do yourself a favor and try at least one of the games in this series.

 I'll leave you with a picture of Oda Nobunaga. Hopefully someone will release an English language biography that does not match the cost of a monthly loan payment on a high-end SUV. One more thing:
seppuku is the correct word for the samurai's ritual suicide. Hara-kiri just means belly slitting.

Robert

Game: Sengoku Jidai
Developer: Byzantine Games
Publisher: Slitherine
Steam release date: 19/5/2016
Review date: 30/5/2016

A study of the design process

 

If you have any interest in game design or want to know what it's like to design a wargame from your bedroom or the actual game appeals to you then give this a read. This is typical of the type of articles I want to publish on this blog.

All five parts have now been published.
 

So I'll leave with Wayne Mathias and his story of  The Singularity Trap....

 

 

 



        Why wargaming? Part One

                Okay, so I have just killed my thousandth human in Witcher 3. Why does the internet applaud
             this act, but not if I managed to destroy Meade's army at Gettysburg. In that scenario, I am a
             warmongering nut case.

 

           Most of the poor bastards I killed in the Witcher 3 were really only to test out some new sword
         or a different type of weapon for the hell of it. The limbs flying off at odd angles and the tortured
         scream of the computer animated victim were just icing on the cake. How many times have you
         reloaded that save " just once more" to kill everyone in the room just that much quicker? These
         acts are considered fine for healthy humans, but set out a map and counters and you have gone
         over the line.

            If you really think about it, our culture sees more blood and gore in one Freddy/Jason film than
         any Roman would have seen in the cheap seats of the Coliseum. Before binoculars and
         eyeglasses, it would play out like a Monty Python sketch "Sit down big nose, you can't see anything   
         anyway”.
           I used to love George Carlin; until he ranted and raved about wargaming, that is. To him, the
         idea of us "running up the casualties” higher than they had been originally was disgusting.
         Did he rant and rave about Arma or Halflife? No, just our hobby.
          Is there anything really different in trying to throw, catch or kick a ball like (insert your favorite
        sports figure). Why can’t this be compared to trying to do better, or as well as, Hannibal or
        Moltke?

           Where, if anywhere, should we draw the line? To many of us a Dresden is acceptable, but we
        draw the line at committing a Hiroshima on our computer or cardboard enemies.
          Wargaming to me is about trying to put myself as close to the situation as each game, or as I
        prefer to call it ‘simulation’, can.. Am I as smart as I think I am? Could I have taken Leningrad or
       defended Plevna better than what actually occurred in the actual battles?
         I remember Battlecry. I also remember Tactics II, but the day I first saw PanzerBlitz in all its
       glory is etched into my mind: the store, the counter, and the look, feel and heft of the box. To this
       day, a board wargame does not pass inspection if it does not feel weighty enough.

           The actual games have helped me immensely with the dry tomes we all know and love. Is
          putting a map in a book a crime in some countries? I can only draw stick figures, but it isn't that
         difficult to draw a map. I cannot understand why some authors avoid them like the plague.
          So, is our hobby just another vicarious escape hatch from reality like all others, or is it the     
         seriously demented vision that others have of us?

       I'll leave it up to you to decide. Meanwhile I will put on my Pickelhaube and fire up Fallout 4 and
      teach some supermutants manners with my minigun.
      This diatribe was brought to you by the US pharmacology bloc and was edited by the only
     person in the house that has command of the King's English.


Robert

Wars of Napoleon Review

 Napoleon and Ageod should go together like milk and cookies. Who but a French wargaming Company should get a Napoleonic game right?  Ageod has entered the fray again with The Wars of Napoleon. Their other fine games include Revolution Under Siege, Alea Jacta Est and Rise of Prussia, to name just a few. They have also produced the game Napoleon's Campaigns. Napoleon's Campaigns was never received with the enthusiasm of most of their other games. It almost seemed like Ageod's red haired stepchild on their forums and other places. It just never seemed to fit in. Let's look at their new Napoleonic game, which was just released on Steam, and see if it is a child of love or an also ran.

 May I suggest a run to YouTube, to listen to Edith Piaf sing " La Marseillaise ". If the Sparrow's rendition doesn't get you into the mood to conquer Europe, nothing will.

 With all of the Ageod games you have to invest the time to actually learn the system. Fortunately, once you have learned it with one of their AGE ( Athena game engine ) engine games, you should be all set to play the entire series. There are a few excellent YouTube videos on how to play.

 Let me state that the Ageod/Matrix/Slitherine group is one of the few on the web where you can get actual answers to your posts and questions almost immediately, and more than that, sometimes answered by the management. Their professionalism and caring show with the answers you will receive. Not too long ago, I bought an older game from the group, a 2008 game to be exact, that is still being patched and worked on. I received help promptly in trying to run the game.


 Wars of Napoleon is bought either through the Ageod/Matrix/Slitherine stores or is available on Steam, as is most of their catalog now. The installation is straightforward with either option.  The version reviewed in this game is 1.02A

 The maps are the standard Ageod eye candy. The map is absolutely huge, from Great Britain to the Persian gulf, and the Urals to Morocco. Their are tons of insets for the Americas and Asia. Fortunately, you have a mini map for quick movement. You can play seven nations in the larger scenarios. These are Great Britain,  France,Spain, Russia, Prussia, Austria, and the Ottomans.

 There are numerous ways to get the information you need, sometimes just by hovering the mouse, or clicking on the myriad of tool tips to help the budding conqueror within you.

 There are six campaigns you can choose, with the first Waterloo used as a tutorial. The complexity of the campaigns is graded on a one to five scale with five being the hardest. The Last flight of the eagle scenario   (Waterloo) is a 2/5 on the scale. The two Napoleon's campaigns scenarios are the hardest, listed as a 5/5. These campaigns add the complexity of production, policies, and diplomacy.

This is a screenshot of the start of the 1806-1807 Prussian campaign. This is includes the part of the campaign where you will have to fight the Russians. So you not only get a chance to re-fight Jena, but also Eylau, and Friedland. Just to be clear, you are fighting the whole campaign, not just the separate battles. Even the Waterloo scenario is the whole campaign in Belgium.

 Movement takes place through various regions, like all of Ageod's AGE engine games. The units are division, corps and armee (army), with attached artillery, engineers and your trains. Your units of movement will mostly be corps, separating to be able to forage etc. and combining at or right before a battlefield. Blue lines will show your intended moves. Units will also have "posture" as in aggressive or defensive with varied amounts of each. It is simultaneous movement with a seven day time span for turns.

  Your units deal with a "command cost" and "command points" system. The units' orders cost "X" amount of command points and their leader has only a certain amount of points to be able to move and fight etc.. Some units also have special abilities.

 Playing as the French, you have an edge in the beginning of the longer scenarios because of your leaders' command points and overall ability. As the years progress, the other nations leaders will reflect their growing capability and learning of how to deal with the new tactics and strategies of Napoleonic warfare.


 The key to victory is in your national morale compared to your enemies. Victory points are won or lost by the capture or loss of cities and the destruction of enemy formations. Pretty standard fare for a wargame of this type.

 In the longer scenarios you also have to deal with your nation's diplomacy, economy, and other regional decisions. These, while not as deep as some of the other nation building simulations available, are a welcome touch for a game of such breadth.

 If you so choose, you can put Europe of 1805  into more of a sandbox mode. You can opt to have randomized leaders, fog of war, and even increase the force pools. Some of these can change the entire game and make it non-historical. Players might enjoy playing by rewriting history, and others would like to follow it more closely. I am among the latter.

 I would like to see a DLC with more campaigns, i.e. Russia in 1812, Spain by itself, or the 1813 German campaign. A well done 1813 campaign is on my bucket list.

 There had been earlier reports of CTDs while playing. They seem to have been cleared up with the latest patches. I did not experience any. AI turn speed is fine for a game as complex as this one.

 So, how does this stack up compared to its predecessor? I believe His Imperial majesty would be pleased, and it fits nicely in the pantheon of other great wargames from Ageod. If you are in the mood to march to Moscow and see your army destroyed by typhus, by all means, go for it.

Robert


Game: Wars of Napoleon
Developer: Ageod
Publisher: Slitherine/Matrix games
Steam release date: 8/5/2016
Review date: 14/5/2016

Blocks in the East AAR

 



Follow Chris Buhl as he battles across Russia in Vento Nuovos well received BLOCKS IN THE EAST

BLOCKS IN THE EAST is a game of World War II conflict simulation at the strategic level.

 

It recalls the most decisive battles fought on the Eastern Front from the beginning of the invasion in summer '41 until the dramatic end in Berlin in spring 1945.

 

Although based on historical events, players can modify the evolution of World War II on the Eastern Front.

The AAR consists of 17 parts. I shall publish them in three goes. Enjoy the read!

 

 

 BITE part 1

BITE part 2

BITE part 3

BITE part 4

BITE part 5

BITE part 6

BITE part 7

BITE part 8

BITE part 9

BITE part 10

BITE part 11

BITE part 12

BITE part 13

BITE part 14

BITE part 15

BITE part 16

BITE Final Part






 

Military History books published by Pen and Sword will be reviewed here soon.

 http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/

Warbirds: Canvas Falcons is superb print and play, WWI tactical air warfare, game really deserves a full boxed version. The designer spent over ten years creating it, and it shows.  Please take a look at the AAR's to see what we mean.

He is currently working on the WWII module and is also looking for someone to develop a digital version, preferably on the PC, with AI and using the PC to enhance the game all around. There still is a definite gap in the market for a developer/publisher to focus on conversions and use the power of the PC to enhance them (not change them though). For instance, add squadron management and some RPG elements to this particular game.

Scenario 1 - First Attempt : France - 29th September 1914

Scenario 12 - End of the Fokker Scourge - France - 19th July 1914

1. Turns 1 and 2
2. Turns 3 and 4
3. Turns 5 and 6
4. Turns 7 and 8
5. Turns 9 and 10
6. Turns 11 and 12

Jasta 37 - Flight Op - Mission 1 - 28th December 1917

Scenario 41 - Hohn's Rampage - France - 20th April 1918

1. Part 1
2. Part 2
3. Part 3
4. part 4

THOMAS GUNN MINIATURE REVIEWS SOON

http://www.tomgunn.co.uk/ 

                             Waterloo Scourge of war review

 Waterloo: the holy grail of Napoleonic wargames, at least to most. It does have one thing in its favor - it was a " near run thing". To me it has been done to death, but sales run any business and Lutzen does not sell wargames, but Waterloo does. Much like that tired old horse of WWII games, the Bulge.

 Those new to wargames shouldn't fear firing it up.The game builds slowly scenario by scenario and makes it so the new player is not overwhelmed at first. It does not make the player suffer from piles or an upset stomach or the other myriads of ailments that have been suggested as having afflicted Napoleon on that June day.

 It is a realtime strategy game, but don't confuse it with Command and Conquer. You can pause the game and set it to any speed you want.

 It has the usual Matrix or Steam install, simple and easy to use. Like it's elder siblings, Scourge of war Gettysburg and Take Command Second Manassas, it has many different scenarios and levels of difficulty to help the new player or hurt the older one.

 Even if you are used to playing the older games, take the time to read the well done manual and play the tutorial. Enough has changed, for the better, that it will make your gaming time more enjoyable.

 Visually, it is beautiful for a wargame.  Of course, it's not on a par with some FPS games, but that is to be expected. I am a Napoleonic fan , but not enough to know the difference in an 1805 or 1813 Bavarian shako etc. so I will leave that to the real aficionados.

 The sound effects are very well done. The cannons and even flags in the wind are represented. The music is also well chosen and pleasing to the ear.

 There are three full option screens for the visuals etc.. More than enough for the newer top of the line computers or older more seasoned veterans.

 The Levels are as follows: Untrained, Militia, Normal, Seasoned, Veteran, Historical, and Grognard. The latter two are only available as part of HITS, headquarters in the saddle, mode. This mode only allows you to see exactly what the commander you are representing would be able to see.

 It comes with twenty preset scenarios. With the "sandbox" option and the ability to add user made scenarios, it is a game that one could easily pick to be your only game on a desert isle. Feel the need to take La Haye Sainte or march to Brussels with the Old guard (it was actually the Middle guard), then here is your chance.

 The AI opponents are top notch, as is the AI for your subordinates. You're in luck with not having to deal with a dolt of a younger brother while trying to save your empire. Multiplayer can support up to thirty two players.

 If you have played the other games in the series you will still notice the odd "dance" at times of the units. You also may at times be unable to deploy them " just right". That being said, it is a command simulation and the way your troops are shown on the screen doesn't always correlate to the action of the program under the hood.

 The new strategic layer also brings a welcome addition to the game.

 NorbSoftDev, are to be thanked for going to the Napoleonic wars, and praised for the actual game.There is nothing to compare to it at the moment. I will be reviewing the soon the be released Quatre Bras expansion, when it is released.

Robert



Game: Scourge of war Waterloo
Developer: NorbSoftDev
Publisher Slitherine/Matrix games
Steam release date: 19/11/2015
Review date: 7/5/2016

Decisive Campaigns: Barbarossa Review

In the begining there was the much liked Decisive Campaigns: The Blitzkrieg from Warsaw to Paris followed by the highly praised Decisive Campaigns: Case Blue and at the same time Vic the main man at VR designs was developing the much loved Advanced Tactics. So far his games had all been very well received especially Advanced Tactics and the later Gold version which soon gathered a large fan base and modding community. Then we waited....

First we found out a new face was developing the next Decisive Campaigns game, a soon to be heralded innovative genius, a man called Cameron. Cameron was going to be the man behind VR Designs immersive masterpiece. However before we fully understood what was coming our way Cameron drip fed us game development updates. First we found out it would be at a slightly higher scale than the two previous games, which I must admit was a little disappointing for this lover of the lower scale wargame, and next we found out its name and the period the game would cover, it's name Decisive Campaigns: Barbarossa the period, well, erm, Barbarossa, which was the name the Germans gave to the first phase of their invasion of Russia during WW2.So pretty standard fair so far wouldn't you say?  Well carry on reading....

Once the basic game info had been announced then development updates started to get more and more interesting. Slowly, agonisingly slowly each update brought us more and more information on the games new features. Features that where way more than just interesting, they where fascinating to those who started to take note on what was being developed. I was one of those who linked many times to the updates across the forums trying to get the word out. You see Cameron was trying to overcome something that I've found has been the main reason why I have struggled to enjoy wargames above say Coy scale. That something is  'Immersion'. He was developing  what I can only describe as a roleplaying element that was not just some gimmicky way to add immersion but would actually have an impact upon that  wargame itself. Here was a developer finally willing to take a risk and do something new, something innovative. Innovation has been a very rare thing in wargame development and is something I've been crying out for for awhile.

You can either take the role of a member of the German High Command or if playing as the Russians Stalin himself where you not only have to do the usual hex based wargame thing of moving your divisions in sweeping encirclements or constantly having to manage your depleted divisions as you desperately try to plug the gaps and stem the enemies advance, but you also have to manage relationships with other high ranking commanders, plus deal with all kinds decisions that  could have an affect, either positive or negative, on how successful you will be in completing your objectives. Well if all this held together it was going to be awesome, if not it would no only be bad news for VR Designs but could also put others off from trying something new and innovative themselves.

Well the game was released to an expectant crowd and boy we weren't disappointed. The way you have to deal with the chain of command by managing those important relationships plus make important far reaching strategic decisions turned what would have been a very good traditional hex based wargame into a tour de force. As soon as you start the campaign you can see that this is something different to other wargames you've played. First off there is an option asking if you want to stay within the Geneva Convention. The lets say you decide to play as the Germans, straight away you have to decide whether to go along with Hitlers plans or suggest alternatives. Soon other decisions have to be made, for example whether your going to join the "Party" or not. You'll be asked to make tough choices on things ranging from giving out a unit commendation or sorting out propaganda photo shoot to logistical decisions like worker allocations for the rail way conversions or tyre replacement priorities for Army transports. All these things require political points, or PP as they are called, and if your not careful you'll soon find you have no points left to make certain major decisions which most likely will result in a bad outcome. So even this aspect has to be thought about very carefully. Do you spend points on that tyre decision or leave it to others  in case you need those points for something more vital later? Then you have the tried and tested wargame mechanics from the two previous games. With the brilliant card driven mechanics and excellent simultaneous turn resolution. Each turn has extensive staff officer reports to go through which never become a chore and again show huge amount of detail that's gone into the game. The integration between the wargame and the new roleplay decisions making features coupled with the excellent staff officer reports and briefings creates a fantastic, exciting, immersive and  all round bloody marvellous wargame experience.

Now there are plenty of reviews of the game across the internet that show that Cameron achieved what he set out to do, not just well, but extremely well. The game has received the highest plaudits across the internet including several awards one of which was Grogheads "Digital Wargames of the Year".  There have been some minor bumps in the road along the way. Some say the map isn't particularly attractive. Others  found playing the Germans and trying to get anywhere near an historical result let alone any better to be extremely difficult. However, overall in my opinion, there is no better wargame out there at this scale. Yes there are games that cover so much more than just a small period of time during WW2 but they can't compete when it comes to immersion which DC : Barbarossa has through it's clever role play features and coupled with a great hex based wargame then you have some very happy wargamers.

At last DC: Barbarossa has been released on Steam and with this release also comes a new update packed full of improvements and new features. First off we have a new map which is an improvement of the previous one (though I still prefer a modded one you can download here). Also new counter art for those who like that sort of thing. Another great little feature is a War Diary where at the start of a game a division of yours is chosen and you'll get to read a War Diary written by a solider in that division which he updates as fighting continues. The poor chap may even get killed! This is just typical of the effort Cameron has gone to create an immersive high scale wargame.

So if you haven't already got this triumph installed proudly on your hard drive then what are you waiting for?? Go buy it!!

Jason


Game: Decisive Campaigns: Barbarossa
Developer: VR Designs
Publisher: Slitherine\Matrix games
Steam Release Date:29\04\2016
Review Date: 03\05\2016

 



Hello and welcome to all!

 

 

Just a quick heads up on recent changes to both the blog and the Facebook page. Over time the Facebook page has widened it's coverage to far more than just tactical wargames (though have no doubt, we still love tactical wargames) and now with the Blog and the many varied things I want to be able to cover the name Tactical Wargames just didn't fit any more. It really didn't represent either the Facebook page or the blog and I think could give out the wrong message. So I've taken the big step to change the name of both the FB page and the Blog. After a lot of thought and a waste paper basket full of scribbled out names I've settled on  'A Wargamers Needful Things'. I'm sure many of you will see where I got the inspiration from. For those who don't know there is a Stephen King book called Needful Things about a shop that opens and every customer finds something they just can't live without, however to be able to acquire said item they have to commit all sorts of atrocious crimes! Obviously I'm not wanting you all to go on a crime spree and feature on Most Wanted, but as I want to cover as many things your average wargamer, i.e yourself likes or is interested in I thought it was an apt fit.

 

 

Also we have a couple of new headings on the Blog. First is 'Intel' which will be a place where you'll find articles of interest covering a wide range of topics. We also have 'Incoming' which is where I will keep you all informed of what's coming up sometime in the nearish future:)

 

I'd also like to thank my previous team members for all the help they've given me during their time with TW but as we all know times move on, so I'm currently getting a new team together for the new name A Wargamers Needful Things who I'll introduce to you soon on the 'GHQ' page.

 

 

One last thing, as the Blog is in it's infancy please stick with us while we iron out any kinks. A new header needs to be designed for starters! Go to the Facebook page to enter a competition where you can win £25 Steam voucher for a winning header design for the blog!

 

Thanks for reading

 

Yours

 

Jason

 

P.S I do hope you all like the new name! Also please pass the message on that the blog has a new website address!