Field of Glory PC game

I have been playing this PC version of Field of Glory for about three months now. It is a computer war game that is based on the now well-known Field of Glory table top miniatures rules for ancient wargaming. But, for those of you who have been exposed to the miniatures rules and have found them to be a a bit daunting in scope and complexity, please do not think that of this PC game.

I would venture to say that this PC version is somewhat loosely based on the miniatures rules. It does use the same fundamental method for resolving combat but all that is handled by the program. It is very easy to select and move units. The interfaces are all very intuitive and it is extremely easy to start playing right away without studying anything. Its really just a simple matter of selecting a unit with your cursor. The area around it then lights up to show where it could possibly move to, and then you just click on any highlighted hex and it goes there. If the selected unit is a missile firing unit the yellow range circle appears on the map to show all the areas it can possibly fire at. At the same time, all the enemy units that are potential targets for either a missile attack, or a charge, suddenly display icons that allow you to then shoot at them or attack them. So it really is just a simple point and click system. The program comes with a very nice, easy to use, easy to understand, built-in manual that you can call up any time to study.

You can play against the AI or you can play by email against human opponents. The AI is good for learning the game and practicing a bit. The real beauty of the game is the play by email(PBEM)system. You will want to play the game this way because the AI will not be much of a challenge for you after a while. The game appears to have become quite popular. There over 1200 people that are participating in the PBEM system and it is quite easy to find someone to play against. You can issue, or accept, an open challenge or you can set up private games controlled by password access. There is no subscription fee or payments of any kind for using the PBEM system. Anyone who registers a valid game license is free to play as much as they want.

The basic game comes with quite few set scenarios that you can play by yourself or with someone else. There are now three supplements that have come out for the game with a fourth on the way. Each supplement provides even more scenarios and they also provide army generators that allow you to build your own armies and then use them.

I realize that this is a not a tabletop miniatures game, but let me tell you, it sure goes a long way toward satisfying that gaming itch when you know that your next miniatures game might be a month or more in the happening. Through this game I have established a relationship with a very nice gent in Australia (and I live in Virginia!). We have been playing back-to-back games against each other for two months now and it has been lot of fun for both of us. It's nice to come home, fire up the computer, see what he has done to me today, and then see what I can do to pay him back! All this doesn't take much time either, you can play out a game turn in about 15 minutes!

That is all I want to say about it for now. This is not intended to be an exhaustive review of the game. I just wanted to get the word out that I think this game is a real gem that more people should try. I think you will really like it.

As far as I know there are only three ways to buy this game. The first would be to order or download it from Slitherine.com in the UK where it was developed. The second would be to order or download it from Matrix Games. I personally prefer to order mine in disc form from Strategypage.com because I like their prices and free shipping.

Tin Soldiers: Julius Caesar

This is yet another article on a computer game, but, like "Tin Soldiers: Alexander the Great" (see my previous article from July 2005), this one is unique in that it tries to present the look and feel of a table top miniatures game. I ordered this game from http://www.strategypage.com(it is a bit cheaper there) even though I had only just started the first game in the series which is based on the career of Alexander. I had heard that the Julius Caesar game ushered in some improvements to the game system so I wanted to try it right away. Now that I have started playing the Julius Caesar game I am "hooked" on it and I need to play it all the way through before going back to Alexander. So, what is different about it? The biggest change is that you can select between three different difficulty levels. The main criticism of the Alexander game is that it is just too hard. Another change is that you can now select and play any of the battle scenarios as "one of" battles instead of playing through the whole campaign in sequence. In my opinion it is better to play the game as a campaign. It gives you the challenge of managing your forces over an extended period of time. Best of all, the campaign system is not strictly linear. In the first phase you can pick which battles against the barbarians you want to fight. The idea is to build up sufficient prestige points to force the Siege of Alesia scenario to come up. Getting past the Alesia scenario will take you into the second phase of the campaign which is the Roman Civil War. This idea of picking which battles you want to fight during the campaign is a real plus. That means that when I start a new campaign I won't necessarily be playing the same scenarios all over again! Another improvement that I really like is that the "figures" appear to be sharper and more detailed. I like the fact that they collected and painted armies of 25mm Wargames Foundry figures as an inspiration for the computer code writers. Now, about the difficulty level. While it is true that it is not too hard to be successful playing on the "Easy" setting, you will discover that you still have to employ good, and clever, tactics in order to succeed. Let me give you an example. One of the battles I selected was "Ariovistus," which is where you get to try to push the Germans back across the Rhine River. In my first attempt I spread my cohorts out across the width of the "table" and advanced. I quickly found out that I was vastly outnumbered everywhere, and even on the "Easy" setting I was in a hopeless situation. At any point in a battle you can hit a "Restart" button and start over, which is what I had to do here. This time I massed as many units as I could, and also my best units, on the left flank. When the battle started I attacked aggresively on the left while refusing the right. This worked perfectly, by the time the warbands on the German left had finished marching across the "table" to engage my right flank, my left flank had crushed the German right. This brought the numerical parity down to about one-to-one, which meant that the remaining German units where doomed. It was very gratifying to say the least! Right now I have made it to the Siege of Alesia, which is a real rollercoaster ride. It seems hopeless, but so far I am holding out. Let me close by saying that I highly recommend this game for any computer gamer or tabletop gamer; both will enjoy it. If you are trying to choose between this one, or the Alexander game, get this one first. I'm having a great time with it and I will probably write more on it later. In the meantime, if you want to see more "eye candy" go here.
Good Hunting!
"Bwana Bill"

Tin Soldiers: Alexander the Great: First Impressions

UPDATE!

Guest Blogger "Bwana" Bill is back!

UPDATE ON TIN SOLDIERS: ALEXANDER THE GREAT

Since my first article I have now played out the first three battles. It has been a very intense experience! The first battle, Thebes, isn’t too bad, but the second and third battles, Granicus River and Issus, are really hard. You go right down to the wire with both of them wondering if you will be able to eek out any sort of “victory.” With Granicus River I was able to pull it off, but with Issus I wasn’t. This seems to be one of those games where you will have to replay each battle at least once in order to “get it right.” There is a lot of “fog of war” built into this game and by that I do not mean just hidden enemy units, you also do not have an appreciation for the ground you are fighting on when the battle starts. Let me give you examples. When Granicus River starts it is apparent that you need to fight you way across the river. What I failed to realize during the set up, and first few turns, is that there are only two places where you can cross the river. I had to discover all this by trial and error after the battle had started. Fortunately, I still had time to recover from this and slog my way across the two fords. It was brutal, and I lost well over half the army by the time it was over. In the Issus battle I was aware that there were two points on the field that needed to be captured and held, but somehow I missed the fact that there was a third, which I only discovered by accident when the game was almost over. I also think that perhaps the game is set quite a bit harder than “real life.” For example, about half way through Issus a classic show-down developed between Alexander and his household cavalry, and Emperor Darius and his scythed chariots. Darius was defeated and killed, which from my reading of history would have caused a severe blow to the morale of the entire Persian army. That didn’t happen this time! Far from it! There were about 9 fresh Persian units right behind Darius and they came on like a swarm of angry hornets. As a matter of fact it was so overwhelming that I had to put the entire left flank of Alexander’s army into a full tactical withdrawal. All this is not a condemnation of the game though. The battles held my interest and I was quite emotionally involved. It takes about 3 to 4 hours to play just one battle and I was not able to tear myself away from the computer to get the sleep I needed for the upcoming work day. After all, I didn’t think I would be able to sleep until I knew the outcome! I just need to discover the secret to winning. I suspect it might have something to do with replaying each battle until you get a result that gives you enough money to upgrade the “training” of all of your units. I already know for sure that you have to replay each battle at least once, just to learn what-all you are up against in terms of enemy units, terrain, victory objectives, etc. I let you know how it goes, IF I am not battle fatigued before much longer! I tell you one thing for sure; I am already NOT looking forward to the Indian war elephants that I know are going to come up at the end of the campaign!

Editors note: Thanks Bill!



Special article by Guest Blogger "Bwana" Bill

This article is about a computer war game. Why write about a computer game in a table top blog? Well, the approach this game takes is worth mentioning in a table top setting because it tries to give you the feeling that you are playing with lead miniatures painted and mounted on movement stands! This is a good deal for those of us who sometimes get frustrated by a lack of opportunity to “push lead.” The figures even appear to be 25mm to my eye. One amusing little touch you will notice is the trees, which appear to have the same round plastic bases that you see in the hobby store variety! Also, during a battle a big “hand” descends to remove stands when they are eliminated.

I broke the game disk out of the package and started playing right away without reading anything. The manual is on the disk and I did not feel like printing it or trying to study it on the screen. Nevertheless, I was able to play the first battle all the way through and win it just by experimenting with the interface, which is pretty easy to figure out. I believe that “intuitive,” is the computer term that would apply here.

Even though the game looks like you are playing with 25mm tall pieces of lead, you still get the benefits of a computer game. By that I mean that movement is not “my move, then it’s your move.” You input you orders then indicate when you are done. Movement then happens somewhat simultaneously with the units having higher initiative ratings going first. That does not mean that you are always a helpless spectator after pushing the “Done” button. A third of the way through the turn play stops for a Reaction Phase during which the computer may give you a chance to issue new orders to units who meet certain qualifications. In addition to this, you are allowed to assign units to a tactical reserve status before the turn starts. This means that when the Reserve Phase comes up you can issue orders to them after you have had a chance to see what is happening. I like this approach, it is a good compromise between real-time strategy games (which I have never really cared for) and taking turns. I like the ability to reflect on the situation before making decisions as opposed to frantically scrolling and clicking here, there, and everywhere like a maniac! But that’s just me I suppose.

Another computer benefit that you get with this game is “fog of war.” Enemy units are revealed to you only after your units are able to spot them. The program actually projects a swirling mist; simulating “fog of war,” not weather conditions, over the areas of the battlefield that you can’t see clearly.

Right now I am studying the manual and I intend to re-play the first battle before moving on into the campaign. Other reviews I have read say that the AI is quite challenging, so I prefer to understand the mechanics and nuances of the game better before moving on. IÂ’ll let you know how it goes.

Editors Note: Thanks Bill! I'll have to try it out! If you are interested you can buy this game from the www.strategypage.com store.