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Is the Golden Age of
Tactical PC Wargaming Over?
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an article original appearing at this link:
http://www.gamesquad.com/forums/blog.php?b=432
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Tactical-level board
wargames are back in vogue, and miniatures are in resurgence. Axis &
Allies, Flames of War, ASL, Panzer Grenadier. Board wargame grogs
got their hopes up with regards to computer games in the 1980s with
M-1 Tank Platoon from Microprose, a mixture of sim and tactical
level game that took everything oh-so-seriously, despite the vector
graphics. At the time, they didn't look half as silly as they do in
hindsight.
Tactical PC wargamers then got bombarded with a lot of mostly
mediocre titles (which isn't to say they weren't fun) in the 1980s
and 1990s, like Muzzle Velocity and M4 and Panzer Generals, finally
got to the good stuff with Close Combat, Combat Mission and Steel
Panthers...
...and then all three franchises shot their wad.
After half a dozen successful titles and versions for the military,
Close Combat tried to go 3D - at least two times, with GI: Combat
and Eric Young's Squad Assault. The latest release by Matrix was a
rehash of the 2D material in a special edition of the Close Combat
franchise.
Combat Mission - had three successful titles, then tried to reinvent
itself, broaden its fan base, and please everyone in sight from RTS
fans to sim junkies to beer and pretzels grognards. They're still
picking up the pieces over at Battlefront.
Steel Panthers - three successful games, and then ended up as not
one but two freeware releases which really hadn't changed much from
the original release, a fairly straight-forward IGO-UGO turn-based
2D tactical game.
The Holy Grail - the game that would become "Squad Leader on the
computer" - has proved to be elusive.
On the Decline?
Multi-Man Publishing just put up a 10 scenario pack (with 3
mapboards) for their Advanced Squad Leader boardgame series up for
preorder. It hit 700 credit card orders in less than 3 days. For a
game with a 500 page rulebook, that you play with little cardboard
pieces, in a room with some sweaty fat dude who wants to use your
toilet and drop chips on your carpet. But there is obviously still
appeal to this grand-daddy of all tactical games. Perhaps there will
be nothing to knock it off its perch anytime soon.
The hopes of the old board gamers may not be driving the hobby
anymore, but anyone who knows the difference between the two boxes
pictured above still has a vested interest in the future of
tactical-level PC games. Panzer Command has released its second
title, and developer Erik Rutins has been busy on his own forums, at
gamesquad, and other places around the internet taking notes,
interacting with the gamers, and adding to his to-do list. Will he
be the one to decide where the future of tactical wargaming on the
PC goes? Will Panzer Command become "ASL for the computer" as some
are intimating here at gamesquad's forums?
Or do we really need to have the ability for squad-sized units to be
able to swim, ride horses, climb cliffs, rappel down buildings,
interrogate prisoners, set fires, clear rubble, ad infinitum?
My Question To You
I finally found my first edition purple boxtop at auction, and
though the contents were fourth edition, the box is pure 1st
edition. What is the most prized possession in your boardgame
collection? And why?
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