Small maps, fewer turns

[Artaud]

Originally Posted by Double_Deuce

I actually prefer smaller battles (company size). This limits some maneuver since you do not have a force for flanking, etc but it can make for some nice, small fights. Being an old SL/ASL boardgamer, this size better suits my playing preferences anyway.

I'm an old SPI 1970s wargamer, and I always felt more comfortable with games I can complete within a reasonable amount of time. Monster games can be fun--on the computer and on a tabletop--but one can get lost in all the details. I find it easier to care about my troops when I can see many of them on my monitor without zooming all the way out.

I generated an Ethiopia vs Eritrea battle with my little Capital City map (see the Map section of this forum ), and somewhere near the Interior Ministry (I think) one of my scouting Panhards got immobilized by some Eritrean infantry. I tried for a couple of turns to reach and rescue them while they tried to fight off repeated assaults, but alas, they were eventually destroyed with no survivors. It's kind of hard for me to feel that closeness when I'm playing a huge map.

I have, however, been tempted to play the Stalingrad campaign in winSPWW2.

But it's more likely that I will copy a section of the map and use it for smaller "generated" battles.

Company-sized battles are nice, but a couple of companies (at least) of infantry (I like mech because I like APCs) plus a platoon of tanks is really fun. I do like to have flanking forces, ad hoc task forces, etc.

[Lt. Ketch]

Originally Posted by Artaud

I have, however, been tempted to play the Stalingrad campaign in winSPWW2.

But it's more likely that I will copy a section of the map and use it for smaller "generated" battles.

I just finished a generated campaign in SPWW2 designed around a company sized force in Stalingrad on a 20X30 map. (Read about it in the AAR "Letters from Stalin's City" in the WW2 forum.) It was a challange at times, particulary when I had a special delay battle after taking more causatlies than I wanted to (granted, anything over 0 is too much ). I ended up trying to perform an organized withdraw while under fire.

I found with the small maps that there doesn't seem to be as much strategy as with larger maps since it vastly limits manuverability, which I see as a big part of tactics. I found that my units linded up across the map and advanced or just sat in the buildings, double stacked, and waited. I do like how they play faster though.

[Artaud]

I really enjoyed your AAR. The style was perfect. I noticed that the father was writing to his son. Since the son was also in the army, it made sense that the letters should discuss the battles the father was involved in.

I may use that format if I ever decide to do an AAR of my own.

The map size you chose may be a little small for me, but I find that with small-ish maps I get to know my troops better. It's easier to understand the overall battle. Plus, on larger maps it can take a long, long time to complete a turn, with so many squads to move and so many op-fires to resolve.

I love the large maps that come with the game and the ones being made and posted here, but playing with them just takes too much time.