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Wargaming Resurrected As Indie Gaming Staple?

Posted by simoniker on from the appeal-becoming-more-selective dept.

Thanks to DIYGames.com for their editorial discussing why PC wargames, formerly a mainstream genre, have been reborn in "the quiet and underground world of online marketing and word of mouth." The author points to companies such as Battlefront and HPS as offering good-quality indie wargaming, and suggests that "Wargames tend to have low costs for technological research and development meaning that more attention can be paid to the initial setup and scenario design. This is not the type of stuff that sells well in a screenshot or magazine preview. But it is the heart and soul of a good wargame."

3 of 15 comments (clear)

  1. The OLD Days by jazman_777 · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Nothin' like the old days: paper maps and cardboard counters and dice and charts. Just don't let the kids near!

    --
    Slashdot: Failed Car Analogies. Amateur Lawyering. Anecdote Battles.
  2. Re:Battlefront by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Second that on the community. The Battlefront forums are second only to slashdot in terms of passionate debate. Unlike slashdot there isn't a ton of crap and trolls to wade through. And the guys who make the game are very active in the forums as well.

    Their technical support is eh, but their customer support is the best I've ever seen. They own up to their mistakes and correct them however is best for the customer. Case in point - the strategy guide for Combat Mission Barbarossa to Berlin was filled with some incorrect numbers and stats, etc. Rather than dick the customer over, everyone got a second edition for free, no questions asked.

    I never really got into Tac Ops, but CM rocks. Download the demo - in addition to an amazing game it's nice to deal with a decent company for a change, who seems to understand that a great product and cutomer service is the best way to make money.

  3. For beginners.. by mutewinter · · Score: 2, Insightful

    If you never were into wargames in the past, I'd highly recommend you check out Battlefront's Combat Mission. You get impressive (ok, it aint Doom3) 3D graphics, and turn-based WWII play.

    I know alot of wargames can be visually very boring, this one is not. In Combat Mission you issue commands to all your units and then for 60 seconds they play out their commands. In this period you can't control them. Basically this means you get to watch all the action -- and cringe -- as one of your tanks gets hit (plenty of detail.)

    What am I saying, go download the demo.