OOB and the new Strategic Command

Order of Battle is a series of operational WW2 games starting with the Pacific War and then on to Europe!

Moderators: Order of Battle Moderators, The Artistocrats

Post Reply
WarHomer
Sergeant First Class - Panzer IIIL
Sergeant First Class - Panzer IIIL
Posts: 395
Joined: Wed Mar 05, 2014 12:12 pm

OOB and the new Strategic Command

Post by WarHomer »

Has anyone tried both and how do they compare?

Would a player who loves OOB (and before that PC) enjoy and find the new Strategic Command similar in gameplay/-style?
PoorOldSpike
Colonel - Ju 88A
Colonel - Ju 88A
Posts: 1589
Joined: Sun Aug 08, 2010 6:06 pm
Location: Plymouth, England

Re: OOB and the new Strategic Command

Post by PoorOldSpike »

I haven't got Strategic Command at the moment because I don't really want yet another WW2 game, however I'm tempted to buy it because according to the write-up (below) it's got an editor that would allow us to create scenarios in other time periods, quote-

• Very active modding community eager to share their developments with other players, whether it be changing the look of the map or designing new campaigns, even covering conflicts in other time periods, there is a lot there!
http://www.matrixgames.com/products/product.asp?gid=777

I'll make enquiries to see if there are mods available for it that would allow us create the Korean war, Nam, Arab-Israeli wars, Desert Storm 1991, Russia vs Ukraine, Starship Troopers etc..;)
terminator
Field Marshal - Elefant
Field Marshal - Elefant
Posts: 5847
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2011 12:48 pm
Location: the land of freedom

Re: OOB and the new Strategic Command

Post by terminator »

I've got Strategic Command but I haven’t played much. What I can say is that it has nothing to do with order of battle : produce units, research, politics and diplomacy... It looks more like a management game.
I’m talking about the basic game, there are mods that can change the way to play.
You can download the manual (298 pages for world at war !) :idea:
PoorOldSpike
Colonel - Ju 88A
Colonel - Ju 88A
Posts: 1589
Joined: Sun Aug 08, 2010 6:06 pm
Location: Plymouth, England

Re: OOB and the new Strategic Command

Post by PoorOldSpike »

terminator wrote: Thu Jan 10, 2019 3:42 pm...politics and diplomacy... It looks more like a management game..
Aargh that's a game-killer for me then, I'm more of a Worf-type warrior character than a Picard-type diplomat..:)
calmhatchery
Captain - Heavy Cruiser
Captain - Heavy Cruiser
Posts: 943
Joined: Wed May 30, 2012 4:52 pm

Re: OOB and the new Strategic Command

Post by calmhatchery »

I have both!!!! I really like STRATEGIC COMMAND III Europe at WAr and WORLD AT WAR !!!! For me one of the best strategy turn games :)...I highly reccomend
Compare is no make sense because STRATEGIC is more "global" OOB is only short section from the frontline. I very much like both of them...
GUNDOBALDO08
Sergeant Major - Armoured Train
Sergeant Major - Armoured Train
Posts: 569
Joined: Wed Jun 14, 2017 5:07 pm

Re: OOB and the new Strategic Command

Post by GUNDOBALDO08 »

Could be an idea to collegate two games, strategic leve with SC and when player do battle starts an OOB scenariao... as happens between Field of Glory and... I dont remember the name of game but is the strategic leve of FOG
terminator
Field Marshal - Elefant
Field Marshal - Elefant
Posts: 5847
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2011 12:48 pm
Location: the land of freedom

Re: OOB and the new Strategic Command

Post by terminator »

GUNDOBALDO08 wrote: Fri Jan 11, 2019 2:03 pm Could be an idea to collegate two games, strategic leve with SC and when player do battle starts an OOB scenariao... as happens between Field of Glory and... I dont remember the name of game but is the strategic leve of FOG
Strategic level of FOG = Field of Glory: Empires

FoGEmpires_Box_3D_170.gif
FoGEmpires_Box_3D_170.gif (21.18 KiB) Viewed 4672 times
CoolDTA
Master Sergeant - U-boat
Master Sergeant - U-boat
Posts: 534
Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2014 11:52 am

Re: OOB and the new Strategic Command

Post by CoolDTA »

I have the Strategic Command WWII: War in Europe and it is an excellent game - easily on par with OoB. Like calmhatchery said SC and OoB are quite different in scale though both are turn-based which is what I want. Note that you can pretty much skip the diplomacy part in SC if you want. If you invest in diplo you can get for example Sweden or Spain on your side, but then again you can just lose your MPPs (=RPs in OoB).

The World at War is very similar, but I'm still hesitant to buy it because I don't like the reduced map scale. Otherwise it looks very nice. I suggest you take a look at the Let's Play -videos in YouTube to see if the game is of your liking (I recommend LPs by The Wargame Strategist (ex Night Phoenix) or Paradogs Gamer).
WarHomer wrote: Thu Jan 10, 2019 10:04 am Would a player who loves OOB (and before that PC) enjoy and find the new Strategic Command similar in gameplay/-style?
Enjoy? Definitely. :)
Nelson1962
Private First Class - Opel Blitz
Private First Class - Opel Blitz
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Nov 18, 2016 9:02 pm

Re: OOB and the new Strategic Command

Post by Nelson1962 »

Just had a game crash where units were randomly attacking friend and foe. Has anyone experienced this and what can you do?
PoorOldSpike
Colonel - Ju 88A
Colonel - Ju 88A
Posts: 1589
Joined: Sun Aug 08, 2010 6:06 pm
Location: Plymouth, England

Re: OOB and the new Strategic Command

Post by PoorOldSpike »

Nelson1962 wrote: Fri Jan 11, 2019 11:37 pm Just had a game crash where units were randomly attacking friend and foe. Has anyone experienced this and what can you do?
Which game, OOB or Strat Command?
bru888
Order of Battle Moderator
Order of Battle Moderator
Posts: 6181
Joined: Sun Jan 10, 2016 5:39 pm
Location: United States

Re: OOB and the new Strategic Command

Post by bru888 »

Nelson1962 wrote: Fri Jan 11, 2019 11:37 pm Just had a game crash where units were randomly attacking friend and foe. Has anyone experienced this and what can you do?
If it's OOB, post here: viewforum.php?f=372

If it's SC, post here: http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tt.asp?forumid=1703

Always, the more descriptive you can be, the better the chances of being helped. Aside from which game, tell them what campaign/scenario, what you were doing when the problem occurred, and include screen prints if available.
- Bru
bru888
Order of Battle Moderator
Order of Battle Moderator
Posts: 6181
Joined: Sun Jan 10, 2016 5:39 pm
Location: United States

Re: OOB and the new Strategic Command

Post by bru888 »

By the way, I've looked at Strategic Command. I like it. It seems to be a better alternative than Hearts of Iron which I could never get into for two reasons: 1) Complexity. It's supposed to be a game, not a full-time job, and 2) It's too graphically intense. By that I mean not blood and guts but too many units and too much animated movement causing stuttering which would drive me crazy.

To answer OP, though, I don't think you compare SC and OOB. SC is strategy which is way beyond what OOB encompasses. Yet OOB is a nice compromise of getting into individual unit combat without going all the way down to the level of Company of Heroes. I like SC for what it does and OOB for what it does.

So, in SC I find that I am one of those players who, if you cannot have the animation quality of OOB, prefers to use NATO counters. When I turned those on, and tweaked some other graphic settings, I found myself greatly attracted to SC. That's even before diving into the nuts and bolts of the game which are substantial! (A side-product of this is a renewed interest in TOAW IV as well.)

screen.jpg
screen.jpg (892.18 KiB) Viewed 4577 times

There are more than 360 pop-up images in the game, such as these:

Image0159.jpg
Image0159.jpg (384.65 KiB) Viewed 4577 times
Image0158.jpg
Image0158.jpg (318.27 KiB) Viewed 4577 times

This type of immersion is one of the things I like about OOB and which I make frequent use of in my own creations.

All that said, I would recommend Strategic Command WWII - World at War (disregard previous versions which they push along with it; why bother?). I can say this here in good conscience in that I don't think SC and OOB are in the same category of war games and therefore are not competitors. Panzer Corps 2 will be OOB's nemesis if it ever gets out of the Developer Diary stage.
- Bru
Halvralf
Sergeant First Class - Panzer IIIL
Sergeant First Class - Panzer IIIL
Posts: 389
Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2018 10:13 am
Location: Sweden

Re: OOB and the new Strategic Command

Post by Halvralf »

bru888 wrote: Sat Jan 12, 2019 5:02 pm Panzer Corps 2 will be OOB's nemesis if it ever gets out of the Developer Diary stage.
Hear, hear!!!
"They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance."
PoorOldSpike
Colonel - Ju 88A
Colonel - Ju 88A
Posts: 1589
Joined: Sun Aug 08, 2010 6:06 pm
Location: Plymouth, England

Re: OOB and the new Strategic Command

Post by PoorOldSpike »

As a matter of interest a game called 'Klotzen:Panzer Battles' is being advertised on Steam due for an 'early 2019' release, here's a publicity screenshot and it looks almost exactly like OOB to me, except there don't seem to be any fluid supply line graphics-

Image
terminator
Field Marshal - Elefant
Field Marshal - Elefant
Posts: 5847
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2011 12:48 pm
Location: the land of freedom

Re: OOB and the new Strategic Command

Post by terminator »

PoorOldSpike wrote: Sun Jan 13, 2019 10:16 pm As a matter of interest a game called 'Klotzen:Panzer Battles' is being advertised on Steam due for an 'early 2019' release, here's a publicity screenshot and it looks almost exactly like OOB to me, except there don't seem to be any fluid supply line graphics-
Klotzen:Panzer Battles seems to be located between PanzerCorps and OoB WWII.
Is it 2D or 3D ?
WarHomer
Sergeant First Class - Panzer IIIL
Sergeant First Class - Panzer IIIL
Posts: 395
Joined: Wed Mar 05, 2014 12:12 pm

Re: OOB and the new Strategic Command

Post by WarHomer »

I´ve looked a bit at Klotzen, but it seems a bit rough graphically.
CoolDTA
Master Sergeant - U-boat
Master Sergeant - U-boat
Posts: 534
Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2014 11:52 am

Re: OOB and the new Strategic Command

Post by CoolDTA »

bru888 wrote: Sat Jan 12, 2019 5:02 pm Hearts of Iron which I could never get into for two reasons: 1) Complexity. It's supposed to be a game, not a full-time job
That sounds like most of Gary Grigsby's games (War in the Pacific, East, West etc.). :lol:
PoorOldSpike
Colonel - Ju 88A
Colonel - Ju 88A
Posts: 1589
Joined: Sun Aug 08, 2010 6:06 pm
Location: Plymouth, England

Re: OOB and the new Strategic Command

Post by PoorOldSpike »

terminator wrote: Mon Jan 14, 2019 4:49 am Klotzen:Panzer Battles seems to be located between PanzerCorps and OoB WWII.
Is it 2D or 3D ?
Klotzen looks to be 3D.
BTW regarding Panzer Corps, I don't play it much anymore because the graphics seem drab and boring compared to OOB's colourful style.
A 'Panzer Corps 2' was announced almost 2 years ago but it's been 'in development' ever since then (yawn)..
Another game I've got my eye on is 'Close Combat: The Bloody First' which is 'coming soon' and is the first of the Close Combat series to feature oblique 3D graphics-
http://www.matrixgames.com/products/product.asp?gid=686
PoorOldSpike
Colonel - Ju 88A
Colonel - Ju 88A
Posts: 1589
Joined: Sun Aug 08, 2010 6:06 pm
Location: Plymouth, England

Re: OOB and the new Strategic Command

Post by PoorOldSpike »

bru888 wrote: Sat Jan 12, 2019 5:02 pm..Hearts of Iron which I could never get into for two reasons: 1) Complexity. It's supposed to be a game, not a full-time job, and 2) It's too graphically intense. By that I mean not blood and guts but too many units and too much animated movement causing stuttering which would drive me crazy..
Agreed..:)
When I began computer gaming 35 years ago (after years of boardgaming) it was fantastic the way the computer took on the chore of combat and supply calculations for us, and all we had to do was order our units to "go here, go there, kill, don't kill" etc.
But sadly since then most developers have forgotten that computers are supposed to do the heavy workload, so we're back to square one having to do much of it ourselves again, so I've got many computer games gathering dust on my shelf because they're far too unnecessarily complex for me.
Post Reply

Return to “Order of Battle Series”