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The Operational Art of War: Wargame of the Year Edition is Talonsofts celebration of Norm Kogers The Operational Art of War, Volume 1: 1939-1955. Norm Koger is to wargamers what John Carmack is to Quakeheadsa terrific designer with a hardcore legion of fans. And though he was already well-respected in wargaming circles from his wonderful Age of Rifles (man, talk about a game Id like to see updated) it was only with the release of TOAW back in 1998 that he became the gaming press spokesman-at-large for the grognard community. And with good reason, too; TOAW was a very strong game. With a sturdy, deep and versatile engine that could model just about every World War II battle as well as a user-friendly editor that allowed the hardcore to create and post their own scenarios, TOAW was a big hit with gamers and the critics alike. Wargame of the Year awards poured in from just about every major publication. Since then, Talonsoft has supported the engine by following up with TOAW: Volume 2, 1956-2000 and with add-on packs for each of the games. Given the marginal status of the wargaming genre in the computer gaming world, one rarely sees a wargame spawn any sort of sequel. So its a testament to TOAWs overall excellence that Talonsoft has managed to squeeze four additional products out of the game. For those of you not familiar with the game, TOAW is essentially a PC translation of hexagon-and-counter turn-based Igo-Ugo boardgames. As the title suggests, it models battles at the operational level, which takes in a lot of roomessentially everything between the squad-level tactics of Close Combat and grand strategy of, oh, say, Third Reich. Scenarios run from battles as small as Dien Bien Phu to as large as Operation Barbarossa. While the graphics are attractive (especially by wargame standards) theres nothing here that will blow out your eyeballs. If youre expecting Starcraft in Normandy, you might want to steer clear of this one; if youre the kind of person who knows about The Gamers and GMT and still mourns the demise of the real Avalon Hill, TOAW is your sort of game. Which brings me to a point Id like to make about the Wargame of the Year Edition (in fact, about all the TOAW series)its not very beginner-friendly. This doesnt need to be the case. While the game is deep and detailed, its not really all that complex. But youd never know that from the manual, which is much more intimidating than it should be. For example, it assumes that anyone who picks up the game is going to be familiar with almost every traditional hex-based wargaming convention. If you are, you wont have much problem catching on to the games mechanics; if you arent, youll be at sea by page 9. While there is a tutorial, its located at the very back of the lengthy manual and runs only 17 pagesin contrast, the appendix on equipment data runs for 26, and the section on scenario creation for 40. This isnt to say that the hardcore information contained in the manual isnt welcome; its just to suggest that the games documentation is perhaps too slanted towards the hardcore wargamer. And thats a shame; this is an excellent, exciting, and playable wargame. A manual that included a good introduction to wargame mechanics and concepts would go a long way toward introducing newbies to the genre. And as long as Im kvetching, Im still baffled by the games 3D view. While this view works very well (and looks better) in Talonsofts West Front and East Front games, it seems a curious and underdeveloped option in TOAW, where the 2D view is very tidy and (unlike the 3D view) provides the information you need. If the 3D view is an attempt to lure non-wargamers into the genre by providing toy soldier eye candy, Id suggest the time would be better spent on that manual. The Game of the Year Edition contains a bunch of scenarios, including all the scenarios from the original game, as well as those from the Battle Pack One add-on and about a dozen new ones. Thats over 40 scenarios, and as in the Flashpoint: Kosovo Battle Pack for TOAW II, theres a real trend towards what the designers call huge scenarios and what we old-timers used to call monster games. The new scenarios include the North African Campaign, Cherbourg 44, the Falaise Pocket, Greece 40-41, Malta 42, Mortain, Operation Olympic, Overlord, and Operation Uranus. Though TOAW fans who have both the original game and the add-on pack may balk at paying fifty bucks for less than a dozen new scenarios (especially given the enormous number downloadable on web sites), I like to think of it this way: Ive paid fifty dollars for board games of one battle. Fifty bucks for about a dozen seems a pretty reasonable price. And it's just come to my attention that Talonsoft is offering a discount on the game for anyone who already owns TOAW Volume One, the first Battle Pack, or the Elite Edition of TOAW. Check out the details at their website--www.talonsoft.com. Of course, not all the scenarios are winners. This is especially true if youre playing against the computer, which is not bad at defending but pretty awful at sustaining any sort of offensive. For example, in the Dien Bien Phu scenario my French busted up a couple of early Viet Minh assaults. After that, the Reds just refused to attack, and the last ten game turns played out with my forces sitting in their bunkers staring at the Viet Minh, who just stared back. Nice way to end the war, but not very historical. On the other hand, some of the scenarios are just killer--the North Africa and the Falaise Pocket scenarios alone are worth the price of admission. So whats the final call on The Operational Art of War: Game of the Year Edition? Well, if youve got TOAW and Battle Pack One, youll have to make the call yourselfbut Id say the additional monster game scenarios and improved editor make it worth picking up. If youre a wargamer who hasnt played TOAW yet, Id say buy it now. As for me, well, I consider this to be the ultimate edition of one of my favorite games of all time. For all my quibbles, if I had to choose five games to take on a desert island with me, this would be one of them. |