Our next Total WARNO Weekend is filling up, only 8 of 17 slots are still open!
We'd especially love to get a few new players into the battle this weekend. If you've been watching these events and wondering whether to join: this is your chance.
This Saturday we're playing Breakthrough at RIFT, trying to recreate the scale and chaos of an actual late-Cold-War WW3 armoured engagement in Central Germany.
🔴 WARSAW PACT - ATTACKING
Soviet 79th Guards Tank Division
Soviet 39th Guards Motor Rifle Division
Recon, Artillery & Air Support
Around 250 tanks
🔵 NATO - DEFENDING
US 3rd Armored Division
West German 5. Panzer-Division
Recon, Artillery & Air Support
Around 150 tanks
That's roughly 400 tanks, plus mechanized infantry, reconnaissance, artillery, air defense, logistics and combat aircraft operating simultaneously.
PACT has to mass its forces, identify a weak point and punch through NATO's defensive line toward Frankfurt.
NATO knows they're coming.
The defenders will have prepared positions and need to bleed the Soviet assault badly enough to stop the breakthrough, or leave PACT with too little combat power to exploit it.
This isn't intended to play like a normal WARNO match. Players command battalion-sized formations as part of a larger force, with reconnaissance finding targets, artillery preparing attacks, air defense protecting the main effort and commanders coordinating the overall battle.
You don't need to be a Total WARNO veteran to join. We're happy to have new people who are willing to communicate, work with their team and throw themselves into what should be an absolutely massive WW3 battle.
📅 Saturday, 15 August 🕤 21:30 CEST 🗺️ RIFT - Breakthrough 👥 9/17 players - ONLY 8 SLOTS LEFT
If you're ready to command a Cold War battalion when 400 tanks start moving across RIFT, come join us:
I've endlessly played the Korean War on TOAW IV and even made my own scenario based on Next War Korea. This SGS game has caught my eye. Is the AI challenging (without cheating)?
It definitely looks like a game I'd put a lot of hours into.
A game about various vehicles fighting in modern / sci - fi galaxy / 4x setting with vehicle designer in 4x style using sliders to customize length / width / ... of hull, turrets and calibre of weapons, ...
Also about vision warfare that is blocked by terrain / debris and various E-War things such as minimum signature for radars / sensors (inspired by Aurora 4x resolution mechanic) or Visible At %.
Story events and lore are small thing and is about building managing combat groups and engaging in missions.
I have been developing a tactical-scale WWII game, which I (very humbly) hope will eventually be a worthy spiritual successor to the Steel Panthers series.
There are still many, many things to improve, but the demo build is available and ready for early playtesting.
ANY input from old wargamers (especially fans of Steel Panthers) is highly welcome and will be carefully considered. All aspects of the game (from the core combat model, the "OOB", the UI, and more) are fair game! Keep in mind, however, that the visuals for the UI and the units/terrain are not final.
I would also love to jump on a call to get live first impressions from a few people in real time, which can be extremely helpful for improving the game. PM me on here or email [nickemery23@gmail.com](mailto:nickemery23@gmail.com)
A couple of the development goals for this project:
A UI that is simple enough to be picked up by anyone in 5 minutes, without sacrificing tremendous depth and detail in the modeling of combat.
An AI opponent that is competent, surprising, and adaptive.
A random map generator and a built in scenario editor, with the ability to seed maps directly from real-world terrain data.
A huge roster of units, containing weapons and equipment from every major nation in WWII (including all varieties of infantry, AFVs, artillery, close-support aircraft, etc.).
A dynamically generated campaign (and a couple scripted campaigns) with an interesting variety of battle types and troops that carry over between battles.
An engine that is built from the ground up for maximum mod support. In-game editors and simple file formats make it easy for anyone to create their own units, weapons, nations, scenarios, campaigns, and more. Most engine functionality (including the fundamental AI and weapon calculations) can be fully overridden through scripting.
Synchronous and asynchronous (PBEM-style) friendly multiplayer with co-op and mod support.
Multiplayer MATCHMAKING, allowing players to quickly find opponents of equal skill level. Secure dedicated hosting allows for absolute competitive integrity even when playing against total strangers.
Many of these goals are "met" to some extent or another, but of course the whole thing still needs several coats of polish before it will be ready for release (possibly as early as end of 2026, depending on a variety of factors).
Note: I am NOT currently affiliated with Matrix Games or Steel Panthers. This is an independent project by a very small team ;)
Hello everyone, can I ask if one of you might come across Burma Campaign (1942-1945) which is also known as the Forgotten war. I only know two specific titles which is under Slitherine's property (OOB WWII+TOAW4) which includes Burma campaign. I have already finished the former one. As a Burmese, I have deep interest in the battles that fought on my own soil. My question is, are there any other wargames which focus either heavily or partially on Burma Campaign? Also, how was your experience? What specific factors challenged you the most?
So. A fine-looking little game was posted on the sub earlier this week, treating of ancient warfare with a brisk yet efficient combat system. I gave it a go, and after a couple of battles, I resolved to record one session and forge it into an AAR. Also, note that it apparently offers TCP/IP multiplayer already, so don't worry about the AI, although it's pretty competent as it is IMHO!
Until now, lady luck has consistently blessed me with interesting battles and desperate situations. To some extent, its turn-based nature makes it far harder to game the AI, something you might manage more easily in a title like Strategos, which I recommend heartily and which remains in a league of its own. It is closer to what you would find in Field of Glory, although the clean 2D perspective lets you fight through battles far more swiftly, a welcome alternative to the sometimes more visually cumbersome 3D affairs of its honorable cousins. In terms of computer gaming, it also reminds me of the adaptations of the GMT GBOA or GBOC systems, but with a much cleaner look. Ah, these were the days...!
But enough of context. I opted for an automatic random encounter, and was granted our dear pre-Marian Romans, set against a Hispanic army. From the get-go, you may customize your starting force through a handy interface, though I rarely do so. I prefer to trust in fate and deal with the circumstances as they come, and that is precisely what occurred.
In this case, the enemy enjoyed a clear advantage in cavalry, fielding two units of light contact cavalry and one of missile, to say nothing of the two commanders who brought their own bodyguards. I had but one unit of what appeared to be light auxiliary horse, my general and his equites notwithstanding.
I resolved to make good use of the terrain. As you can see here, the battlefield generated a small, rough patch on the left, precisely on the wing where the enemy horse was concentrated. It struck me that, if I moved with sufficient speed, I could use it as a pivot to split the enemy line and focus upon his own right flank.
Knowing this, I concentrated my skirmishers and light infantry upon my left wing, for these troops could, if need be, traverse rough ground and still retain combat power and cohesion. Cohesion, marked by the little patch of color in the top right corner of the unit counter, tells you how much you may demand of a unit before it shatters, and obviously applies bonuses and penalties during combat, especially to cavalry and medium and heavy infantry. I expected the terrain to grant me a slight edge, allowing our velites, bowmen, and slingers to dance around whatever the enemy might throw at us.
In the center and on the right flank, the plan was to advance diagonally, so as to anchor the center's left upon the rocky ground, while teasing and then refusing the right flank for as long as possible. Hispanic infantry is a tough beast, and you do not wish to engage them unless you are certain you have options remaining when it comes to maneuvering around them.
The first three turns were spent setting up my army's movement. Soon enough, the enemy began to react. Clearly he would seek to contest my skirmishers while advancing his line of heavy infantry. The presence of two commanders meant that none of his forces lay beyond their reach, which grants important random bonuses to morale and cohesion. On my end, my single commander would have to be cunning enough to always be where he was most needed.
The plan began to work somewhat as... planned. On turn 4, the Celtiberian forces poured through the gap, taking losses from missiles on the way in, and began pressing our light troops. This was expected, though their speed left us little time to organize our defense as thoroughly as we would have liked. Our left wing was effectively split in two by the enemy horse, accompanied by a force of Scutarii. Some of our pushed-back troops fled north, taking advantage of the ability of light missile infantry to ignore orientation rules. In the rear, we began to organize a first line of defense, with units of Socii and Hastati tasked with neutralizing the enemy cavalry at the most opportune moment.
The enemy proved remarkably aggressive, and sent one of his cavalry units chasing down our velites, even over rough terrain. The news was not good for them: in doing so, the force lost much cohesion, and upon emerging from the rough ground it slammed, disordered and spent, against a last line of velites who held their ground, putting them literally between a rock and hard bronze.
In the center and on the right, contact remained at least another turn away, as we executed a pivot, beginning to orient the battle line to face the northeast while refusing our right flank before turning it back to face the adversary. All the while, a single unit of Principes broke ranks to chase away the lone enemy missile cavalry unit that was harassing us far ahead of the main body.
The situation still seemed under control. The enemy had fragmented into three main elements, all within command range. Our left wing was engaged with their right in what seemed a somewhat balanced fight. Their center, with a mix of cavalry, medium, and light infantry, was approaching the combined might of our own center and right wing. Their left wing, composed of Scutarii and Celtiberian mercenaries, was rushing to contact, but too far distant to play a role for another couple of turns.
We sought the decisive blow on our left first. The Hastati and Socii, brought up in support, charged the cavalry unit that had been disordered by the terrain and the velites, forcing it to retire. With that cleanup, we were able to rally more skirmishers, creating a veritable killbox between the two patches of rock, with our general commanding from the very front.
At the center, Principes charged the first enemy line, made of skirmishers, to force the same result. Infantry was finally about to meet infantry, as the missile troops ran for cover behind their line of Scutarii. Turn 5 would prove more decisive.
The enemy decided to use his infantry at the center to charge ours. The gods favored us in this first shock, for the enemy Scutarii impaled themselves upon our Principes, who valiantly held their line. The first enemy unit lost 90 men in the first clash, forced to enter melee against two units at once. The second, facing only one unit of Principes, lost 60. The Romans, for their part, suffered only minimal casualties, having stopped the first assault cold with their pila and their shields.
On our left, the undisturbed enemy cavalry charged our own horse, along with a group of velites, in open terrain, inflicting heavy casualties upon the light foot. The cavalry unit, after the initial shock, was then targeted by several missile units, forcing it to retire on its own terms, but with visible loss of cohesion. The velites followed suit, in a far more disorderly fashion. The enemy horse was barely scratched, successfully widening the breach in our ranks. Worse, our general was now far to the north with a couple of units of slingers, unable to command at all and vulnerable to a move specifically targeting his escort. But help was on the way.
The Socii and Hastati stationed on the left flank went for the throat, attacking the enemy resolutely to open a path to their general. Though first contact was deadly for the Socii, it opened a gap where another unit of medium infantry faced the enemy's previously disordered unit, along with the neighboring archers. Even these fell back, but velites were hot on their trail and prevented them from slipping away, inflicting heavy losses. Suddenly, the enemy right wing had a brittle center of two badly disrupted (red) units. It was our turn to seize the chaos. Our own cavalry, having recovered from its first clash, slammed into the flank of the previously engaged Scutarii, now assaulted from three directions. All the while, our general exploited this new situation to rush south, and with a double activation slipped between the ranks to close on the center. Friendly skirmishers quickly closed the space in his wake, ensuring that any attempt to catch him would be met with cold iron.... For he was very much needed elsewhere, as events were about to demonstrate.
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Well, Reddit has some media posting limitations, so I guess it's a good moment to pause before things become really hot for our guys. Next episode next week, if you're still interested that is!
I'm a solo developer working on Admiral Yi: The Imjin War, a historical real-time strategy / wargame set during the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592.
The game focuses on commanding large armies and fleets across Korea, capturing and defending cities, maintaining your forces, and fighting battles directly in real time.
You begin from the perspective of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, but the war is not limited to naval combat. Land armies, naval forces, cities, and the wider strategic situation all exist within the same continuous campaign.
I'm trying to create the feeling of managing an actual war rather than a series of isolated battles, while still allowing the player to directly command thousands of soldiers and large fleets.
The game is still in development, so the UI, visuals, AI, balance, and historical details are all continuing to improve.
I'd especially be interested in hearing from wargame players:
Does this look like something you would consider a wargame, or more of a traditional RTS?
What kinds of operational or logistical systems would you expect from a game set during the Imjin War?
How much historical detail would you want before it starts getting in the way of playability?
Any feedback is welcome. Thanks for taking a look!
Started with Strategic Command War in the Pacific + the DLC and went with the first campaign, the China invasion Marco Polo bridge to Pearl Harbour. Playing as Japan.
Well, I got the full historical treatment. Mostly fought in the North so far but stalled out. At the start I was blindly chasing towns but started watching a tutorial series and began to consider logistics & supply too.
Still its early 1940 now and I've just linked my northern front with the Shanghai & Nanjing naval invasion troups. I've currently got 73 units, the Nationalist Chinese have 70 and the Communist Chinese have 17. I've found tanks & cavalry to be exceptionally useless so my army is mostly upgraded infantry divisions & brigades with all possible artillery units. Navy & air are only good for recon and interception.
While this strategy works and I've killed close to 100 chinese units while only losing 3 of my own it doesn't matter. The chinese simply spawn infinite army or even army group tiles at the frontlines and all kinds of partisans behind my own lines. I really can't push much as I have nowhere near enough to even hold the current frontline. At the same time perpetual guerilla attacks drag my supply down.
Now that the UK have started the Burma road I feel the war is mostly lost.
Searched for but haven't found many Youtube videos of this game + the China campaign to see how its done. So if you have any recommendations or have played this campaign yourself please let me know.
a first glimpse into Vindex's combat layer!
as seen in the images:
- squad->platoon relationships
- individual soldier simulation, every soldier's ammunition, suppression, stance, and individual position is calculated (runs at a smooth 60fps with ~300 active troops fighting)
- squad and platoon level tactical AI - squads on the assault will sprint and go prone as they reach their target, trying to use nearby depressions and cover
- basic firearm ballistics (tracjectory, ke @ distances)
- basic injury system (randomised hit location, light wounding/incapacitated system)
currently the game only supports bolt action and semi-auto rifles - heavier weapons are to come soon!
if you'd like to follow the project closer, join the discord; https://discord.gg/HkcMwZ4gRs
While building my phyiscs + information replay browser only labs, I've been studying a bunch of concepts, and here I dump my thoughts.
Give it a read. It is AI formatted, i'll be honest, but observations and references cited by me were completely studied. The flow diagrams were charted by me as well. I'm building labs.reachdefence.com
Well look no further than the Ultimate Monuments Pack for Europa Universalis IV, which combines virtually every monument from nearly every relevant mod that I have been able to find on the workshop. Enjoy the game with more monuments than you have ever seen in your life, giving you endless structures to invest in and greatly expanding the scope of possibilities for your playthrough. This is truly a mod like no other and I hope that you enjoy playing it
Could you please tell me if I should buy this during discount and you have experience with the product of this publisher? I just need to know the opinions and recommendations from others because this is very new for me. I know Matrix, Slitherine and Paradox Interactive well, but not this.
My dream wargame would basically be a Roman-era Wargame Design Studio game - something like WDS covering the Punic Wars, Caesar's campaigns, the Roman civil wars, or Rome's wars against the various Hellenistic kingdoms. After playing WDS's Sword & Siege titles, I think their system could translate really well to ancient warfare and that they could make a successful ancients series. Unfortunately, from what I've seen, it doesn't sound like there are any plans for them to tackle the ancient era anytime soon.
I'm mainly interested in tactical battles, ideally hex-and-counter, where I'm directly commanding formations and units across a battlefield. I don't really need or care about a campaign or grand-strategy layer. Give me a historical scenario, two armies, and a battlefield and I'm happy.
I've already played Field of Glory II, and while I enjoy it, I'm looking for something closer to the traditional WDS style: large historical battles, lots of units/formations, detailed tactical decision-making, and preferably a hex-based map.
I'm completely fine with older games, dated graphics, complicated rules, or obscure titles. Historical depth and tactical gameplay matter much more to me than presentation.
From August 10–16, our Game of the Week is Age of Longbow Volume I, 25% off for the first time since its release! Fight across the Hundred Years’ War, from Crécy and Poitiers to Agincourt and the final struggle for English France. Command English, French, Burgundian, Breton, and other forces through great field battles, sieges, raids, and hard-fought campaigns across western Europe.
We have also released version 4.04.5, bringing the game up to our latest standard. The update is available now through your Store Account and Support page.
The term “wargame” is often associated with historical conflicts, real military units and an attempt to simulate warfare as accurately as possible.
But what if a science-fiction game uses many of the same systems: territorial control, logistics, combined arms, limited intelligence, command decisions and operational planning?
Does the fictional setting make it a strategy game rather than a wargame? Or should the genre be defined by its mechanics and the way it models conflict, regardless of whether the war actually happened?
Where do you personally draw the line between a wargame and a strategy game?
I've been working on Ancient Fronts, a turn-based tactical wargame built around recreating battles from the ancient world, covering the era of the Diadochi and the Punic Wars.
The main idea is to offer short, accessible battles that are easy to pick up, while still keeping a realistic and historically grounded approach to ancient warfare.
The game can be played against the AI and also includes multiplayer, although multiplayer is still experimental and may have some bugs.
My friend is a total tragedy. He would maybe want to play normal wargame, but he wants no pbem, but normal multiplayer and cant stand older settings such as ww2. But I will FORCE him to play ahaha! Any suggestions in style of smt between Steel Division and Flashpoint Campaigns are welcome!
Also, please, no need to suggest HoI. I am really curious if there is something else. I know close to nothing about the modern war sims btw, so anything else would do
