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Post by Stanenberg on Dec 20, 2017 12:27:32 GMT 1
Hi,
recently I have been working ona list of every bk map/mod/addon available so i can pick random maps/mods to play from it. I dont want to focus on kursk only and miss all the other BK maps which are out there!
Essentially this thread will be used to review/comment on the stuff i play. If the creator of the content is still active, great, i can give some feedback. If not, i can recommend or not recommend maps to you fellow BK players. There is also a bunch of threads out there like "whats makes a good map for you" or "what do you expect from a map", so i want to write about some aspects in mapping and mission design too.
So, long story short: in this thread i write reviews to random maps/campaigns/addons/mods and whatever i get randomly from my list of maps.
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Post by Quintaxel on Dec 20, 2017 13:10:05 GMT 1
Interesting. Is still struggle with map making. It's not as much the editor or creating the layout of the map but rather creating a scenario an putting the units on the map. It's also the part of map making that doesn't really appeal to me. Once the scenarios are clear (objectives and what is expected from the AI) then the fun part can begin, the scripting. So I hope to learn here.
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ricz
General-major
Blitzkrieg the best damn wargame period!
Posts: 725
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Post by ricz on Dec 20, 2017 22:32:46 GMT 1
This does sound interesting...Cool thread Stanenberg  |
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Post by Stanenberg on Dec 21, 2017 3:53:40 GMT 1
Hi,
first of all, thanks for your comments. I didnt actually expect anyone to be interested in this.
Anyway, the first entry might come a bit as a surprise but well...its random maps so it can be anything!
Burning Horizon Main Campaign Review
Yes, the good old Burning Horizon Rommel Campaign. Has been a while since i played it! Since its a very popular Addon i dont think i need to describe what the addon and the Campaign is about. I mean cmon, it might be a while, but you all played this.
So, Burning Horizon is one of LaPlatas Addons and an absolute classic. LaPlatas concept for their addons was to make interesting and fun maps instead of adding a ton of new graphics and totally new gameplay like for example Mission Kursk.
The Campaign structure is really nice, starting with easy maps and getting harder and harder untill the final Normandy map (although most campaigns have a rise in difficulty like that). Its around the perfect difficulty when you are a new player who just finished the Vanilla Campaigns.
What astonishes me everytime when i play Burning Horizon is how every map has a special kind of tactical gimmick. These gimmicks can be different in nature: sometimes you can chose between Airsupport or more Tanks or you get a hint how to outflank your opponent. Most of these gimmicks are centered around historical events and give a really nice historical flair to the maps without the addon being 100 % accurate when it comes to units. For example the Maps set in France in the first 2 Chapters have different ideas that mostly encourage quick suprising advance and tactical tricks, usually associated with Rommels advance in France. Similar map designs try to simulate the warfare in northern africa, for example you can use fake tanks (El Agheila Airport) or you get information on a weakpoint in the enemy line that you can exploit with a quick attack (Bir Hacheim).
This also makes the Maps unique and fun to play. Its not just "take a, hold b, take c", like we see on many maps.
Graphic wise the map is just fine like most of LaPlatas work. The Mapping is not great, but its defenitely on vanilla standards. Difficult scenarios like Italy were handled quite well mapping wise.
Of course the addon is not perfect: The biggest problem for us veterans (or at least for me lol) was the low diffculty. As said earlier, BH is aimed at relatively new players who just finished the vanilla campaigns. I played the first 8 maps in one day and could have easily continued at that speed, although i have to admit i like to play very fast. Now this is a problem with us players though. An actual problem in the addon is how some of the gimmicks dont work as planned and on some maps it takes some trial and error to figure out what to do (on some maps like St. Valery and Maginot line, its almost impossible to win without taking out the enemy artillery with bombers first. If you dont know that...well..., another example is the very first map that can be very frustrating if you not quick enough to intercept enemy reinforcements. On some maps you can make choices, but one of them makes the map very very hard like taking the Tiger tank on the Kasserine map). Also in terms of mapping there sure is better work out there. Most maps are pretty plain and simple without complex designs (although there are some execptions), nothing too great there. Same with the new units, which are hardly noticable in game since they are pretty close to the original models.
Overall i would say Burning Horizon is a pretty nice addon, especially for new players. But maybe some veteran enjoy some of the creative ideas in the missions or might just enjoy it for the nostalgia.
Ill give it a Solid 4/5
I wont be able to play BK during Christmas so it might take a while untill i post the next one.
Did you like the style of the review? I will usually try to pick out a certain element that seems special to me in the certain map/campaign i play and that makes it unique.
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Grot
General
Posts: 4,055
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Post by Grot on Dec 21, 2017 13:44:42 GMT 1
Gut
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Post by feldgrau on Dec 21, 2017 20:24:39 GMT 1
hä...? sehr gut!  |
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Post by Quintaxel on Dec 21, 2017 21:50:30 GMT 1
Nice review, critical but open minded and unbiased. A couple of screenshots to illustrate the comments would be nice. Good thread, keep it going Stanenberg |
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Post by Stanenberg on Jan 11, 2018 4:10:39 GMT 1
Played more LaPlata stuff! Red Star La Plata Bonus CampaignDownload: www.geocities.jp/kwx50/lbk/Chapter_and_Campaign.htm#RedStarThis was one of the bonus campaigns released by LaPlata. Notice that it is for RT and GD not just RT. I had trouble with the installation. Since its LaPlata again, its pretty similar to the other LaPlata works. Its nice to see the development in LaPlata addons from their first addon Burning Horizon untill Panzerkrieg. While Burning Horizon uses few new units and very simple gimmicks and scripted events and leaves the player with a lot of freedom what to do, Panzerkrieg has maps with massive amounts of units and on a lot of its maps, its pretty much set how the map is to be played by the gimmick. Red Star is kind of in between these two. What came to my attention first is the absolutely massive amount of units on both sides in almost every map. Not my cup of tea, i already disliked the huge amounts of units when i played Panzerkrieg. The scripted events take a lot of the tactical freedom that you normally have on BK maps. You dont really have to be creative where to attack/how to defend. The scripted events tell you how its done. I have the feeling the older addons, especially Burning Horizon was more simple but a lot smarter than these mass battles. Sure, its spectacular, but mostly its pretty easy and just about where to put the mass of units you get. Its a pity that LaPlata never actually tried making a Soviet Campaign in the style of BH or RT. 1st Map (Moscow): Too easy for my taste, but its the first map. Maybe its easy to attract new players? Mapping looks quite decent. 2nd Map (Kursk): Defending part of stupid, uncreative and easy. The AI just rushes endless waves of tanks that quickly get destroyed. No combined arms with Infantry or Airforce. The Counterattack part is tricky and more fun but the player doesnt really have any tactical choice except frontal attack. Mappingwise, some villages seem to lack roads/paths entirely?? Looks a bit off. Weakest Map out of the 4. 3rd Map (Bagration): The most fun map. Gets a bit boring after the starting gimmick (no spoilers ). Really nice mapping. Best map out of the four. Could be a bit longer and more complex though. 4th Map (Seelow): Huge battle with masses of the heaviest tanks and artillery and whatever you can imagine. The start is tricky and fun, after the AI lost its terrain/position advantage you just sweep the map with your masses. The gimmicks are too scripted for my taste. I want to play, not let the script do the job for me. Overall score 3/5Im really not a fan of the huge amounts of units and the heavily scripted events that take away tactical decisions from the player. Still a solid addon and recommend for everyone who likes the other LaPlata addons! Edit: Forgot screens. Only made one. Still pretty representative what the chapter mostly looks like.  |
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Post by Quintaxel on Jan 11, 2018 7:57:48 GMT 1
Another well written review! You're good at this Stanenberg . So I'm not the only one who doesn't like huge battles with lots of units.  This is a matter of preference of course. I am surprised though that you say that Panzerkrieg has a massive amount of units on its maps? I experienced PK as well balanced but then I have a limited frame of reference. |
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Post by Stanenberg on Jan 11, 2018 14:07:55 GMT 1
Thanks for the comment!
Concerning Panzerkrieg: It sure is well balanced, but when you compare it to other LaPlata addons there is so many units on the maps! Especially on the later ones
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Grot
General
Posts: 4,055
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Post by Grot on Jan 11, 2018 15:19:27 GMT 1
Gut
but I cant install damn thing
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Post by Stanenberg on Jan 11, 2018 17:29:03 GMT 1
To install Red Star you need a working RT installation. You can get Rolling Thunder with the Blitzkrieg Anthology for around 5 € on steam. You also need the service pack Gold, but if i remember correctly its already included in the Anothology RT version. Now you also need Green Devils which is a bit harder to get than RT. Then you download it and run the installer!
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Post by warzkins on Feb 17, 2018 20:57:30 GMT 1
Im waiting for more juicy reviews!
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Post by Stanenberg on Mar 11, 2018 0:30:53 GMT 1
New Review. Well, i played some Brendel stuff. I guess most of you know im not the biggest fan of Brendels addons. Brendel is a german one man company that makes Blitzkrieg addons and sells them for 25 € on their website. The owner of the company has frequently been in conflict with the German Blitzkrieg community due to various reasons. Although I am biased towards Brendels content i will try my best to keep the review as neutral as possible! Beyond Overlord Review [addon by D.Brendel Software]"Beyond Overlord" is an Addon by D.Brendel. It contains one chapter for the German side with 5 maps and a campaign on the allied side with 21 maps. The German chapter is set in Normandy while the allied campaign is covering the whole war in the east from Normandy untill the Rhine Crossing. The addon also has very few "new" units and buildings of dubious quality. prntscr.com/iphspyI dont even want to make a lengthy description about all the different maps since there are way too many of them and they are all medium sized (10x10 - 15x15). The maps from the German chapter are reused maps from the allied campaign that kind of let you play the other side of a previously played mission. Pretty cool idea if you ask me [being biased i just assume that Brendel used the same map twice to have more missions without having to actually make a new map layout]. Mappingwise, the maps are of "okay" quality. All terrain is generated with random fields and the villages are decently detailed. Some maps feature special terrain features like the flooded terrain in the early d-day paratrooper maps, but all in all the maps are pretty standard. It doesnt really look good, but its not terrible either. Cut roads can be seen everywhere on the maps...urgh... Flooded area, the idea is good but it just looks meh. Cut off water doesnt help prntscr.com/ipi03wThe Mission design is really standard and boring. Its always "take A, defend B, take C" type of maps. The AI is incredibly linear, there are no surprising scripts or unexpected events. Maybe its because i am a quite experienced bk player, but the addon seems incredibly easy to me. When the AI counterattacks you get a huge amount of time (usually 10 minutes or even more) and then the AI attacks with only a few tanks which are destroyed in seconds and you essentialy wasted 10 minutes of your time waiting. The maps are not per se bad, they are just incredibly boring to play. The change of region and scenario (normandy/attacking, ardennes/defending) changes almost nothing about the mission buildup - its still "defend A, take B, defend B". The weak AI and the uncreative and basic scripting add to the boringness of these simple maps over time. The new units and buildings are glitched and dont really add anything to the game. Except for the new "AT-soldiers", who are basically snipers but with panzerschreck/bazooka and a ridiculous range (they outrange infantry and even some tanks). In conclusion its not really bad, but its all very amateurish and basic. Now if this was a community made chapter I would probably say its an "okay" campaign/chapter which needs some improvement. But thats exactly my problem with Brendels content. Its not community made and its not free. Maybe some of you remember my rage-review of the WW1 addon. Well that thing at least has tons of new content like objects, units etc. This (and most of Brendels addons) is just a bunch of basic maps below vanilla level and it costs 25 €... Just think about it. 25 € is a lot of money for an old game like Blitzkrieg already. But for a bunch of lower class maps without any additional content? Nope! My suggestion is you do not buy this addon [and since i am biased i do think that none of Brendels other addons are better you shouldnt buy any of the other addons either]. Qualitywise i would give it a 1.5/5. Its really boring and repetitive. There is not a single good or innovative map in the campaign/chapter. The new ideas like flooded areas or playing maps on the opposite side remain unused for any gameplay improvement. |
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Post by Quintaxel on Mar 12, 2018 21:06:37 GMT 1
Another fine review Stanenberg . Judging from the screenshots this Brendel add-on is sloppy work and charging 25 Euro is simply a rip-off. If after reading this review someone still decides to spent 25 Euro then at least he or she knows what to expect. |
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This is a matter of preference of course. I am surprised though that you say that Panzerkrieg has a massive amount of units on its maps? I experienced PK as well balanced but then I have a limited frame of reference.
