D Day +1 Spearhead

[Michael Dorosh]

I believe the Close Combat series did something like that with their Normandy, and Market Garden games.

Yes, they did. Their model was not a great one, with the goofy point purchase system for forces, tiny battles and the repetitive back and forth over a handful of meticulously crafted maps. It was good for its day and I enjoyed it, but it definitely had its shortcomings then and in hindsight probably even more now compared to what is possible.

It's well you bring it up; I'm not positive what I just described would avoid those traps now that you mention it (i.e. repetitive battles over the same terrain) but a fixed or semi-fixed (and short) time limit would be a start, as well as more realistic force mixes.