To be completely fair, Tobruk has little to nothing to compare to "real life" either. ( nor does SL or ASL). All three and many other good wargames are just that design for feel GAMES. We all enjoy them because we enjoy the challenge of a good game, and that is likely the reason we all play them for years or decades past their original acquisition.
I agree with you, to each their own, but I shudder at the thought of someone making a conflict simulation that even approaches the reality of armed conflict. ( And I hope no one ever tries to, truth be told.)
ATS is just Critical Hits' manifestation of the "squads and leaders" idea from the early 1990s. They incorporated "changes" they felt were needed, " additions" they felt ASL was missing, and " deletions" that they felt ASL was ponderous because of. It is in the end just another design for feel tactical level wargame. Either one enjoys the minutiae or not.
KRL, Jon H
Well, to clarify, when SL came out back in 1977, it was revolutionary as a game. In my memory of that time - only Tobruk tackled the same small unit level combat (for WW2 anyway).
That being said, there were aspects of Tobruk I always felt were superior to what SL offered.
1) Such as the ability in Tobruk for infantry to drop to "Full Cover", protecting them from infantry direct fire;
2) Tobruk kept track of individual squad losses instead of
Full Squad/Half Squad/ Eliminated..and that was determined by ...morale?
3) I prefered Tobruk's system of armor vs penetration statistics - compared to SL (and I think Yaqunito's series of '88', Panzer, and Armor was the best overall - but I think it was still a refinement of Hal Hock's Tobruk system).
That was just a few quick examples pulled from the dusty archives of memory some 40 years back.
To be certain, SL had many nice touches - such as the importance of exceptional Leaders and the Morale Check/Break mechanics that entered into the combat psychology aspect of results.... And of course SL (and later ASL) covered a much wider field of action. Perhaps the biggest seller to SL was (and don't laugh - commercially this really matters) - It was Much Prettier.
But on the other hand, SL/ASL never gave you a realistic TO&E (big example: Infantry squads always had an LMG in each squad for it's base of fire power, ... too many things along this line to lay out here - not necessarily saying Tobruk was better - I don't remember...but I always hated that about SL/ASL), so in other words - without the actual TO&E done at the squad/platoon/company level - you can't make it tactically work like real-life conterparts did... (a Lonnng time ago I was an infantryman [not a combat veteran...NO CIB] so I have an understanding how things work)
I always wanted a more complete marriage of the two systems - for more of a feel of reality, or perhaps better stated as - more plausible outcomes that would reward you for playing more as your real counterparts would act....(at least in my mind).
As for the horror of real war...fa'gettaboutit. Never possible to do in a game - nor would it be much fun....so that's not what I meant earlier (but your point is taken).
Cheers