Panzer Campaigns: France '40

Despite its fame, the German conquest of the Low Countries and France in May 1940 poses enough difficulties for game developers that very few games attempt to model it. The campaign was so quick and decisive that popular wisdom holds no real alternative outcome was possible. This line of thought holds that the Allies were fighting World War I again, making a defense against the Blitzkrieg impossible.

Recent scholarship, though admitting German superiority, shifts this focus. Researchers claim that, rather than re-fighting World War One, the French and British ignored the mobile warfare they successfully waged in 1918. Moreover, their strategy of moving to the Dyle River would have been the proper response to the strategy the Germans were preparing until March 1940 when a fortuitous plane crash forced the Wehrmacht to accept Manstein's “Sickle Cut" plan. Given these considerations, a good game design can provide a system where players can change Allied doctrine and tactics in a believable way. The latest entry in HPS and John Tiller's Panzer Campaign series, France '40, tackles this daunting task with an extraordinarily fine assist by David Guegan.

Installation from the CD is smooth with the usual install wizard and takes up 280 MB of hard drive space. The games's stability is rock solid. However, one occasional problem shared by all Tiller games is that artillery, melee or gunfire sounds go into an endless loop. Saving, exiting and re-starting solves this problem.

All documentation is available either from an on-screen, drop-down menu or by printing files from the directory. Each scenario has three documentation files. The “General" file is actually an elaboration on the inter face while the “Users Manual" explains game mechanics in detail. Each of these entities is broken down by content, topic indices and a very helpful “Find" function. Every scenario also has its own parameter data file showing specific movement, terrain and combat values for that particular battle. In addition campaign notes help with historical background and tactical hints. The scenario and Order of Battle editor each has similar documentation. Players who prefer printed manuals will be disappointed and players unfamiliar with the system may be puzzled for a few minutes when looking to answer a specific question. The “Getting Started" file stands as a fine introduction to the game. On the whole, the system works well.

France '40's interface will be familiar to any player familiar with Tiller games. Left-click selects and right-click moves and assaults. Fire is accomplished by right-clicking the target with the CTRL key. This game adds two welcome additions to movement options. Selecting a hex with a unit and then right-clicking with ALT on a destination moves the unit's division there after the turn. Selecting the unit and using the same hotkey combination puts the division into transport mode and moves the division immediately. Hotkeys or menu icons change unit modes, toggles terrain features, displays unit status, calls up artillery and air dialogues while controlling zoom levels. A menu bar mimics the icons and provides more detailed commands and viewing options. The overall feel is smooth and easy when the player settles on the options he prefers. Players new to the system may get confused at first going from one style of commands to another.

Like all Panzer Campaign games, France '40's scale is two hours per turn, one kilometer per hex and has units at battalion/company scale with values for morale rated from A to E, numerical fatigue values, transportation modes and weapon systems. Engineers are specialty units for bridging and obstacle operations. A new unit is introduces with glider-borne troops carrying hollow charges to take out Eben Emael. Transportation mode allows a unit to take advantage of roads and bridges at the cost of combat effectiveness. Divisional integrity can also enhance or degrade effectiveness. Attacking infantry and armor units can either fire or assault into adjacent hexes depending on the amount of movement points they have left; defensive fire is usually automatic, although a manual option exists. Combat results are increases in fatigue that lower effectiveness, loss of men, retreats, and morale decrease ending in units disrupting and breaking. Ranged artillery and air strikes can be called into soften the target. Terrain effects on movement, stacking and related issues can be found on the scenario-specific parameter data table.

Supply and command values are interrelated and crucial, affecting ammunition and fuel levels. Units need to trace paths back to either their headquarters or supply sources. Each hex has a local supply factor for each side. The highest headquarters unit tests for "in command" status each turn using their hex's supply values. If the random roll against that value is positive, the next level of headquarters gets a bonus for its own supply roll and so forth down the chain of command. A break in this chain of rolls or moving outside of command range means a unit rolls on supply unaided. Failure to be supplied leads to low ammunition and fuel. Being out of command range also means units' morale is more fragile and chances of losing disrupted or broken chances are smaller. Variations on supply rules include global values, supply sources and virtual trucks.

If these supply and command rules seem tedious, they nevertheless go to the heart of gameplay. The May 1940 campaign was a very strange combination of circumstances now clouded by myth. The Germans had material advantage only in the air. The Wehrmacht had logistical problems, were outnumbered and had to win quickly; its major advantage being skilled leadership at field grade levels. The Allies had the advantages of numbers, fortified positions and defensible terrain. Yet these advantages were more than offset by bad training, bad doctrine and bad communications. France '40 simulates these conditions with excellent Orders of Battle, well-researched Tables of Organization and Equipment and ingenious ways of handling intangibles. The German superiority is shown by giving units a higher morale number balanced against a short time from for victory and dwindling local supply values as the spearheads advance. The Allies' bad training and doctrine is seen in their usually low morale value. Bad communication is finessed by having most of their units fixed at the start of scenarios.

This approach to modeling the situation is visible in the games three full campaign scenarios (two hypothetical) and twenty-two (five hypothetical) shorter scenarios. The shorter scenarios cover critical moments in the campaign and fascinating “What Ifs." Victory is obtained by capturing objective hexes and maintaining a favorably casualty ratio. Unfortunately, the AI is not good enough to give players truly meaningful ways to handle their side's advantages and disadvantages. While it plays defense well in the shorter scenarios, the computer opponent seems to be allergic to assaults on vital objectives. On the campaigns and larger scenarios, the AI seems completely stultified. Fortunately, LAN and PBEM games are easy and fun to do.

The Allied disadvantages were not inevitable. Players can wipe two decades of sloth away by using the scenario and order of battle editors. Units can be “unfixed" and have their morale ratcheted up. In this way, a whole new panorama of play is opened.

The maps of France '40 cover the area from southern Holland through northeastern France ending around the Somme river. Four levels are provided with the first two being board-like 2D with NATO unit counter symbols. Overlays provide shading for command and movement ranges as well as line of sight and terrain contours. Unit status can be toggled on and off but the resulting red outlines can be hard to see. The two lower levels show terrain in 3D with bridges, obstacles, building and fortifications. These views are helpful in figuring out intricate tactical situations. Optional unit views are 3D counters with values printed on them and rather bland generic figures of men and equipment.

If some player find the maps vanilla, the hex info boxes should save the day. The depiction of unit equipment and uniforms sparkle while still giving important information clearly. Right clicking in the box brings up detailed and valuable unit and terrain information. All in all, players will primarily play on 2D maps while keeping an eye on the hex info box. The small jump map showing the entire map is invaluable for larger scenarios.

The sound in France '40 fits well into the game. The background sounds of battle are not intrusive and provide a nice atmosphere. The grinding noises of movement and the booming clash of battle give the needed audio feedback for actions. Thomas Hook's medleys in the victory screens are worth both winning and losing to hear.