Advanced Tactics World War II

Two years ago, I broke with my usual policy and reviewed a freeware game in depth. Victor Reijkersz’s People’s Tactics struck me as a game having mechanics on par with some of the better retail games. Mr. Reijkersz declined taking money for his product but teamed with Matrix Games to develop Advanced Tactics. The result, a tool kit for many levels of World War II action that can expand to other eras, is certainly more polished. The question, however, is if, by adding more features, the charm of the first game was lost. If some simplicity has disappeared, the new game’s depth and elegance of play compensates for it.

Spice in the Potato Salad

Advanced Tactics’ title is misleading as its concepts stretch beyond mere tactical concerns. The many facets that compose the levels of conceptualizations are explained in depth via the 134-page manual. The manual could be better organized by explaining key concepts before going into the interface; in fact, playing a few turns helps makes sense of the manual instead of the reverse. The tutorial and training scenarios make the important points clear.

The graphics are an unusual mix. The main map is a dull 2D presentation of games dating back fifteen years. Cities are ovals with lumpy buildings and terrain is bland; terrain within a hex is described by a thin info strip at the bottom of the map. This blandness is compensated by fantastic BMPs of the terrain in a side info bar that also shows hex properties such as the number of reconnaissance points needed to see into the hex, the number of stack points it can hold, victory points and if a zone of control is exerted into it.

Similarly, troop counters on the map have simple silhouettes of their dominant troop types and combat power. Things brighten when a counter, usually representing a division, is clicked. The unit’s sub-formations – divisions, regiments, etc. – show up in a large info bar below the map. This bar shows pictures of the weapon platforms as well as the parent formation’s supply situation and its state of morale, action points, readiness and entrenchment status. The major attributes of the sub-formation are shown here also but clicking on a picture brings up a screen showing all five major attributes, 33 other attributes and how well it can attack or defend against a myriad of weapon platforms. This screen also shows a larger image of the sub-formation and is where it can be upgraded or disbanded.

Sound is well-done with the appropriate battle sounds when the player moves or attacks. Other players’ attacks are marked by sound only during the otherwise mute and blank interstice. A visualization of opponents’ moves is done via an optional VCR-like playback at the beginning of the player’s turn.

Finish Your Iron Rations Before You Fire

Formation size, hex scale and time scale varies from one scenario to another, but one element remains constant: supply. Movement, combat and simple existence in the field depends on units’ supply status. Many games reflect supply but none in such a plausibly authentic way as in Advanced Tactics. Supply in this game is best conceptualized as an inverted pyramid. The apex of the structure is a city or a supply point. Either one produces or funnels supplies and reinforcements to a HQ where they are stored or parceled out. In small scenarios, one HQ may be all that is needed, but more sub-HQs are needed in most situations as the flow of supply is attenuated by distance. These sub-HQs serve as secondary pumping stations to assure an ample supply train. Normal supply is handled automatically but manually supplying a unit is facilitated by trucks.

At the bottom of the structure are combat formations. Each formation has a base value indicating supplies it can carry and use if cut off. However, use of action points for fighting and moving cost supply which, in turn, decreases readiness. A drop in readiness triggers a request for more supplies from the rear. The amount it receives is dependent on supplies it has in stock and its readiness level. Players can also limit supply to formations if a more critical area requires more of this limited resource. Naturally, enemy units can cut off supply by sitting on routes. A side with air and sea superiority can automatically inflict supply losses. The supply situation is always dicey so players are well advised to use the supply overlay on the map and keep an eye on the amount of supply requested and received for each formation. Isolated units can still be nourished through air drops if transport aircraft are available and if enemy interceptors don’t down the aircraft. Naval units carry their own supply and must replenish in a port.

HQs also serve as clearinghouses for reinforcements. Clicking on the “Transfer” button brings up a window showing what forces are available. A click designates the formation and a slider sets how much of each reinforcement type is sent. This procedure is done with each type, pointing out the large number of clicks required to play the game. Entire formations can be transferred using the “Strategic Transfer” function, a feature expedited if the HQ has trucks, troopships or other transport vehicles available. This system of supply, reinforcement and transfer replicates the logistics required to fight even the smallest of operations.

Many other factors figure into a unit’s ability to function. Staff officers in HQs lend bonuses and increase morale; winning battles increases morale and experience; a mixture of troop and equipment types create a truly combined arms feel. All of these factors go into the abstract Combat Power value seen on the counter. However, none of these things are worth much without adequate supply.

Everything is a Click Away

The interface is simplicity itself with orders given by clicking on units and buttons in a control bar. For example, movement is accomplished by clicking on a unit and the movement button. Accessible hexes are shaded and left clicking sends the unit there, although arrival may be an ambush if the units don’t have enough recon points. With naval movement, reachable hexes have dots in them and mines take the place of ambushes. Formations and HQs are created by simple clicking on the map and then on their superior HQs. Transfer of sub-formations is also a short series of clicks, dependent on the transport ability of the parent unit. Cargo ships allow amphibious transport and transfer.

Land combat is initiated by clicking on a target unit, bringing up buttons for types of attacks. Ranged artillery, naval bombardment and air strikes are available. Players can select units from the map to attack or simple press the “ALL” button and every possible unit joins in. Results are shown on a grid with each side have a separate row for active units, casualties and retreated units. Combat is performed automatically in “loops”. Battles stop when the attacker runs out of Action Points or the morale factor of one side reaches the point where sub-formations retreat or route. Rear area units such as staff and trucks are represented in yellow, a not so subtle hint that they don’t fight well.

A land attack is slightly more complicated. Again, targets and attackers are selected as described above, bonuses and penalties can apply. Attackers receive bonuses for attacking from more than one hex but are restricted to the number of points attacking per hex side. Therefore, large defending units cannot use all of their points while concentric attacks allow the attacker to avoid such penalties.

Special units have valuable functions. Engineers build roads, airfields, fortifications and bridges while also blowing them up. Paratroops can drop behind enemy lines while some weapons types such as anti-aircraft and anti-tank perform exceptionally well against particular targets. Fighters automatically intercept enemy raids if in range and strategic bombers reduce production centers and damage hexes. Submarines are stealthy while carriers can use their aircraft against distant targets.

Opponents turns are done while the player watches a bland screen that only shows which steps his opponents are at. In solo games, a player can stare at the green screen for several minutes – an exercise that can get boring quickly. Evidence of what happened in the turn shows up as tables of production and combat losses with the replay option yielding more detail.

Command Economy

Production choices and funneling material to the front is crucial. Cities are rated by the number of production points it has per turn. The production screen shows the infantry, artillery, vehicles and aircraft categories – with ships if the city is a port - along with many sub-types of each service branch. Equally important is the non-combat category with the supply and political point products. Supply is self-evident but political points are fascinating. Creating formations and HQs costs these points and they are the driving force behind the extensive research tree and upgrade module. The strategy room provides oversight of the situation as well as action cards in some scenarios. Longer campaign games also have the factors of different regimes and peoples. Regimes and peoples often have modifiers that affect production, morale and combat. Such modifiers should make the player consider their long term strategy.

The Essence of the Matter

Advanced Tactics: Word War II naturally comes with several historical campaigns. Not as detailed as games dedicated to specific campaigns, these scenarios nevertheless capture the essence of the fighting. For instance, North Africa is an exercise in movement while the Eastern Front is a grinding death match. Fictional battles open up more possibilities with games of a Second American Civil War. The AI in both cases is the best on the market.

The testimony to this games flexibility and replay value is found in its powerful scenario creator. Maps can be made from scratch and units can be added and modified to taste. The impressive number of user-made tutorials at www.advvancedtactics.org speaks to the relative ease of creating scenarios, especially after reading the editor tutorials at www.matrixgames.com/forums/tt.asp?forumid=472 . A random scenario generator makes creating new games a SNAP with setting only around twenty parameters. This generator is a fine complement to the easy PBEM system.