The Command Ops 2 Launch

I've seen the complaints and hesitation from gamers about the new Command Ops in a variety of forums and wanted to address them here if possible.

I agree with most of what I have read:  Command Ops 2 is buggy, the pricing model is confusing and the communication between LnL/Panther and the gaming community could be better. But the new release is still Command Ops and it is vastly better at 60% capacity than are most games at 100% capacity.

I had the privilege of seeing the development versions of the new engine and I know it has come a long way with a lot of hard work by Dave and company.  I am confident that this company's almost obsessive debugging will continue until CO3 is released because they are very good at listening to the community.

For me, the biggest question about CO2 is where is it going/how will it be different than the CO1? 

The interface change and the grognard chrome of planning aids and situation maps are neat but that's not enough for me.  I want to play a new version of Command Ops that challenges me in different ways than the old version. I want to play a game that is different and yet familiar.

From my perspective Command Ops 2 hasn't answered this question yet.  I know they will but this version of the game and the new scenarios do not accomplish that for me.

I do know however that within this engine is a fundamental change that will make you look at Command Ops 2 in entirely different light: the maps can be bigger, like way bigger.

This is the beginning of my map for the terrain west of Kharkov. This map is 3-4x bigger than your average Command Ops 1 map.
When you play Command Ops on a bigger map it is a very different experience: unit fatigue becomes a real issue, so does supply, an army moving forward without reconnaissance becomes a dead army and the use of artillery and other assets needs to be much more strategic.

Now I don't know when a larger map will be released in an official data pack (hopefully very soon).  I do know, I can create one using the map and scenario editors to give you a taste of what is possible. Plus I really want to play again on a big map myself.

And so I am working on my next Command Ops scenario:  the Soviet counteroffensive to Kursk in August of 1943 and specifically the attack by the 5th Guards and 5th Guards Tank Army against the German positions within Kharkov and west of Kharkov.

I have the OOB complete (thanks to a David Glantz title with the exact OOB for both sides) and I am about 30% done with the map.  I am not going to worry about exact placement of units to speed things up and will only setup a fictional battle that resembles what occurred. Hopefully I can have it done by the end of March.  At least that is my plan.


Comments

Jason Rimmer said…
Good write up. I have the demo\core game but still not sure if I want to pay out again for all the old scenarios. So I think I will wait until proper new scenarios are released or East front version comes out. I do like some of the new features\tweaks though.

I look forward to playing some of your user made scenarios though!
Chris said…
Hi Jason. Thanks for the comment. I've not bought the old scenarios either. I might buy the pack with the North Africa scenarios at some point but I will probably wait for a sale. I am getting closer everyday to a finished Kharkov scenario. So stay tuned.

Chris
Phil said…
Thanks for that Chris. I purchased the 2nd version and really like the way you can use multi displays to place parts of the command screens where you want them. As for the game for me I'm still very much learning and as such still find it challenging which still makes it an enjoyable expirence.
Chris said…
Hi Phil. Thanks for commenting. I do think the new interface is neat and really wish I had two monitors setup for when I play.
RangerX3X said…
This is just my two cents adjusted for inflation, but the new game falls flat for me. I only have one monitor at the moment with no plans to expand, so the ability to maneuver the undocked panels is moot. To the detriment of single monitor players, they actually clutter up the screen now and I find myself using what seems to be much more clicking to find the same information that I easily breezed to in CO1 with the tab system on the left side bar. It seems perplexing that a key feature you are touting – larger maps and the inherent concerns that go along with moving your forces across such a vast expanse – is absent in the current release. I would have thought they would have wanted a scenario ready to go to showcase this new capability. Overall it just seems like an alpha release to me at the moment, and although there is a temporary discount for all of the scenario packs, I can’t bring myself to purchase many of the same scenarios for a third time (HTTR, CTTR, and CO1…and now CO2).
Chris said…
Hi Tim. I agree. I've not bought the new packs either for the same reasons. My guess is that "dismounted ops" is partly to blame for keeping the Eastern Front scenarios in the CO vault. I find this to be ridiculous. This game is more strategic than tactical and this aspect is/should be abstracted.

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