Reconsider Steel Division Normandy 44

Steel Division Normandy 44 has a marketing problem, which may come as a surprise to the developers because Eugen Systems and Paradox do a good job of marketing the game to the RTS crowd.




What they don't do well is market the game to the other chunk of their potential audience, the simulation crowd which has it's feet in table top wargaming, operational titles and developers like Graviteam and Battlefront who make games which have a slower, more deliberate pace.

We've all heard the complaint about this game being a click-fest and that criticism might be correct for larger battles with multiple players and at higher speeds.  However, this game has the engine capability to slow down, to customize which units are present on the battlefield and give players like myself the chance to worry about a single Flak 38 gun dominating a crossroads or the command of a platoon of tanks.

A platoon of Stuart tanks takes a diverging road as a recon patrol scans the terrain ahead anxiously for counter-attacking panzers.

So what's my point with this post?  If you own Steel Division and gave up on it, try it again.  Customize your own battlegroup, play a skirmish by choosing a lower amount of points, choose the division you want present on the field, choose an historically accurate map and have at it.

A hedgerow defense as my small reinforced platoon of Scots guards takes on two platoons of the 21st Panzer Division. 

I think you will be surprised by the AI difficulty, the accurately modeled weapons and the simulation of WWII combat that is easily accessible with the few clicks of the mouse before your skirmish ever starts.

In the coming days, I am going to offer my thoughts on historically accurate unit selection from the Battlegroups menu, some wish list items for the Eugen developers and my thoughts about how to make this a game the other section of the wargaming market will want to have on their digital shelf.


Comments

RangerX3X said…
I have the other Wargame titles and I am the same way with them. I just play limited small skirmishes as the larger scripted campaign battles are overwhelming and not fun.
Unknown said…
It looks great too.
Anonymous said…
I utterly disappointed with this game.Neither it is a sim nor it is a rts. Neither it has the simplicity of commands of 20-year old Close Combat nor is the battle realistic. And the system forces you to take ground instead of follow objectives (typical skirmish I mean).
SD'44 sits uncomfortably somewhere between Company of Heroes 2 and Men of War 2. And the irritating shooting in front of the unit to get it buttoned or paniced is pure absurd.
Chris Adamus
Chris said…
Hi Anon. I agree with everything you said. Judging by what I read in forums and on this blog, there seems to be a sizable group of gamers who bought into it, myself included, and were disappointed by the results.

My blogging about it here in and my next blog which I am almost done with, are basically my attempts to make my $40 investment worth it for myself and perhaps other gamers who feel like I do. I am in know way defending this game.
Chris said…
Hi Tim. I agree the way to go is limited skirmishes, otherwise it becomes a big mess. And it does look good Phil!

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