Order of Battle: WWII, My Experience So Far
I spent many years playing Combat Mission (mostly CMBO, CMBB, and CMBN), largely ignoring other wargames. For a while, I was even an administrator of Appui Feu, the French Combat Mission community website. But the aging graphics engine eventually pushed me away (I'm still waiting for CM3...🤔)
Before that, I was a huge fan of Panzer General, Allied General, .... so buying OOB:WWII a month ago felt like a natural choice. To me, it's a worthy successor.
After finishing the U.S. Pacific campaign on Normal difficulty, I can honestly say I love it. The game is easy to learn and very enjoyable to play, yet it offers impressive tactical depth. Mechanics like efficiency, supply, flanking support, entrenchment,... make both attack and defense genuinely interesting.
Everything feels well designed. The interface is clean and informative, the graphics are pleasant, and units are easy to identify.
The campaign offers plenty of variety, with scripted surprises that constantly force you to adapt your plans instead of relying on the same strategy from start to finish.
Naval combat is probably the weakest part of the game, but it's still enjoyable.
I'm about to start the three connected Allies campaigns on a higher difficulty, as Normal was perfect for learning the mechanics but ultimately a bit too easy.
I was also pleasantly surprised by the AI. It cuts supply lines, attempts flanking maneuvers, withdraws weakened units in favor of fresh ones, sacrifices troops when it has to hold key positions,etc... which feels particularly appropriate in a campaign against the Japanese.
Overall, I'm having a great time. I'd highly recommend Order of Battle: WWII to anyone interested in wargaming. It provides an excellent introduction to the genre without overwhelming new players with overly complex mechanics.
And you, wWhat are your thoughts on the game?