AO Spanish Civil War
1. AI controlled allies - This idea was successfully implemented in future DLC, so it can stay, specially since the new feature to speed up the AI turn made it less of a time consuming hassle to watch the fighting when used narratively and far form the players positions. I'd say it's here to stay and has many potential uses, but would benefit from improved AI on both sides. Also, it was proven in SCW that these forces using player's prestige pool was not something that aged well. In most cases, the prestige pool of each force should be separate. Very solid feature if not overused.
2. Hidden caches - Being a returning feature from Panzer Corps 1, I think it works well in the second installment. Later down the line it got slightly replaced with other variances of the idea, but it remains a proven, reliable way to give some unique equipment, while not forcing the player to use it. Can be used occasionally when it makes sense, but nothing the game needs on a regular basis.
3. Commendation Points - While later slowly phased out over time, this is a feature I think can stay, but should only give optional awards in the form of refills of prototypes and captured equipment. This way the player can decide what to spend them on, the awards will be purely optional and never feel like missing something critical. Special heroes and gift units should be given using different options. They are ways to give the same awards better.
4. Gift units - what started with the Verdeja 2 proved to be a very successfully idea, but perhaps got blurred a bit in later DLC. When I feel it works best is early stages of the campaigns, where the awards are prototypes, low production series vehicles that stand out and either are just better than anything "normal", or have unique stat options, allowing for special usage, yet challenging to optimize (like the Neubaufahrzeug). Later just giving a prototype stock to upgrade veteran units works better. Great idea, but later down the line can be minimized or even skipped. A Go 229A in later campaigns just does not have the same impact.
5. Special heroes - The unique, very flavorful and and powerful way to customize the player's core. Again returning feature from Panzer Corps 1 and it's one of the best features ever added. This gives the much needed flavor to the force composition. Still it should be carefully balanced and getting these heroes would be best gated behind specific elite objectives, so each one feels earned. The ultimate award mechanic.
6. Early start of the campaign - Why begin the German campaign in Poland as per usual, when it can start in Spain? Any potential Italian campaign should begin in Ethiopia, a Soviet DLC in Khalkhin Gol, and so on. It does not have to be a lengthy introduction, but even one early scenario and a chance to get s smudge of experience on the units this way feels like a reward itself. Would love to see campaigns start earlier than they used to in the past.
7. Other nations in the force - The CTV troops in Spain were a nice addition, especially combining in unique ways with the Industry Connections trait, but the fact the served as auxiliary troops alone felt less impactful. This is a mixed bag and will not always feel correct to utilize, but a multi-nation force with ability to add the other nations to the core will make sense in some campaigns. Afrika Korps should have Italians as the extra core option. Allied DLC can have Free French, Polish and perhaps even Commonwealth units as additional options. It has potential for interesting applications, but will not always make sense and will require careful edits to the Units.csv file to not have awkward moments like Polish 1939 era recon cars appearing in historic 1944 Lublin mission.
8. Fortified AI reinforcement zones - The only viable way to handle this element of the game until Panzer Corps 3 of the future figures out a way of a more elegant solution, if at all possible. A necessary evil, that depends on map design, but does the job well.
9. Nemesis system - It fell apart after 1941, but it was refreshing. I could certainly see some potential for seeing Rudel used on the eastern front but this time against the player... There is some good potential in this idea used in limited scale.
AO1939
1. Alternative, less known path - Using Saar Offensive was a neat, but controversial way to refresh the 1939 campaign. I feel this has some serious potential, but should remain a part of branching paths, so that the player can make the final decision. Always welcome to see less known battles, but sometimes it should remain a matter of choice.
2. Missions without the core force used - Fornebu was a always a bit of a dud to me. I am all for scenarios with more obscure objectives, but I don't thinks the player should be denied using his own units, even if it this case it made only logical sense form the narrative perspective. The process of getting experience and awards is ne of the more awarding elements, so it would work best to be integrated to such missions in some way. I am just not feeling it this time.
AO1940
1. Hidden objectives - Having to rewrite history and saving a particular ship in Norway was an interesting surprise. Still I prefer things like this are clear from the start, so that players don't miss out, as in the era of spoilers, the cat is out of the bag quickly anyway. I do not have any particularly string opinions in any direction here.
2. Training missions - If the campaigns are long, this is a really interesting thing to do and can be used, but of course with that very limited deployment. I am a fan of this concept, as long as it is not overused. Still, allied troops could for example do some exercise before Overlord as a good example (Exercise Tiger anyone?). Allows to get some of the more awkward units leveled up, so I appreciate having the opportunity.
3. Air only missions - It's a yes, as long as they are either optional, can be ended early, or are not stacked against more challenging runs. A way to break the pace a bit, plus there are many specific operations that have historical potential on the Allied side.
4. Optional and fictional path - This obviously grew in size in AO 1945 and 1946, but the idea works well. Would work better for Axis campaigns of course, for obvious reasons, but Operation Unthinkable and Operation Groza would be interesting branching endings to their respective campaigns.
5. Mass paratrooper operations - Some missions requiring an extensive use of paratroops are ok, but would need some setup as not all players will have the needed units, or a chance to upgrade them. Either missions, or their parts are more optional, or combined with some earlier solid training. I prefer the air only missions to these.
AO1941 and AO1942
These mostly built on existing mechanics, so I am not sure if there is a major new thing to take note of.
AO1943
1. Tokens - This a way to make the campaign have requirements to change history, and some similar ways to track this were used before in the regular campaign as well, in the for of prestige requirements and special results achieved. Makes sense for single run campaigns, but for AO long style ones I think just allowing the player to decide works better. More of a way to go around engine limitations than an actually needed mechanic.
AO1944
1. Elite objectives - The way they were used here and in 1945 is preferable for me to the AO1946 version where they appeared in basically every mission. They make perfect sense, but should be rarer, to feel more special once they do appear. This is one of the best ways to balance the challenge, but does not need to exist for every scenario.
2. Narrative only missions - Fine distraction for fictional paths, where a lot more buildup and narration is needed. Still, it probably works only for very long AO style campaigns, no need to include in shorter ones. Fine, but I'd be careful about including them in the final scenario count.
AO1945
Again mostly more of 1944, so not that many new thighs to discuss unless I missed something important.
AO1946
1. Large battleship and carrier models - Has the imposing scale effect and should be here to stay.
2. Atomic weapons - Unlikely to be used in many other mission, but mechanical implementation works perfectly fine.
3. Unified bonus and elite objectives - Works well at what it does, but I think it does not have to be in every mission. I think the fact these got standardized would be great for informing the player what to expect, but not every mission needs to have both of these and sometimes not even either of them, as they can distract from the bigger picture of the whole mission.
4. Landkreuzers - I'm not expecting this to surface again aside form some very unique circumstances, but I enjoy the fact the engine allows some more interesting ways to design new unit types.
5. Prestige/core slot special unit balance change - very interesting concept that I feel shows two main points of focus. First is the way that any prototype units and gift unit can be balanced by not only limited parts, but also much higher prestige costs and it can be introduced way earlier than before. Perhaps it is yet another way to balance out pioneer infantry further? The second is that while the prestige cost factor is implemented to legacy units decently, it could use some refreshment when new campaigns arrive, as there are units that have a bizarre core slot cost compared to their stats. This was not an issue when they ere used by the AI, but now if the players were to use them it could affect their utility. Some German units as well could have some cost revisions done.
Thought and ideas are welcome. What would you like to be preserved in non-AO campaigns and what do you think was a blind alley?
Along with Elfen, Italian, Anime...
