Very much enjoying this game :o)

MarsRobert · Post by **MarsRobert** » Mon Aug 22, 2011 4:42 am

Thanks to everyone on the forum who spoke so highly of this game and recommended it. I see now after playing a few scenarios that the praise was not an idle boast. The game play is fast paced and fun, especially considering that it is a turn-based game. In fact at times it feels more like an RTS. And the play is easy to pick up on but by no means simplistic. Also, the game looks absolutely gorgeous, especially on my new Falcon rig with a Radion HD 6900 card.

But seriously, the bright pastel colors are breathtaking, especially when you consider the sometimes drab and limited graphic presentations of most war games. And last but not least, the retro comic book presentation is a hoot! It gives the game sort of a light-hearted feel and to my mind conveys the message that the designers weren't taking themselves too, too seriously. Who ever came up with that idea though deserves a raise. And finally I would say that although I do really like Panzercorps, Battlefield Academy is a nice, almost relaxing break from that sometimes difficult and stressful game. Anyway, at the risk of sounding ingratiating, Slitherine is rapidly becoming my favorite Indie gaming distributor. Dang, I wish now I had ordered the Fall Gelb expansion. I could have gotten it at a discount if I had purchased them both at the same time.

MarsRobert · Post by **MarsRobert** » Mon Aug 22, 2011 9:23 am

I'm now well in to the North African campaign and enjoying the game immensely. The missions seem hard enough to provide a challenge but not so difficult that they get frustrating. I do understand though that scenario creation and balancing can be a very tricky thing. One thing I've noticed though when the player has the burden of attack is that your infantry losses will be frightful unless you spend some time softening up the fortifications with your tanks and artillery. When I attacked the German HQ in the 'Dust Storm' scenario I felt it was more like 1915 than 1941.

My one howitzer got taken out early in that scenario, and of course that would have been a great help in reducing the German strongpoint.

BTW, the beautiful desert graphics in the North African Campaign remind me a lot of Westwood's great old RTS 'Emperor: Battle for Dune'. "Bi la kaifa!"

Post by **pipfromslitherine** » Mon Aug 22, 2011 3:04 pm

Glad you are enjoying the game! It gets tougher, so you'll be a grizzled veteran by the time you survive the Bulge

.

And a lot of the team were intimately involved in Emperor, so they do indeed have plenty of experience with sand

.

Cheers

Pip

MarsRobert · Post by **MarsRobert** » Tue Aug 23, 2011 2:30 am

pipfromslitherine wrote:Glad you are enjoying the game! It gets tougher, so you'll be a grizzled veteran by the time you survive the Bulge .

And a lot of the team were intimately involved in Emperor, so they do indeed have plenty of experience with sand .

Cheers

Pip

Thanks Pip for the nice comment. Yes, I hear you loud and clear, in that I met my first serious challenge with the 'Frontal Assault' battle. It took me two tries, but the second time I fared better when I went for the northern pass rather than the southern one. BTW, I'm sort of assuming that that battle is one of the 1941 Operation Crusader Battles, right? Gosh Pip, I like commanding British troops almost as much as I like the Germans. Seems I don't get to do it enough.

So some of you guys worked on 'Emperor'? Cool! I loved that game. It was a Dune fan's dream come true. The game had a great story, borrowing as it did from the God Emperor of Dune novel. Also, loved the Harkonnen Civil War between Feyd (Sting

and Rabban. My only complaint was that Ordos cannon (that looked suspiciously like the German 88

was a bit overpowered. Alas, I think Westwood went down a notch after EA bought them out. Maybe Slitherine should think of doing a Dune game?????

One more thing. I'll know better of course when I finish it, but at the moment I'm thinking that Battlefield Academy might be a serious contender for wargame of the year. Again, it is a lot of fun, very easy on the eyes, and as someone else noted, the tanks firing at each other can be so cute at times!!!

MarsRobert · Post by **MarsRobert** » Wed Aug 24, 2011 4:09 am

Just to give everyone an idea of how much I like this game: I got my pre-ordered copy of Deus Ex - Human Revolution today; the long-overdue third installment of one of my favorite game series of all time. I was enjoying Battlefield Academy so much, however, that I had to finish the North African campaign before putting BA on hold for Deus Ex. In any event it was immensely satisfying taking out that Tiger with one of my measly Shermans! Lucky shot I guess.

It reminded me of Donald Sutherland in his Sherman facing off that Tiger in Kelly's Heroes!

collegeprof86 · Post by **collegeprof86** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 5:49 pm

MarsRobert - I find this game to be one of the easiest to learn, the easiest on the eyes, and one of the fastest to play games. For even experienced grognards, I prefer the game play of this to more complex games that take much longer to learn. I cannot say enough good things about this game. Aside from the 64 unit limitation, this game comes with an editor that you can use to make your own scenarios - or even tweak what is already here ! This game has perhaps the easiest by far learning curve of any game out there. I hope you come to enjoy it as much as I do, and do consider going with the expansions - blitzkreig and the new market garden. I cannot wait for an eastern europe version someday, and the playtest community has already created derivatives for world war 1 and the pacific campaign too. Enjoy and much thanks to Slitherine and matrix for doing this.

Merr · Post by **Merr** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 11:03 pm

MarsRobert wrote: It reminded me of Donald Sutherland in his Sherman facing off that Tiger in Kelly's Heroes!

Keep the positive waves going ...

It would be funny to create a Kelly's Hero campaign ...

Add in another fire command for the Sherman ... shoot paint, lowers morale

MarsRobert · Post by **MarsRobert** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 11:15 pm

collegeprof86 wrote:MarsRobert - I find this game to be one of the easiest to learn, the easiest on the eyes, and one of the fastest to play games. For even experienced grognards, I prefer the game play of this to more complex games that take much longer to learn. I cannot say enough good things about this game. Aside from the 64 unit limitation, this game comes with an editor that you can use to make your own scenarios - or even tweak what is already here ! This game has perhaps the easiest by far learning curve of any game out there. I hope you come to enjoy it as much as I do, and do consider going with the expansions - blitzkreig and the new market garden. I cannot wait for an eastern europe version someday, and the playtest community has already created derivatives for world war 1 and the pacific campaign too. Enjoy and much thanks to Slitherine and matrix for doing this.

Agree with you all the way professor about the game. The game play is fun, the pastel graphics are beautiful, and the comic book presentation was a stroke of genius. It reminds me of the Sgt. Rock comics I used to read as a kid. Just one thing. I might have spoken too soon. I'm up to about the third or fourth Normandy hedgerow country scenario, and I'm finding the battles to be getting significantly more difficult. It took me three tries to win that second paratroop relief scenario, and now I'm up to that horrorshow Tiger ambush.

Wow, if this is how they're going to be from here on out, I might not make it to the end. it would be a pity if that happened though, as I had looked forward to doing the Fall Gelb expansion at some point. And Market Garden???? OMG! If the battles are getting tough in Normandy, the Arnhem battles would probably be a nightmare!

BTW, yes, I would think taking the BA system to the Eastern front would be a no-brainer. Anyway, let me see if I can get past the Tiger Ambush this evening. I suspect victory in this one has something to do with the placement of the tank destroyers and AT guns at good choke points, like in the town streets.

junk2drive · Post by **junk2drive** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 11:17 pm

Wait till you get to the bulge...

MarsRobert · Post by **MarsRobert** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 11:22 pm

Merr wrote:
MarsRobert wrote: It reminded me of Donald Sutherland in his Sherman facing off that Tiger in Kelly's Heroes!
Keep the positive waves going ...

It would be funny to create a Kelly's Hero campaign ...

Add in another fire command for the Sherman ... shoot paint, lowers morale

"All the burning bridges that are falling around me....."

MarsRobert · Post by **MarsRobert** » Sun Sep 04, 2011 12:07 am

junk2drive wrote:Wait till you get to the bulge...

Wow! Talk about demotivation.......Thanks for the warning, I guess.

MarsRobert · Post by **MarsRobert** » Sun Sep 04, 2011 4:11 am

I must say I'm pleasantly surprised. After getting my butt kicked at my first try with the Tiger Ambush, the second time a victory was not all that difficult. All I did was basically concentrate my forces at that middle village with my tanks, AT guns, and infantry waiting in ambush, and sure enough the Germans wasted themselves assaulting that position. Also, with some infantry that had been bypassed I was able to later sneak back and retake the first two victory hexes that had been lost. It seems the Germans were not good about leaving garrisons. Also, judicious (and lucky) use of air power and artillery did a great job softening up the enemy. Anyway, the entire German force had been destroyed by the end.

It has been said that console gamers like repetition whereas PC gamers loathe it. Indeed, although I don't like "paying for the same real estate twice"

, I must admit that victory in these sometimes tough battles is very satisfying. Bring on the cornfields!

BTW, speaking of "Georgie" Patton, I'm assuming the Ardennes Campaign has his most glorious moment; the relief of Bastogne. Definitely something to look forward too.

MarsRobert · Post by **MarsRobert** » Thu Sep 08, 2011 8:40 am

junk2drive wrote:Wait till you get to the bulge...

Hey Junk2Drive, I've completed the first four 'Buldge' missions, and I'm surprised to find that thus far they've not been that bad. I mean, no ball busters yet like those three Normandy missions. Of course with 4-6 more to go I'm assuming the best is yet to come.

Very much enjoying this game :o)

Very much enjoying this game :o)

I love this game and cannot say enough good about it

Re: I love this game and cannot say enough good about it