Putting the 'role' back in role-playing games since 2002.
Donate to Codex
Good Old Games
  • Welcome to rpgcodex.net, a site dedicated to discussing computer based role-playing games in a free and open fashion. We're less strict than other forums, but please refer to the rules.

    "This message is awaiting moderator approval": All new users must pass through our moderation queue before they will be able to post normally. Until your account has "passed" your posts will only be visible to yourself (and moderators) until they are approved. Give us a week to get around to approving / deleting / ignoring your mundane opinion on crap before hassling us about it. Once you have passed the moderation period (think of it as a test), you will be able to post normally, just like all the other retards.

The Troop - Tactical Turn Based Platoon Level WW2 game

Glory to Ukraine
Joined
Nov 22, 2020
Messages
2,602
Strap Yourselves In Codex Year of the Donut Codex+ Now Streaming!
Well there are SS in the game (both as antagonists and as a playable faction), though I havent seen any swastikas or anything like that, no idea why this would be blocked in Germany, but who knows...

Anyway, I am loving the game, its IMO the biggest incline in the squad based TBS genre in quite a while. This EA release has 13 missions so far (the ones from the demo + 5 new ones) and features several new units (most notably sniper teams, Panthers and Tigers), more stuff will be forthcoming. It is also now possible to occupy at least some abandoned enemy vehicles (I have seen this with halftracks at least). I am glad they fine-tuned some stuff I previously criticised as well - firing at AT guns (especially from flanks where it can bypass the blast shield) has high chance of hitting the crew rather than the gun itself, which makes them more fragile, crews and passangers in open-top vehicles are also much more vulnerable to small arms fire.

Difficulty is pretty OK as well, I almost lost the first new mission I tried (had just three morale points left), AI in general doesnt seem to make anything outright retarded, hides infantry in buildings to set up ambushes etc. The systems in place are pretty solid, what is now needed the most is the new content, especially missions. The devs mentioned that they would eventually like to add new theaters as well (the current setting is Normandy), which would be p. cool.
 

Beowulf

Arcane
Joined
Mar 2, 2015
Messages
2,027
Well there are SS in the game (both as antagonists and as a playable faction), though I havent seen any swastikas or anything like that, no idea why this would be blocked in Germany, but who knows...

Anyway, I am loving the game, its IMO the biggest incline in the squad based TBS genre in quite a while. This EA release has 13 missions so far (the ones from the demo + 5 new ones) and features several new units (most notably sniper teams, Panthers and Tigers), more stuff will be forthcoming. It is also now possible to occupy at least some abandoned enemy vehicles (I have seen this with halftracks at least). I am glad they fine-tuned some stuff I previously criticised as well - firing at AT guns (especially from flanks where it can bypass the blast shield) has high chance of hitting the crew rather than the gun itself, which makes them more fragile, crews and passangers in open-top vehicles are also much more vulnerable to small arms fire.

Difficulty is pretty OK as well, I almost lost the first new mission I tried (had just three morale points left), AI in general doesnt seem to make anything outright retarded, hides infantry in buildings to set up ambushes etc. The systems in place are pretty solid, what is now needed the most is the new content, especially missions. The devs mentioned that they would eventually like to add new theaters as well (the current setting is Normandy), which would be p. cool.

Sounds good.
Is there MP?
 
Glory to Ukraine
Joined
Nov 22, 2020
Messages
2,602
Strap Yourselves In Codex Year of the Donut Codex+ Now Streaming!
No MP at the moment, not sure if that devs plan it, but I dont think so - though I am sure it could work fine as well.
 

JarlFrank

I like Thief THIS much
Patron
Joined
Jan 4, 2007
Messages
34,393
Location
KA.DINGIR.RA.KI
Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
I havent seen any swastikas or anything like that, no idea why this would be blocked in Germany, but who knows...

Apparently the devs decided on that themselves, as a game with their theme requires proper examination by the German censors (and considering that games have recently been declared art and the depiction of swastikas is legal in historical WW2 games - Steel Division 2 already gets away with it in Germany for example - the game is likely to get a pass). They said they will wait until the proper release before they send it in for approval.
 
Glory to Ukraine
Joined
Nov 22, 2020
Messages
2,602
Strap Yourselves In Codex Year of the Donut Codex+ Now Streaming!
I am afraid that "XCOM" is what kids today translate as "turn based tactics," so basically everything is XCOM now. Anyway, this game deserves attention and if calling it "WW2 XCOM" will help with that... well, I guess it is OK...

Just recently I finished a mission in which you need to defend a town against 5 or 6 Panthers and some SS infantry only with two AT guns, two M10s and a few infantry squads. Had some cool moments with PIAT teams sneaking up on tanks in the streets and vehicles moving in and out of cover to shoot at each other - won on like fourth attempt and fairly closely. I cant overstate how good this game is, all it needs now is for the devs to keep providing more content.
 

ArchAngel

Arcane
Joined
Mar 16, 2015
Messages
21,337
Are missions connected in some way through game's mechanics?
Do the devs plan to add that if not?
 
Glory to Ukraine
Joined
Nov 22, 2020
Messages
2,602
Strap Yourselves In Codex Year of the Donut Codex+ Now Streaming!
Currently the missions arent connected in any way (ie no carry-over units, each scenario is standalone), I talked to the devs a while back about what the campaign will look like on release (ie whether there will be any RPG elements and such) and they said that no RPG stuff is planed - so I guess the campaign will simply be a series of missions connected only by briefings/cutscenes. This was like last year or so, so things might have changed in some way though...

Anyway, the devs recently mentioned that they will add skirmish/custom missions later on, which will feature force selection, they also didnt cathegorically rule out MP, though I am still sceptical about that.
 

Taka-Haradin puolipeikko

Filthy Kalinite
Patron
Joined
Apr 24, 2015
Messages
20,705
Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire Make the Codex Great Again! Grab the Codex by the pussy Bubbles In Memoria
https://tallyhocorner.com/2022/02/the-troop-review/
...
A week ago I wouldn’t have hesitated to describe The Troop’s lack of an opportunity fire mechanic as borderline daft. Now, although I still find the absence of overwatch disconcerting and would nod vigorously if you claimed it reduced realism, I’m actually beginning to enjoy the accidental (?) consequences of totally unadulterated IGO-UGO play. The fact that an enemy AFV can venture onto a road perfectly aligned with the muzzle of one of my patient, waiting-for-trade AT guns, scamper along half a dozen of its hexes, then dart into cover without risk of damage, would be exasperating if my units couldn’t do exactly the same thing when my turn came around. Leaving out opp fire a) allows a form of leapfrogging that doesn’t feel completely out of place on a WW2 battlefield, and b) allows a form of leapfrogging that the game’s smart silicon adversaries use with panache. If you don’t grow to like the approach, there’s a good chance you will at least come to accept it.

thetroop33.jpg


The same applies to another realism weakener – the soft-hearted repair rules. Tank damage comes in various forms: one-shot kills (probably not as common as they should be), immobilisations, knackered weapons, slain crew members, degraded MPs (movement points) and GPs (gun points – used to rotate turrets, aim, and fire). Often there’s a chance to restore a wounded trundler to full mechanical health by spending a couple of turns ‘repairing’ (The AFV is helpless during the process so obviously it pays to pop smoke or seek cover first). The more Close Combat and Combat Mission veterans that discover The Troop, the more forum posts there are likely to be calling for this somewhat gamey mechanic to become a toggleable option.

thetroop35.jpg


Apart from their faintly miraculous restorative powers and their refusal to fire through smoky hexes (an idiosyncrasy common to all units) I really like Giant Flame’s AFVs. MGs, unbuttoning, smoke grenades, smoke shells, passengers, dismounting… it’s all modelled. The separation of MPs and GPs is a particularly inspired touch leading to interesting situations in which tanks have LoS to a target but don’t always have sufficient time to bring their main guns to bear. Sometimes you find yourself taking a punt with turret direction – “I reckon that Panzer IV that just disappeared behind the farm is going to reappear around here next turn. I’ll plant an aim marker in the hex and cross my fingers.” When gambles like this pay-off, it’s immensely satisfying.

...
 

Aemar

Arcane
Joined
Aug 18, 2018
Messages
6,320
Keeping an eye on this one. Does it have any potential as a Men of War TB counterpart?
 
Glory to Ukraine
Joined
Nov 22, 2020
Messages
2,602
Strap Yourselves In Codex Year of the Donut Codex+ Now Streaming!
I wouldnt compare this to Men of War (it doesnt have inventory management for units for example) tbh, it is much closer to a clasic table top wargame (such as Flames of War or Bolt Action). In any case it is a very good TB tactics game with solid systems behind it - in fact I wouldnt hesitate to call this the most interesting TB tactics release in quite a while. Certainly worth keeping an eye on, devs are still working on many features (custom missions, full campaign etc).
 

Taka-Haradin puolipeikko

Filthy Kalinite
Patron
Joined
Apr 24, 2015
Messages
20,705
Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire Make the Codex Great Again! Grab the Codex by the pussy Bubbles In Memoria
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1363740/view/5148191896102718104

20th June update
- New scenario: "Those who can"
- New scenario: "Reconnaissance in force"
- Improved and expanded force selection (Preview)
- Alternative enemy force options "Large alt 1" (Preview)
- Attack log now lists to-hit chances including cumulative aim where relevant
- "Battlefield Review" now available after victory/defeat
- Various small improvements and bug fixes
 
Glory to Ukraine
Joined
Nov 22, 2020
Messages
2,602
Strap Yourselves In Codex Year of the Donut Codex+ Now Streaming!
Just wanna say that the game is getting better and better. I played all the scenarios that are available now (usually more than once) and its my go to TBS right now. The newly introduced mechanics (force selection, night fighting) are looking good as well and add new depth to the gameplay. Devs are working hard on the game, so plenty of new stuff is on the way still.

The AI is pretty decent too and doesnt cheat, so you can set up traps for enemy tanks for example using buildings or terrain that blocks LoS. This makes fights in the villages especially cool. In any case, I cant recommend this enough.
 

MuffinBun

Educated
Joined
Jul 9, 2022
Messages
135
WHY, why would you make a game like this, especially a good one, and not add at least a low effort open ended campaign/strategic layer, with unit persistence? That would take like 1% of work they've already put into it, but would possibly increase the fun and replayability tenfold. Xcom without strategic layer is nothing... imagine what an actual good tactical game with a strategic layer could be. The weirdest of choices, similar to how in Battlefleet Armada 2 they could not be bothered to add an open campaign instead or alongside the scripted imperial one, despite a similar cost to fun ratio.
 

As an Amazon Associate, rpgcodex.net earns from qualifying purchases.
Back
Top Bottom