The following factors about Battalions In Crisis! are important, but are not
usually covered in game reviews:
- We made a concerted effort to produce a product that is player-oriented. By this,
we mean that it is easy to read and understand.
- The rules have a Table of Contents,
a Listing of Tables in the rules, and a detailed Index.
- The rules are covered
in organized sections -- you do not need to look in four places to know how
to do one thing.
- We organized the hard data into charts. The information looks like a lot, but
it is very easy to use, especially as all the information for one vehicle is
in one place.
- We used a size 12 font that is easy on the eyes.
- The basic game comes in a three-ring binder for ease of use, and the modules
are already three-hole punched.
- Our address and phone number are in the game, with instructions to call or
write if you have any questions. So far this has not been a problem. While we
do get some questions, every call has been complimentary and positive. We have
not yet gotten one letter or call from someone who was disappointed or upset
with the rules.
- WWII gamers will find that the game is fast-moving, and historically
accurate as to the use and effects of combined-arms, small-unit tactics.
I just ran a game with 8 new players at a convention. We got in 17 turns in 4 hours
or less. With experienced players, I get 5 turns an hour on the average.
This means that you can actually complete a game and know who won. It also
means that infantry can maneuver normally and not make Banzai charges as the only
way to get into the game.
In combination with playability, our other goal was to make a historically
accurate simulation. We have a number of active and retired military people
who say that the game provides a good simulation. One particularly important
aspect is the use of artillery. Most games cannot simulate the effects of
artillery, but our game does this very well, and with a simple-to-use method.
Battalions In Crisis! emphasizes combined arms. Infantry is a
major part of combined arms. Neither our rules nor our scenarios are
oriented towards just tank battles. Some of our scenarios have no tanks.
Also, you will not find our scenarios with tanks fighting wheel hub to wheel
hub across the width of the tabletop. Finally, since the scale is one to one,
real terrain and facing become important. A building is a building, not a
village, and a vehicle or figure is one tank or man. This makes for a more
realistic use of equipment and terrain features.
Our current plans include the publication of a quarterly magazine called
Combat Simulation. The first issue will be published in
September 1994. Our next module will
be a detailed look at the battles in the 1939-1940 period. This module is
tentatively scheduled for release in March 1995.
- Michael E. Kelly, president of Phoenix Military Simulations
I have included a photo of a game played at a convention. The Italians are
attacking a unit of the 82nd Airborne Division, blocking the road to Gela,
a seaport in Sicily.