Military History Commander: Europe at War

Would you pay money for a glorified Java app? You should!

Long before I even owned a computer, I was a gamer. But back then, it was all about dingy cardboard boxes with hundreds (sometimes thousands) of counters, and detailed maps all made up of little coloured hexes. It was the golden age of military wargames, and I loved them. But setting them up could take as long as playing the game itself, and of course there was always the common nerds lament - convincing someone to join you in a game that would likely take weeks to finish.

So when I found my first hex-based computer wargame - Operation Market Garden, I believe - I was in heaven.

Military History Commander: Europe at War, appeals to that inner board wargamer. It's a simple, top-down recreation of those classic old wargames - games that were as much about supply and tactical forethought as they were about conquering your foe. The graphics are simple, the mechanics seemingly simple, but from simple systems, complex strategies often form...

Gameplay is a matter of moving about your units on the hex map, extending movements points and attacking adjacent counters. It's not quite rock-scissor-paper, as the game does model supply, morale, terrain and many other variables, but you can usually be certain that a tank attack with proper support will roll right over infantry that's not prepared.

In fact, working out what order your units should attack in is half the game. As units fight, they lose effectiveness, and this counts for both sides, meaning that even a highly successful unit will need to be rested and resupplied every now and then.

So you can soften up targets with air attacks, but that may well trigger a counterattack from an enemy airforce. A feint from another air unit can draw that attack off, so then you can launch your raid, but then what? Hit hard with your best units - say a tank brigade - first, or continue to soften up the enemy in the hopes that a follow up tank attack can wipe them out? Victory itself can lead to a stalemate, push the losing unit back (and allow you to occupy their hex), or, if the enemy is sufficiently weakened, destroy it outright.

Combined with the hard limit on how many units you can bring to the fight (thanks to the hex system), there are some subtle tactics to keep in mind.

In the larger picture, Europe at War also models a nation's industrial base and research programs. Replenish exhausted troops takes up industrial capacity, as does recruiting new units - balancing the two can be a challenge. Further, you can also improve your tactical doctrines through research, improving, for instance, tank tactics, or anti-submarine warfare.

Finally, there's the ability to recruit Commander units, who will bring particular bonuses when you attach them to certain units.

The theatre of the game is pretty much just Europe and the Middle East. The East Coast of the USA is on one map edge, but I'm pretty sure that's just there to tease anyone taking on the part of Germany. Certainly, in my run through I put a lot of effort into trying to get troops to Stateside, but to no avail.

There's a host of multiplayer modes to take advantage of, too, including some of the less glamorous ways to play online. You can play game hotseat style on the one machine, which is always welcome in a turn-based game, and you can even play via email, which is another classic 'serious wargame' touch. Playing by email may seem odd to a twitch gamer, but when turns can take tens of minutes, if not hours, the ability to simply play when you want, and know that you can then fire a turn off to a player anywhere else in the world is pretty neat.

And all of that from what is really a simple Java app!

That simplicity is at the same time a real strength and a bit of a weakness. Sure, Europe at War runs on just about anything - the specs mention Windows 98 and single-core Pentiums! - and will run well. For the notebook gamer crowd, it's perfect (and will make a great distraction on long-haul trips), but at the same time the game can get a little... samey.

Since I am one of those old-school types that still plays the odd tabletop wargame, it's not so bad, but for someone without that pedigree the game could easily seem too simple, and certainly too repetitive. There's likely only so much hex-clicking an otherwise sane person can handle!

But...

Europe at War really is worth getting to know. For one thing, it's pretty strenuous in trying to present historical outcomes, so can be very educational. Then again, you'd expect that from a game that's come out of A&E's Military History Channel! Sure, you can shape your war the way you want, but things happen externally as they historically did, like Italy joining the war, for instance. And the basic combat mechanic is a good illustration of the kind of combined arms warfare that proliferated during World War 2. It's just not very flashy, is all.

If you're looking for a surprisingly deep strategy title that doesn't need you to earn a degree in advanced logistics, Europe at War is a good choice. But if you need a bit of flash with your World War II fare, you may want to look elsewhere.