Blood, Guts, and Petrol Avalon Hill's OPERATION CRUSADER Is An Oasis In A Wargame Desert by Terry Lee Coleman When I moved to California to join the CGW staff, I didn't look forward to unpacking, until I got to the boxes (more numerous than I'll admit) that held my game collection. As I carefully pulled out the games and placed them on the shelf, I came across an old friend, Avalon Hill's Afrika Korps. Though showing its age, it looked no less beautiful than the day I bought it, my first wargame. The game had collected little dust, since I always turn to this old favorite whenever I need my Desert Fox fix. For years, I have hoped that Avalon Hill would release a computer game that captured the grand sweep of desert warfare half as well as Afrika Korps. But, despite their vast gaming knowledge, computer games from The Hill have previously been unsuccessful, to put it mildly. Indeed, it seemed ironic that a developer called Atomic Games was creating games for a company called Three-Sixty that looked like just the kind of natural union between boardgames and computer games for which I had been hoping. If only, I dreamed, the creators of the V for Victory series could get hold of some of those classic Avalon Hill designs, then we would have the best of both worlds. Now, Keith Zabalaoui and his Atomic Games crew does have access to those Avalon Hill classics. The union which seemed so obvious and so natural has finally taken place. Indeed, the union has already been so fertile that, after one look at Operation Crusader, you may pinch yourself to see if you're dreaming. The last time Rommel was portrayed so well, James Mason was still on the big screen. A Sea Of Sand Rodger MacGowan, the renowned wargame artist who designed so many great package illustrations, is doing work for someone else these days, but the cover art uses imagery reminiscent of his illustrative prowess. Strong and colorful, it fits in well with the AH style and entices the gamer before the box is even opened. Afterwards, all you have to look forward to is sand, but what sand! A group effort between Zabalaoui, AH graphics ace Charlie Kibler and others transforms the lifeless desert into a sand painting. The subtle touch of exotic place names adds to the feel that you really are in the desolate terrain between Tobruk and El Aghelia. The terrain features escarpments, wadis, bunkers and the rocky hammada, all taken from aerial photographs and British Army archival topographic maps. Page after page of terrain descriptions give even the novice gamer a good understanding of how the terrain affects the game. Unlike V For V, where information was often overwhelming, Crusader offers enough instruction to add to play, rather than detract from it. The units look very much like, brace yourself, counters from an Avalon Hill boardgame. With the hexgrid option turned on, you almost feel as if you could move units by hand, rather than with the mouse. Aside from their familiarity, each unit counter is a repository of information, with a single click showing its current status. Units can be framed with different colors to show either their unit type, distance from headquarters, supply state, organization (or lack thereof) and even fatigue. Finally, units may be displayed with either military or pictorial symbols, and like their board wargame brethren, units may stack. The toolbar included is much easier to use than those of similar games, such as High Command, but the results are more beneficial to the gamer. Some items are chrome, such as when you bring up the map of the Mediterranean Theatre, but still offer a welcome sense of perspective. The weather is simulated wonderfully with both a forecast and the current weather right at the gamer's fingertips. Other options allow for instant location of leaders or a quick check of victory status. The most unique item on the toolbar is the HQ Button, where players may check supply tonnage, stockpiles, and attach units to different HQs each morning. With the ability to display all the HQs at once, this option justifies the toolbar by itself. Waltzing Matildas Thankfully, all the care that went into the art and interface is paralleled by the strength of the gameplay. When I play a WWII desert wargame, I expect fluidity of movement. Crusader gives four different movement options. The ever-helpful Executive Officer will move units Automatically, or you may choose to move them yourself. Strategic movement is similar to most wargames, allowing for quick movement along trails and roads, while staying out of contact with the enemy. Moving Tactically retains combat effectiveness, but at a cost in mobility. Through the HQ button, units can move by division, recommended for large offensives. Movement is certainly not dull; as with the Limited Intelligence option, units may run into hidden enemies long before reaching their intended destination. Unlike many WWII games, desert warfare is well-suited to fog-of-war rules. The fluidity of the overall situation resembles a naval campaign more than a series of land actions. Much of Rommel's success was his unpredictability, invariably showing up at the wrong place, at least for the Allies. As the British became more adept at disguising their movements, the tide began to turn, and it is here where Crusader really breaks new ground. Eric Young and Keith Zabalaoui show the importance of supply to the campaign, but in an unobtrusive manner. The interface shows visually how supply limits movement, leaving you to concentrate on how to move those Panzers out of Sollum. As you move units, they come into contact with the enemy, who pops up on the screen at generally inappropriate times. Thus, with a single game mechanic, the AI takes on the role of a wily opponent, playing cat-and-mouse with your Matilda tanks outside of Tobruk. As a two-player game (either by modem or e-mail), the tension is exquisite. Fly Air Alexandria Air operations are very similar to V For V, but have the advantage of being firmly integrated into the overall design. The fog-of-war element is tied directly to how well each side is performing in the air campaign. If you achieve air superiority, your units can see farther, and you will have earlier warnings of impending attacks. Conversely, if you fritter away your air units you may find yourself blinded by more than a sandstorm. Air missions consist of the classic ground support bombardments along with interdiction of enemy units, restricting their supply and movement. Sending planes on missions is pretty much a click-and-go affair, but your trusty computer Executive Officer may ground squadrons for refit, often without any input from you. In addition to fatigue, air combat effectiveness varies significantly with morale and with weather. Those would-be Luftflotte Commandants who wish for clear blue skies may find themselves grounded by Anti-Air units, who also appreciate good weather. All in all, it's a good system that profits from its directness and lack of fluff. Running The ZOC Gauntlet If there were any doubts that Crusader is a wargame cut from classic cloth, they are soon dispelled by the attention given to that boardgame icon, the Zone Of Control. To wargamers, the ZOC is the modern equivalent of "The Game's Afoot!" No, there is none of that area-movement silliness here, folks. ZOCs are restrictive towards enemy movement, but at different levels of effectiveness, dependent on who's doing the delaying. Units using Strategic movement have weak ZOCs, as they are considered to be in column. Units in defensive mode are very tough to get around, and a line of fortifications puts a big clamp on enemy movement. Weak ZOCs can be exploited by armored and motorized units, thus reflecting the terrain challenges of desert fighting. The rub is that those weak ZOCs still affect supply, causing a multitude of tactical decisions to be made in a hurry by both sides. Such is the substance of which good wargames are made. At least units in enemy ZOCs are not required to attack, since this is an operational-level game. When you do make the decision to attack, you may: Probe: The tried-and-true method of gathering information about enemy disposition with minimal losses. Assault/No Advance: Either a holding action, or where you cannot advance due to terrain restrictions. Useful for sorties out of forts, or around escarpments. Assault: Exactly what it sounds like. All-Out Assault: Like the above, but with the kitchen sink thrown in. Now, when I get a game that offers me not only the above options, but also allows for combined attacks involving units with different attack orders, I call that one incredible wargame. As if that weren't enough, the odds computation algorithm retains fractions, so I don't have to worry about missing that 3-to-1 attack by one factor. To the designers' credit, they have made all of the terrain effects and other combat modifiers available to the players in a simple, easily digestible format. Unit variety is an unending delight, mainly because of the ways in which the different types interact. Each engineer involved in an attack on a city or improved position improves the odds by one in your favor. There are over two columns devoted to the intricacies of anti-tank combat. There are overrun rules for Panzer freaks, morale rules, troop quality modifiers (since the Italians are involved, these had to be there), and even combat bonuses for regimental integrity. My favorite bit of chrome, though, is that New Zealand units get a one-column shift after dark because of their special night training. Operation Crusader is an early contender for wargame of the year, and not so much because of its accuracy, though that is readily apparent, but because it marks the coming of age of a group of designers and artists who enjoy what they do, and whose games exude that effervescence. My old copy of Afrika Korps may actually collect a little dust now. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This article originally appeared in the May 1994 issue of Computer Gaming World magazine - a Ziff/Davis publication. For subscription information, please call 800-827-4450 within North America or 303-447-9330 elsewhere