2967 6400 04916614d to mislead their opponent. This phase can easily be dropped for solo play. Both players have their own brands of fun. As well as massive Luftwaffe support and Panzers capable of overrun, the German player can also create schwerpunkts. That's German for 'stress point or 'point of concentration' which, in game terms, means a favourable die modification if both panzer divisions of the same Corps are involved in the same assault. For the allied player, it often spells disaster. Once in the game, the allied player gets to make his counter stroke. This may be from the South, North or a combination of the two. At this point, the allied attacks get a favourable die roll modifier until such a time as the Germans are neither destroyed nor forced to retreat by a combat, or the game ends. Many readers will be familiar with Hitler's halt order which saw the panzers stop and the desctrFrom: Ed Bauer <76121.411@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: Re: COMP: Forgotten Fronts Simulations Noel Wright asked: > Has anybody here bought or played any of the computer games by > a company called "Forgotten Fronts?" There is an ad for > several WW1 games by them in S&T 179 (which finally arrived > today). There are games offered on the opening campaigns on > the Western Front, Eastern Front, and Serbian Front. Hudson > Hobbies also lists a game by them on a hypothetical German WW2 > invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1938. The prices are fairly > cheap for computer games: $20-35. Noel: To try the shareware version of East Front 1914, you may be able to download EAST1914.ZIP from your local BBS. I've only played it once (a draw), so the following is a (long) description, not a review, of the shareware version. ========== Player is Russia (blue); computer is Germany (red) and Austria- Hungary (orange) (shareware-version-only limitation). Game is 33 half-week turns: Aug. 15, 1914 to Dec. 4, 1914. Offset squares (6 adjacent squares) are 13 miles/20 km. Map is 41x41 (1,681) squares. Units are Infantry and Cavalry, Corps and Divisions. Russian divisions are immobile city garrisons. Unit factors: Combat factor, Strength factor (steps), movement. Ex: 5 Inf Corp 08-03-2.5 1 Cav Div 04-01-4.0 12 Inf Div 04-02-00 (immobile Russian city garrison) Russian turn, then Central Powers turn. -Supply -Russian Mobilization (turns 2-5) -Replacement -Movement (incl. reinforcements) -Combat (Attack determine, Defense option, Resolution) TERRAIN COST COMBAT STACKING Clear,Minor City 1 - 2 Major City 1 A-1/2 2 Woods 1.5 NR 1 Hill/Rough 1.5 A-1/3,NR 1 Mountain All A-1/2,NR 1 Bog/Marsh 1.5 NR 1 River +1 A-1/3,NR - Sea,Lake,Romania P P P Fortress +0 F - Transp. Network 0.5,G - 2,G TEC Notes NR: Defender does not have to retreat. May not retreat from a clear square into this type square. A-1/2: Attacker reduced by half when attacking into square. A-1/3: Attacker reduced by 1/3 when attacking into square. P: Prohibited. F: Fortresses have a defense Strength factor of 1-3 steps. G: Only German units can use Transportation squares. --Stacking applies at all times, including movement and retreat. --A unit may always move 1 square. --There are no Zones of Control. --There is no unit facing. --Attacking is optional. More than 1 unit may attack a target. A unit may not attack more than once per turn. --Computer handles defense option, combat resolution, retreat, and advance after combat (shareware-version-only limitation). --Defense options: withdraw, normal, hold at all costs. --Overall attack/defense value is roughly Combat factor times Strength factor modified by terrain and other factors. --Defeat in combat loses Strength factors (steps). Combat factors remain as original. Units with 0 Strength factor may still receive replacements, but may be attacked and destroyed. --Odds greater than 4-1 are treated as 4-1. --Cavalry may only attack other cav., not infantry or fortresses. --Combat will reduce fortresses first, then units inside. Each unit attacking a fortress has a 20% chance of reducing the fortress by 1 step (German units have a 20%-65% chance). Supply is handled by the computer. LOC to map edge/certain cities devoid of squares possessed by enemy. Units OOS lose a step starting with 2nd consec. turn OOS. Russian cavalry OOS is destroyed. Each square has a supply value (0-9), depending upon its distance to the nearest supplied transportation network square. Replacements rebuild lost steps. Units eligible for replacement: not adjacent to enemy (German