The most balanced PzC title

[Pepe Botijo]

Wich is the most balanced title for H2H games in your opinion?

[Mr Grumpy]

It might be better to narrow this down to balanced H2H campaign scenarios within certain titles, as all titles contain multiple scenarios with varying levels of H2H balance , your question is impossible to answer without using sweeping generalisations.

[Kool Kat]

Which is the most balanced title for H2H games in your opinion?

Hey Pepe:

Your question seemed familiar to me and one that I answered a while back.

So I conducted a quick search of my TOC Forum postings and ta-da!  

https://www.theblitz.club/message_boards...t=kool+kat

Yep! Back in Oct 2015, you asked a similar question - "Are Smolensk '41 scenarios balanced?"

So again, in brief, here's how you can search PzC game titles to determine "balance."

(1.) Navigate to the TOC game database.

(2.) Select game(s) of interest.

(3.) Sort by "Rating."

(4.) Re-read my referenced Oct 2015 post.

(5.) You are welcome!  

[Pepe Botijo]

Good memory, Kool Kat! 

That´s true but this time I just wanted to know a general impression of the community veterans (those who have played most of the titles) without taking so much time looking to the looong TOC game database . In two years time of PzCampaigns gameplay (including vanilla and VM scenarios) I miss more balanced scenarios, even if they are not very historical. After all this is just a game, isn´t it? and games are for fun. 

Thanks anyway

[typhoon]

OK lets do this for fun though must add I have found someone that can beat me at anything despite the balance. This is from a very poor memory I have not played some in a long time. Talking the Campaigns.

1) Smolensk German but still fun to play as Russian with the little success meaning so much
2) Normandy Allied though I have been stuck on the beaches and unable to get off
3) Kharkov German again still fun as either side
4) Tobruk never got into this one all that much but did find it balanced though memory might be faded here
5) Bulge Perhaps the most enjoyable favours allied but the Germans are a blast to play
6) Korsun I think Russian but again that memory of mine different feel to many of the others
7) Kursk Heavilly favours German again though I have been beaten playing them can be frustrating as Soviet so much to move and only really artillery thats effective
8) Sicily like the balance in this one fun to play either side
9) Rhzev Underated and I think fairly well balanced both sides fun
10) Market Garden Well balanced smaller to me than some of the other titles both sides fun
11) El Alamein the better of the desert titles balance is good fun to play
12) France 40 Definitely German French can be frustrating as can the Belguim companies holding up the river crossings although think they changed the rules to stop this (want to revisit this one again soon)
13) Salerno I think the most heavily biased of all the titles towards the Germans
14) Moscow 41 Again German though have enjoyed playing both sides
15) Stalingrad unsure on this one again needs more exploration as both sides from what I remember still fun
16) Minsk The most heavily Soviet biased lots of units still enjoyed playing Axis though
17) Budapest Well balanced fun title
18) Sealion only just got this one got two games on go one as either side like it so far.
19) Kharkov Great game good balance very different each time of playing enjoy this one
20) Tunisia unable to comment on balance only played allied was a little disappointed at the size similar to Market Garden but not in my opinion as enjoyable
21) Moscow42 winter campaign I think favours Soviet looking to explore the Fall Kreml campaign so waiting to see.

This is all my own personal opinion and some of my memories may be mis leading this is after all the best series of games ever and you can't really go wrong with any of them

[Pepe Botijo]

Thanks a lot for your detailed information, this is the kind of answer I was waiting for.  Nothing like a PzC well-balanced scenario!

I suppose you´re refering to the vanilla scenarios. Do Volcano man scenarios improve in some way the balance?

It would be so nice to hear other veteran voices. 

[Kool Kat]

Hey Pepe:  

Just an observation...

You "seem" to be doing a lot of "fence sitting" when it come to purchasing PzC games - asking lots of questions about game balance and soliciting input / feedback from other players.

Nothing wrong with that... especially if you enjoy the "view!"  

I think it can be helpful to better understand other players' impressions of the PzC game titles.    It "may" provide some guidance to buyers of perspective titles.

However... at some point it all boils down to your WW2 gaming interests; Early war versus late period? Eastern Front versus West Front or Mediterranean?

What interests you historically?

For me, my historical interests are the primary driver in my PzC game buying decisions followed by a review of the game scenario database (Balance, number of times a match has been recorded, number of small, medium, and large scenarios, etc.) What other players think of a game helps round out the data points.

However, if a number of players agree that a specific game has a lot of "balanced H2H scenarios," but I don't have an interest in that war period, it's doubtful I would purchase it. Why? Simply because I see myself not as a collector of PzC and MC game titles, but as a player of them! I've got to enjoy what I am playing especially given the time investment needed for a PBeM match.    

Hopefully, you will be able to make a purchase decision and move forward with it shortly.

There's too much gaming to get done... and it's tough to do it while you are sitting on the fence!  

[Pepe Botijo]

Kool Kat,

I´m not exactly sit on the fence, indeed I´ve been playing with some friends MP Tiller games for almost two years. It´s just I don´t have enought time to "taste" all titles, so I need a bit of advice. I´m sure this thread will be useful for all of us. That´s all.  

About my preferences? WW2, WW1, Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance... Every period has something special to me. Being sincere I don´t need to buy more games I just need more free time. 

[Mr Grumpy]

Being sincere I don´t need to buy more games I just need more free time. 

Indeed, the same problem we all have!!  LOL