Attack at Dawn: North Africa

(Updated 10/3/22)

Overview Video for the visually inclined:
https://youtu.be/KyqPY4XFqHg

New Video Covering the Updated Version of August, '22
https://youtu.be/-MOpUHjrGEg

Complete Playthrough of the First Campaign Scenario as the Axis:
https://youtu.be/gwNz7Er3x3s

Updated (10/22) Comments
- (Updated) The game now has a campaign save feature and scenarios can be restarted at any time, even after completion. This is a solid addition to gameplay, glad to see it added.

- (Updated) The Easter Battle Scenario has been balanced to make it more possible for the Axis to win.

- (Updated) The "Planned Movement Arrow" feature and the increased notifications have removed the minor frustrations with units not executing orders and the player not understanding what's going in. The "planned movement" feature in particular is soooo incredibly informative and helpful. Really nice addition to the game.

- So far this feels like a high quality operational game that rewards good military tactics.

- I love the attention to detail in the user interface. I've found this a quick game to get into. The tutorials explain the basics, but gameplay is quite intuitive and streamlined for a relatively complex game, with things like command/control and supply in play.

- I've seen a bit more of the AI now, and at a minimum it feels quite competent. It moves aggressively and can coordinate attacks. Defensively, it seems to play well, taking up good positions and using its strength to make things hard for you on offense. If you don't attack well, this game will punish you. I lost my first attempt on the 3rd tutorial with a poorly conceived attack, then barely won the second time with a much better plan.

- I've been using a mix of the WeGo movement system and Real Time movement. WeGo is precise but takes more time. The RealTime movement system is good for coving a lot of ground, and from what I've seen of the scenarios so far, you will be covering a good bit of ground in some of them. The maps are huge! It's great to be able to switch between the two movement systems mid-scenario so easily. Related to this: Very much a thinking game, not a reflex twitch type experience. Movement feels similar to Crusader Kings 2 and 3.

- Really like the scenarios and branching campaign opportunities.

- I still need to explore more, but the scenarios feel, for lack of a better term, very historical, and it feels that getting an ahistorical result in good number of them is very hard. I've played the first campaign scenario as both sides now, for example, and I'm not sure I see a way to win as the Allies, at least on Normal difficulty. This isn't aimed as a criticism of the game so much as interesting design decision, and I'm confident that some of the pivotal campaign battles won't have a one-sided feel to them. Important side note: Losing a scenario doesn't prevent you in many cases from getting an optimal campaign ending.

- (see update above) As much as I love the interface, I feel like the unit movement system that control the human player's forces could use a bit of tweaking. Units seem to abandon movement orders if they are ordered to go into a hex that is beyond stacking limits, which makes sense I guess, but this can be hard to see as the player, as you're not given visual feedback why or notification when this happens. Especially with divisional (multi-unit) movement orders, this can create situations where a couple of units get left behind and are suddenly out of command, or an entire division stops. If you're not paying attention, this can create problems. The answer, I think, is to play at a more granular level, which is kind of the level you need to play at with this type of a game anyway, but the group movement system is so appealing for those "move this division 200 miles north" types of situations that it'd be nice if it were a bit more reliable.

- Scenario editor and creator is a nice touch. Maps are HUGE, so lots of potential here.

- Multiplayer beta will be interesting to explore.

I don't hate the game.
It looks very nice, certainly is original and has clear potential for improvement. I also really like the theatre of operations. Maybe it's a very decent RTS, I don't know, I only played TB.

What I didn't like in TB:

- 2 stack limit blocking all friendly movement
- routed enemy units retreating through my lines then attacking me from behind
- weird morale system (veteran units at 80% morale retreating for no reason, retreating after winning a fight as a reaction to enemy fleeing)
- awkward turn-based UI (it's really difficult to swap units in stacks to give them separate orders however silly it sounds)

Firstly saying I've just played only the first 2 tutorial scenarios, I'm already in love with this wargame. Also I'm a 'vet' board wargamer. I know very well who Dean Essig, Richard Berg, etc.. are (quoted in the credits for inspiration reference) and played many of their games (and still do). The 'WeGo turn based system is brilliantly implemented. It reminds me of 'Trial of Strength' (Panther Games). Only that this is managed by a computer ;) hence speed up the game and leave you with the tasty bit of strategic decisions. The graphic is perfect, nice to the eye and very readable. Same for the counters. I'm not interested in the RTS alternative way to play it, although I'm impressed that you can switch between it and the WeGo turn based one on a whim.
I definitely recommend it to the board wargames, but also to others who are interested in the North Africa Campaigns. This is a serious but very playable historical simulation and I look forward to play it all! Also the fact they are adding the multi players version is very attractive.
Hope the AI will challenge me when it will be on the offence and will update this review as soon as I have played it out.