Vietnam ’65 was truly innovative when it first came out: a true counter-insurgency game, fresh and new, and it was extremely well received.
The upcoming Afghanistan ’11 aims at bringing that formula back, but not without plenty innovations and novelties of its own!
Today we’ll give some details on what has been improved from Vietnam ’65.
Campaign. Unlike Vietnam ’65, Afghanistan ’11 will have a brand new campaign with 18 scenarios covering the entirety of the war and making you face very different situations. This will be of course accompanied by a Skirmish mode, giving the game extreme replaybility.
New unit types and abilities. Afghanistan ’11 has an expanded roster of units with more functionalities, focusing on particular on the role of Special forces. Special Forces in Afghanistan ’11 have a number of tactical options at their disposal. They can set a Lookout which will function as a stationary observation post, from where they’ll be able to scout and observe enemy movements. They can also call a special Airstrike to destroy enemy units as well as use a Sniper attack to disperse enemy units or force them to retreat.
New FOB system. Forward Operating Bases can now be expanded with additional Modules and be employed to run a supply network. They now function as proper forward bases from which you can launch missions deep into potentially hostile territory.
Elections. Face ever changing political conditions and directly influence the outcome of elections, by spending Political Points to support a specific candidate. War developments will also have a direct influence on elections, and you’ll find that the turns during the electoral campaign will be critical. The situation is made richer by many new Political events which will happen randomly and make your games more varied, as well as new ways to win Hearts & Minds, such as Delivering UN aid or building Waterworks.
Opium Production. Another aspect that is depicted in Afghanistan ’11. Taliban and the militias will depend on the local production of Opium, but of course you have a say on the matter. By locating and destroying opium crops you’ll weaken your enemy by crippling its resources, but as part of the tradeoff you will enrage the locals as you’ll deprive them of their susteinance. What choice will you make?
The UI. A lot of work has been put into improving the interface. Icons have been minimized in favor of contextual feedback. This is most evident in respect of cargo carrying vehicles and helicopters. Instead of cluttering the visuals with icons, the cargo is visually represented which adds to the overall look and feel of the game. In addition, important contextual, visual cues are used to inform the player of a number of important facts i.e. Supply level at FOBs, Artillery supply, medical evacuations and so on.
The Intel Map. In-game information has been put on steroids, with the player now having Staff Officers (SO) displaying vital information to aid the player as he progresses through the scenario. The INTEL map has been upgraded in general and now forms a vital part of the gameplay.
Graphics. Afghanistan ’11 sports greatly improved graphics, being now fully 3D. This not only adds immensely to the visual aspect of the game but also add real context to geographical decisions.
The maps in Afghanistan ‘11 are also scalable to much larger sizes than seen in Vietnam ‘65. All maps used in Afghanistan ‘11 are around 33% larger than those used in Vietnam ’65.
There are many more innovations. We had to be concise, and we couldn’t list them all. Fans of Vietnam ’65 won’t be disappointed, and will find out that the formula they loved has been greatly improved in Afghanistan ’11!
http://store.steampowered.com/app/580710/