Brigade Commander

TTR Development

1991

commercial

English

1991 classic Amiga game -

Old style strategy game (with hexes and icons symbolizing the units), which simulates the modern battlefield. We have here different scenarios how might looked like the beginning of World War III (even scenario of landing of Warsaw Pact troops in the northern Germany), in later scenario sets Gulf War scenarios were available. Brigade Commander was one of the first games operating in real time (that is, when you make you decisions the previously given orders are already being executed by the troops).

The graphics are rather poor (especially for 1991!), but the game is saved by the excellent editor, in which you can create your own custom units, maps and scenarios - the only limit is only your imagination. In the basic scenarios of course all the necessary types of units on both sides of the conflict were already defines (f.e. specific NATO and the Warsaw Pact tanks, armored vehicles or helicopters), each of them have assigned parameters that describe whether this particular unit has capability of engineer works, does it have transport capabilities, is it armored, how much time does it take to prepare to fire (important for artillery and rocket units), etc. And through the editor each of those parameters can modified or we can create from scratch completely new types of units - this way you can built World War 2 units or even earlier.

But as usual with good ideas, the best things are hidden in the details, f.e. mines and smoke screens. Of course other games have already had mines, but here engineer units could set minefields (also artillery was capable of that), remove mines, repair roads or vice versa to create obstacles, which could slow down the opponent. Smoke screens could have helped to retreat unit under enemy fire, but they also could have been placed by the artillery and thus give cover to advancing column of tanks. Another advantage of Brigade Commander was the way we were plotting the route for unit - it was possible to choose any hex on the way and not like other RTS games, where we were just pointing at the direction and units were choosing their own route. Each of the icons represented one platoon, so it could be group of infatry soldiers or unit containing few tanks or vehicles. At any time infantry could have been loaded into armored vehicles, trucks or even helicopters and transported to another location, with some limitations air support or artillery barrage fire also could have been ordered.

As you can see Brigade Commander was almost perfect game - a lot of options, good strategy elements, and above all a great editor, which allowed to create not only the maps, but also units, and this meant that it was entertainment not for weeks or months, but years.

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