PC Game Review: Airborne Assault: Red Devils Over Arnhem

	Author: Allan Parent Article Type: PC Game Review Publication Date: July 26, 2002 Developer: Panther Games Publisher: Battlefront Related Categories: Simulation, Operational, World War II, Europe, Ground Combat

Graphics & Sound The graphics are sharp and crisp. They are colorful and show terrain features well. They can be zoomed in and out or scrolled easily. The sounds consist of the requisite gunfire and explosions and are very basic, even for game of this nature. The sounds do not detract from the game, but higher quality sounds could have only added to the game's ambience. Equipment tab. Info tab.

Interface

The game interface is very simple and intuitive. All orders and units can be accessed via a mouse click. Routes, jump off points or attack objectives can be changed simply by clicking and dragging the waypoints on the map. A simple click of the mouse allows the player to zoom or scroll around the map. An on-screen, strategic map is also provided that shows the entire battlefield. Honestly, at first I didn't think I would use this feature but the more I played the game, I realized the strategic map was vital in keeping up with the sighting reports of enemy units. I found this feature to be very handy when I was zoomed in on a particular area and it allowed me to keep focused on the "big picture" of the battle.

When clicking on a unit, a wealth of information is revealed. By selecting the unit's status tab, the player can get information on cohesion, morale, fatigue, suppression and the number of personnel, all of which are constantly updated. The equipment tab shows the number and type of vehicles, guns, ammunition, fuel and basic supplies. What is really amazing is that the game keeps track of everything right down to the last rifle round. The info tab reveals data on the human aspect of the unit such as experience, training, aggressiveness, and stubbornness. Finally, there is the commander's tab. This tab exhibits the traits of the unit's leader. The commander's name, rank, leadership, aggression, determination, efficiency and judgement are shown. All of these factors play a vital role in the performance of a unit in combat.

Gameplay and Mechanics

Airborne Assault is a very unique and challenging wargame. First of all, the player commands company, regiment and battalion sized units in real-time. The player may pause, speed up, or slow down the in-game clock to suite his/her needs. I often hit the pause button to think out strategy or to digest new enemy sightings. Airborne Assault also differs slightly from more traditional wargames in that the player in not omnipotent. The game utilizes a realistic command and control structure. The player issues orders to the units under his command. In turn, those units devise a plan to carry out those orders. For example, if I order the 9th SS Panzer division to attack a group of British paratroopers, the leader of the 9th SS division formulates a strategy to attack the enemy using all sub-units in its command structure. It sets the route, movement mode, jump off point, attack frontage and depth among other things. The player can change all of these things but in the end, the unit's leader and quality of troops determine the actual compliance with the order. Since the 9th SS has excellent leadership, I can expect it to be in route to the jump off point within the hour. However, if I give a similar order to a lesser quality unit, it may take several hours for it to mobilize, much less attack. The player may also decide to detach or a unit from its command structure in order to issue orders directly. Once again, the unit's characteristics and terrain determine the completion of orders and combat results.

The player must be careful and decisive in the issuance of orders. When I first played the game, I would often change my units order's immediately upon discovering a new threat or enemy unit. This had a detrimental effect on my ability to actually accomplish anything on the battlefield since every time I changed my mind; a new plan had to be devised by the unit. This cost valuable time and resources. Imagine being the commander of a unit, then given new orders every half-hour by your superior to attack here or there. Obviously, this presents less of a problem for units that are better trained and have good leadership. They take less time to plan and reorganize. Good quality units can also adjust on the fly to fluid battlefield conditions. For instance, if a high quality unit is in a road column formation and discovers an enemy unit, it will quickly change to a more appropriate formation or posture.

I am sure there are some readers thinking what's the point of this elaborate command and control system if you can just command units directly? Yes, it is possible to detach units from their organic headquarters and put them under direct command. However, this does not bypass the game's command and control system. Even though the unit is under the player's direct command, its success in completing orders is still subject to all the various parameters mentioned above. Let me give another example. In several of the scenarios that come with the game, there are some German scratch engineer units that consist of men that have no combat training and poor leadership. They are over 10km from their headquarters and right in the path of advancing British paratroops. I detach them and order them to defend their positions. Due to their poor quality, they rarely organize a defense in time to oppose the paratroops. They are soon routed and surrender. So even though I commanded these units directly and instructed them to defend, they still could not execute my order due to their poor leadership and training.

Commander tab.	Command and control lines of 9th SS.

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