Free WW2 PC game.

[Uncle_Joe]

For any who might be interested, SP-Camo and Shrapnel games have released an updated Windows version of Steel Panthers. Its been continually modified and updated since it first came out in the late 90s.

The price is right (free, although you can order a CD version which contains some nice extras). The gameplay is great. You can play any force from the 1930s up until 1946. The graphics are functional and easy to understand.

I'm not sure if its allowable to post links on this forum but you can Google 'WinSPWW2' and get there easily enough.

Enjoy!

[Aries]

THANKS!!!! Uncle Joe

[tragicmishap]

What are the system requirements?

[EasyPickens]

For any who might be interested, SP-Camo and Shrapnel games have released an updated Windows version of Steel Panthers. Its been continually modified and updated since it first came out in the late 90s.

The price is right (free, although you can order a CD version which contains some nice extras). The gameplay is great. You can play any force from the 1930s up until 1946. The graphics are functional and easy to understand.

I'm not sure if its allowable to post links on this forum but you can Google 'WinSPWW2' and get there easily enough.

Enjoy!
Thanks for the heads up!

But does it have a Resourceful Hero unit.... :eek:

[Aries]

No Resourceful Hero, but all the aircraft look like repainted Spitfires :D

[Uncle_Joe]

What are the system requirements?

Very modest:

Pentium II 500 MHz
128 MB RAM
Windows 95+

[Kriegshund]

I downloaded it, but I have a 21.3 inch LCD screen with native 1600x1200, and the free version only goes to 800x600 and doesn't want to play nice/nice. Looks like the enhanced Version for 35 bucks offers 1600, but only comes in CD. This game looks great, but why don't they have an option to download the enhanced version as well? whaaaaaa

[dredlox]

What's the game like? Is it an FPS, or like a strategy game? I love video games by the way

[Uncle_Joe]

I downloaded it, but I have a 21.3 inch LCD screen with native 1600x1200, and the free version only goes to 800x600 and doesn't want to play nice/nice. Looks like the enhanced Version for 35 bucks offers 1600, but only comes in CD. This game looks great, but why don't they have an option to download the enhanced version as well? whaaaaaa

Did you try 'Windowed mode'? There is some discussion about this on the Shrapnel Games forum. I dont know if it would help or not but its worth a try.

What's the game like? Is it an FPS, or like a strategy game? I love video games by the way

Its a turn-based IGO-UGO tactical game. Units are individual vehicles/squads/support weapons. Its 50m per hex.

Playing is quite simple and intuitive. The combat results and data have been tweaked over 10 years so its pretty refined. The unit database is EXHAUSTIVE.

[MektonZero]

Also check out Matrix Games' Steel Panthers: World at War
http://www.matrixgames.com/games/downloads.asp?gid=297

The game is free, ships with a campaign generator, several full campaigns and more than three hundred scenarios extending all the way to some of the early battles in Korea. I've gotten years worth of gaming out of it and still fire it up occasionally.

[Aries]

I used to play SP:WaW all the time. You can also play head to head via email or hotseat which my father-in-law and I were doing before the A&A Europe, Revised, Pacific AAM fever hit.

[Uncle_Joe]

Yep, both are based on the same base engine. Both are really good.

[GrimJesta]

Sweet. I've become bored with replaying Close Combat 2, 4 and 5 over and over, so I need something new. Thanks for the heads up.

-=Grim=-

[Generaloberst_Beck]

I think Uncle Joe and I agree that Close Combat III was really nice... This one seems promising.

[carl_brisgamer]

Also check out Matrix Games' Steel Panthers: World at War
http://www.matrixgames.com/games/downloads.asp?gid=297

The game is free, ships with a campaign generator, several full campaigns and more than three hundred scenarios extending all the way to some of the early battles in Korea. I've gotten years worth of gaming out of it and still fire it up occasionally.

I have to agree. I played Steel Panther 1, 2 and 3 years ago and enjoyed every minute of it. Now I play the Combat Mission games, which also rock BTW, but there is something about the simplicity of Steel Panthers that is very alluring, even today.

That and the original Panzer General - what a classic!

[elindo]

Thanks for the heads up. My brother in law and I use to play the original Steel Panthers together co-op. We would divide up the troops and take turns moving them. Same thing for Panzer General... ahh, the good old days. After each battle we'd split up the point to refit and buy new units.

[MektonZero]

That and the original Panzer General - what a classic!

Speaking of which, the Win95 version of Panzer General runs under XP in compatibility mode on 256 colors. You used to be able to get it from the Underdogs site but since some dork is selling copies of the Dos version from his garage they took it down.

That's another game I fire up every year or so and play through.

[Lotus]

Thanks, bud. Downloading it now...an hour + to go at highspeed wireless. Yikes.

Sounds fun tho. Like I need another distraction, but...if I am forced to it...

[komichido]

Are the graphics updated or anything? I have the last version and play it sometimes. What is significantly new? If the graphics are further developed I will definately get it.

Komi

[Autarch]

Turned based, eh? Sounds like I would like this better than the "build your buildings to build your army while the enemy is constantly attacking you with first rate units" real time tedium that I don't play anymore.

[Uncle_Joe]

Are the graphics updated or anything? I have the last version and play it sometimes. What is significantly new? If the graphics are further developed I will definately get it.

Most of the models have been redone and look pretty good. The terrain set has also undergone a facelift. The free version supports resolutions up to 800x600. The CD (purchase) version supports much higher resolutions.

So, no its not hugely different in terms of graphics. Where the biggest improvements have come is in the engine and the data. Since they received the source code from SSI, they were able to go in and improve a lot of the inner workings. The database includes just about every type of WW2 era vehicle and weapon that you can imagine.

If you enjoyed the earlier versions (SP1/2/3), I highly recommend going ahead and downloading this version. Its the same basic gameplay, but much improved under the hood. The graphics improvements are modest, but when you zoom in it looks really nice, especially at the higher resolutions.

Turned based, eh? Sounds like I would like this better than the "build your buildings to build your army while the enemy is constantly attacking you with first rate units" real time tedium that I don't play anymore.

Yep, no 'base building' or resource gathering etc. Its like a game of A&AM...you pick your force and go. Alternatively you can play scenarios or campaigns where you keep the same core force and progress through the war.

[tragicmishap]

so, which would you recommend if you could only play one, the Matrix games version or the Shrapnel games one? The Matrix one is almost four times larger.

[Aries]

I have played both and the Matrix one has much nicer looking graphics (hence the larger size). There are also some other features in the Matrix version that I do not see in the Sharpnel one (selectable op fire range, selectable weapon firing on the fly rather than unselecting it from the unit screen, etc....). If you can run the Matrix version and can get it (it is huge) go with that one.

[Uncle_Joe]

I've tried both but I prefer the SP-Camo version to the SPW@W version. The combat results seem a little more on par with the former version to me. The W@W version just doesnt seem as 'clean' to me. It has a lot more clunkiness in the gameplay (probably as a result of the op-fire system).

And yes, the huge size is because they have included the video clips from the original SP as well as music etc. The in-game graphics are functionally identical IMO.

The final perk for the SP-Camo version is that they also have a Modern (1946-2010) version (WinSPMBT) and it uses the exact same engine. I like being able to seemlessly move between the two and not have re-learn interface and gameplay mechanics each time.

But either version is free and well worth the time. Both versions have a huge variety of scenarios available (in addition to the tons included with each game). So to answer your question, I'd get the SP-Camo version (from Shrapnel Games). But you cant go wrong with either.

[spite48]

Thanks for the note. I installed SP-Camo and played until 5am yesterday. Tons of fun.

[Runelord]

Thanks Uncle Joe, Downloaded and played, super game as I love turn based games. Too old and getting too slow for these RTS thingys. :)