A realistic tank battle game that features miniatures and 3D scenery. Simple rules and amazing tactical depth in diverse scenarios!
Latest Updates from Our Project:
New 3D models
over 3 years ago
– Sat, Jul 31, 2021 at 03:58:36 PM
In the previous update, we announced that we would show the progress in the production of Panzer Strike games. We are now showing new models of tanks and stationary weapons. Some models have already been tested and we will be ordering the series soon.
Some models have just been designed and test pieces will be made in the coming days.
The miniatures that were previously made and painted are now complete – assembled hull with turret. It is a rather slow process because several different models are mixed in one pile in the process of painting. When sorting and counting the numbers, the quality of miniatures is also checked.
There are only a few 3D models left to design. This will be shown in the next update. Until then, the next batch of painting will be done. We will then make progress with the remaining cardboard game elements.
Update #40
over 3 years ago
– Sun, Jul 04, 2021 at 05:15:56 PM
What we announced in the previous two updates is now being realized. The new Kickstarter campaign, which was necessary for the survival of our company and the realization of previous projects, is now in its final phase. It will probably be our most successful campaign (when the funds from the pledge manager are collected).
The success of that project enables us to work stably in the coming period. Under the heading "Production plan" we have announced that we will be fully dedicated to the production of Panzer Strike games this summer ( https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1732812836/age-of-dogfights-wwii ).
Therefore, we have already started some preparations for the continuation of the production of Panzer Strike games. In the coming period, that will be our priority. We will show the concrete results in the next update.
We thank the backers for their patience.
Update #39
over 3 years ago
– Thu, Jun 03, 2021 at 08:58:43 PM
In the previous update, we explained why it is necessary to launch a new campaign on Kickstarter. We announced that the beginning of that campaign will be in the middle of May. Unfortunately, due to various circumstances, the start has been postponed several times. The main reason is that we do not want to repeat the mistake and start a new project unprepared. A failure caused by it would lead to a financial collapse and the fulfilment of all projects (both old and new) would be uncertain.
It is not easy to estimate when some intellectual and creative work will be completed. We received great praise for the first game in the Age of Dogfights series, so now backers' expectations from the new game are justifiably very high. This is an additional pressure for our small team, so sometimes we dedicate too much time to some details. Due to that, the preparations have been extended, but we are now in the final phase (the video is being recorded). We are sure that we are on a good path to create another very good game and that the campaign will be very successful. This will also have a positive effect on the Panzer Strike project. We hope that the backers understand that more than anyone else we want to finish this project (Panzer Strike), but that it must be synchronized with other activities in our company.
Overall status - what has been produced and what still needs to be done
over 3 years ago
– Wed, Apr 21, 2021 at 01:33:53 PM
In this update, we want to present the overall status of what has been done so far and what still needs to be done in order to finish the production of Panzer Strike games. After the low point (financial and creative) that happened at the start of last year, the Age of Dogfights project allowed us to continue production. Some progress has been made since then, and we probably could have done more, but many circumstances have limited us in our work.
The main problem in the production of Panzer Strike games is the miniatures (for the Premium version). The company that produces them on a 3D printer (SLS technology) has been working with reduced capacities for a long time. Occasionally they had to stop working entirely because the employees were ill or in quarantine. Another reason for the interruption of work is that their offices are in a shopping center, and such centers were often closed for several weeks due to the pandemic. It should be said that the production of miniatures is quite a tricky task because it requires frequent tryouts, and some models are made in very small series, so all in all, collaboration with us is not very profitable to them. That's why we were often "on hold". However, step by step, almost all models have been made. We hope that the remaining ones will be ready in the next 5-6 weeks. Of the tanks made, only a small part is painted. We do not dare to predict how long will it take for all the tanks to be painted, because that is done by the same company that prints them. Before that, all the pieces should be sorted, and that will be done in our workshop.
The boxes and boards were done a long time ago. Also, almost all plastic elements that are done on our 3d printers (FDM technology) have been finished. In the previous update, we announced that the rulebook for the game has been completed. Turn counters and some buildings for 3D terrain were also made a long ago, but most buildings have yet to be produced.
Since the production of miniatures by our associates was slow, we used all the capacities in our workshop for the production of Age of Dogfights games and expansions. This game contains many elements of different materials, it was necessary to make some expensive tools, and the total circulation was large (almost 3000 boxes). However, with a lot of problems that we solved, the production is nearly finished. All that remains is to complete one expansion. It will be done very soon. Also, we were able to send all the rewards that do not contain this currently unfinished expansion. Mistakes from previous projects helped us to organize much better, so the production was very efficient. Just these days, we are getting praise from all sides, both for the gameplay and for the production quality.
Since the production and shipping of the game AoD and its expansions will be complete in 10 to 15 days, we intend to engage all the capacities in our workshop for the production of elements for Panzer Strike. We do not dare to give a final estimate of the production end date because there is still a lot of work to be done on the final definition of buildings and some other elements. We will try to make it happen as soon as possible because we are fully aware of the significant delay in fulfilling this project.
We have invested all the money from the Age of Dogfight project in the production and expansion of our capacities, but because of that, our monthly expenses (rent, salaries, taxes) have also increased. We now have a total of four employees, we bought one workshop and we are renting four more. We bought a few machines and made two expensive plastic injection tools.
Because of all that, we have to think about how we will employ our capacities in the next period. We have already said that we will now work on the production of the remaining elements for the Panzer Strike game, however, that will be finished in a few months at most, so we have to have a plan for the next period. The only realistic solution is to launch another project on Kickstarter and it will be a sequel to the Age of Dogfights series – WWII. It is, practically, the same game as the previous one, only the planes are different. We already have all the tools and well-defined production procedures. Many backers are looking forward to this game and we believe that we will repeat the success of the previous campaign. The schedule is as follows: the campaign should start in the second half of May and last for a month. Then there is a 3 to 4 weeks break until the secondary campaign on BackerKit, which will also last at least a month. The production will start only after that. Until then, our production facilities will be fully engaged in the production of Panzer Strike games.
We hope you understand the reasons why we need to launch a new project soon. This will not disrupt the production of Panzer Strike games, on the contrary. If the campaign goes well, it will give our company something to work on in the coming period, and thus improve the mood and give us enthusiasm for our further work. We are aware that we are under criticism from you, our backers, for not delivering Panzer Strike games on time, but we also hope that you understand our problems. We are on the right track to solve them, to mutual satisfaction.
Core rules
over 3 years ago
– Sat, Apr 17, 2021 at 01:40:08 PM
We dedicate this update entirely to the Core rules. In a few days, we will publish a new update in which we will consider what has been done so far, what still needs to be done and what is the plan for the completion of production and delivery. Then we will answer all your questions related to that topic.
During the campaign, we had announced that this game will have two versions of the rules: Simplified and Core. Simplified rules, as the name says, are very simple, easy to learn, dynamic with playing turns exchanging quickly. In a single operation, the rule for firing takes into account the strength of the gun, the armor thickness of the target and the distance. These rules were written back in 2006, when we created the first prototype of a game with tank combat in an urban environment theme (Panzer Strike development history). In the following years, we made new prototypes, the rules were constantly upgraded, we added new categories of tanks and armored vehicles, howitzers with parabolic firing were introduced... We, the authors, have played this game the most, and we remember unforgettable games in which the winner was not known until the last shot, with interesting tactical procedures and spectacular twists.
Over time, we began to try some radically different individual rules. Our goal was to introduce more realistic elements into the game. The biggest changes were related to firing. In the old rules (now called "Simplified"), the probability of destroying the opponent increases significantly with the reduction of the distance between the tanks, so it often happened that the tanks accumulated in a small space. The new rules have introduced many new factors, with the most significant change being the separation of firing rule into weapon's accuracy (probability to hit the target) and power (ability to penetrate armor).
The early concept of the new rules was focused mostly on realism of the simulation, and less on gameplay dynamics. It didn't require complex calculations, but the playing procedure was quite long with many steps and dice rolls (in order to feature many factors), which we didn't find favorable for a game which is supposed to be dynamic and interesting to play.
The final version of the new rules (Core rules) was planned to be improved in terms of dynamics, but nevertheless we also wanted to provide the simplicity of the "old" rules as an option in Panzer Strike: Western Front, by giving dual rulebook (Simplified + Core).
Due to various circumstances, we entered this project quite unprepared. Beside other shortcomings, the Core rules were not yet written. It was still a set of individual rules that were not harmonized as a whole. In several updates, we have published parts of the Simplified rules. Core rules were to be written after the end of the campaign. Due to various circumstances (which we have written about in previous updates), the Core rules are completed just now. Here we publish them in full (before printing, the text will undergo some proofreading):
As you can see, the entire rules are 7 pages long, featuring examples, optional rules and the basic scenario. On the eighth page is a brief summary of the rules.
Some elements made for the needs of "Age of Dogfights: WWI" are now implemented in this game as well (plastic cubes). And in general, working on the rules for Age of Dogfights helped us to write Panzer Strike rules better and clearer. What was once a flaw of realistic (Core) rules – slow pace, has been removed in this variant. We think we have achieved a good balance between Simplified and the early version of the Core rules. We have achieved what we wanted – the game to be fast and fluid, and the realism to be at a high level (which can be managed by choosing whether to use optional rules or not). Now, the need for the Simplified rules is practically eliminated.
These days we get tremendous praises for Age of Dogfights: WWI game. It is especially emphasized that the rules are simple, logical, realistic, and that the game has depth and variety. We, as authors, claim that Panzer Strike: Western Front is a step further in that direction, with advantages of not needing control panels to play (the board and a place to roll dice is all you need on the table). It is only needed to periodically check some data on the chart showing vehicle characteristics. Apart from assembling the 3D buildings (note that the game can be played even without them), the time from opening the box to the beginning of the game is about a minute. We have been working on these rules for a long time and we, the authors, are satisfied with the final version.
We know that the final judgement on the rules will be possible only when several games are played, but even the first reading can give some impression, so we are interested in your opinions.
