Info about Afghanistan '11:

Official game description:
**Afghanistan '11** is the sequel to the highly praised and innovative Vietnam '65. It enhances and builds on it: **Afghanistan '11** changes the paradigm of wargaming and manages to bring Counter-Insurgency and guerrilla warfare to your screen, properly represented thanks to a revolutionary gameplay formula!  
The year is 2011, you are commanding the US army operations in Afghanistan.  
But contrary to the previous generations of military officers in your family, killing the enemy is only a secondary mission.  
Most of your efforts and resources are spent elsewhere trying to grab the **Hearts & Minds** of the local population. Providing security to the civilians, persuading the local villagers to reject the Taliban and isolating Militia leaders is your main focus.  
**Counter-Insurgency** will have better results in the long run than conventional tactics but a simple incident during a routine patrol can ruin your relationship with the locals and damage your image in the Western newspapers.  
The Afghanistan terrain offers a very good cover to the rebels who can easily hide in the mountains and natural caves. Patience and good use of technology can give you the decisive advantage in this merciless game of hide and seek. When you spot an enemy unit or an opium plantation with a drone, you call in air support or artillery to eliminate the target immediately: speed will be crucial!.  
But having the air supremacy is not enough to win the war against the insurgents. IEDs, rocket launchers and sneaky ambushes are common threats for your ground units and helicopters.  
Casualties weaken the morale and the overall support from the folks back home in the USA, so make sure to keep your men safe and well supplied, and victory may well be yours...

Release date: Mar 23, 2017

Categories: Turn-based Strategy, Political Simulation, Military Simulation, Logistics Management, Base Building, Unit Management, Counter-Insurgency


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Challenging and fun gameplay (weight 0.96): The game provides a challenging and fun experience with a focus on strategy and planning. It includes a variety of missions and scenarios that require careful thought and management of resources.
- Good graphics and user interface (weight 0.84): The game features pleasant graphics and a well-designed interface that is easy to learn and use. It includes a comprehensive tutorial and improved graphics and UI over its prequel.
- High replayability and variety (weight 0.77): The game offers high replayability with different geographical environments, randomly generated skirmish mode maps, and a variety of scenarios. It includes two game modes: Campaign and Skirmish.
- Unique and innovative mechanics (weight 0.77): The game features unique and innovative mechanics, such as the Hearts and Minds system, political points system, and a complex supply system. These mechanics add depth and replayability to the game.
- Improved mechanics and depth (weight 0.75): The game introduces new mechanics and improvements over its prequel, Vietnam '65, offering greater scope, depth, and complexity. It includes a variety of scenarios and a detailed logistics system.
- Realistic and engaging gameplay (weight 0.74): The game offers a realistic portrayal of counterinsurgency warfare with a strong emphasis on logistics, tactical gameplay, and a detailed representation of military operations. It includes a variety of military units and actions, providing a complex and engaging simulation.
- Accurate historical representation (weight 0.71): The game provides an accurate and detailed representation of the Afghanistan War, including historical context and depth. It captures the frustrations and dynamics of the real war.
- Focus on logistics and nation-building (weight 0.71): The game emphasizes logistics and nation-building as key aspects of gameplay. Players must manage supply lines, build infrastructure, and secure regions to stabilize the area.
- Easy to learn but hard to master (weight 0.68): The game is designed to be easy to learn with a comprehensive tutorial and easy-to-understand mechanics, but it offers a depth of strategy that makes it challenging to master.
- Well-designed levels and units (weight 0.65): The game features well-designed levels and detailed unit management, providing a comprehensive and engaging experience. Each unit has specific skill sets for special tasks.
- Therapy value for veterans (weight 0.62): The game has been noted for its therapy value for veterans, providing a unique and insightful look at counterinsurgency warfare that resonates with those who have experienced it firsthand.
- Responsive developer support (weight 0.28): The developers are responsive to bug reports and provide active support and updates. This ensures a better gaming experience and addresses player concerns.

Common complaints:
- Game has numerous bugs (weight 0.65): The game is reported to have a variety of bugs that affect gameplay, including crashes, broken tutorials, and issues with game mechanics.
- IEDs spawn frequently (weight 0.61): Players frequently encounter issues with IEDs spawning instantaneously and excessively, making movement and missions difficult.
- Convoy and supply issues (weight 0.58): There are significant problems with convoy management, including trucks getting destroyed and issues with supply runs.
- High price for content (weight 0.49): The game is considered too expensive for the amount and quality of content provided.
- Repetitive missions (weight 0.03): Missions lack variety and can become repetitive, leading to a monotonous gameplay experience.
- User-hostile mechanics (weight 0.03): The game features non-intuitive and user-hostile mechanics that frustrate players.
- FOB restrictions and limitations (weight 0.03): There are restrictions and limitations at FOBs that can trigger fights and limit unit usage.
- Action Points management issues (weight 0.03): Managing Action Points is painful and unclear, leading to movement issues.
- Unfair combat mechanics (weight 0.03): The combat mechanics are seen as unfair and frustrating, akin to a game of whack-a-mole.
- Supply management problems (weight 0.03): There are issues with supply management, including a lack of warnings for low supplies.
- High difficulty and time consumption (weight 0.03): The game is noted for its high difficulty and the significant time required to complete missions.
- Unskippable animations (weight 0.03): Animations cannot be skipped, making the gameplay slow and tedious.
- Long and repetitive tutorials (weight 0.03): The tutorial and initial missions are excessively long and repetitive, requiring multiple redos.
- Small mistakes have big consequences (weight 0.03): A single error can lead to a debt spiral, destroying hours of gameplay.
- Frequent misclicks (weight 0.03): Players often experience missed clicks and misclicks, leading to unintended commands.
- Increased management difficulty (weight 0.03): Managing multiple bases increases the difficulty and micromanagement required.
- Unclear movement costs (weight 0.03): Movement costs are unclear, and air units are expensive to use.
- Hearts & Minds mechanics unclear (weight 0.03): The Hearts & Minds mechanics lack clear information and are flawed.
- Lack of combat feedback (weight 0.03): There is no clear feedback on the impacts of combat, leading to confusion.

Gameplay feedback:
- Random Events and Challenges (weight 0.58): The game includes random events and challenges that can disrupt careful plans. Players must adapt to these unpredictable elements to succeed in their missions.
- Counter-Insurgency and Nation-Building (weight 0.45): The game focuses on counter-insurgency tactics and nation-building tasks. Players engage in activities such as patrolling villages, defusing IEDs, eliminating Taliban forces, building infrastructure, and delivering UN supplies. The objective is to win the hearts and minds of the local population through a combination of military and political strategies.
- Complex Game Mechanics (weight 0.42): The game features a variety of complex mechanics including risk management, scouting, intelligence systems, logistics, supply management, and combat with percentage-based odds. It also includes a political points system and a Hearts-and-Minds score system to reflect the complexities of real-life warfare.
- Strategic and Tactical Gameplay (weight 0.22): The game offers a mix of strategic and tactical gameplay with a focus on logistics and infrastructure. Players must manage resources, supply lines, and regional security while also engaging in combat and mission planning. The game features a top-down view and improved graphics and UI.
- Turn-Based Strategy (weight 0.13): The game is a turn-based strategy game with hexagonal turn-based wargame mechanics. It features a single-player campaign with varied challenges and increasing logistics management. Players must plan their moves carefully to succeed in the asymmetrical warfare environment.
- Unit Management and Coordination (weight 0.09): Players must manage and coordinate various units with specific skill sets and abilities. This includes unit movement, action points, and manual control of squads. Effective unit coordination is crucial for indirect fire and overall combat success.
- Varied Game Modes (weight 0.07): The game offers various modes including a campaign with increasing logistics challenges, skirmish mode with randomly generated maps, and sandbox mode. These modes provide different gameplay experiences and objectives.
- Base Building and Expansion (weight 0.07): Players can build and expand their bases, deploying forces and training local infantry. Base management is a key aspect of the game, allowing players to customize their field hospitals and manage FOBs.
- Political and Economic Management (weight 0.05): The game includes political and economic management mechanics. Players must balance income and spending, manage political points, and navigate the complexities of political and economic systems.
- Convoy and Supply Management (weight 0.05): Managing convoys and supply trucks is a crucial aspect of the game. Players must strategically use supply trucks to maintain logistics and support their operations.
- Intel and Reconnaissance (weight 0.05): Reconnaissance and intelligence gathering are vital for strategic planning. Players must move to villages for intel and aid, and use an intel map for strategic information to make informed decisions.
- Special Units and Roles (weight 0.03): The game features special units like Apache helicopters and support roles that are crucial for combat and mission success. Players must effectively utilize these units to achieve their objectives.
- Modding Support (weight 0.02): The game supports modding, allowing players to customize and enhance their gameplay experience. This feature adds to the game's replayability and community engagement.

Performance notes:
- Mixed performance feedback (weight 0.18): While some players report that the game runs well and is lightweight, others experience frequent crashes and performance issues. This inconsistency suggests that the game's performance may vary depending on the system or settings.
- Buggy and incomplete features (weight 0.17): The game is described as incomplete with various bugs affecting gameplay. Issues include missed clicks, achievements not unlocking, and general buggy gameplay, indicating a need for further development and polishing.

Recommendations:
- Buy on sale (weight 0.27): Many reviewers suggest purchasing the game on sale or at a discount. This indicates that while the game is valued, it might be best to wait for a price reduction.
- Recommended for strategy game fans (weight 0.25): This game is highly recommended for fans of strategy games, particularly those who enjoy turn-based strategy, asymmetric warfare simulations, and detailed wargames. It is also suggested for those interested in historical and political contexts, as well as military history.
- Try Vietnam '65 (weight 0.02): Some reviewers recommend trying 'Vietnam '65', suggesting it might be a similar or related game that could also be of interest.

Other player notes:
No miscpoints

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.25): Players experience frustration primarily due to game mechanics and bugs, including frequent IED spawns, convoy destructions, and a variety of persistent bugs. Additional sources of frustration include the game's high difficulty, unclear mechanics, and issues with the tutorial and AI behavior.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.12): Players enjoy the game for its unique and challenging gameplay, high replayability, and engaging mechanics. Despite some frustrations, the overall experience is entertaining and offers a variety of missions and unit-specific skills.
- Appreciation (weight 0.11): Players appreciate the game's depth, realism, and strategic elements. The thoughtful design, historical context, and active developer support contribute to a balanced and insightful approach to counterinsurgency warfare.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.1): Players are satisfied with the game's depth, value for money, and improvements over previous versions. The well-designed levels, sense of mastery, and enjoyable gameplay contribute to a satisfying experience.
- Disappointment (weight 0.09): Players feel disappointed due to quality of life issues, poor UX/UI, and continuous crashes. The game's unique aspects are overshadowed by performance issues and unresolved bugs.
- Excitement (weight 0.05): Players are excited about the game's depth, challenge, and improvements over previous versions. The dense strategy and upcoming features, such as convoy units, add to the excitement.
- Approval (weight 0.04): Players approve of the game's attention to detail, research, and accurate mechanics. The focus on logistics and supply management, along with the game's originality and intelligent design, are highly regarded.
- Engaged (weight 0.03): Players are engaged by the unique gameplay mechanics and objectives. The sophisticated simulation and challenging gameplay of COIN mechanics keep players involved.
- Engagement (weight 0.02): Players are engaged by the simulation of asymmetrical warfare and interesting mechanics. Unit development and strategic elements contribute to a engaging experience.
- Excited (weight 0.02): Players are excited about the excellent new mechanics and refreshing take on the genre. The challenging and engaging gameplay adds to the excitement.
- Boredom (weight 0.01): Players experience boredom due to repetitive tasks and uninteresting music/sound. The lack of variety in certain aspects of the game contributes to this feeling.
- Amusement (weight 0.01): Players find the game amusing due to its reflective nature of reality. The game's portrayal of real-life situations adds a layer of entertainment.
- Immersion (weight 0.01): Players feel immersed due to the game's accurate portrayal of the Afghanistan War. The realistic representation of events and settings enhances the immersive experience.
- Challenge (weight 0.01): Players feel challenged by the game's high difficulty and resource management. The strategic elements and complex mechanics provide a challenging experience.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.01): Players are enthusiastic about the game, finding it enjoyable and addictive. The engaging gameplay and unique features contribute to this enthusiasm.
- Interest (weight 0.01): Players are interested in the game's unique features and mechanics. The innovative aspects and strategic elements spark curiosity and engagement.
- Gratitude (weight 0.01): Players feel gratitude towards the game for accurately representing personal military experiences. The realistic portrayal resonates with those who have firsthand experience.
- Respect (weight 0.01): Players respect the game for its accurate and honest representation of war. The thoughtful and realistic approach to depicting warfare earns respect from players.
- Frustrated (weight 0.01): Players feel frustrated due to lack of clear information and buggy gameplay. The unclear mechanics and persistent bugs contribute to this frustration.
- Disappointed (weight 0.01): Players feel disappointed due to poor graphics and technical issues. The visual and performance shortcomings detract from the overall experience.}