Wings Of Glory Campaign Introduction

WINGS OF GLORY; BATTLE FOR THE SKIES

CAMPAIGN INTRODUCTION

I've loved airplanes since the first time I saw Top Gun as a kid in the 80s. We loved playing Top Gun on the NES, especially that first level since we couldn't figure out how to land. Then, a few years later, we played a SNES game called Wings 2 Aces High, also known around the world as Sky Mission. We didn't own it, but I loved it and rented it a lot. 

A couple of decades later, a game called Wings of War was released in English in 2010. I bought the box set and immediately fell in love. I loved the gameplay, the minis, the scenarios. It was only missing one thing, at least in my opinion: a campaign.

Scenarios and one-off games can be fun, but an ongoing campaign is so much more fun to play. You don't sacrifice planes during missions in a campaign unless it's for a vital reason. Pilots developing skills, new planes becoming available, and upgrades for the planes become vital. Do you spend points for a new plane and rookie pilot, or do you upgrade a veteran pilot? Do you buy two cheaper planes or buy one expensive plane? 

All these decisions make the missions generated by the campaign all the more important. I would play Wings Of War/Glory for a while, but I'd get bored playing the same scenarios. And eventually get distracted with something new. Then a few years would go by, and I'd check in to see if a campaign book had been released. There are several fan-made campaigns available, but most required aircraft I didn't own or simply weren't the style of campaign I was looking for. So, what do you do? You make your own campaign.

I've come up with a campaign ruleset, and I will be playing through a complete game here on my blog. While I play through, I'll take notes on changes needed or new ideas and once the first campaign is completed I'll sit down and rewrite the campaign rules with the updated new rules. After the new rules are written, I'll play another campaign to the end to see how these rules work and modify again until it's what I want. At that point, I can sit back and play Wings of Glory until my heart's content.

As far as the campaign goes, I'll be flying missions with my side, the Entente, and the Central side; I will be using Herkybird's solo rules to fly their planes. I'm mostly a solo gamer, and I'm in the process of writing rules to play your opponent's campaign solo, but for now I'm basically controlling both sides. If I refer to AI it's either referring to Herkybird's solo rules for enemy planes or the rules I've come up with to determine your enemies moves that allow the fog of war without you being able to cheat and game the system.

CAMPAIGN MAP

As far as how the game works, you begin with a map. The map goes left to right with No Man's Land in the center. To the left of NML is the Entente side, and the right side is for the Central Powers. You start with one territory, your aerodrome. This is the main focus of the campaign: destroy your opponent's aerodrome. The aerodrome is your base of operations where you store your planes but also where planes are fixed or upgraded, where new pilots are trained, and where wounded pilots go to heal.

Between your aerodrome are four empty territories. As you play the game, you purchase new territories that grant specific bonuses. Each turn, the aerodrome can do one thing: fix one plane or train one pilot. New territories allow you to work on multiple things per turn. If you get a workshop territory, it allows you to work on a second plane per turn at the workshop. Also, fixing or upgrading a plane at a workshop costs half as much as at an aerodrome.

Example: If I control my Aerodrome and a Workshop, the Aerodrome can repair one aircraft while the Workshop repairs a second aircraft at half the normal cost.

SUPPLY POINTS (SP)

Your aerodrome and each additional territory you control generate Supply Points SP per turn. The SP is used to buy new planes, pilots, upgrades, and territories. 

EXPERIENCE POINTS (XP)

When a pilot flies a mission, they earn XP through their achievements. XP earned by pilots is used to learn new skills and earn commendations that grant additional bonuses.

 

AIR SUPERIORITY POINTS (ASP)

The final type of points you earn is Air Superiority Points ASP. Each mission you fly that is successful, you gain one ASP. ASP is used to unlock new territories. Once unlocked, SP is spent to purchase the territory itself. 

You start the game with your aerodrome and 100 SP to build your beginning forces. With that much SP, you can afford around four planes and pilots and possibly one territory. You can spend as many or as few as you wish; it's never a bad idea to have some SP in reserves.

VICTORY CONDITIONS

Along the way, pilots will gain experience, aircraft will be upgraded or destroyed, and both sides will fight for control of valuable territories. Along the way, both sides will expand their territories, train new pilots, upgrade aircraft, and fight for control of the skies over No Man's Land.

I've made out the two sides, and as I said, I'll be playing the Entente, and the AI will be the Central Powers. Here is how the sides stack up.

Entente

Nieuport 16 - James Thenur

Nieuport 16 - Eugene De Guilbert

Airco DH4    - James McCudden

Central

Albatros D.V  - Manfred von Richthofen (The Red Baron)

Albatros D.III - Hermann Frommherz

Roland C.II     - Karl Friedrich Kurt Jentsch

The campaign begins on April 1, 1917. Six pilots take to the skies over the Western Front. Some will become aces. Some will earn medals. Some will never return to their aerodrome.

Tune in next week as the Battle for the Skies begins.