6. Can you elaborate on this and explain how you have specifically improved the User Interface (UI) and the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to make commanding your forces easier and more efficient?
We bumped up the minimum screen res to 1920 x 1080 so that we could have relatively more map showing and relatively less other stuff. This also allowed us to consolidate the number of forms to navigate through. We have a number of very valuable information displays, but we don’t turn them on by default as that would be too overwhelming. The player can use and then dismiss them as needed and at their own pace.
The number of SOP settings has been increased, and we also made it far easier to apply SOP “presets” to groups and classes of units in a single operation. The full-blown SOP Manager is still there, but is more of a last resort now. There are context-sensitive menus now that handle the work and let the player quickly and conveniently set large numbers of SOPs with the fewest possible mouse clicks.
7. What is the biggest improvement you’ve made to the opponent AI, and how does it challenge veteran players compared to the last two games?
No playtest issue is more glaring than a fault in the computer player or its pathfinding. We have sought out and stomped on all of these that we could reproduce. Apart from this, the biggest improvements center on the handling of supporting artillery and of maneuvering units as groups rather than individuals. Also, the battle planning has improved significantly since the last game. All of this comes together, in particular, for the handling of the attack helicopters by the opponent AI.
8. For a strategy gamer who has never tried a hex wargame, what is the single best reason to try Flashpoint Campaigns: Cold War?
It is easy to learn but hard to master. It abstracts out the bookkeeping and goes directly to the orders and action in a uniquely lethal wartime setting. It rewards planning and good tactics, but you don’t have to have military knowledge beyond the basic distinction between infantry, tanks, and artillery to play. The rest will come because the supporting information is at your fingertips, not in your face. Skim the tutorials and go!
9. How have you specifically made the game easier for new players to learn without losing the deep simulation that the series is known for?
If you can run a Windows program, then you can run this game. We try to put all the info a player needs at his fingertips, but not add any more than that to avoid visual clutter. The menu structure is reasonably flat so that all important information is only two or three mouse clicks away. We have consolidated setup screens so that a player can get to the action faster, and we have prebuilt in defaults that will greatly lower the learning curve for a beginner.
If you can click and drag an icon on the map, then you can play the game. You won’t win just by doing that, but you will be learning and can take each new feature as you need it.
Speaking of this, we have focused a lot on the Tutorials and will be shipping six with this release. There are also going to be additional written tutorials to explain the most fundamental game operations. Read these, and you will be set. Finally, all 650+ pages of documentation are being ported to the web in a searchable format. Curious about “Assault”, “Fire Support Control Center”, or “SOP”? Just type it into the search box, and it will list all the documentation for that exact topic.
10. Let’s get back to you, Robert! I’m sure a Creative Director like you must always be on the lookout for inspiration all the time. What games have inspired you the most in the last decade, and why?
I look very intently at the UI of other games and try to figure out the level of abstraction used, both on average and in particular focal areas. I want to see what the state of the art is, and I love seeing creative new efforts. I’m thinking of the various “Command” series games by Matrix in particular. Command pushes the boundaries and gives me hope that games that model things deeply have a place in this world.
I’m open to all games, of course, but finding the time to wrap my head around them – ooh, that is hard.
11. Would you like to make a final sales pitch to Strategy and Wargaming readers? I’m sure they’re all ears (or eyes)!
This game represents 23 years of unbroken development. I would hate to say how many man-years have gone into it at this point, but we have a team pouring all of its creative energy into it, and we are not slowing down.
We think you will find this to be the most polished and comprehensive treatment available of tactical ground combat in the Cold War. If you feel inspired to learn more about it after playing this game, then I think we have done our job.
The Cold War is About To Get Hot When Flashpoint Campaigns: Cold War Releases
I want to thank Robert for this amazing interview, and for shedding some light on the new aspects of the game. On Target Simulations is currently putting the final touches on Flashpoint Campaigns: Cold War, which is coming out on the 20th November, 2025. The game also earned one of the top spots in my Top 10 Wargames to Look Forward To In 2025 and 2026.
Support Strategy and Wargaming
I do what I do in Strategy and Wargaming because I love to do this, and I’m never going to stop. If you would like to support me with that, you can buy me a coffee for a dollar if you’re feeling generous. If you can’t, no worries, Strategy and Wargaming will always be free, and I’d love to have you around!
Leave a Reply