Afghanistan '11: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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== Gameplay ==

[[File:Afghanistan 11 gameplay.jpg|left|thumb|A US supply truck passing by a Taliban patrol.]]

In ''Afghanistan '11,'' the player controls the US military, who capture an area owned by the Taliban. The game can be played either as part of an 18-level campaign, or a single skirmish.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|last=Stone|first=Tim|date=2017-03-24|title=Wot I Think: Afghanistan 11|language=en|work=Rock Paper Shotgun|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/wot-i-think-afghanistan-11|access-date=2021-09-05}}</ref> Games last 60 turns, and on the 50th turn, the US military will withdraw from the area, leaving it in control of the Afghan National Army (ANA), who the US will have been training until this point, and now must defend it until the 60th turn.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Brown|first=Michael|title=Afghanistan '11 PC Review {{!}} GameWatcher|url=https://www.gamewatcher.com/reviews/afghanistan-11-review/12813|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-11|website=Gamewatcher|language=en}}</ref> The player wins the game if they retain control of the area and have a Hearts & Minds (H&M) score over 50 when all turns have ended.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|title=Review: Afghanistan ’11|url=https://legacy.wargamer.com/review-afghanistan-11/|access-date=2021-09-05|website=Wargamer|language=en-GB}}</ref>

The H&M score can be increased by disarming [[IEDs]], providing [[humanitarian aid]], building infrastructure and waterworks, and eliminating the Taliban.<ref name=":3" /> It is decreased when civilians are killed, or when the Taliban raid villages and destroy US infrastructure.<ref name=":0" /> As the H&M score increases, the local population will become more willing to provide the player with intelligence about the Taliban.<ref name=":2" /> In order to deploy new units, the player uses Political Points, representative of domestic support for the war,<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|last=Zorder|date=2018-09-22|title=REVIEW: Afghanistan ’11: Royal Marines|url=https://saveorquit.com/2018/09/22/review-afghanistan-11-royal-marines/|access-date=2021-09-05|website=Save or Quit|language=en-GB}}</ref> which are gained when the Taliban are defeated in combat, but decreased when US units are killed.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|last=Zacny|first=Rob|title='Afghanistan ’11' and the Forever Wargame|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/3dmma8/afghanistan-11-and-the-forever-wargame|url-status=live|access-date=2021-09-05|website=Vice|language=en}}</ref> Destroying poppy fields, used by the Taliban to farm opium, also increases Political Points and weakens the Taliban, but at the cost of H&M.<ref name=":2" />

The game also features random events, such as an ANA unit [[deserting]], or an airstrike accidentally hitting a hospital, leading to airstrikes temporarily becoming more expensive.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Chick|first=Tom|date=2017-04-04|title=In Afghanistan '11, history and game design go up to 11|url=https://www.quartertothree.com/fp/2017/04/04/afghanistan-11-history-game-design-go-11/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-11|website=Quarter to Three|language=en-US}}</ref>

== Development ==

A [[spiritual successor]] to ''[[Vietnam '65]],''<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|last=Zorder|date=2018-09-22|title=REVIEW: Afghanistan ’11: Royal Marines|url=https://saveorquit.com/2018/09/22/review-afghanistan-11-royal-marines/|access-date=2021-09-05|website=Save or Quit|language=en-GB}}</ref> the game was designed by former South African soldier Johan Nagel, who had experience dealing with [[counterinsurgency]] during his military career.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Chick|first=Tom|date=2017-04-04|title=In Afghanistan '11, history and game design go up to 11|url=https://www.quartertothree.com/fp/2017/04/04/afghanistan-11-history-game-design-go-11/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-11|website=Quarter to Three|language=en-US}}</ref>

On September 6 2018, the [[Downloadable content|DLC pack]] ''Afghanistan 11: [[Royal Marines]]'' was released,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Chick|first=Tom|date=2018-08-30|title=Traffic has gotten really bad in Afghanistan '11. So has documentation.|url=https://www.quartertothree.com/fp/2018/08/30/traffic-has-gotten-really-bad-in-afghanistan-11-so-has-documentation/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-09-05|website=Quarter to Three|language=en-US}}</ref> focusing on the British military unit of the same name, adding ten new missions to the game and new vehicles.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-09-18|title=Afghanistan ‘11: Royal Marines review — Queen and country|url=https://bigbossbattle.com/amp/afghanistan-11-royal-marines-review/|access-date=2021-09-05|website=Big Boss Battle (B3)|language=en-GB}}</ref> Additionally, it adds a new gameplay mechanic in the form of civilian vehicles, some of which will contain [[car bombs]].<ref name=":4" />

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== Reception ==

''GameWatcher'' gave the game a score of 7.5/10, noting its graphical improvements compared to Vietnam '65 and the variety in units, but felt the game was held back by bugs, UI which failed to explain things properly, and that some of the gameplay aspects lacked depth.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Brown|first=Michael|title=Afghanistan '11 PC Review {{!}} GameWatcher|url=https://www.gamewatcher.com/reviews/afghanistan-11-review/12813|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-11|website=Gamewatcher|language=en}}</ref>

''[[Rock Paper Shotgun]]'' called ''Afghanistan '11'' "quietly brilliant", praising its tone and gameplay, but criticised it for only having one save file per gamemode, not having an undo option, as well as other "minor irritants", such as not being able to give orders to helicopters until they were airborne.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|last=Stone|first=Tim|date=2017-03-24|title=Wot I Think: Afghanistan 11|language=en|work=Rock Paper Shotgun|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/wot-i-think-afghanistan-11|access-date=2021-09-05}}</ref> [[Vice (magazine)|''Vice'']] said the game was "refreshing for how different it is from many of its peers", but argued it was inferior to ''Vietnam '65,'' suggesting that the missions were too long, and too similar to each other.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|last=Zacny|first=Rob|title='Afghanistan ’11' and the Forever Wargame|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/3dmma8/afghanistan-11-and-the-forever-wargame|url-status=live|access-date=2021-09-05|website=Vice|language=en}}</ref>

''Quarter to Three'' gave ''Afghanistan '11'' a perfect score of 5 stars, commending the historically accurate changes in gameplay and strategy from ''Vietnam '65.''<ref name=":1" /> Comparatively, while [[Wargamer (website)|''Wargamer'']] also spoke positively of the game, they were critical of the game's approach to counterinsurgency: "The U.S. strategy of “build infrastructure, visit villages until bad guys go away” is modelled as completely workable in Nagel’s games, despite the fact that the two major American wars that have relied heavily on this strategy are anything but resounding successes."<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|title=Review: Afghanistan ’11|url=https://legacy.wargamer.com/review-afghanistan-11/|access-date=2021-09-05|website=Wargamer|language=en-GB}}</ref>

== References ==