CONGO MERC: SOLO MINI-GAME WITH TOO MANY BUGS

The Congo in Africa has long been a focus of conflict due to its natural resources, which continue to attract the attention of foreign powers and businesses to this very day. CONGO MERC is a single-player event-based historical game loosely covering the Simba rebellion (the word 'simba' in Kiswahili means 'lion' in English) of 1961-64, at the height of the Cold War. You control foreign mercenaries plus Belgian (and Congolese? what about them?) and exiled Cuban units, fighting Congolese Simba separatist rebels and their Soviet-Cuban allies.

The Simbas were supporters of Patrice Lumumba, the Congolese independence leader and first democratically elected leader of Congo. After peaceful independence from former colonial power Belgium in 1960, and being elected Prime Minister of Congo, Lumumba was captured and executed by pro-U.S. separatists in Congo's resource-rich Katanga state in 1961. Crisis and civil war ensued, and in 1964 Simba rebels declared an independent Congo People's Republic covering much of the east of the country with capital in Stanleyville (now the city of Kisangani). The Simbas took several hundred non-African settlers, businessmen and missionaries hostage, eventually killing about 200 of them. Military assistance for the breakaway People's Republic came from the Soviet Union and Fidel Castro's Cuba, who sent revolutionary Ché Guevara and others to help. This in turn led the U.S. to intervene by supplying mercenaries, such as anti-Castro Cubans trained by the C.I.A., plus U.S. Air Force assets in support of Belgian paratroopers and commandos. Within a few months the Simbas were militarily defeated, bringing an end to the breakaway People's Republic with the occupation of Stanleyville by foreign fighters and Congolese troops. Finally, in 1965 a coup d'état handed control over all of Congo to pro-U.S. military leader Joseph Mobutu, probably the bloodiest dictator of sub-Saharan Africa. It is noteworthy that these important historical details are mostly absent from CONGO MERC, with a disclaimer that the designers do not intend to imply "approval or support" regarding the events, actors, politics or ideas depicted by their game. Hot topic!

CONGO MERC was originally published by Decision Games as a table-top mini-game in their COMMANDO SERIES. Every game in this series was designed for solo play only, using Event Cards and Mission Cards to randomize your goals and your opponent's behavior. So there is no game AI, with most decisions of your computer opponent being the result of randomly choosing an Event Card, not multiple rule-based strategies as with real AI. So the low price makes sense.

However, CONGO MERC has bugs which prevent me from using important features, like air reinforcement prior to battle, because it freezes the game requiring a forced quit without the chance to save your game. It could take several updates before CONGO MERC runs smoothly enough to use all its features and options.

CONGO MERC uses a map of the Congo, divided into regions connected by roads, as well as by air transport and lake transport on Lake Tanganyika. Regions are of two kind, countryside or town, with some towns having airstrips. You recruit units, organize them into groups, and fight the Simbas and their Cuban allies as you move from region to region searching for hostages to rescue. Your units have different specializations with different capabilities, like sappers who can blow safes and bypass roadblocks, paratroopers who can do air insertion and air reinforcement before battles, psy-ops who can provide new card draws on randomized events, supply columns who can carry hostages and affect battles, and more. Randomized events occur as units move into new regions, like ambushing or being ambushed, finding intel, receiving military aid and having your operation reviewed by the United Nations. Gameplay uses a fungible point system to recruit units, move them, engage in recon, etc.

Combat in CONGO MERC is simple, with each attacking unit receiving a certain number of throws with a die, similar to HexWar's 1775: REBELLION game about the American Revolutionary War. You must order your units for attack/defense, with the first unit of one player attacking the first unit of the other player, and so on alternating one-by-one until every unit has attacked. This repeats until every unit on one side or the other has been panicked or killed -- there is no retreat. A lot is determined by who attacks first and by the number of die throws available. There is no variable odds combat, only die throws registering the same damages against any kind of defender whatsoever, regardless of unit type. This seems to ignore the different defensive capabilities of e.g. armored units. But it does force you to think about how to order your units for combat, and whether and how to increase attack die throws, for example due to terrain (extra die throw for Simba units attacking in towns) or air support (four extra die throws for your attacking unit).

At the price of a few bucks, CONGO MERC provides a few hours' worth of simple solo gameplay through an interesting historical scenario. But really that's it. So much historical detail has been left out of the game that you don't know much about the units you command and fight against or the goals you pursue. (For example, presumably the leader Mike represents famed mercenary leader Mike Hoare, but in the game he is just Mike with no last name, so maybe it's not Mike Hoare.) Randomization means you are playing against a die- and card-driven computer opponent, not real AI. Bugs mean you will have to force-quit several times without saving, and will only be able to play to the end of the campaign if you remember what not to do so the game won't freeze.

I wish the publisher HexWar had better quality control because some of their games are historically interesting but have annoying bugs that significantly interfere with play. CONGO MERC is one of them. Too bad because the historical novelty plus the low price should appeal to turn-based historical gamers. Please, just fix the bugs so the game can be played using all of its features! Then it can be evaluated on its true strengths and weaknesses. Until that happens I must regrettably hold off recommending CONGO MERC.

Earned all 12 achievements & have replayed all secnarios & campaign:

Verdict from a turn base game lover:
***** Excellent fun due to replayability & variety of tactics *****


The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly:


The Good:

* Turn based move & battle knowing rebels will fight you every step of the way
(Hint: rebels +1 in towns, fight in open, use recon on towns, fight in towns for civilians)

* Unit mix: air power, helicopters, paratroops, CIA ops, armoured cars, heavy weapons, PsyOps...
(Hint: use commado jeeps to fight 1st to absorb hits and save best units for kills)

* The excellent favorite unit PsyOps lets you choose to keep 1st event card or discard for 2nd event card that you must encounter (Hint: can try to avoid large rebel forces or try for better cards like Intel)

* Use of airpower that can be re-armed by turn around for next battle (Hint: Best done 1st with commando jeep)

* Helicopter reinforcment (Hint: bring in reinforcement to battle and replace losses)

* Recon and intel to turn the tide finding civilians
(Tension between needing more ops and recon ... Hint: I go more for recon at 1st)

* "Advance options on" better play for tactical flexibility, recon, and intel choices
(A lot of choices ... trial & error ... brings more shadow to shadow warfare ... Hint: look for play advantages over rebels)


The Bad:

* Quality more expensive units get more shots not better shots or better protection
(Gripe: Armour and more elite units should have more staying power)

* Every unit has varying amounts of die roll shots ... each roll the same chance no matter quality
(Attrition of units in Merc ... rather than XCOM where building experinced quality units counts)

* Cannon fodder for never ending rebels ... constant whitling down of force
(Maxing out groups and replacement of losses proirity over saving civilians or can't survive to save)

* Recon of area shoild give tactical knowledge of enemy or tactical combat advantage
(Recon just gives if civilians massacred or still alive to rescue)

* Paratroos drops can only be dropped one unit at a time that instantly gets toasted all alone (Hint: better to use paratroops as airborne helicopter battle reinforcement)


The Ugly:

You may not have this much patience for work around:

* Tutorial did not work at first due to "clicking" problems (could not choose Leopoldville ...)
* Then played 1st scenario until could not go any farther using task manager to end game
* Went back to tutorial that worked 2nd time around
* Sucessfully won 1st scenario

* Can't get Helicopter transporattion location choice to work: Aiborne + Helicopter = transportaion (but helicopter battle reinforcement works)

* Choosing problems still perisit ocsassionally, but if you x out the window or use task manager, the game reloads with everything still the same (it's a mobile game port to windows issue similar to java game window issues) ... recommend use windowed & save often just in case ...

* Tutorial and Rules don't have much meat to them
(Trial & error ... fun & games ... leave dead mercs and unrescued civilians)


More Hints:

1. Object: find and recue hostages ... Key to win: Learn to use recon
2. Start initial group at city with leader and with 6 max units (save rest of recruitment points for reinforcements, et al)
3. Group needs (1) Supply convoy to evacuate civiilians (2) Sapper to clear roads & demolition safes for intel, both of which wiill need to be protected at all costs
4. I max out commado jeeps (you will take losses) then heavy weapons (experiment on other avaliable units)
5. Air reinforcement: Helicopters can reinfroce battles with airborne units and leaders


The 60's were a sad period of time as a good time was not had by all,
DuneWarrior

I'm recommending them game with one major caveat, this is good -IF AND ONLY IF- you already enjoy the tabletop game. This is a bare minimum reproduction and nothing more. But considering the physical game costs 15 dollars and this is 5? There is value in it.

Congo Mercs is a minigame created by decision games that revolves around recruiting soldiers, rescuing civilians and exploring rebel controlled Congo. It's rules lite, random and extremely fast paced. Most plays take 5-10 minutes, four missions in total and one optional campaign run where you tackle all the missions back to back. This version adds nothing and really doesn't offer any benefits over the physical game aside from the price.

The single biggest problem with this release is that the tutorial is less than garbage. This game tells you the controls, but core mechanics of the board game are left out leading to an extremely random looking game.

- They never explain that ATTACK is the number of attack dice you roll, but defense is the same for all units. So a 1 strength rebels can and will take out heavy weapons platforms easily as it could your 0 strength transport.
- They never explain that your order selection at the beginning determines both the order you attack and the order you lose soldiers. It's sometimes wiser to put weaker strength forces on the front line if you suspect you'll take hits.
- They never explain the "Force Superiority" rules that determine which side attacks, nor that leaders impact it.
- In fact, they never explain any unit's special powers. Psy-Ops allow you to reroll effects, Helicopters transport soldiers, etc

I've played the physical game 30+ times so I already have a feel for the dice. I know that the enemy rolled a 6, I know that despite I'd rolled poorly on my attack. If I didn't have these experiences, this understanding of whats happening behind the scenes this game would be exceptionally frustrating. Too much is done hidden in the background and I'd say this is to the detriment of the experience.

If they showed you the combat tables, the dice rolls, and the original rulebook this would likely be much easier to recommend. But as is, I have to hesitate.

With all of the complaints, I really enjoy this game. There's a good chance that I'm going to run the entire campaign and maybe even get all the achievements.

The decision games version was a staple on my table for a long time, and this brings back those memories and presses all the same buttons.

So HexWar isn't really a wargame company you'd normally rank amongst the major developers. If game development was a swimming pool, they'd be drowning in the pee-filled kiddie pool. If game development was a Zoo they'd be the ants underneath the benches in the picnic area. If game development was a race horse they'd be at the soap factory by now... you get my point. They are kinda bad. No. REALLY bad.

So this buggy mess of a game "simulates" (no it doesn't) the mercenary-fueled Congo Civil War from 1960 to 1964. Apparently only five or seven (or so) units fought in this entire war. 'Cause thats about how many units you can purchase in the game for the handful of missions with objectives like "kill rebel leader" or "rescue hostages". It's as basic as kindergarden math, just a bit dumber. Whoever designed this crap should stay away from wargames. Forever.

Combat is appalling. It's like getting your private parts trapped in a slamming car door. Twice! Yeah I've been there, so I know the pain. Luckily I broke up with that psycho. The best thing about the combat, which is kinda turn based, is that it's over rather quickly. I'd compare it to intercourse with me, but... yeah it's like intercourse with me: painful, confusing, a horror to watch and over before it even began.

So this turd of a game really has nothing going for it. The setting could have been interesting and the combat could have been tatically challenging. But here we are with another steaming pile of HexWar crap. At least it's cheap. But then again, so is buying a bedsheet and using it as a parachute - but I still wouldn't recommend that to anyone based on the price. Enjoy.

Light and highly abstracted simulation of mercenary operations in the Congo during the rebellion of 1964-5. Recommend only for the casual gamer or a gamer new to wargames.

I have mixed feelings about this game...In the one hand I like round-based strategy games like this and I dont have seen any bugs so far. But on the other hand the combat system is a mess because it uses basicly coincidence. The game dice the combat result. It dosent matter what unit you have a normal infantry can strike down a tank (armoured car) and thats dumb...This system is unfair or maybe I'm just. unlucky, but my units allways miss the target or even worse get panic after an attack or got killed. Thats just frustrating. It dosent matter how tactical you are a complet group of armored cars will just get rounded up by ONE single infantry...*Sigh*

I wouldn't recommand this game. It has potential but its far from away "strategy" because its purly based on luck.


Ich bin geteilter Meinung was dieses Spiel angeht. Auf der einen Seite mag ich runden-basierte Strategiespiele und ich habe soweit auch erstmal keine Fehler im Spiel erlebt. Aber auf der anderen Seite ist das Kampfsystem pures Chaos, denn es basiert fast komplett auf Zufall. Das Spiel würfelt die Kampfergebnisse aus. Es ist vollkommen egal, welche Einheiten man hat, ein einfacher Infanterist kann einen Panzer fertig machen und das ist einfach nur dumm. Das System ist entweder unfair oder ich habe einfach nur viel Pech, aber meine Einheiten verfehlen ihr Ziel fasst immer oder noch schlimmer werden vom Gegner "in Panik" gesetzt oder gleich getötet. Es ist einfach nur frustrierend. Es ist egal wie taktisch man vorgeht, wenn eine ganze Gruppe von gepanzerten Fahrzeugen von einem einzigen Infanteristen fertig gemacht werden...

Ich kann dieses Spiel leider nicht empfehlen. Es hat fasst nichts mit Strategie zu tun, wenn es am Ende nur auf Zufall hinausläuft ob du gewinnst oder nicht.

A pretty intresting Hex-turn based game, altough it has no story and the Combat is weird, the idea is great and the Developer definetly deserves support :D

The only good thing that I can say about this game is that it is barely functional so you not only don't have to play it, you often can't.

Head into the jungles and urban chaos to fight the Simba rebellion as Roland with his CIA friends. As one may expect, the jungle is full of many bugs so bring your "Alt+F4" bug spray and chuck dice back and forth to maintain that positive KIA counter. Objectives typically include killing rebel leaders and rescuing civilians.

Unable to finish tutorial and the music so so bad and repetitive i want new ears now.