The game mechanics are basically a streamlined version of the system used by Grigsby's late-80s series of three strategy games for the Commodore 64 and Apple II: Panzer Strike, Typhoon of Steel and Overrun!. The original Steel Panthers series includes the following titles:
* Steel Panthers (1995)
* Steel Panthers II: Modern Battles (1996)
* Steel Panthers III Brigade Command: 1939-1999 (1997)
Rights to the game and source code were later acquired by Matrix Games who developed and released as freeware an improved remake based on the Steel Panthers III engine (but limited to the timespan of World War II), Steel Panthers: World at War!
Source: Wikipedia, "Steel_Panthers," available under the CC-BY-SA License.
SP:WaW also includes a timed play feature, giving each player a specific amount of time to conduct his turn before it ends and his opponent's turn begins. Armor, gun and vehicle units are represented by individual icons. Each infantry squad can have up to 25 men in it. Machine guns, mortars and artillery units are also realistically portrayed and crewed. Each hex represents 50 yards (meters) of the virtual battlefield, with many new terrain features added. Each game turn represents a few minutes of real time, and games can last from a few turns to entire campaigns.
From the Publisher Website
