Best WWII Grand Stratigy Game

[joe_canadian]

I currently play GGAWD, and am really happy with it. Just wondering what other peoples favourite WWII Grand Stratigy Game is. Give a reason Why too!

[jesperpehrson]

World in Flames, without the shadow of a doubt. It is not yet available on the computer but will be soon enough.

[undercovergeek]

ORIGINAL: capitan

World in Flames, without the shadow of a doubt. It is not yet available on the computer but will be soon enough.

a slight hitch in the plans for a december release

[Grell]

Norm Koger's "The Operational Art of War III" available here at Matrix. The game covers more than just WWII as well.

Regards,

Greg

P.S. It's more of an operational style game.

[terje439]

what Capitan said, no doubt about it

[simovitch]

ORIGINAL: joe_canadian

I currently play GGAWD, and am really happy with it. Just wondering what other peoples favourite WWII Grand Stratigy Game is. Give a reason Why too!

Just like tha Academy Awards, Best transcends many levels of wargaming. I recently dug out my old copy of SC:European Theater, modded the map graphics and I am enjoying it very much. It has it's flaws, but it also has plenty of flavor and a relatively decent AI. For me it's the best grand stategy game that you can complete in a few hours.

Never purchased SC2 only because it is sugly, fugly and bugly. I prefer the non isometric look of SC1:

[105mm Howitzer]

Honestly can't say I got an all time favorite. Everytime I think I've found THE grand strategy game, somrthing else comes along and screws it all up. So I've decided I love em all...[8|]

[Greybriar]

Like simovitch, I have found Strategic Command - European Theatre to be a very enjoyable game. There's no tedious and time-consuming micromanagement to take away from the game play.

But there are many, many other titles out there. A lot of them are more recent than this one, and most of them I haven't played. I would be interested in seeing which ones are other gamers' favorites. So I thank you for starting this thread, joe_canadian.

[joe_canadian]

I also play stratgic command, your map mod looks great btw.  Another great game.

[Gem35]

War in the Pacific
Great game, played it more than any game I ever purchased.
Plenty of micro-management and the game is so very long.
One day game turns that span the entire war from that fateful day in December 1941 through mid 1946.
More bang for your buck than any game I bought.

[panzers]

When it does come out, Joe, you will see that WiF is truly going to be the grandaddy of all war games for many years to come. You start playing this one and you will never be asking this question again

[Veldor]

If WiF fails us I fear all hope is lost...
We are done for...

[Erik Rutins]

SC is very fun, but much as I played a lot of it when it first came out, the lack of realism eventually got to me and I had to set it aside. Playing against another human just really broke the system for me. As far as that type of game goes, I think CEAW is a good successor to SC as far as great fun factor, better looks but more realism, as is SC2. GGAWD is a great and realistic grand strategy game and having the entire globe to deal with simply makes it that much better as well. The new WW2 RTV is just getting started, but is a good game at a more detailed scale with great potential and some nice innovations.

World in Flames of course, once that is finished, will be the ultimate WWII Grand Strategy title, but it will also require a WITP-level commitment, so it's in a totally different ballpark than something like SC. Right now I'd have to say that the best overall is probably GGAWD for global scale and realistic outcomes, but each of the games has its strengths and every one of them is pretty darn fun as well. We've had a lot of luck with casual "Panzer General" wargamers getting engaged with CEAW, for example and at the same time the hard core crowd just can't wait for MWIF to be released. If you're into WW2 Grand Strategy, you'll get your money's worth from pretty much every game on the market right now.

Regards,

- Erik

[pasternakski]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins
If you're into WW2 Grand Strategy, you'll get your money's worth from pretty much every game on the market right now.

Ah, Erik, where would this hobby be without you?

I remember a managing editor I worked for once upon a time telling me that we needed to update a particular set of four books. "I want the new set to sell as six books," he said. I blinked once, swallowed, and asked, "Do you want more subjects covered, more detail, or what?"

He responded, "I want more money. Now get to work."

[joe_canadian]

I have been looking at the Wif forum alot.  It seems like it will be an amazingly deep game, and daunting game! Hopefully i will have the funds/time to try it.

[Erik Rutins]

ORIGINAL: pasternakski
Ah, Erik, where would this hobby be without you?
I remember a managing editor I worked for once upon a time telling me that we needed to update a particular set of four books. "I want the new set to sell as six books," he said. I blinked once, swallowed, and asked, "Do you want more subjects covered, more detail, or what?"
He responded, "I want more money. Now get to work."

Heh - great story. The thing is though, I really do mean it and good wargaming is more important to me than good money (or I wouldn't be doing this). For example, if I were a customer, I'd have bought them all and enjoyed some a bit more than others, but I don't dislike any of 'em and each has some things the others don't.

It's like the three ACW Grand Strategy games we have in our catalog now. I've played each of them and they're all great - when people ask which to get, if they have very specific features they want it's usually possible to steer them towards one but otherwise I say get 'em all because they're all fun. The OP's question was about as non-specific as possible, so there you go.

Regards,

- Erik

[Veldor]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins
Heh - great story. The thing is though, I really do mean it and good wargaming is more important to me than good money (or I wouldn't be doing this). For example, if I were a customer, I'd have bought them all and enjoyed some a bit more than others, but I don't dislike any of 'em and each has some things the others don't.

It's like the three ACW Grand Strategy games we have in our catalog now. I've played each of them and they're all great - when people ask which to get, if they have very specific features they want it's usually possible to steer them towards one but otherwise I say get 'em all because they're all fun. The OP's question was about as non-specific as possible, so there you go.

I'd buy all that. Once MWiF is released you would have to be crazy to not be able to find at least one perfect WWII Grand Strategy Game in the Matrix Catalog no matter who you are. Perhaps the same is true for ACW Games.

But what's still clearly lacking to me is my all-time favorite.... Turn-Based Tactical WWII. Where are my 6 choices there?!?! Lock 'n Load comes closer to completing a minimum lineup but still, based on WWII Grand Strategy Counts you should have 3 or 4 similar tactical titles like that by now...

Now get to work on fixing that!

[06 Maestro]

ORIGINAL: Veldor


[But what's still clearly lacking to me is my all-time favorite.... Turn-Based Tactical WWII.

The Campaign Series doesn't fit that bill? Are you looking for squad size units?

[pasternakski]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins
The thing is though, I really do mean it and good wargaming is more important to me than good money

See what I mean? You're the greatest, Erik.

[Veldor]

ORIGINAL: 06 Maestro

ORIGINAL: Veldor


[But what's still clearly lacking to me is my all-time favorite.... Turn-Based Tactical WWII.

The Campaign Series doesn't fit that bill? Are you looking for squad size units?

To clarify... Yeah ASL, Lock'n Load, Steel Panthers, Combat Leader type stuff...

In almost 10 years we have half a dozen NEW WWII Grand Strategy Games (Not even remakes) yet basically not a single turn-based Squad Level WWII game.

The Campaign Series doesn't count either way.. i had that decades ago and I want something new for my money [:D]

Whatever the 3D tactical title was had too confusing an interface for my apparantly inferior wargamming intelect to comprehend. I'm jealous if others are enjoying it.

I've no game at all to play in that category. It's so sad really. I still cry out for ASL some nights . If only Matrix would finally rescue me from that by finishing Lock'n Load and other WWII Tactical Games...

On the original note it will be interesting to see how many people actually buy MWiF... I get this awful feeling like only those who have knowledge of the board game will buy it. Though I've owned hundreds if not a thousand board games.. I never owned or played that one... My loss I'm sure but I wonder how much harder it will be to learn it... to risk money on it... and to spend the $100+ people are talking about.

I can completely understand though. Having played ASL I'd pay $250 easily for a faithful PC conversion. But try getting the non-initiated to even consider that...

No, I think its going to have to be $70-$80 at an extreme to have any chance. But who knows.. I guess if its really perfect upon release they could garner $99 out of me.. I still don't see $100+ though, unless it was some sort of collectors edition with a cloth map and what not [:D]

From my selfish perspective I can think of all kinds of things it should have (learning tutorials to teach at least 50% of the rules and not just bare bones basics, strategy guide to give newbies some clue how to proceed, toggles to turn off ridiculously mundane and monatenous micromanagement tasks to make the game play faster, etc.) but given how extremely complicated the game is in the first place I'll drop all requirements and just ask for a mostly bug-free Vista-capable game that I can actually play before this time next year. [:D]