Axis and Allies to A World at War (GMT games).

[templeton]

I am a big fan of AWAW, having recently got it and have been playing it to death.


I like global strategic World War 2 games, but have lacked time, space and opponents every time I wanted to play the game.

I'm a closet Axis and Allies player, in that I dream of playing A World at War by GMT games with a group of friends (www.aworldatwar.com), but only ever manage to organise Axis and Allies evenings.

As much as I enjoy Axis and Allies, it leaves me wanting more... I want detailed research, supplies, logistics, industrial capacity... yet the same ability to re-write history, but without driving tanks from Tokyo to Moscow with relvative ease!


STEP IN WORLD AT WAR By Mr Grigsby...

I think it sits neatly in the middle... at first glance, it seems quite similar to Axis and Allies, yet has so much more under hte hood. The simple fact that this includes supplies suddenly adds a whole layer of realism, and stops Japan doing too much simultainiously, as is possible in Axis and Allies. Well, the list of improvements is endless.


Yet, it is not as detailed as the game I long to play, which allows for different tech levels of units to be deployed on the map, which has ultra detailed diplomatic and economic rules. Whilst I now have the table space, I still don't have opponents or time.


The PBEM function of this game has solved that, and the game is detailed enough - yet retains a similistic elegance of rules that I get the depth of Strategy I want (production takes several tuns to appear off the factory line, so plannign ahead is essential), the supplies factor and ammassing for great offensives - industrial capacity... the works.

I feel this game is the tonic to all the people dreaming of playing the big-boy wargames, but never having the time or space... so although this game is closer to the top level of wargames, than it is to Axis and Allies, it certainly retains the fun element, whilst giving a satisfying sense that luck is a small factor in whether you win or not.

[coralsaw]

AWD is a well designed wargame. I own A&A revised, have had tons of f2f fun with it, but AWD is in a league of its own. 

/coralsaw

[GKar]

I agree with coralsaw. I played and liked A&A, but AWD is much more realistic and more fun to play.

[christian brown]

LOL, AWD is so darn good, I get up extra early before work time to get PBEM turns back to guys I'm having exciting turns with.....we're talking 0 dark thirty mes amis.....
 The difference with this game is that you can readily SEE what needs to be done, w/o time-consuming staff work getting in the way, I own WiF Gold but have never actually played it for want of opponents!:
You pick your objectives, plan 1~2 turns in advance for supply and WR and go for it.  It is really this simple (besides, as someone far smarter then myself once said: [Napoleon?  Jomini?  Clausewitz? Grant?)  No plan holds up in the face of opposition/the "friction" of war, the key is to follow through on the general aims....against many of you humans out there, this is far from easy to accomplish.....[:(]
But nonetheless, it captures the highest forms of strategic thought (Kissenger, Mao, Trostky, Marshall, anyone[;)]) w/o getting bogged down in ridiculous details (so a guy like myself with an active sex life, a child to tend to and a full-time job can still get 4+ PBEM turns done per day w/o major hardships [:D])  Essential if you are to stay a viable AWD community/real life member!
The bottomline is that A+A, no matter how fun, is about the most complicated game you can teach your Girlfriend to play when you want to stay home and have fun.....AWD is for the big boys who want a challenge and want to see what they can do but do not have 8+ hours per day to indulge......

[Tom Grosv]

ORIGINAL: christian brown

so a guy like myself with an active sex life, a child to tend to and a full-time job can still get 4+ PBEM turns done per day w/o major hardships

4+ PBEM turns per day! I'm astonished. I'm training myself up against the AI and look forward to having a go against other humans PBEM soon, but judging by how long it takes me to complete my moves with the time left in my life after work/wife/children/household chores etc I'll be lucky to complete 1 a day. I'm going to have to find a very patient PBEM opponent (or someone happy to occasionally play me while fighting hordes of other PBEMers)