A randomized MWiF Global War

[Greyshaft]

Just an idea for making an infinitely replayable MWiF Global War scenario. I think it's been discussed before but my memory is hazy on what was agreed.

1. Allocate players "Tom Dick and I will play Comm/US/USSR and Fred will play Japan. We'll leave Germany/Italy to the AI"
2. Select a date " Hmmm... Let's try May/June 1940"
3. Click Go
4. The MWiF AI runs ALL countries from the start of the scenario up until the selected date. The players wring their hands in anguish as they helplessly watch the AI do things its own way.
5. When the game reaches the preselected date it hands control of the selected countries back to the players. So maybe now Tom has to fight the Battle of Britain with the legacy of an AI who did send the extra Hurricanes to France and who didn't protect the Atlantic convoys as aggressively as was required. Meanwhile Fred is spewing because the Japanese AI has laid down two new battleships which was TOTALLY against his pre-planned strategy and the US is wondering how to ship all these new lend-lease fighters to England when the stupid AI hasn't built any transports.

I'd say the first few player-controlled turns of such a game would be the most exciting MWiF experience that any of these players has had in years as they have to reinvent their 'perfect plans' (doubtless developed over many years by these grognard WiF players). This would also help balance the the situation for newbie v. grognard games since the grognards now have to spend their brainpower on reconciling their Perfect Plan with the new reality while the newbie (unhampered by any such preconceived notions) will be more able to concentrate on building a strategy from scratch.

[Greyshaft]

... and the US is wondering how to ship all these new lend-lease fighters to England when the stupid AI hasn't built any transports.

Not suggesting that the AI will be stupid of course... merely that its priorities may be very different from what US player expected.

[michaelbaldur]

nice[:D]

[Neilster]

ORIGINAL: Greyshaft

Just an idea for making an infinitely replayable MWiF Global War scenario. I think it's been discussed before but my memory is hazy on what was agreed.

1. Allocate players "Tom Dick and I will play Comm/US/USSR and Fred will play Japan. We'll leave Germany/Italy to the AI"
2. Select a date " Hmmm... Let's try May/June 1940"
3. Click Go
4. The MWiF AI runs ALL countries from the start of the scenario up until the selected date. The players wring their hands in anguish as they helplessly watch the AI do things its own way.
5. When the game reaches the preselected date it hands control of the selected countries back to the players. So maybe now Tom has to fight the Battle of Britain with the legacy of an AI who did send the extra Hurricanes to France and who didn't protect the Atlantic convoys as aggressively as was required. Meanwhile Fred is spewing because the Japanese AI has laid down two new battleships which was TOTALLY against his pre-planned strategy and the US is wondering how to ship all these new lend-lease fighters to England when the stupid AI hasn't built any transports.

I'd say the first few player-controlled turns of such a game would be the most exciting MWiF experience that any of these players has had in years as they have to reinvent their 'perfect plans' (doubtless developed over many years by these grognard WiF players). This would also help balance the the situation for newbie v. grognard games since the grognards now have to spend their brainpower on reconciling their Perfect Plan with the new reality while the newbie (unhampered by any such preconceived notions) will be more able to concentrate on building a strategy from scratch.

This is one of the reasons why I suggested yonks ago that the AI should be able to play itself with the player(s) being able to jump into the game at any time.

Cheers, Neilster

[cockney]

would be interesting in that senario if Ge AI did ignore France and go staight for Su and the Ja went with attack Su and the It going for Frances soft underbelly as you would think they would stuffing the Ge front line in prep for attack, would Spain, Portual and Turkey allign with Axis? I think the Cw AI would probely concentrate on building Naval and Air assists whilst the US would be left twiddling thumbs.

[Greyshaft]

ORIGINAL: Neilster
This is one of the reasons why I suggested yonks ago that the AI should be able to play itself with the player(s) being able to jump into the game at any time.

Cheers, Neilster

To me the key is that it is not 'any time' but rather at a time which has been irrevocably selected before the game starts. If everyone decides that it is going to be Jan/Feb 1941 then that's when the AI stops.

[composer99]

The US fortunately does not need transports to ship lend-leased aircraft to the CW. All it has to do is move them from its force pool to the Lend-Lease pool, and the corresponding air units in the LL pool go to CW.
 
Of course, that's in WiF:FE, I believe MWiF does it a bit different - but either way transports aren't a requirement.
 
Also, in answer to cockney:

• Spain can align with the Axis if they conquer Gibraltar while Portugal only does so if the Allies declare war on it.
• Turkey can align with Germany if it moves 4 corps to hexes in the USSR adjacent to Turkey, which may well happen in a '40 Barb.

[Ballista]

Even if you had to disable the AI in order to do this, it would be a truly neat to be able to do a free-for-all. Not balanced, but then again, other than Chess, what in life IS balanced perfectly ?

[Shannon V. OKeets]

I believe that players will discover the other 10 scenarios in WIF interesting. Right now players play Global War almost exclusively (unless I am greatly mistaken).

Patrice and I have just finished straightening out who controls what at the start of the Decline and Fall scenario (1944 start date). Here is a graphic of some of that work.

[Neilster]

ORIGINAL: Greyshaft

ORIGINAL: Neilster
This is one of the reasons why I suggested yonks ago that the AI should be able to play itself with the player(s) being able to jump into the game at any time.

Cheers, Neilster

To me the key is that it is not 'any time' but rather at a time which has been irrevocably selected before the game starts. If everyone decides that it is going to be Jan/Feb 1941 then that's when the AI stops.

Yes. That would be good. I posted a couple of days after reading your original and was slightly off topic. I was thinking mainly about one side vs the AI.

Cheers, Neilster

[dale1066]

Certainly makes for an interesting game, speaking from experience having just stepped into the breach on a FTF game which was a player down for a few turns. Mind you first few impulses were a little slow as spent most of it trying to figure out what was where and more importantly why! [:)]

would this possible random game include randomised optional rules?

This all leads up to a point of possible/likely? available game funtionality. Just been using 2d10 cbt table for first time, not sure i like it but thats personal, but with the extra DRMs it generates could it be possible to mouse rollover or click a hex to get its base modifiers? ie what do you start out at if you plan on attacking a hex with an armour, a disorged mtn div with a disorged terratorial all defending in clear in fine weather. I realise that the drms change based on actual attacking units and also that with experience its easy to work out its just that for less experienced users it would be useful for planning where are weak spots and so what needs to move where?

BTW I wont mention the rugby anymore [:)]

[Mziln]

ORIGINAL: dale1066

would this possible random game include randomised optional rules?

Why [&:]

I feel that the optional rules are to provide play balance and give the game a more historical feel. The more/less experenced the players the more options you may want to choose.

Do you also want to know what optional rules you will start with or just go into the game blind [&:]

P.S. I like rugby. GO ALL BLACKS

[dale1066]

Well I do agree with you re optional rules in a normal game but I was interested in others thoughts re Greyshafts randomised starting point generated by the AI. I guess I was wondering how much the selected options can change players approach to a game position.

Having just stepped into a game using several options I'd never used before it prooved interesting but also a little confusing.

[Anendrue]

Infinitely replayable could be as easy as giving an option to have random personalities for strategic AI decisions, and one for tactical decisions. ie... What happens with strategically aggressive and tecticaly passive? You get a Mussolini. Strategically aggressive and tactically aggressive yo have a Hitler. On a sliding scale this could create massive personalities and potentials for game play.