Engine

[New York Jets]

What game engine does this use?

Are there screen shots?

[Joel Billings]

It uses a greatly modified World at War engine. The big addition is leaders. For screenshots, check out the AAR thread at the top of the forum.

[harley9699]

That's kind of what I'm worried about. Is this game as heavily scripted as GGWaW? Never played A World Divided, because WaW was so limited (e.g. you had to do A to unlock B, C would happen -here-, etc.) I'll be a lot more interested in this if there's more freedom. Plus, already play FoF and AACW.

[Grotius]

I'm not sure what you mean by "scripted" in GGWaW. Maybe you mean the means by which the USA and USSR entered the war? It's true that that often played out similarly, though there was some randomization involved. Other than that, I had a pretty good variety of games in GGWaW.

Also, did you ever try GGWaW via PBEM? It's really a fabulous engine for PBEM.

[Joel Billings]

ORIGINAL: harley9699699

That's kind of what I'm worried about. Is this game as heavily scripted as GGWaW? Never played A World Divided, because WaW was so limited (e.g. you had to do A to unlock B, C would happen -here-, etc.) I'll be a lot more interested in this if there's more freedom. Plus, already play FoF and AACW.

The only thing you might consider scripted is the way that Kentucky neutrality is dealt with. Although even that it's not scripted like the original WaW was with regards to the Politically Frozen zones (AWD was a big change as it added a system of points that determined over time when Russia and the US entered the war, although they always entered on the Allied side when they entered). Kentucky has a chart of probabilities that determines what happens depending on who enters it first and when. Unlike WWII, though, this game starts in July 1861 with two clear sides that are fighting each other so some of the WaW issues just aren't there. If there's something specific that you want to know is in the game, or is a player choice, feel free to ask.

[Pford]

The game begins in JULY?

[Joel Billings]

Yes, you can begin either at July 1, 1861, March 1, 1862, or March 1, 1863. We felt beginning earlier than July 1, 1861 didn't fit the scale and focus of the game.

[Pford]

But why omit the pre-Manassas build-up and manuveuring? With monthly turns you wouldn't think that would be a burden. WaW 1.0 began in 1940 but this proved unsatisfactory to some people so it was patched to include 1939. Don't forget the immersion factor.[;)]

[Joel Billings]

Since the "smart" move is not to attack at Manassas in July 1861 with a raw and untrained army, there's plenty of time for build up starting in July. Sometimes things can happen in 1861 (and certainly they do with respect to the border states - see my AAR with Jon as an example), but often it's not until 1862 before the real action begins.