Is it just me?!

[LarryP]

I bought WiF yesterday and I have spent many hours in it already. First off, I have a tremendous amount of respect for anyone that would take on the task of programming this behemoth of a game. I did a lot of programming myself, a hobbiest and ex shareware author many years ago. This game is gigantic with tons of branches. [&o] So on to my questions.

Working in the interactive tutorials, and video tutorials, I seem to find a lot of mistakes that cause me to start over, only to find it may not be me. Menus and options have changed through patches I am supposing, leaving several tutorials undone for me. Am I correct or am I just an idiot making mistakes? How do you learn the concepts of each category when so much keeps changing and you can't finish a tutorial because items don't work like the tutorial says? Extra menus pop up that are not mentioned in the tutorial text and improvising leaves things wrong. Is it just me? [&:]

[juntoalmar]

I can't say as I saw the tutorials long ago. If that was right, just following the tutorials with the 1.0 version unpatched of the game should fix your problem.

I understand they can't record the tutorials again for every menu/dialog changed in new versions.

[LarryP]

ORIGINAL: juntoalmar

I can't say as I saw the tutorials long ago. If that was right, just following the tutorials with the 1.0 version unpatched of the game should fix your problem.

I understand they can't record the tutorials again for every menu/dialog changed in new versions.

If I did the 1.0 version tutorials, how would that help me with the current version? Things are not all the same.

[rkr1958]

ORIGINAL: LarryP

ORIGINAL: juntoalmar

I can't say as I saw the tutorials long ago. If that was right, just following the tutorials with the 1.0 version unpatched of the game should fix your problem.

I understand they can't record the tutorials again for every menu/dialog changed in new versions.

If I did the 1.0 version tutorials, how would that help me with the current version? Things are not all the same.

It's been a little over two years since I went through all the tutorials which helped me immensely. I though the game played pretty close then to how it was described in the tutorials. And now I'm playing the latest public beta version and my impression is that the game mechanics and GUIs are pretty much the same now as they were then. But things could have changed significantly and me not notice I guess, but it just doesn't feel that way to me.

To show you how far I think I've come I started this tm.asp?m=3555406 at the time I purchased MWiF.

Anyway, back to your problem could you give a few examples where things have change significantly from the tutorials?

[Jagdtiger14]

It seems LarryP and I are going through this at the same time and having the same problems. I can skip over a lot of things thanks to my WiF experience, but I am trying to learn about all the MWiF screens, etc...and I upgraded to the latest patch immediately.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: LarryP

I bought WiF yesterday and I have spent many hours in it already. First off, I have a tremendous amount of respect for anyone that would take on the task of programming this behemoth of a game. I did a lot of programming myself, a hobbiest and ex shareware author many years ago. This game is gigantic with tons of branches. [&o] So on to my questions.

Working in the interactive tutorials, and video tutorials, I seem to find a lot of mistakes that cause me to start over, only to find it may not be me. Menus and options have changed through patches I am supposing, leaving several tutorials undone for me. Am I correct or am I just an idiot making mistakes? How do you learn the concepts of each category when so much keeps changing and you can't finish a tutorial because items don't work like the tutorial says? Extra menus pop up that are not mentioned in the tutorial text and improvising leaves things wrong. Is it just me? [&:]

warspite1

LarryP I too looked at these a loooong time ago - and had 5th Edition experience to fall back (which helped some).

Best thing to do is:

a) if you don't mind let the forum know what is hugely different - maybe there can be patch notes put out in future where necessary.
but more importantly for you:
b) just keep asking questions on the forum about anything that is unclear. If you don't have the boardgame experience, this is a steep learning curve (although rewarding if you can stick with it [:)]).

[paulderynck]

To add further confusion... some of you may be thinking of the video tutorials and some the in-game tutorials. I wouldn't be surprised if parts of the in-game tutorials no longer work quite right - due to all the patches over the last 30 months.

[juntoalmar]

If you want a personal advice that helped me a lot: learn step by step. Take a look at UI, land movement, weather, supply and land combat and skip everything else. Then start a Barbarossa only using land units. It won't take too long to watch/read those tutorials, and you can start playing pretty soon. You won't win as Germany, but you will learn the basics.

Then learn how to use air units and play another Barbarossa.

Then learn how to work with production and play another Barbarossa

Then learn how to play with naval units and play a Guadalcanal

...

keep on adding small additions to the game.

Trying to read the whole manual and understand everything before the first game, it's too long and complicated. For instance, (imho) there is no point to read about US entry options now, as maybe you will be worried about it in about 4 months.

[ncc1701e]

ORIGINAL: warspite1
Best thing to do is:

a) if you don't mind let the forum know what is hugely different - maybe there can be patch notes put out in future where necessary.
but more importantly for you:
b) just keep asking questions on the forum about anything that is unclear. If you don't have the boardgame experience, this is a steep learning curve (although rewarding if you can stick with it [:)]).

Just bought it yesterday as well for the discount. I have finally forgiven the game not to have an AI, thinking the board game does not have one either. I never played the board game and, as such, I will go into the tutorial and manual reading.

Will let you know my findings.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: LarryP

ORIGINAL: juntoalmar

I can't say as I saw the tutorials long ago. If that was right, just following the tutorials with the 1.0 version unpatched of the game should fix your problem.

I understand they can't record the tutorials again for every menu/dialog changed in new versions.

If I did the 1.0 version tutorials, how would that help me with the current version? Things are not all the same.

Some nomenclature here:

There are Training Videos.
There are Picture and Text Tutorials.
There are Interactive Tutorials.

The first two should have only minor differences from the current version of the game - if any at all.

There might be differences in the Interactive Tutorials.[:(] If you come across any, please post them in in Tech Support - you can start a new thread for that purpose. I try to fix all the tutorials so they are current since it usually only takes a couple of minutes of my time and doesn't affect the code used to run the game.

[LarryP]

Yes, it's mainly in the Interactive tutorials and the issues are just enough to stump a newcomer like me. I will do what you suggest in the future. Thanks.

[Jagdtiger14]

I jumped into the solitaire Global War game. Everything is working well other than when I tried to go back and change the facing of a German fort (I had removed one fort from the hex, and then tried to change the facing of the remaining fort) the game crashed.

The game literally does everything for you step by step, its awesome and easy. No need for the tutorials if you are an experienced WiF player.

I'm on the road working at the moment, but looking forward to my first opponent next week!...one of my local WiF pals for a hot seat game. I'll be recommending the game to everyone here.

Also looking forward to the Map Pack arriving. The game is worth every penny I've spent on it.
Thanks Steve!

[Centuur]

ORIGINAL: Jagdtiger14

I jumped into the solitaire Global War game. Everything is working well other than when I tried to go back and change the facing of a German fort (I had removed one fort from the hex, and then tried to change the facing of the remaining fort) the game crashed.

The game literally does everything for you step by step, its awesome and easy. No need for the tutorials if you are an experienced WiF player.

I'm on the road working at the moment, but looking forward to my first opponent next week!...one of my local WiF pals for a hot seat game. I'll be recommending the game to everyone here.

Also looking forward to the Map Pack arriving. The game is worth every penny I've spent on it.
Thanks Steve!

Another one which has joined the Dark Side? Welcome. Have fun. But beware: it's addictive... [:D]

Feel free to ask questions. Also: be prepared to get some nasty shocks where the rules are concerned. I did have some, too.

[rkr1958]

ORIGINAL: Centuur
Also: be prepared to get some nasty shocks where the rules are concerned. I did have some, too.

Rules enforced differently than how you'd been playing or rules enforced incorrectly?

[paulderynck]

One or the other or both. The incorrect enforcing was in the home games, almost always. But I can't recall right now anything really major.

[Jagdtiger14]

Also: be prepared to get some nasty shocks where the rules are concerned. I did have some, too.

I thought I came across something and just disregarded it and forgot what it was now. I'll be on the lookout if that is something that helps.

One thing that could be made more convenient is to not be able to over-scrap something at the beginning of the game set up. I know I can get the information elsewhere, but if you don't know for example how many TRS a nation gets at start you might scrap too many and short yourself. Maybe I didn't look carefully enough.

[Orm]

When you scrap units the program shows how many units, of that type, that are needed for setup. And how many units there are in the force pool.

And if you attempt to scrap units that are needed for the setup then you get a warning message.

[LarryP]

Here is one issue I keep finding. For the NRD form there are three different instructions for locking it to units. Two of them don't work. The one I just found now is in the Moving Naval Units (Interactive Tutorial 17.gam). Here is what it says on Page 6 (it says to look at the commentary and the paste below is from that):
//-------
The Interactive Tutorials uses "NRD" when referring to the Naval Review
Details Form. Drag the NRD to a convenient location and size for your
monitor. Bottom left usually works (or a second monitor), just make sure
it does not obscure the Main Form.
RC on the hex "locks" the NRD form, just as the spacebar locks the Units in
Hex form. LC on a unit in the NRD selects it for movement. See Players
Manual Section 8.7.1.11 for more information on the Naval Summary form.
//-------
I have seen to use the Spacebar, Left Click, and now Right Click. The right click works as long as you leave the right click menu open and then go to the NRD menu. However, the other two don't work but I would have to go and find where I saw them at.

[paulderynck]

Finding that gem for the NRD made my day. I labored for months with positioning the form "just so" so that when I moved the mouse, it didn't change to displaying some other sea zone's or port's units.

The buttons for showing ports versus sea zones and for specifying your own or allies or enemy units and/or subs and the cycling ability were all helpful before that, but the right click hint has saved me the most grief.

Edit: and yes, the other methods do not work for the NRD, end of story.

[Jagdtiger14]

When you scrap units the program shows how many units, of that type, that are needed for setup. And how many units there are in the force pool.

Thank you Orm! I just looked right past that...thanks for pointing that out!

I also must have skipped over the part about fly-outs on the map. How do I make that work?
Thanks!