Thinking about buying, question...

[BeirutDude]

is the Axis forced to invade the USSR? To me that is a deal breaker, as I hate games that script me into a certain role.

[MagicMissile]

Hello,
No you don’t have to but If you don’t Stalin will come for you in May 1942 (if I remember the date correctly).
I think the game while not perfect ( no game is I guess) is great fun.
/MM

[battlevonwar]

I really haven't seen any WW2 games on this scale ever where the USSR and the Axis don't find themselves enemies at some point? Have you? You have two of the largest armies in the world 1941-1942 facing each other... Wouldn't seem very entertaining for them not to tango?

I suppose if you took all of Europe and just defended in the East you don't have to actually do a Barbarossa and you probably could still win? Count the VPs I'm pretty sure it's doable.

[AlbertN]

It's part of the game balance I feel - games without a mandatory GE-SOV war in WW2 environment are far and few.
Even games that allow that usually have some houserules for multiplayer (like Hearts of Iron) for balance sake.

You'd need a 3 player game (There are some tabletop like Triumph & Tragedy) but these are different in style.

[BeirutDude]

That's what I like, what ifs, not you must repeat history.

Yes a larger commitment to North Africa and the Middle East for example with Operation Hercules launched what does that lead to? And to my point, I really doubt Stalin would have attacked Nazi Germany in 1942 without a Nazi attack. Really why would he have when he could just watch from the sidelines as the West (Germany and the Western Allies) beat each other up and then pick up the chips later after they all bled each other white? Just my take and there is still interest without the USSR. Maybe with the U.S. in the war in May of 1942 an invasion of England is totally off the table, but could the Western Allies invade Europe without a Russian Front commitment by Germany?

Another historical what if I like to explore, is what if Hitler had not declared war on the U.S.. Could Roosevelt have convinced the American people to go to war with Germany when most wanted revenge on Japan? That would be another option, maybe Germany launches Barbarossa in June of 1941 but doesn't declare war on the U.S. Would the U.S. send Lend-Lease to the USSR? Can England hold out without massive American support and does the Soviet Union steamroller over all of Europe?

So I guess that is what I'm asking is the game so scripted that you just wind up re-fighting the war as it was, or are there more interesting options?

[AlvaroSousa]

It doesn't not have decision events like SC

But you can do what you want. I can play this game many ways as either side. You don't even have a forced force pool.... you can build what you want based on your logistics value.

But this isn't HOI or civilization.