Matrix Games Forums

I do have a suggestion for those who don't want to struggle with the convoy system but are otherwise satisficed with MWIF.

Keep track of production & convoy routes as you would with vassal or the cardboard and paper version. Then during final production edit in the BPs and saved oil one expected to have via your tracking method.

It does require you to learn and perform a few simple edits and do them during final production for each MP affected. But once you learn those edits, it take less than 1 minute per MP affected. Contrasted to spending hours struggling with and get frustrated by MWIF's convoy system and still not getting what you believe is right.

Centuur wrote: Sat May 27, 2023 10:58 am My thoughts about this is pretty obvious. Yes, you can get the convoy system to work for you, if you invest a lot of time. I've spend that time.

Either that or you spend the very same time and amount of energy to learn and play:

- Harpoon ANW MP
- Gary Grigsby's War in the West
- The Operational Art of War IV
- Command
- Armored Brigade
- Flashpoint Campaigns Red Storm
- Crusader Kings II
- Europa Universalis IV
- Second Front
- Flashpoint Campaigns Southern Storm
- Rule the Waves 1/2/3

...And, on the tabletop...

- Twilight Struggle
- Churchill
- Advanced Squad Leader (the electronic manual was a godsend)
- OCS The Blitzkrieg Legend
- OCS Tunisia II
- The Third World War Signature Edition
- The Hunters/The Hunted/Silent Victory/Beneath the Med
- Second World War at Sea: Bismarck as the strategic layer for Seekrieg V
- Empire of the Sun (I also have the new edition of Pacific War but it is still unpunched - and I'll play it on VASSAL anyway)
- Red Storm: The Air War Over Central Germany, 1987 (truly a stunning game about managing a modern air war campaign)
- Red Storm: Baltic Approaches (still unpunched, bought on the strenght of the main title)
- MBT with FRG and BAOR (4CMBG is in the mail)

Now, I fully understand that not all tastes are different. After all, Matrix sold MWiF as "The buggy experience that will make you sweat hard to do the timplest things!!" - didn't they? It is Myst with a coat of wargaming. Sadly, I missed the leaflet where they said that.

RFalvo69 wrote: Sat May 27, 2023 3:15 pm

Centuur wrote: Sat May 27, 2023 10:58 am My thoughts about this is pretty obvious. Yes, you can get the convoy system to work for you, if you invest a lot of time. I've spend that time.

Either that or you spend the very same time and amount of energy to learn and play:

- Harpoon ANW MP
- Gary Grigsby's War in the West
- The Operational Art of War IV
- Command
- Armored Brigade
- Flashpoint Campaigns Red Storm
- Crusader Kings II
- Europa Universalis IV
- Second Front
- Flashpoint Campaigns Southern Storm
- Rule the Waves 1/2/3

...And, on the tabletop...

- Twilight Struggle
- Churchill
- Advanced Squad Leader (the electronic manual was a godsend)
- OCS The Blitzkrieg Legend
- OCS Tunisia II
- The Third World War Signature Edition
- The Hunters/The Hunted/Silent Victory/Beneath the Med
- Second World War at Sea: Bismarck as the strategic layer for Seekrieg V
- Empire of the Sun (I also have the new edition of Pacific War but it is still unpunched - and I'll play it on VASSAL anyway)
- Red Storm: The Air War Over Central Germany, 1987 (truly a stunning game about managing a modern air war campaign)
- Red Storm: Baltic Approaches (still unpunched, bought on the strenght of the main title)
- MBT with FRG and BAOR (4CMBG is in the mail)

I've tried other wargames but I always keep coming back to MWIF. Even from other strategic WW2 games. I also enjoy reading about WW2. From personal stories to the more technical ones. From the individual marine, solider to the bio's on the great commanders. The Dauntless diver bomber pilots to the B-17 10 men crews flying their missions against enemy fighters and flak. When I read about this history, I get fully immersed and feel that I'm an eyewitness to the events unfolding.

With that said, the reason I keep coming back to MWIF is that no other strategic wargame I've ever played handles the air, sea, land interaction the way that MWIF does. I often feel when I'm resolving battles in MWIF that I'm an eyewitness to history, just as when I'm reading about it. Also, the more I understand how to play MWIF better, the more that the battles I resolve mirror the actual ones that I read about. That's what keeps me coming back time after time.

MWIF does have it faults, as may have pointed out, but the map and unit counter graphics are beautiful. Also, I like the fact that game enforces the rules and keeps up with a lot of mundane stuff that I don't want to mess with.

By the way, if it isn't clear, I don't play MWIF as a game but play it to be an eye witness to history. One in which we don't have many of the generation left that was actually part of it!

my thoughts. are,

it takes 2 minutes to make a post, that say you will be off line for a while.

this is just not polite

rkr1958 wrote: Sat May 27, 2023 7:18 pm I've tried other wargames but I always keep coming back to MWIF. Even from other strategic WW2 games. I also enjoy reading about WW2. From personal stories to the more technical ones. From the individual marine, solider to the bio's on the great commanders. The Dauntless diver bomber pilots to the B-17 10 men crews flying their missions against enemy fighters and flak. When I read about this history, I get fully immersed and feel that I'm an eyewitness to the events unfolding.

With that said, the reason I keep coming back to MWIF is that no other strategic wargame I've ever played handles the air, sea, land interaction the way that MWIF does. I often feel when I'm resolving battles in MWIF that I'm an eyewitness to history, just as when I'm reading about it. Also, the more I understand how to play MWIF better, the more that the battles I resolve mirror the actual ones that I read about. That's what keeps me coming back time after time.

MWIF does have it faults, as may have pointed out, but the map and unit counter graphics are beautiful. Also, I like the fact that game enforces the rules and keeps up with a lot of mundane stuff that I don't want to mess with.

By the way, if it isn't clear, I don't play MWIF as a game but play it to be an eye witness to history. One in which we don't have many of the generation left that was actually part of it!

I can pull out WiF CE and put it on the tabletop right now - and it works. I also have Fatal Alliances III, which gives the whole WWI experience through a "modded" WiF.

What I don't understand (but maybe it's me) is why only WiF should allow to be an "an eye witness to history". True, I, too, read some gripping military history book and feel the need to recreate what I read about. However, there are literally hundreds of games, both computer and tabletop, from which I can choose. Good games that work.

On June 4th, I, traditionally, play a game about Midway. Two years ago I used Midway 42 from HPS -a real gem. I posted my AAR in the Main Discussion subforum.

And then there is what is called, in the business world, the "moral hazard" peril. If we condone - and even help - failure we both admit that spending good money for bad products is no problem at all. Meanwhile we disrespect all those people who work hard to give us good products. I don't think that a lot of people, here, even think of this.

MWiF was sold broken. So broken that, after ten years, it is still broken - except that now, apparently, the wheelhouse is empty. Someone, back in 2013, looked at the state of the game and said "ship it". We should condone this? Really?

Erik Rutins made a list of commitments in 2017. We got, I think, Kamikazes.

No half-map scenarios. Why? I literally don't know. Yes, I read the "explanations". I literally can't remember one.

And Mene Grande is still there. I'm not fixated... more like... astounded. It is a bug in the f***ing setup. It was there in 2013 and it is there in 2023. The solution? Put down the tabletop version and do stuff there. Which, to be fair, is a good solution for everything broken or missing in MWiF: you just put down the tabletop version and play that one.

I paid $150 plus the $$$s for WiF CE to reach this new level of enlightement. Be sure that this will happen only once.

RFalvo69 wrote: Fri Jun 02, 2023 12:15 pm What I don't understand (but maybe it's me) is why only WiF should allow to be an "an eye witness to history". True, I, too, read some gripping military history book and feel the need to recreate what I read about. However, there are literally hundreds of games,

I certainty didn't mean to imply that. And, I didn't mean to infer any judgement on you or anyone else who doesn't agree. I was speaking from my perspective and only my perspective. I'm certainly not defending Matrix in their handling of MWIF.

My exposure to strategic WW2 games is probably much more limited than yours. But, of those games that I've enjoyed and played over the many years starting from the early 1970's, have included, Avalon Hill's 3rd Reich, Victory in the Pacific, War at Sea, Hitler's War, Sliternine's/Matrix's Command Europe at War - Grand Strategy Mod (CEaW-GS), Strategic Command WWII - World at War, WarPlan Pacific, that (M)WiF gives me the best counterfactual wargaming experience of them all wrt/to land-air-sea and the interaction of all three.

I subscribed to AH's, "The General" magazine for several years in the early and mid 1980's. I remember an article in one issue from one of their new game designers that basically stated that wargames were meant to be played against other folks and not for solitaire. I was relatively young when I read that I actually felt guilty because I enjoyed solitaire play so much. As I've gotten older, I've realized that it's your hobby and enjoy in the way that brings you the most entertainment and enjoyment.

I also own several other cardboard and paper & computer titles, mostly WW2, that range from the strategic down to the individual squad, crew, vehicle level, which I also enjoy. Just not as much as I enjoy (M)WiF. I remember my first game of AH's Tobruk, probably in my early 20's. It was my first squad level game, before AH's Squad Leader and Cross of Iron, both with I played the heck out of in the early 1980's. I also purchase the Crescendo of Doom expansion which I've never played and which the counters are still unpunched. Back in the day I paid a whopping $50 for all three (Squad Leader and COI & COD expansions).

Well back to my first game of Tobruk. It was a scenario where CW troops (probably AUS), were dug in and defending against on rushing Italian and German infantry. It struck me, for the first time in my wargaming experience, how terrified the CW troops must be knowing they had no place to run but had to stand their ground against the on rushing enemy infantry if they were to survive.

Well I appreciate what you were trying to convey rkr1958 and echo your comments on MWIF compared to other strategic games (and also love your positive input to the MWIF community since you first arrived).

On a more serious note, why is Perry The Platypus on your shelf?

warspite1 wrote: Sat Jun 03, 2023 10:15 pm Well I appreciate what you were trying to convey rkr1958 and echo your comments on MWIF compared to other strategic games (and also love your positive input to the MWIF community since you first arrived).

On a more serious note, why is Perry The Platypus on your shelf?

Thanks Warspite for those kind words.

Yes, that is Perry, The Platypus. But, since he's got his hat on he's a secret agent on a mission. Don't let anyone know.

Also present are Scooby Doo and a blind (folded) squirrel. The blind (folder) squirrel is a present from a co-worker (before I retired) because I often said even a blind squirrel finds an acorn now and then. Or in his new environment he could be a captured spy waiting for his fate. But first he needs a cigarette.

Lastly, the squirrel is sitting on a football tee. One that I got 55 (or so) years ago during the hey day of field goal kicking in the NFL. That was before they moved the goal posts off the goal line and put the ball back if you missed a field goal. Teams were trying field goals from their own 40-year line and if they missed it was as good as a punt before the rules change. I'd spend hours in my backyard with that tee kicking, or trying to kick, a football over the top of my swing set.

I got the tee originally to practice for the punt, pass and kick contest. I was at pee wee football practice (10 years old) and my coach had me go over an compete in a local contest. I took 3rd place in my age group (10 year old). They wouldn't let me wear my cleats so I had to kick barefooted. That was ok for my punt but when I went to kick the ball off (their) tee I bailed and it only went a couple of years. I decided then that I was going to practice kicking off the tee and take 1st place next year. Never entered the punt, pass and kick contest again but got a heck of a lot of play as noted above from that tee.

Hi all,

I have been working on the code for the AI Opponent, pretty much to the exclusion of everything else.

A private beta has just been made available to the beta testers.

I'll post a monthly status report in the next couple of days. Then I am leaving on a cruise from Anchorage to Vancouver, I won't be back until July 4th.

Steve

Excellent news. I look forward to the update and enjoy your cruise

Neilster wrote: Thu Jun 15, 2023 5:23 am Excellent news. I look forward to the update and enjoy your cruise

So:

- No work on half-map scenarios
- No work on missing optional rules
- No work on bug squashing
- Nothing from "Our Commitment to You" list by ERutins (2017)
- Time devoid to something - the AI - that was considered not doable and not even a required feature in 2013. I'll not call it a smokescreen because I don't even think that we will get a AI. In six years we didn't get "Guard banner armies", imagine a AI.

Excellent news indeed. I just love how ERutins promises are openly given the finger. One has to recognise the honesty in this.

By now I have a single question: why Matrix doesn't simply admit OPENLY that MWiF is an irrimediable failure, that it will be never fixed, and that nothing like this will happen anymore? I'm not even asking for my money back (we are not getting "Isolated reorganization limits", imagine the money...) To me, the ship has sailed years ago. And yet, for some reason, I can't wrap my mind around how we are still seeing:

Month/Year Report: Fixed a typo.

Surpassing! Keep up the good job!!

RFalvo69 wrote: Fri Jun 16, 2023 6:30 pm

Neilster wrote: Thu Jun 15, 2023 5:23 am Excellent news. I look forward to the update and enjoy your cruise

So:

- No work on half-map scenarios
- No work on missing optional rules
- No work on bug squashing
- Nothing from "Our Commitment to You" list by ERutins (2017)
- Time devoid to something - the AI - that was considered not doable and not even a required feature in 2013. I'll not call it a smokescreen because I don't even think that we will get a AI. In six years we didn't get "Guard banner armies", imagine a AI.

Excellent news indeed. I just love how ERutins promises are openly given the finger. One has to recognise the honesty in this.

By now I have a single question: why Matrix doesn't simply admit OPENLY that MWiF is an irrimediable failure, that it will be never fixed, and that nothing like this will happen anymore? I'm not even asking for my money back (we are not getting "Isolated reorganization limits", imagine the money...) To me, the ship has sailed years ago. And yet, for some reason, I can't wrap my mind around how we are still seeing:

Month/Year Report: Fixed a typo.

Surpassing! Keep up the good job!!

I don't ask a refund too. The game is there on my hard drive. Windows just asks me once in a while if I want to clean up unused applications.

ncc1701e wrote: Fri Jun 16, 2023 7:12 pm

RFalvo69 wrote: Fri Jun 16, 2023 6:30 pm

Neilster wrote: Thu Jun 15, 2023 5:23 am Excellent news. I look forward to the update and enjoy your cruise

So:

- No work on half-map scenarios
- No work on missing optional rules
- No work on bug squashing
- Nothing from "Our Commitment to You" list by ERutins (2017)
- Time devoid to something - the AI - that was considered not doable and not even a required feature in 2013. I'll not call it a smokescreen because I don't even think that we will get a AI. In six years we didn't get "Guard banner armies", imagine a AI.

Excellent news indeed. I just love how ERutins promises are openly given the finger. One has to recognise the honesty in this.

By now I have a single question: why Matrix doesn't simply admit OPENLY that MWiF is an irrimediable failure, that it will be never fixed, and that nothing like this will happen anymore? I'm not even asking for my money back (we are not getting "Isolated reorganization limits", imagine the money...) To me, the ship has sailed years ago. And yet, for some reason, I can't wrap my mind around how we are still seeing:

Month/Year Report: Fixed a typo.

Surpassing! Keep up the good job!!

I don't ask a refund too. The game is there on my hard drive. Windows just asks me once in a while if I want to clean up unused applications.

I honestly think that, should Matrix decide to give a refund, they wouldn't know how to do to do even that.

Month/Year Report: Three versions of the refund code were sent to the beta testers.

Shannon V. OKeets wrote: Wed Jun 14, 2023 12:12 am I'll post a monthly status report in the next couple of days. Then I am leaving on a cruise from Anchorage to Vancouver, I won't be back until July 4th.

Could we please get a brief status update on what's going on? It would be nice to know when to maybe expect another release version with at least a working AI for the Barbarossa scenario. I fully understand delays regarding AI coding, as I am doing that myself, but I still try to keep folks on the Empires in Arms forum updated. A quick update would be much appreciated. Thanks.

June and July update was missed.

August update?

What for? It would be a developer diary on the AI, not the game we bought and is in need of patches.

I just posted a monthly status report for August 2023.