Matrix Games Forums

ORIGINAL: macgregor

ORIGINAL: composer99
Also, it was only once they had their deal with Hitler and the latter had begun the war that the Soviets began their own territorial expansion - which I should add was, until the Red Army marched into the Balkans and Central Europe in 1944-1945, limited to regaining Tsarist imperial territory. Stalin was a revanchist in that respect more than an expansionist. And, like Poland, Rumania and Hungary, which all had revanchist ambitions at the expense of their neighbours from 1938-1940, the USSR even had to cut a deal with Germany to make it happen.

I don't think the Finns would agree with this(nor the Poles -though they were in the Tsar's empire).

Warspite1

Why? Finland was at one time part of Russia - I believe dating from Napoleonic times.

Just as the Soviets - still under Stalin - formed a defensive "Iron Curtain" on its western borders after WWII, so I believe Stalin wanted a similar buffer in the 1930`s/1940`s and parts of each of Finland, the Baltic States, Romania and Poland were to provide this. However, I do not think for a second that Stalin would have undertaken any of these actions had they not got the agreement - implicit or otherwise - of Germany - or even France/Britain had a deal been struck with them instead.

mistake

Indeed, Finland became a fully independent state after Russia's defeat in the First World War, so there was a very recent precedent for Finland being within the Russian 'sphere of influence'. The Finns appear to be rather fortunate that Stalin didn't want all of Finland to turn into a puppet state like he did with Poland, Hungary, etc. after the war.

I think Finland was lucky that the Russian General Mannerheim decided they worth more than russian and protect the Finnish interest and independance with a rare success, otherwise Finland would have been turn into a puppet state.

ORIGINAL: Skanvak

I think Finland was lucky that the Russian General Mannerheim decided they worth more than russian and protect the Finnish interest and independance with a rare success, otherwise Finland would have been turn into a puppet state.

Warspite1

Mannerheim was Finnish [;)].

Whether Russia wanted all or some of Finland is not the point. The point being made is that Stalin only acted safe in the knowledge that having signed a pact with the Nazis and with France and Britain otherwise engaged, he would face no opposition. Without such a pact Stalin would not have acted in this way.

ORIGINAL: warspite1

mistake

Hey warspite, your warspite have ping corners.
Why not take this one (GIF format -- please keep it as GIF)

ORIGINAL: Froonp

ORIGINAL: warspite1

mistake

Hey warspite, your warspite have ping corners.
Why not take this one (GIF format -- please keep it as GIF)

Warspite1

That`s better - I hate "ping" corners [;)]

Thanks for this Froonp [:)]

ORIGINAL: composer99
To be sure, the USSR wanted to spread Soviet Communism world-wide. That's why they went to so much effort to encourage and support Communist parties and revolutionaries elsewhere. But the failure of the invasion of Poland in the '20s had diminished their appetite for external expansion via traditional military aggression.

The Polish began that war invading Ukraine. They was pull back by Tuchačevskij (ah, what an HQ, eternal DOD question for the russian player: should i shot him and get 2 more PE or not?)

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Mannerheim was Finnish [;)].

He began his military career in the Russian army. He took part of WWI fighting austrians and germans.

That is correct, Mannerheim is finnish (I read somewhere something that make me think he was Russian, I should have double check). But he was a Russian General and made all he carrer in the Russian Army (including school) before independance of Finland (of which he always commanded the troop and sometime govern the country). Well without him, Finland would have been annexed by the soviet.

ORIGINAL: Skanvak

That is correct, Mannerheim is finnish (I read somewhere something that make me think he was Russian, I should have double check). But he was a Russian General and made all he carrer in the Russian Army (including school) before independance of Finland (of which he always commanded the troop and sometime govern the country). Well without him, Finland would have been annexed by the soviet.

Warspite1

Indeed.

ORIGINAL: marcejap

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Mannerheim was Finnish [;)].

He began his military career in the Russian army. He took part of WWI fighting austrians and germans.

Welcome to the forum.[:)]

Try looking at some of the threads at the top of the forum for references to some of the more popular threads.

If you have questions, simply ask.

This is probably a dumb question for my first (but I'm sure not my last) posting, but can someone please tell me: what exactly is the current status/nature of the WiF computer game? Is it finished? Is it available? Does it have AI or is it 2+ players only? The sheer volume of information on the matter has left me confused. I've been a fan of the board game since its earliest editions and can scarcely believe the long wait is over. Is it? Is someone out there playing it?

Also if it is available then I might as well start asking around for online opponents. If the play system is as "faithful" to the original as has always been promised, and as the screen shots on the Matrix site seem to suggest, then presumably both/all players will need to be logged on at the same time to make various tactical decisions (retreat? and in which direction? etc). In which case is there anyone in the Perth/Singapore/Hong Kong/Beijing time zone (give or take a few zones/hours) who would be interested in playing? If it really is available I'll be getting it immediately and if it really is "faithful" to the original it shouldn't take long to get the hang of it, so I'll be looking for opponents quite soon. I'm breathless with anticipation!

Please tell me if it is true.
Steve

ORIGINAL: SingSteve

This is probably a dumb question for my first (but I'm sure not my last) posting, but can someone please tell me: what exactly is the current status/nature of the WiF computer game? Is it finished? Is it available? Does it have AI or is it 2+ players only? The sheer volume of information on the matter has left me confused. I've been a fan of the board game since its earliest editions and can scarcely believe the long wait is over. Is it? Is someone out there playing it?

Also if it is available then I might as well start asking around for online opponents. If the play system is as "faithful" to the original as has always been promised, and as the screen shots on the Matrix site seem to suggest, then presumably both/all players will need to be logged on at the same time to make various tactical decisions (retreat? and in which direction? etc). In which case is there anyone in the Perth/Singapore/Hong Kong/Beijing time zone (give or take a few zones/hours) who would be interested in playing? If it really is available I'll be getting it immediately and if it really is "faithful" to the original it shouldn't take long to get the hang of it, so I'll be looking for opponents quite soon. I'm breathless with anticipation!

Please tell me if it is true.
Steve

Welcome to the forum.[:)]

I post a monthly report on status around the first of each month. I have been doing this since August of 2005, so if you are software development historian, the complete set should be interesting reading.

You aren't?[X(] Oh, well then, the thread When contains my monthly reports and if you start with the most recent post and work your way backward, you should find my latest for December 1st 2009. I'll write a new one ~January 1st.

The threads at the top of the forum have links to many of the more commonly viewed threads (e.g., screen shots). Another way of finding the most popular threads is to scan through the list looking for the ones with the most posts and hits.

What needs to be in the WiF computer game? One general suggestion that has probably already been made before: a sensible limit to placing newly built units on the map and to supplying those already built, i.e. not every "city" deserves the name and, while they are necessary for other game purposes, it shouldn't be possible to create an armored corps (or any other kind of unit for that matter) in, or support a large force from, some of the smaller, more isolated population centers. In many years of playing the board game we used various house rules to cover this; with the computer game's huge map and extra cities (which I thoroughly approve of) it will be all the more important to prevent the creation and supply of large forces in out of the way places. Anyway, as I have said this has probably been raised before, perhaps even solved without my knowing it, but if it hasn't I think it's vitally important: I've lived in Vorkuta (North-Eastern European Russia) and think, for example, it deserves a place on the map for its strategic location (despite being much smaller than 100k at the time) but you shouldn't be able to raise an army in a place where you can't grow potatoes.

By the way, I'm still confused about one thing: is feedback limited to looking at screenshots etc, or am I right in thinking a version of the game without AI is available for play-testing? I'd be very interested if it is!

Steve

Merry Christmas!

There are threads on all aspects of the game including the different sections of the map. While the "search" function on the forum isn't the greatest, you should be able to find some threads that interest you.

To answer your question, MWIF is not available yet, it is in Beta testing I believe. Once in a while there is a call for more testers, so keep looking if you have interest in that.

At CWiF some times an indian recourse is send to australian factory (for example) instead of using australian resources, it can be changed but the change normally is not "memorized" and at diferent turn phases I have to check in order to organize naval movements, return to base and the like so when the subs start breaching the pipelines I have to check and change it a los of times in a turn I expect the MWiF AI would be better with that.

ORIGINAL: SingSteve

What needs to be in the WiF computer game? One general suggestion that has probably already been made before: a sensible limit to placing newly built units on the map and to supplying those already built, i.e. not every "city" deserves the name and, while they are necessary for other game purposes, it shouldn't be possible to create an armored corps (or any other kind of unit for that matter) in, or support a large force from, some of the smaller, more isolated population centers. In many years of playing the board game we used various house rules to cover this; with the computer game's huge map and extra cities (which I thoroughly approve of) it will be all the more important to prevent the creation and supply of large forces in out of the way places. Anyway, as I have said this has probably been raised before, perhaps even solved without my knowing it, but if it hasn't I think it's vitally important: I've lived in Vorkuta (North-Eastern European Russia) and think, for example, it deserves a place on the map for its strategic location (despite being much smaller than 100k at the time) but you shouldn't be able to raise an army in a place where you can't grow potatoes.

I agree with this completely. The ability to continually raise new military forces in out of the way places in World in Flames can get very silly at times. The playability abstractions necessary to play WWII at this scale are going to happen, but this doesn't really need to be one of them in my opinion. The paper game has a new module, Factories in Flames, that begins to address this issue, though I have not had a chance to try it, and it won't be a part of the first edition of the computer game. Using the oil rule can also help dampen the silliness factor of isolated cities somewhat.

Steve,

---

This may sound odd.  I trim the edges off my counters at the corners at a 45 degree angle.  I find the counter have a much cleaner look and fit better into the Hexes.  Not sure if this is something you want to do but it does make the counters look a lot cleaner.  The trim is about 1/16th of an inch in from the corner.  I can send you a scan if your need me too.  Its not that important but just a thought.

I do the same. It also keeps the corners from catching on each other. And it's easy - there's only 14,400 corners to trim for WiFFE. [;)]

However there's lots of screen caps in the threads on this forum showing the MWIF map and counters and they look great already, plus I have yet to see them catch on one another.

Edit: Lots of us use the MWIF counters for our avatars, including me.