Matrix Games Forums

If there is one thing this game is teaching me it is Russian Geography. I watch History Channel and Military Chanel almost exclusively (except for the Simpsons but I digress) and hear about all those famous battles, Stallingrad, Kursk, etc but really could not have pointed them out on a Russian map.

Now after playing this game a bit those battles make a lot more sense in my mind about there location and strategic importance.

Just curious if anyone elses $40 investment in this game has taught them much more about World Geography then 12 years of school ever did?

Maybe I am just showing my lack of expierence in World Wide Strategic Gameing.

-MrQuiet

MrQuiet;

That warms my History Teacher heart ! [:D]

Honestly though, I too have learned a great deal, mostly about the south pacific. That was my weak geographic area!

As I said before, I use this game in the classroom! It is not only immensely fun, but hugely educational as well! BRAVO and KUDOS again to Matrix and 2by3! [&o]

Later

Mike

I'm playing the two of you in PBEM games, you both need to play each other. MrQuiet may not be as experienced as Mike, but he's good!

I still forget where Kazan is...[&:]

EDIT: And BTW you're BOTH KICKING MY ASS...[&o]

I learned most of geography from playing various war games over the years!

Yes and with territories with names as Low Countries you also learn history at the same time.


Dembe

[:D]

Badbonez!

Oh I wouldnt say that! It is only '43! Hang on for the factories to start churning!!

(we all have to see the "elephant" eventually!) [;)]

Later!

Mike

I learned most of my geography from risk, but I guess I really didn't know where kharkow was before playing this game (and still probably can't spell it right!)

war games really do help with geography and history a lot. I remember high school history as being abreeze by just associating certain dates to the wars that were fought around it. if I remember correctly I think I even corrected one of my teachers on the dates of some of the napoleanic era events! (who else could care about that period but a wargamer).

its tought me a lot about russian geography, i still dont see why the germans were going for stalingrad though, its kind of out of the way of moscow. personally i would have driven strait through to moscow as fast as possible. but im probably the worst strategizer here so i am almost definetly wrong on this

I've learned most of what I know about geography from playing war games, reading about war and watching documentaries like World at War (not to be confused with GGWAW!). I especially learned a lot about the Pacific from WITP. More importantly, I understood WHY those islands were so important.

Lets face it, who would have ever heard of a tiny little postage stamp of an island called Midway if it hadn't been the catalyst in the turning point of the greatest naval war in the history of the world?

i still dont see why the germans were going for stalingrad though, its kind of out of the way of moscow.

Well, one reason is that Stalingrad is the gateway to the oil-rich areas to the southeast, such as the Caucusus. In GGWaW, the Caucusus is arguably a bigger prize than Moscow because of its mammoth pile of six resources.

Also, seizing Moscow alone wouldn't have guaranteed a Soviet surrender historically -- or in the game. Seizing all the major cities west of the Urals might have, though.

Don't forget the ego aspect either. Considering Stalingrad was named after the Soviet leader, I believe there was greater push on both sides in both attacking and defending it.

--way

ORIGINAL: Grotius
Also, seizing Moscow alone wouldn't have guaranteed a Soviet surrender historically -- or in the game. Seizing all the major cities west of the Urals might have, though.

Well, to be fair wasn't Moscow the main hub of the railroad system in Russia?...This would have caused major supply issues to any Army groups w/o access to rail. You could argue and say that Russian units required less supply because they fed off the land but that still doesn't give them ammo.

ORIGINAL: mike mcmann
As I said before, I use this game in the classroom! It is not only immensely fun, but hugely educational as well!

I´m curious, how exactly do you do this? Do you set up historical scenarios at given dates, and show these scenarios (snapshots of time, so to say) to the class to give them an idea of who controlled what at the time and then proceed to show the major battle locations of the time?

I´d suppose that´s how it´d go...showing force compositions, production etc. on anything but the macro-scale is pointless, anyhow - they just need to get the big picture, not the exact numbers.

Although I am sure you get a lot of private questions from those who are actually interested in the subject matter.