Matrix Games Forums

Do you guys have any plans to rework Western Front??? I am still playing my accient copy... lol... I think that if you combined WiR and Western Front in one giant game that would be extremely cool!!!

WiR is great!! I wish the hotkeys worked from WF and that I could use the mouse less though... This is about the only game I preffer the keyboard... but it is great fun!!!

BTW is it possible to do seaborn invasions? or create independant divisions? Sorry for the dumb questions, but this is my first time with WiR...

Sorry, this has gotten me more excited than Steel Panthers ever did(and i love steel panthers)!!!

Haupt

Originally posted by Hauptmann6:
Do you guys have any plans to rework Western Front??? I am still playing my accient copy... lol... I think that if you combined WiR and Western Front in one giant game that would be extremely cool!!!

I believe that Matrix has said in the recent past that Western Front is not planned for a remake.

WiR is great!! I wish the hotkeys worked from WF and that I could use the mouse less though... This is about the only game I preffer the keyboard... but it is great fun!!!

BTW is it possible to do seaborn invasions? or create independant divisions? Sorry for the dumb questions, but this is my first time with WiR...

Sorry, this has gotten me more excited than Steel Panthers ever did(and i love steel panthers)!!!

Haupt

There are a large number of keyboard shortcuts, but as I never played Western Front I don't know how they relate. You can access the shortcut list by using Shift and ? at the same time in the game.

There are no seaborne invasions or divisions that can exist outside of the corps structure.

Glad to hear you like it so much - I have enjoyed it off and on for almost 8 years now.


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Rick Bancroft
Semper Fi

[This message has been edited by RickyB (edited August 27, 2000).]

Thanks, I looked through the maual and must have missed the shortcuts. Rats, no independent divisions... I got used to that in Western Front. Also sorry to hear that they won't be re-doing it, oh well the original is great.

Thanks Rick

Haupt

Is there no way that you could stretch the map to include the west front from '44 on? I'm not sure how hard it would be, but it seems that this being an old dos game and with todays tech, it should seem feasible.

Originally posted by Rowdy:
Is there no way that you could stretch the map to include the west front from '44 on? I'm not sure how hard it would be, but it seems that this being an old dos game and with todays tech, it should seem feasible.

Unfortunately, there are the old DOS memory limits that are the problem in a major expansion. People are already having problems in some cases with memory, although I don't think anyone knows yet whether they are caused by the DOS limits or not. An expanded map and more units, though, would almost for sure push the game over the limit and make it not run at all. Then, the only solution would be a DOS memory expander, which requires licensing fees and lots of work. I think it will take a new game in Windows to overcome these limits.


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Rick Bancroft
Semper Fi

Originally posted by RickyB:
Unfortunately, there are the old DOS memory limits that are the problem in a major expansion. People are already having problems in some cases with memory, although I don't think anyone knows yet whether they are caused by the DOS limits or not. An expanded map and more units, though, would almost for sure push the game over the limit and make it not run at all. Then, the only solution would be a DOS memory expander, which requires licensing fees and lots of work. I think it will take a new game in Windows to overcome these limits.

Since 'Road to Moscow' looks like a no-show, lets hope Matrix decides to do a full remake of WiR, or a complete European theater game. One can always dream.....

I would love to see a broad, strategic-level computer wargame similar to the board game "The Rise and fall of The Third Reich". Incorporate the whole European, Russian and North African theatres, with economic, diplomatic, and political aspects, as well as the military ones...

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A King Tiger can give you a definite edge...

Avalon Hill did make a computer version of Third Reich, unfortunatly Hasbro now owns the rights, and I doubt that we will ever see them again.

Haupt

Thanks for replying RickyG! I had a feeling that if it was possible, then it would be done. Hopefully when you guys with Gary remake WIR, you will include a full European as well as an African and Mediterranean theatre. hasbro does not care about computer games dealing with war or simulations. Look at European Air War and the no multiplayer version for B17 II. Oh well, if I had the money, things would be very different. It would be like Matrix games but with hasbro's budget!! or microsofts!!

Originally posted by Hauptmann6:
Avalon Hill did make a computer version of Third Reich, unfortunatly Hasbro now owns the rights, and I doubt that we will ever see them again.

Haupt

I don't think Hasbro cares either.

However, I did get the computer version of Third Reich and it didn't impress me. Part of the problem was it wasn't a computer version of *Advanced* Third Reich, which was a huge improvement over the original board version. The interface of Computer 3R was simply to unintuitive, and unforgiving, especially the places where an undo feature wasn't available. One small typo would ruin an entire turn's worth of work.

Remake High Command by ColoradoComputerCreations/360Pacific. This European theatre grand strategic game had it all. Production system requiring oil,minerals and personnel. Of course you had to go out and get your damn oil. You could invest in infrastructure to improve future factories and refineries output. You could rebuild and invest in french factories. invest in rocket research,atomic weapons research and overall qualitative investment for your arms. Almost all of this was tied to oil as it was the most scarce resource. Build panzer divisions,u-boats or atomic research,or just plow more assets into infrastructure in order to glean improved production down the line. Oh and the game had two air phases,plotted simultaneous movement, a sea game, supply lines which had to be maintained with the merchant marine..everything depended on everything..mostly oil.

Unfortunately High Commands AI was totally useless. It never rebuilt formations in any large numbers and always got into a crippling recession by not re-investing in the economy enough. It should be a great PBEM type game though!

High commands AI was worse than useless! I defeated the Germans with the French by spring 1940! It only took me that long because the poor french hardly moved at all in winter. All you had to do is make a few superstrong air and naval units, and you blasted the much smaller AI units out of the air / water. And the AI ALWAYS made ground strikes on the hexes they attacked later by land. Fortunately you had enough time to pull back the damaged units for recovery and move a few fresh full strength units to the attacked hexes, which made sure the AI gets a bloody nose every time they attack.

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In war there is no second prize for the runner up