please get this right

[Peeking Duck?]

I don't know if this is the correct thread to reply in but ehre goes anyway!
 
I just built a new computer and wish to take advantage of the icnreased resolution afforded.  Will this game support large widescreen resolutions?
 
 
cheers,
Peek

[Shannon V. OKeets]

yes

ORIGINAL: Peeking Duck?

I don't know if this is the correct thread to reply in but ehre goes anyway!

I just built a new computer and wish to take advantage of the icnreased resolution afforded.  Will this game support large widescreen resolutions?
 
 
cheers,
Peek

[panzers]

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets

ORIGINAL: undercovergeek

so in simple terms there will be one game, glorious scope, PBEMable, army, navy, air across the globe - sold!!!

never played the board game, and get slightly confused by the MWIF and WIF FE abbreviations - assumed it would all be WIF and broke into a sweat

It is easy to get confused. I try to avoid abbreviations but some of them have so penetrated my normal vocabulary and I am not even aware that I am using them.

WIF is World in Flames, usually used to refer to a host of paper map & cardboard counter games by Australian Design Group (ADG) built around the gaming system they first developed in the mid-1980's.

WIF FE is Final Edition of WIF which is a well-defined set of rules for WIF from the late 1990's. Prior to WIF FE, there had been numerous editions of the game with evolving rule sets.

CWIF is a computerized version of WIF developed by ADG with graphics and player interface from the late 1990's (e.g., Windows 98). It only enables play on a single computer with one or two humans - no internet, no PBEM, no AI opponent. ADG's web site has this product for sale.

MWIF is Matrix Games' computerized version of WIF, under a licensing agreement with ADG. I am developing MWIF under contract to Matrix and I started with the 100,000 lines of source code for CWIF in July of 2005. I am now over 300,000 lines of source code for MWIF.

MWIF is built using an enhance depiction of the units and map, which includes 2000+ bitmaps for the air and naval units, 5000+ bitmaps for the coastal hexes covering the entire globe, and 7000+ bitmaps for the rivers. The player interface design for all 100+ forms that appear while you are playing the game have been enhanced to use specially designed Theme Engine components; these replace the standard Windows components used in CWIF.

WIF as a gaming system is continuously been modified by ADG. For instance, in the 2008 Annual magazine they published this month, there are 3 more 'add-ons' to the game. That magazine also includes a long list of rule clarifications and a shorter list of rules errata.

MWIF product 1 includes most of the add-on modules for the WIF gaming system. However, it does not include all of them. Excluded are: the new add-ons just announced this month by ADG, the pre-1939 add-on (Days of Decision), post-1945 add-ons (Patton in Flames and America in Flames) and the addition of counters representing leaders (Leaders in Flames). MWIF does include all the other add-ons to the 'classic' WIF game (e.g., Ships in Flames, Planes in Flames, Convoys in Flames).

MWIF product 1 also includes internet play, PBEM, and an AI Opponent.

As mentioned by Fred above, there is a list of additional player interface features that have been pushed out of MWIF product 1 and assigned to the ill-defined "MWIF products 2 and 3". For instance, animated replay of a previously played game based on its game record log is a feature near and dear to my heart but adding that to MWIF product 1 would delay its release.

OK, I'm a little confused here.
The last time I played, it was the complete 5th edition including mech in flames with asia, africa, and planes in flames, but before patton in flames and ships in flames along with DOD II. What I am a little confused about is, I thought the final edition WiF inincluded America aflame which I never got to play.
My understanding from this is: america aflame is not represented here, but yet MWiF is representitive of the final edition here. Could you please clarify that for me?

[panzers]

ORIGINAL: undercovergeek

ORIGINAL: Joram

Sounds great.  But this isn't going to cost us $70 right??? [:-]

you dont think it will be worth £70 - dear lord man, youll never play anything ever again except maybe WitP which is also worth £70

isn't 70 pounds(whatever that symbol is which I don't even see on the keyboard, lol) like $175 to $200?

[panzers]

ORIGINAL: SamuraiProgrammer

With the add-ons that are included in MWif, it would have cost plenty.  I am unsure of the specific prices.

WIF (60?)
WIF (Again - new maps, counters, etc) (60?)
Africa In flames (20-30?)
Planes In Flames (20-30?)
America In Flames (20-30?)
Cruisers In Flames (20-30?)

This game will be more expensive than most computer games but I believe it will be QUALITY!

Plus you won't need 3 to 4 tables to play!

WOOOHOOO --- I am starting to get excited!!!

MWIF IS COMING!

DOD II $30, plus when you add patton, ships, carriers,mech,etc. You get the idea. The game is well over $200 complete. I, myself, have the complete 5th edition and that alone is $200.

[panzers]

ORIGINAL: Peeking Duck?

I don't know if this is the correct thread to reply in but ehre goes anyway!

I just built a new computer and wish to take advantage of the icnreased resolution afforded.  Will this game support large widescreen resolutions?
 
 
cheers,
Peek

Hope it isn't infected with vista.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: panzers

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets

ORIGINAL: undercovergeek

so in simple terms there will be one game, glorious scope, PBEMable, army, navy, air across the globe - sold!!!

never played the board game, and get slightly confused by the MWIF and WIF FE abbreviations - assumed it would all be WIF and broke into a sweat

It is easy to get confused. I try to avoid abbreviations but some of them have so penetrated my normal vocabulary and I am not even aware that I am using them.

WIF is World in Flames, usually used to refer to a host of paper map & cardboard counter games by Australian Design Group (ADG) built around the gaming system they first developed in the mid-1980's.

WIF FE is Final Edition of WIF which is a well-defined set of rules for WIF from the late 1990's. Prior to WIF FE, there had been numerous editions of the game with evolving rule sets.

CWIF is a computerized version of WIF developed by ADG with graphics and player interface from the late 1990's (e.g., Windows 98). It only enables play on a single computer with one or two humans - no internet, no PBEM, no AI opponent. ADG's web site has this product for sale.

MWIF is Matrix Games' computerized version of WIF, under a licensing agreement with ADG. I am developing MWIF under contract to Matrix and I started with the 100,000 lines of source code for CWIF in July of 2005. I am now over 300,000 lines of source code for MWIF.

MWIF is built using an enhance depiction of the units and map, which includes 2000+ bitmaps for the air and naval units, 5000+ bitmaps for the coastal hexes covering the entire globe, and 7000+ bitmaps for the rivers. The player interface design for all 100+ forms that appear while you are playing the game have been enhanced to use specially designed Theme Engine components; these replace the standard Windows components used in CWIF.

WIF as a gaming system is continuously been modified by ADG. For instance, in the 2008 Annual magazine they published this month, there are 3 more 'add-ons' to the game. That magazine also includes a long list of rule clarifications and a shorter list of rules errata.

MWIF product 1 includes most of the add-on modules for the WIF gaming system. However, it does not include all of them. Excluded are: the new add-ons just announced this month by ADG, the pre-1939 add-on (Days of Decision), post-1945 add-ons (Patton in Flames and America in Flames) and the addition of counters representing leaders (Leaders in Flames). MWIF does include all the other add-ons to the 'classic' WIF game (e.g., Ships in Flames, Planes in Flames, Convoys in Flames).

MWIF product 1 also includes internet play, PBEM, and an AI Opponent.

As mentioned by Fred above, there is a list of additional player interface features that have been pushed out of MWIF product 1 and assigned to the ill-defined "MWIF products 2 and 3". For instance, animated replay of a previously played game based on its game record log is a feature near and dear to my heart but adding that to MWIF product 1 would delay its release.

OK, I'm a little confused here.
The last time I played, it was the complete 5th edition including mech in flames with asia, africa, and planes in flames, but before patton in flames and ships in flames along with DOD II. What I am a little confused about is, I thought the final edition WiF inincluded America aflame which I never got to play.
My understanding from this is: america aflame is not represented here, but yet MWiF is representitive of the final edition here. Could you please clarify that for me?

The above is an accurate statement of what modules/add-ons are in MWIF, though that is done by listing which ones aren't.

[SemperAugustus]

ORIGINAL: hakon

Prices when ordering from ADG:
Wif Classic : $90 (US)
Wif Deluxe : $170
Wif Super Deluxe : $400

Paying $200 for MWiF would not be unreasonable, considering that it contains everything you find in Super Deluxe, as well as the fact that sales volume may be a bit low.

Printing costs may be lower for MWIF though...

[panzers]

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets

ORIGINAL: panzers

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets



So then, this seems to be exactly the game I last played minus DOD II. Which is the 5th edition.
Wow! I am really looking forward to it now because I will know everything in the rules. Just never played it without DOD II, so that should be interesting for me. I would give my left testicle if I knew how to do the Matrix way of pbem gaming, but unless I, somehow, am able to get someone to come over here to show me how to do it, I will never know how to do it and that is so unfortunate because this is the one game that I will really want to do that.
It is easy to get confused. I try to avoid abbreviations but some of them have so penetrated my normal vocabulary and I am not even aware that I am using them.

WIF is World in Flames, usually used to refer to a host of paper map & cardboard counter games by Australian Design Group (ADG) built around the gaming system they first developed in the mid-1980's.

WIF FE is Final Edition of WIF which is a well-defined set of rules for WIF from the late 1990's. Prior to WIF FE, there had been numerous editions of the game with evolving rule sets.

CWIF is a computerized version of WIF developed by ADG with graphics and player interface from the late 1990's (e.g., Windows 98). It only enables play on a single computer with one or two humans - no internet, no PBEM, no AI opponent. ADG's web site has this product for sale.

MWIF is Matrix Games' computerized version of WIF, under a licensing agreement with ADG. I am developing MWIF under contract to Matrix and I started with the 100,000 lines of source code for CWIF in July of 2005. I am now over 300,000 lines of source code for MWIF.

MWIF is built using an enhance depiction of the units and map, which includes 2000+ bitmaps for the air and naval units, 5000+ bitmaps for the coastal hexes covering the entire globe, and 7000+ bitmaps for the rivers. The player interface design for all 100+ forms that appear while you are playing the game have been enhanced to use specially designed Theme Engine components; these replace the standard Windows components used in CWIF.

WIF as a gaming system is continuously been modified by ADG. For instance, in the 2008 Annual magazine they published this month, there are 3 more 'add-ons' to the game. That magazine also includes a long list of rule clarifications and a shorter list of rules errata.

MWIF product 1 includes most of the add-on modules for the WIF gaming system. However, it does not include all of them. Excluded are: the new add-ons just announced this month by ADG, the pre-1939 add-on (Days of Decision), post-1945 add-ons (Patton in Flames and America in Flames) and the addition of counters representing leaders (Leaders in Flames). MWIF does include all the other add-ons to the 'classic' WIF game (e.g., Ships in Flames, Planes in Flames, Convoys in Flames).

MWIF product 1 also includes internet play, PBEM, and an AI Opponent.

As mentioned by Fred above, there is a list of additional player interface features that have been pushed out of MWIF product 1 and assigned to the ill-defined "MWIF products 2 and 3". For instance, animated replay of a previously played game based on its game record log is a feature near and dear to my heart but adding that to MWIF product 1 would delay its release.

OK, I'm a little confused here.
The last time I played, it was the complete 5th edition including mech in flames with asia, africa, and planes in flames, but before patton in flames and ships in flames along with DOD II. What I am a little confused about is, I thought the final edition WiF inincluded America aflame which I never got to play.
My understanding from this is: america aflame is not represented here, but yet MWiF is representitive of the final edition here. Could you please clarify that for me?

The above is an accurate statement of what modules/add-ons are in MWIF, though that is done by listing which ones aren't.

[panzers]

ORIGINAL: panzers

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets

ORIGINAL: panzers



OK, I'm a little confused here.
The last time I played, it was the complete 5th edition including mech in flames with asia, africa, and planes in flames, but before patton in flames and ships in flames along with DOD II. What I am a little confused about is, I thought the final edition WiF inincluded America aflame which I never got to play.
My understanding from this is: america aflame is not represented here, but yet MWiF is representitive of the final edition here. Could you please clarify that for me?

The above is an accurate statement of what modules/add-ons are in MWIF, though that is done by listing which ones aren't.

Don't know what I did, but my quote is stated unfer the boxed in area

[Grymme]

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets

ORIGINAL: borner

Hello,

I am sure someone in one of these threads has brought this up, but felt it was worth saying here. As I am sure some of you know, there is an ongoing discussion about Emipres in Arms being released too soon on that fourm. I know that many of us have been waiting for this WiF to get released so we can take a crack at it. However, for me, I urge Matrix to resist the public presure to get this out there too fast, and will gladly wait the extra time is needed to get it right. A game this large and complex, a huge challenge I am sure, but hopefully many of the bumps and bugs can get fixed the first time around.

Just my 2 cents of input.

Which brings to mind one of my favorite personal phrases: "perfection is an elusive goal."

If I fix everything that the beta testers report, we should be in pretty good shape.

There will undoubtedly be multiple passes at improving the play of the AI Opponent after the original release of MWIF. But that is preferable to the alternative of having everyone who wants to play over the Internet or PBEM wait for the AIO's tactical, operational, and strategic abilities to be honed to a fine edge.

This, to me, is a VERY troubling statement. One of the biggest letdowns of the EIA-product is the severly inadequate AI (as far as i can tell). To hear such a statement from the designer seems to spell trouble. Are we going to get another AI that is good only for "training purpose" or "for the beginner"????? then i will surely not by the game. Even if i will cry when i push the cancel order button.

[Anendrue]

I think anything in the US $100 to $200 range is acceptable.

[YohanTM2]

Hey Grymme.

I don't think you can compare this to the EiA fiasco on any level. Having said that I don't see how there is any way this game will be playable versus the AI for other than tutorial and learning purposes.

If you are unfamiliar with WiF it is a highly complex game with a massive amount of options, decisions and strategies. My strongest hope for the game's AI is that it will be a great learning tool to intorduce WiF to a broader audience and to develop many great PBEM opponents.

DISCLAIMER - soley my opinion.

Yohan

ORIGINAL: Grymme

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets

ORIGINAL: borner

Hello,

I am sure someone in one of these threads has brought this up, but felt it was worth saying here. As I am sure some of you know, there is an ongoing discussion about Emipres in Arms being released too soon on that fourm. I know that many of us have been waiting for this WiF to get released so we can take a crack at it. However, for me, I urge Matrix to resist the public presure to get this out there too fast, and will gladly wait the extra time is needed to get it right. A game this large and complex, a huge challenge I am sure, but hopefully many of the bumps and bugs can get fixed the first time around.

Just my 2 cents of input.

Which brings to mind one of my favorite personal phrases: "perfection is an elusive goal."

If I fix everything that the beta testers report, we should be in pretty good shape.

There will undoubtedly be multiple passes at improving the play of the AI Opponent after the original release of MWIF. But that is preferable to the alternative of having everyone who wants to play over the Internet or PBEM wait for the AIO's tactical, operational, and strategic abilities to be honed to a fine edge.

This, to me, is a VERY troubling statement. One of the biggest letdowns of the EIA-product is the severly inadequate AI (as far as i can tell). To hear such a statement from the designer seems to spell trouble. Are we going to get another AI that is good only for "training purpose" or "for the beginner"????? then i will surely not by the game. Even if i will cry when i push the cancel order button.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: Grymme

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets

ORIGINAL: borner

Hello,

I am sure someone in one of these threads has brought this up, but felt it was worth saying here. As I am sure some of you know, there is an ongoing discussion about Emipres in Arms being released too soon on that fourm. I know that many of us have been waiting for this WiF to get released so we can take a crack at it. However, for me, I urge Matrix to resist the public presure to get this out there too fast, and will gladly wait the extra time is needed to get it right. A game this large and complex, a huge challenge I am sure, but hopefully many of the bumps and bugs can get fixed the first time around.

Just my 2 cents of input.

Which brings to mind one of my favorite personal phrases: "perfection is an elusive goal."

If I fix everything that the beta testers report, we should be in pretty good shape.

There will undoubtedly be multiple passes at improving the play of the AI Opponent after the original release of MWIF. But that is preferable to the alternative of having everyone who wants to play over the Internet or PBEM wait for the AIO's tactical, operational, and strategic abilities to be honed to a fine edge.

This, to me, is a VERY troubling statement. One of the biggest letdowns of the EIA-product is the severly inadequate AI (as far as i can tell). To hear such a statement from the designer seems to spell trouble. Are we going to get another AI that is good only for "training purpose" or "for the beginner"????? then i will surely not by the game. Even if i will cry when i push the cancel order button.

Well, the statement doesn't bother me in the least. I believe how it is interpretted depends a lot on the reader.

In chess there are measured skill levels ranging from 1600 (I know there are lower ranges, but I have trouble understanding them). It took me several years to get above 1800, and another 6 years to get above 2000. I never reached 2100, but a friend of mine plays at 2400. He and I stopped playing because it wasn't competetive. If the difference in ratings is more than 350 points, then the better player wins 92% of the time and draws the other 8%. That is because the rating system is statistically based on tournament performance.

Which brings me back to the AIO for MWIF. As in chess, there should always be room for improvement.

Now if you are an experienced WIF player with a decade of experience playing the game (and there are a lot of those types around), perhaps you will find the first version of the AIO unworthy - "only good for training purposes".

But if you have only played WIF for a year or two, or use to play back in the 1990's and haven't had a chance to do so since, well, I hope the AIO can teach you a thing or two.

But to assume that the AIO will play at the expert level (2000+ to use chess terminology) in the first release is unrealistic. No one wants the game delayed while the AIO play is honed to a fine edge.

[warspite1]

But to assume that the AIO will play at the expert level (2000+ to use chess terminology) in the first release is unrealistic. No one wants the game delayed while the AIO play is honed to a fine edge.

Now the first part of that sentence is what I call a VERY sensible statement! With such a complex game surely its better to get the mechanics right so that there are no EIA type problems e.g. ships that won`t go to port, units that disappear etc etc - now that is frustrating. But the AI can be developed over time - AND IT WILL TAKE TIME.
 
The second part of the sentence is music to my ears. Despite the best efforts of Steve, Patrice, the beta testers et al, in my opinion its only when the game is on the market that we will really see the game put through its paces and some additional problems surface. So long as Matrix do all they can to minimise those and promise to support development afterwards, then great - that tactic gets my vote.  

[Mingus Roberts]

Not to tell you how to live your life Steve, but there is a fine line between responsive developer feedback and just responding to everyone's whinge of the day (I think the topic 'please get this right' is textbook). I know you have plenty on your plate without feeling obliged to chat with the clientelle. Pat and the boys do a good job fending off the better part of the time eating questions anyhow.

Note my silent lurking despite many years of pent up wifstration.

"Aviate. Navigate. Communicate. In that order." is what I used to say before punching my student pilots in the head for responding to ATC's random requests while trying to land the airplane. Maybe for you we can make it: Code. Compile. Communicate. It'll be hard to punch you from here though;)

I know that I speak for all of your arctic pilot customers (we had a meeting) when I say: we wants a playable game before the icecap melts and the polar bears all starve to death... dammit... too late.

MR

PS Maui no ka 'oi

PPS I'll send pics from the flight deck of me playing on my laptop as soon as I can get hold of the program. Now if you wouldn't mind setting it up so I can play with my pilot/controller buddies via cockpit datalink.... that's in product 1 right?

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: Mingus Roberts

Not to tell you how to live your life Steve, but there is a fine line between responsive developer feedback and just responding to everyone's whinge of the day (I think the topic 'please get this right' is textbook). I know you have plenty on your plate without feeling obliged to chat with the clientelle. Pat and the boys do a good job fending off the better part of the time eating questions anyhow.

Note my silent lurking despite many years of pent up wifstration.

"Aviate. Navigate. Communicate. In that order." is what I used to say before punching my student pilots in the head for responding to ATC's random requests while trying to land the airplane. Maybe for you we can make it: Code. Compile. Communicate. It'll be hard to punch you from here though;)

I know that I speak for all of your arctic pilot customers (we had a meeting) when I say: we wants a playable game before the icecap melts and the polar bears all starve to death... dammit... too late.

MR

PS Maui no ka 'oi

PPS I'll send pics from the flight deck of me playing on my laptop as soon as I can get hold of the program. Now if you wouldn't mind setting it up so I can play with my pilot/controller buddies via cockpit datalink.... that's in product 1 right?

I would but the FAA said not to.[:-]

Practically my only communication is via posts and email. I have never met anyone who works at Matrix. There was one Swedish forum member who helped out with the map of scandinavian a bit who lived on-island (on Oahu) but he moved back to California - and I only met him once face to face. I had to go to Provence to meet Patrice!

And I have less than 10 phone calls a year about what I am working on.

On the plus side, there are never any meetings to attend, nor minutes to writeup.[:)]

I do weekly reports to Matrix and smash them altogether for the monthly report.

Responding to what people post is a sanity check for me. I do worry at times that I am skewing too hard in the direction of grognards, so comments from new people are very helpful, even if some of them seem a little off-base.[8|]

Oh, and welcome to the forum!

[undercovergeek]

a game this big is never going to have a perfect AI as seen in Witp - and i may be wrong but i think, also as in Witp, most people, at least those who have never played the game before (like me) will play a few games aginst the AI for practice and jump straight into PBEM - surely thats what we're all waiting for............... PBEM WiF!!!!!

[Ingtar]

Not me. I play almost exclusively solo or hot seat. If I have to, I'll do what I did with the board version and try to play all the sides fairly.

[Sewerlobster]

I too am with Ingtar. I'll be more the solitaire or even "solo" hotseater.
Not that I wouldn't love to play email. I just don't know if I can commit the time necessary to keep other players happy. In truth I am generally pessimistic, so as long as the AI isn't flawed with glaring defects, I'll be pleased.<Maybe even pleasantly surprised>. Since my own strategies tend to have somewhat fatal flaws I'd expect the AI to muff some things too.