War in the East and West

[rebelkevin12]

Fantastic games! Best ever. Question to Gary, did you buy the old Velike Luki game format to create this? It seems to be very similar. That old game will not play on a 64 bit machine.
Also, do you ever have any thoughts of merging East and West into one massive game in this detail and if so why not throw in Japan, would we all need a terabyte of storage for that?

In any regard, I think you are the best programmer of games in the Universe.

thanks

Kevin
ps- if you ever created that mega game, i might become a mountain hermit and just play that all day and night.

[Neilster]

If you liked the V for Victory series, have you seen The Operational Art of War 3? It has hundreds of scenarios, including almost every battle or campaign from WW2 (and plenty of other eras; mostly 1860 to 2010). TOAW 4 will be out soon too and it's going to include a complete WW2 scenario (better able to be done now because of the improved naval model in TOAW 4).

Also, although it's unfinished, and if you haven't already, check out Matrix World in Flames (MWiF).

This is from the TOAW 3 scenario Case Green (the hypothetical German invasion of Czechoslovakia, 1938).

Cheers, Neilster

[Neilster]

Here's the MWiF game map at true scale (it has 70,200 hexes) and a screenshot from the game (quite zoomed in. You'd wouldn't normally be this close to the action).

Cheers, Neilster

[Neilster]

This is more of a normal view of MWiF gameplay.

Cheers, Neilster

[warspite1]

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[rebelkevin12]

Neilster,

Thanks for the info on that game, wow, i need to get that one. I wanted a start to finish full WWII game. Not just a front, battle or campaign. I want to see the battleship Yamato at the same time I am dealing with the Russian front.

Much appreciated.
Kevin

[Neilster]

ORIGINAL: rebelkevin12

Neilster,

Thanks for the info on that game, wow, i need to get that one. I wanted a start to finish full WWII game. Not just a front, battle or campaign. I want to see the battleship Yamato at the same time I am dealing with the Russian front.

Much appreciated.
Kevin

No worries Kevin. Welcome to the forum [:)]

Be aware that MWiF doesn't have an AI yet. The game is playable solitaire, hot seat (each player using a computer in turns), netplay (mostly, there are still a few bugs but they're being squashed) and some people are using PBEM (play by email) by manually swapping saved games. A better form of PBEM is likely to come later. Each phase (or players' turn) of the game can require interaction with the non-phasing player, so I'm not sure how people are handling that.

What I'd suggest is visit the MWiF forum and ask questions. You can also read about the progress of the game. It is quite expensive but comes with some beautiful hardback manuals. MWiF is based on World in Flames, which is a fabulous and very well tested paper and dice wargame. That's why people know that MWiF will be great when it's finished and have been patient during its development.

What you will love is that when you play one or more major powers, you control everything from politics, resource transportation, production, strategy and operational tactics. It also has a great naval system and the Pacific War is really interesting.

Cheers, Neilster

[rebelkevin12]

great incite Neilster. I remember back in the mid 1980's going to a war game store called Napoleon's in Milwaukee Wisconsin and watching some epic battles played out in the basement on massive tables with troops, dice and scaled tables, long b4 computers took away that thrill. This game you text about reminds me of those times indeed. Well done. thanks for your response, much appreciated
Confederately,
Kevin

[wodin]

Gary is elusive..so best ask someone else who is involved:)Joel Billings is the best bet.

ORIGINAL: rebelkevin12

Fantastic games! Best ever. Question to Gary, did you buy the old Velike Luki game format to create this? It seems to be very similar. That old game will not play on a 64 bit machine.
Also, do you ever have any thoughts of merging East and West into one massive game in this detail and if so why not throw in Japan, would we all need a terabyte of storage for that?

In any regard, I think you are the best programmer of games in the Universe.

thanks

Kevin
ps- if you ever created that mega game, i might become a mountain hermit and just play that all day and night.

[Kuokkanen]

ORIGINAL: Neilster

What you will love is that when you play one or more major powers, you control everything from politics, resource transportation, production, strategy and operational tactics. It also has a great naval system and the Pacific War is really interesting.

Sounds much like Sid Meier's Civilization series. But I guess there is more to it?

[Neilster]

ORIGINAL: Matti Kuokkanen

ORIGINAL: Neilster

What you will love is that when you play one or more major powers, you control everything from politics, resource transportation, production, strategy and operational tactics. It also has a great naval system and the Pacific War is really interesting.

Sounds much like Sid Meier's Civilization series. But I guess there is more to it?

It's a strategic WW2 game, but politics, resource transportation and production are vital; as they historically were. I find the responsibility of production one of the best aspects of the game. There are few easy choices. Take the US for example. Unless it starts laying down heavy naval units early enough, they won't be available when they're needed in 1944/45. But at the same time, you have multiple competing priorities and your Allies are usually screaming for aid. If the USSR goes under, the Allies are in big trouble. It ain't easy and don't whinge if you don't have the stuff you need for the job in hand. You didn't build it [;)]

MWiF starts in September 1st 1939 with Germany declaring war on Poland and then being at war with the Commonwealth and France. After that, it's open ended.

The game can evolve along historical lines but that's not usual. A common Axis tactic is to close the Mediterranean by capturing Suez and Gibraltar, although this often involves either diplomatic wrangling with, or an invasion of, Spain. An invasion of Great Britain is possible but very difficult unless the Commonwealth is on their knees, and usually involves getting the Italian navy out into the Atlantic/North Sea. Alternatively this can be combined with a 1942 Barbarossa. Of course a conventional Barbarossa is possible, or even one in 1940, although that is a high risk strategy if France is unconquered.

As the Japanese, aside from the historical strategy, you can do fun stuff like invade the USSR in concert with the Germans (nasty), or strike South for all that lovely oil and then attempt to link up with the Germans in South Asia. Invading Australia is difficult, but possible.

Italy can be a real irritant to the Allies. It has a strong navy and good shipping strike capability. It can tie down significant Allied forces as a "threat in being", even before entering the war. Il Duce did almost everything wrong. Well played, Italy can be a headache for the Allies.

US entry is one of the best parts of the game system. It's unpredictable and partly dependent on war events. If you're too evil as the Axis, it comes closer. As the Allies you sometimes do things that are in your short term interest but that alienates US public opinion.

Almost anything you can think of from WW2 is in the game, convoy battles, huge fleet actions, strategic bombing, V-weapons, the atomic bomb, Italian frogmen (yes...they had a strategic effect by bottoming battleships), ocean liner troop transports etc.

Here an example of just the land unit types

Cheers, Neilster

[Jagdtiger14]

I remember back in the mid 1980's going to a war game store called Napoleon's in Milwaukee Wisconsin

Ahhh...knew that place well...actually in Shorewood, close to UW-M where I graduated from. '84-'87...those were the years!