War in the East 1941-1945

Skybird · 05-27-13, 07:15 AM

Just returned from town and had picked up Gary Grigsby's War in the East for a shabby 5 euros, with DVD and a nicely done, thicker, printed manual. For 5 Euros I thought I could not make much wrong. The screenshot on the DVD box with old-fashioned counters and strategic hexfield map just looked too tasty.

My first WWII-era hexfield strategy game, usually I am not that much into WWII, I heard of this game, they call it one of these monster games, but I not really know what I have embarked on. Well, will find out soon enough.

Any advise on must-have knowledge is welcomed.

Skybird · 05-27-13, 07:53 AM

First quick impression: superb map, visually well-done, informative, looking nice, different zooming levels via scroll wheel all disp0laying nicely and comfortable for the eye. I think that is worth to be mentioned, becasue there ahve been very many strategy games of this type who really sucked in this regard.

And that map is big. I mean it is really biggy-big big.

Think I found a new hobby.

Released in 2011, last update in April 2012 - maybe indicating that the version I now installed hopefully is troublefree, bugfree and stable.

Skimmed through the print manual, nice to get started with 124 pages. But help-help: there are pdf's, and the printer friendly main manual still has over 300 pages.

Crécy · 05-27-13, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skybird

picked up Gary Grigsby's War in the East for a shabby 5 euros, with DVD and a nicely done, thicker, printed manual.

5 euros? 5 euros!? 5 EUROS!?!?

Skybird · 05-27-13, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crécy

5 euros? 5 euros!? 5 EUROS!?!?

Saturn in Münster, centre town, inside the so-called "Arkaden". The shelf is full. It's no auction, but the regular price tag. I strongly assume our second Saturn at the York Ring is not any different.

German Amazon has it for 8 Euros: http://www.amazon.de/Gary-Grigsbys-W...ar+in+the+East

Skybird · 05-27-13, 09:07 AM

Was wondering, due to Crécy's reaction. Just found out Matrix Games still sells the download version for a hilarious 66 Euros, the boxed version plus download option even for 74 Euros.

even the addon costs 2-3 times as much as my pick today...

Crécy · 05-27-13, 09:20 AM

It would be cheaper to fly there and get a copy than buy it from matrixgames... For a moment I thought the impossible had happened and I could get it cheap from German amazon but of course it has to be a German version. I've been wanting to get that since release but the outrageous price has kept me away.

Not fair, not fair!

Skybird · 05-27-13, 09:27 AM

Which country do you live in?

Edit:
Dang. German version. For a moment I thought I could get it for you and send it to you. But it is still a German version. Stupid me. Sorry.

Edit again:
British Amazon has it for 39 and 43 Pounds.

Skybird · 05-28-13, 05:50 AM

I'm suffering from total and complete data overload. Tables, tables, and more tables. I read on some sites that Grigsby maybe went even beyond the level he already did that in his pacific game.

Comfortable interface, I like it - finally a really good interface in a game of this type, many cosims I knew suffer here. But it is really tough to get into the non-superficial stuff.

eddie · 05-29-13, 04:41 PM

Well Skybird, have you captured Leningrad yet?

Skybird · 05-29-13, 05:33 PM

I still... perfect my warplan and finetune the details - by help of this 340 pages heavy manual.

Skybird · 05-29-13, 06:35 PM

For those interested, this is almost the complete map, from Mid-Germany to the Ural, from the Baltic to the Black Sea.
The map can be zoomed in 5 levels, I post the highest and the lowest zoom-factor, so between the two screenies,
there are three more levels.

Hexfields are 10 miles/16 km. Around 25,000 of them.

Original size from my monitor, 1680x1050. I intentionally did not shrink the screenies.

Skybird · 05-31-13, 12:52 PM

I have stumbled over a map mod that uses almost the same visuals that I used in Modern Campaigns: Danube '85.
They both can be found on Volcano'S site:

http://www.hist-sdc.com/MapMod/index.htm

While I liked the default map already, this replacement also is nice and pays mopre attention to visual clarity. For example the
railnetwork is much easier to see. I am still undecided which map to use. I give the same map screenshots like above, with
the new graphics this time, and for comparison I again do not shrink the images, but leave them at the 1680x1050 that
I see on my monitor.

I have not replaced the counters, I think the default ones do a very good job (in Danube, I colour-coded my own sets, basing
on what I was used to from the GDW tabletop series The Third World War

).

eddie · 05-31-13, 01:28 PM

There are some map mods made by this group in Germany that you might like too Skybird-

http://www.designmodproject.de/forum...rum.php?f=1831

Skybird · 05-31-13, 01:47 PM

Thanks, I just checked it, the map, counters and interface. That team and me seem to look at different directions, I think. They are focussing on what I would call "adding patina", to give it all a more historic mood, but as I see it it is at the cost of easy reading of the maps, and visual clarity. I admit, not so much my taste.

While I like the map mod I just posted, it is very possible that I go back to the default set anyway. In the end, I think they did a very good job on that already. And the symbols of the interface have clarity.

Skybird · 05-31-13, 04:56 PM

Just had a brief look at Danube 85 again. That map still was slightly bigger, I just realised. 65,000 hexes, compared to WitE's 25,000. Probably the reason why I played the big, major, full scenario just once.

3-hours-turns, you know. And that on 65,000 hexes from Scandinavia to the Balkan.

One must be crazy to play the full major big bang thing.

BTW, I lost. Total administrative overload.

05-27-13, 07:15 AM	#1
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,683 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	War in the East 1941-1945 Just returned from town and had picked up Gary Grigsby's War in the East for a shabby 5 euros, with DVD and a nicely done, thicker, printed manual. For 5 Euros I thought I could not make much wrong. The screenshot on the DVD box with old-fashioned counters and strategic hexfield map just looked too tasty. My first WWII-era hexfield strategy game, usually I am not that much into WWII, I heard of this game, they call it one of these monster games, but I not really know what I have embarked on. Well, will find out soon enough. Any advise on must-have knowledge is welcomed. __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert.

05-27-13, 07:53 AM	#2
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,683 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	First quick impression: superb map, visually well-done, informative, looking nice, different zooming levels via scroll wheel all disp0laying nicely and comfortable for the eye. I think that is worth to be mentioned, becasue there ahve been very many strategy games of this type who really sucked in this regard. And that map is big. I mean it is really biggy-big big. Think I found a new hobby. Released in 2011, last update in April 2012 - maybe indicating that the version I now installed hopefully is troublefree, bugfree and stable. Skimmed through the print manual, nice to get started with 124 pages. But help-help: there are pdf's, and the printer friendly main manual still has over 300 pages. __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert.

05-27-13, 09:07 AM	#5
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,683 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	Was wondering, due to Crécy's reaction. Just found out Matrix Games still sells the download version for a hilarious 66 Euros, the boxed version plus download option even for 74 Euros. even the addon costs 2-3 times as much as my pick today... __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert.

05-27-13, 09:20 AM	#6
Crécy Grey Wolf Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Dark forest Posts: 793 Downloads: 316 Uploads: 0	It would be cheaper to fly there and get a copy than buy it from matrixgames... For a moment I thought the impossible had happened and I could get it cheap from German amazon but of course it has to be a German version. I've been wanting to get that since release but the outrageous price has kept me away. Not fair, not fair! __________________ “Every generation laughs at the old fashions, but follows religiously the new.” -Henry David Thoreau

05-27-13, 09:27 AM	#7
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,683 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	Which country do you live in? Edit: Dang. German version. For a moment I thought I could get it for you and send it to you. But it is still a German version. Stupid me. Sorry. Edit again: British Amazon has it for 39 and 43 Pounds. __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert.

05-28-13, 05:50 AM	#8
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,683 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	I'm suffering from total and complete data overload. Tables, tables, and more tables. I read on some sites that Grigsby maybe went even beyond the level he already did that in his pacific game. Comfortable interface, I like it - finally a really good interface in a game of this type, many cosims I knew suffer here. But it is really tough to get into the non-superficial stuff. __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert.

05-29-13, 04:41 PM	#9
eddie Ocean Warrior Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,023 Downloads: 99 Uploads: 0	Well Skybird, have you captured Leningrad yet?

05-29-13, 05:33 PM	#10
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,683 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	I still... perfect my warplan and finetune the details - by help of this 340 pages heavy manual. __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert.

05-29-13, 06:35 PM	#11
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,683 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	For those interested, this is almost the complete map, from Mid-Germany to the Ural, from the Baltic to the Black Sea. The map can be zoomed in 5 levels, I post the highest and the lowest zoom-factor, so between the two screenies, there are three more levels. Hexfields are 10 miles/16 km. Around 25,000 of them. Original size from my monitor, 1680x1050. I intentionally did not shrink the screenies. __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert.

05-31-13, 12:52 PM	#12
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,683 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	I have stumbled over a map mod that uses almost the same visuals that I used in Modern Campaigns: Danube '85. They both can be found on Volcano'S site: http://www.hist-sdc.com/MapMod/index.htm While I liked the default map already, this replacement also is nice and pays mopre attention to visual clarity. For example the railnetwork is much easier to see. I am still undecided which map to use. I give the same map screenshots like above, with the new graphics this time, and for comparison I again do not shrink the images, but leave them at the 1680x1050 that I see on my monitor. I have not replaced the counters, I think the default ones do a very good job (in Danube, I colour-coded my own sets, basing on what I was used to from the GDW tabletop series The Third World War ). __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert.

05-31-13, 01:28 PM	#13
eddie Ocean Warrior Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,023 Downloads: 99 Uploads: 0	There are some map mods made by this group in Germany that you might like too Skybird- http://www.designmodproject.de/forum...rum.php?f=1831

05-31-13, 01:47 PM	#14
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,683 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	Thanks, I just checked it, the map, counters and interface. That team and me seem to look at different directions, I think. They are focussing on what I would call "adding patina", to give it all a more historic mood, but as I see it it is at the cost of easy reading of the maps, and visual clarity. I admit, not so much my taste. While I like the map mod I just posted, it is very possible that I go back to the default set anyway. In the end, I think they did a very good job on that already. And the symbols of the interface have clarity. __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert.

05-31-13, 04:56 PM	#15
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,683 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	Just had a brief look at Danube 85 again. That map still was slightly bigger, I just realised. 65,000 hexes, compared to WitE's 25,000. Probably the reason why I played the big, major, full scenario just once. 3-hours-turns, you know. And that on 65,000 hexes from Scandinavia to the Balkan. One must be crazy to play the full major big bang thing. BTW, I lost. Total administrative overload. __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert.