A big WW2 forum game

[joegrundman]

Is anyone interested in playing a forum game of A World at War?

http://www.aworldatwar.com/

If so I propose that we try a forum game here at Subsim. If you are interested, please post below with your preferences.

What is a World at War?

It is a hugely detailed and complex board game that represents the entirety of WW2, but at an unimaginably greater level of detail than, say, Axis and Allies. It covers European and Pacific theaters, three fronts in each theater, naval and land forces, strategic warfare, diplomacy and science.

The game occupies a similar position on the sim-game scale as Silent Hunter. It is most certainly not a complete simulation although based on as much fact as possible, but it is weighted to keep both sides competitive. Although the Allies win more games, Axis victory is possible.


The rulebook is formidably large. Like all these things, once you have absorbed the rules you see that the same few principles recur throughout the game and it is not so very difficult to understand, but a lot of reading is required before you get to that point. However, the more players that are involved, the more individuals can specialize, - e.g. focus on pacific naval ops or the Mediterranean, or strategic warfare. This means that noone needs to really understand everything about the game, just your own area. If you need to combine arms you can ask a team mate who has specialized in that are. Also once it's underway, you'll see that things happen and you learn quickly. Anyway, I’ll write guides and give prompts to help play along.

Nonetheless, this should only be of interest to people who are able and willing to absorb quite a lot of information in a reasonable amount of time.

Some here may think board games are a thing of the past, but this is not the case. The internet has given them a new mode of being and in fact internet based games often have an intensity and thrill that playing face to face cannot equal. Also, with multiplayer board games, the opponent AI is usually really, really good.


The time frame of play on a forum based game is much slower than when a group of people play around a board, several months instead of hours. This means that the amount of time required on a daily basis is not that great and indeed days may pass by with nothing much happening, but it also means the amount of thought going into each move is much greater and so the standard of play is much higher. You also are less likely to get tired, or feel you have to abandon the game to watch Friends or eat something. The design of the game is such that players can join or drop out or go on vacation as they please without causing serious problems. The only requirement is that the number of players cannot drop below 5. There is essentially no upper limit as to how many players there are.


Neal has given permission for this, and I believe once it gets going it will be an event of great interest and excitement for participants and spectators alike.

Also, it even has a fairly detailed set of rules that involve submarines!

Anyway, I think it would be really good fun. Sign up and feel free to post your interest.

Please use the following formula for preference:

Preferences: Any/Axis/Allies/Western Allies/USSR/European Axis/Japan/ or even by country USA/Germany/Italy and for a small but important role, Nationalist China.

Job: Any/Navy/Army/Leadership

e.g.

Preference: US
Job: Navy

e.g.

Preference: Any
Job: Leadership

Note: some positions, such as the USA and the USSR will not have very much to do for the first few turns, so are ideal for people who want a little more time to get sorted out. On the other hand, of course, by the time you meet the axis, they will be good at it

In my opinion, this game will be the most fun if we have at least 20 people willing to play, and so once we have 20 names I’ll start sending out information and try to build a forum.

Sign up first and you win first choice!

Joe

[AkbarGulag]

Name: AkbarGulag
National Preference: USSR
National Role Preference: Army

I'm off to read the rules... Bring it.

[joegrundman]

I should add:

available nations are

Communist China (joins USSR upon USSR entry)
Nationalist China (joins USA upon USA entry)
France (joins other Western Allies upon defeat)
Germany
Great Britain
Italy
Japan
USA
USSR

[Wavid]

I'm new here but I've been wanting to try out this kind of game. You can always relieve me of command right?

So here goes.

Preference: Germany
Role: Army

Now someone else join too or we'll certainly lose..

[-Pv-]

Deffinately a game for people who don't mind spending a week reading the rule book for every move of the token.
-Pv-

[Torplexed]

Wow. Haven't seen a combat modifier table in a while. At least they remembered the submarines.

[Torvald Von Mansee]

Name: Torvald Von Mansee
Nationality: Japanese
Role: Navy

[LobsterBoy]

I'd love to take part!! When do you plan on beginning (so I know when I have to have the rules read by)?

Name: Lobsterboy
preference
Nationality: USA
Role: Navy

[joegrundman]

Welcome lobster boy.

Don't try and read the rules just yet - you'll only get depressed

Once I have enough interest to set up a forum (which at this rate won't take much time) then there will be a guide to learning how to play, and there will be a few weeks to get orientated.

It's not necessary that everyone knows all the rules, it's only necessary that I do.... well most of them anyway

The aim is that I do the rule keeping and the book keeping and all the boring stuff, and you guys just make the decisions and strategies and plans.

[Torvald Von Mansee]

Wait...is this game Third Reich from Avalon Hill, but w/the entire war modelled?

[joegrundman]

Yes it is - you know it?

[Torvald Von Mansee]

I have it!! Advanced Third Reich, to be specific. Never played it, but at least I can save some money on printing out the core rules.

I don't suppose our individual countries will be able to negotiate their own alliances, will they? :hmm:

[LobsterBoy]

I had that game years ago, but I don't know what happened to it. It could be in storage (along with most of our stuff until we move). Haven't played it in years, but I might catch on faster than I thought.

[joegrundman]

A3R is most of the game right there! AWAW is (A3R + Empire of the rising sun) 2.0!

As for individual alliances, well I'm not sure about that for this time. It would be interesting, but maybe for the future.

However, we will be playing such that the victory aims of the USSR and the western allies are not necessarily compatible.

[Torvald Von Mansee]

Well, if I'm in charge of the Japanese navy, I know it's a matter of time of when, not if, I'm going to be defeated. We're going to be absorbed by the American snowball of industrial capacity!!!!

I seem to recall w/the original game, you're basically forced into a certain stream of events outside your control.