Gonna buy my first game in months.......

[FlickJax]

So should I get...

TWH2
FM 2018
War in the East
War in The West
TAOW 4

Or something else that has blown you away?

[jamus34]

So should I get...

TWH2
FM 2018
War in the East
War in The West
TAOW 4

Or something else that has blown you away?

As much as I like the FM series I heard 2018 is a mess.

Beyond that it's a strong list, I would probably add in DC:Barbarossa although it is an east front game too. It really adds something different to the genre by adding in the human factor.

[sandman2575]

I've been pouring many hours into GG's War in the West the past several weeks. (In part because I wasn't blown away by TOAWIV and felt I should really give WitW another go... for the 16th time....)

It's an amazing game. Better than WitE in my opinion, especially when it comes to the air war.

However, it takes a massive effort to learn. Even if you're familiar with WitE, figuring out the intricacies of air combat will take a lot of time and effort.

So, even though I'm enjoying WitW a huge amount now -- and would probably rank it as the best strategic/operational level WW2 game I've ever played (at least where ETO is concerned) -- I'd recommend it only if you're prepared to put *a lot* of time and effort into learning it -- reading manuals, watching YouTube tutorials, trawling the Matrix WitW forum. Otherwise, it's very easy to bounce off this game hard, and repeatedly -- as my own personal experience indicates.

[Yskonyn]

Sandman, so HOW did you actually get around learning it.
Was it asking question on the matrix forums endlessly or did you watch tutorials?
We all know the learning curve is steep, but I hear so little about how people accomplished it in the end. 

Sorry for hijacking your thread for a bit, Flix. ;)
I would recommend TOAW 4.

[sandman2575]

I wish I had a definitive answer for you, Ysk. The short but not very helpful answer is: sheer determination.

Being a little more systematic about it -- (1) read and keep to hand the Player's Handbook that comes with the game -- it's a condensed version of the manual with some good full-page illustrations about the UI. (2) Bamilus's 'consolidated tips' pdf is also very much worth downloading:  http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=3778468

(3) Watch the 6 tutorial videos that come with the game. They're of limited usefulness but still worth looking at.

(4) Play the short Operation Husky scenario, using the info. gained from the tutorial videos

(5) The biggest step: I think the only real way to come to grips with the game is to start playing the full '43-45 campaign (I play as the Allies). The Husky scenario is too easy and brief to give a good sense of the game's complexity. The Torch scenario is frustrating because you have very few units initially and the build-up of forces and logistics infrastructure takes a long time. Playing the whole shebang, you're dealing right away with both the forces in the Mediterranean and the RAF/USAAF strategic bombing campaign from Britain. It forces you to get to know *all* the game's mechanics.  Taking the hands-on, trial and error approach helps you make better use of the full game manual too, since gives you concrete context for some of the manual's abstract descriptions that can go in one ear out the other otherwise.

If you know WitE you will definitely have a leg up, since ground warfare mechanics are essentially the same in WitW. The air war is the huge difference. It can be worth using the 'auto-create air directives' interface at first -- let the AI create your air directives according to parameters you give it. Then go into the air directives and get a sense of how the AI sets targets, allocates units, etc. Eventually you'll want to do all this manually, but as a stepping stone, the auto-create function is useful.

The archive of YouTube tutorials seems to be a lot more extensive for WitE than for WitW, unfortunately. But always worth checking those out in addition to reading AARs on the Matrix forum.

All I can say is that, in the end, the effort pays off. WitW is fantastic, as is WitE but the advanced air war in WitW makes WitE feel a little lacking by comparison.

[Pete Dero]

Try this tutorial series by Pewpewchewchew that I found to be very informative

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnegiuOkjSRAFohrXddURoLFMrN_GuJpY



And if you have more time : 

XTRG :

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbSx_b5pOYvEbz1CaKMpieMho05ekX5RH
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbSx_b5pOYvEQbAFU2W3NbZdKRLhJrQWj
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbSx_b5pOYvHx61VZzVH3nnUWO00zlUck

Hofstadter :

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_whPqIR-cwjU2sM1x77VKsD4L81EtEja

[Yskonyn]

Thanks chaps for that info!  :bd:
I'll be digging through the linked material.

[FlickJax]

down to OAW4 or TWH2   need help as I cant decide!!!!

[undercovergeek]

I think with 2 games so ideologically far apart you should look at what you want from the experience

Patiently unleash your strategic expertise across historic battlefields

Or kill dragons with rat men

[Rayfer]

I think with 2 games so ideologically far apart you should look at what you want from the experience

Patiently unleash your strategic expertise across historic battlefields

Or kill dragons with rat men

Well put ucg...!

[FlickJax]

I like both ffs this hard, I have played both previous games to death but have a lower budget this year :(

[Pete Dero]

I like both ffs this hard, I have played both previous games to death but have a lower budget this year :(

If you have the previous games and are on a budget why don't try something different.
I don't feel the newer versions differ that much from their predecessors.   These will be on sale before the end of the year while WITE and WITW are having a huge sale at Matrix right now.

[FlickJax]

Bought War in the east and DLC in the end

[DennisS]

Try this tutorial series by Pewpewchewchew that I found to be very informative

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnegiuOkjSRAFohrXddURoLFMrN_GuJpY



And if you have more time : 

XTRG :

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbSx_b5pOYvEbz1CaKMpieMho05ekX5RH
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbSx_b5pOYvEQbAFU2W3NbZdKRLhJrQWj
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbSx_b5pOYvHx61VZzVH3nnUWO00zlUck

Hofstadter :

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_whPqIR-cwjU2sM1x77VKsD4L81EtEja

You Tube videos are a godsend for any grognard. I am sitting here with my board game Carrier, by Victory Games, and I WISHED there were a series of YT videos on it. I haven't played it for several years, and need a re-do on the rules. There are only 58 pages in the manual, fine print.

[undercovergeek]

Bought War in the east and DLC in the end

How's did that happen ;D