Panzers and air raids and artillery, oh my

August 9, 2009 11:54 PM

World Wars 2, sequel to the hex-wargame-inspired World Wars, has been released.

One MochiAd upon first load. They also did an election-themed version Battleground States 2008.

posted by XMLicious (24 comments total)

The authors included virtual dice as a parameter of play accompanied by dice-rolling sound effects. I wonder if there will ever be a point when dice are a complete symbolic abstraction the way a rotary telephone or the sound of a vinyl record scratching to a halt is today - just an icon representing randomness that shows up on your iPhone-thingie from time to time.
posted by XMLicious at 11:55 PM on August 9, 2009 [3 favorites]

So basically it's DiceWars. Except that the Air Raid and Artillery Strike cards, which are doled out to players randomly, eradicate the one reliable strategy of DiceWars, which is being able to build up armies in the rear flank and then use them. So, more accurately, it is DiceWars but worse.
posted by mightygodking at 12:14 AM on August 10, 2009 [2 favorites]

Definitely, since DiceWars is listed as "Copyright 2001" it probably does draw from that (and Risk, etc., of course.) Though I was posting this because the new version appears to have come out in the last month or so, not because it's a special snowflake.

You really didn't have any luck building up armies that way? I just played five games straight and won with that strategy. Look for a map that has a peninsula that you can block access to by holding just one or two territories.
posted by XMLicious at 12:24 AM on August 10, 2009

I don't understand the apropos-ness of the video showing real wargames that have zero relation to this piece of crap.
posted by @troy at 12:34 AM on August 10, 2009

Dice Wars would be perfect if the "random" dice didn't favor the AI and if there were some basic customization options (mapmaking, rotating territory selection at the outset, etc.). I'm really surprised more people haven't played with the concept, considering how simple yet addictive it is. The only other similar project I'm aware of is kdice, which is limited in its own ways.
posted by Rhaomi at 12:44 AM on August 10, 2009

Uh, yeah, no.

I spent all day playing Civ4. Not gonna change for this.
posted by Netzapper at 12:45 AM on August 10, 2009 [1 favorite]

Actually, now that I've played DiceWars, yeah, the first World Wars game is identical to it. World Wars 2 is probably the reason the author started working on this - because it doesn't look like the DiceWars guy has done anything lately.

The link on "hex wargame" was to explain what hex wargames are to people who don't know. Sorry if that wasn't clear.

Thanks for the link to kdice Rhaomi.
posted by XMLicious at 12:55 AM on August 10, 2009

i'm sorry, but this game is complete and utter bullshit.
posted by empath at 1:22 AM on August 10, 2009

Also, kdice was good when it first started, but don't bother now. The games last about 2 minutes, then everyone quits, it's an absurd way to play a game. It's like drawing straws.
posted by empath at 1:24 AM on August 10, 2009

The link on "hex wargame" was to explain what hex wargames are to people who don't know

Great, but this is not a hex wargame nor was it inspired by one. Hex wargames require movement points to move into individual hexes and usually allow stacking at the individual hex level.

This is an area game. Granted, I've been trying to develop a game mechanic that features players designating their own ZOCs using the underlying hex grid for a couple of decades now, but seeing this flash game compared to MIDWAY makes me quite crotchety.

Well, that and my Diet Mt Dew buzz is almost over now.
posted by @troy at 1:34 AM on August 10, 2009 [1 favorite]

Midway is out of print?!

Should've kept my old games in good condition...
posted by markkraft at 1:42 AM on August 10, 2009

Hex wargames require movement points to move into individual hexes and usually allow stacking at the individual hex level.

Well I'm no connoisseur of hex wargames so I'll defer to your judgment on that. Area-game-inspired sounds good to me. :^)

Also, I realized that although I included "flash" in the tags I had meant to include it above the fold too, in the description, and that would have given a better idea of what level this is at. My apologies for leaving that out.
posted by XMLicious at 2:23 AM on August 10, 2009

Also, here's Hex Empire, a much more legitimately hex-wargame-inspired flash game I'd meant to link to in the post but couldn't find at the time. Though it's still a poor excuse for one, I'm sure, and the AI is too easy to beat. It's actually described as a derivative of Risk, oddly enough, there at MiniJuegos.
posted by XMLicious at 2:39 AM on August 10, 2009

Aw great, I was meant to be trying to find a job today. Damn you.
posted by marmaduke_yaverland at 4:36 AM on August 10, 2009

Hex Empire is far superior, even if it's crying out for a multiplayer mode.
posted by imperium at 6:10 AM on August 10, 2009

Hex Empire was previously on the blue, incidentally.
posted by dd42 at 6:40 AM on August 10, 2009 [1 favorite]

i'm sorry, but this game is complete and utter bullshit.
posted by empath

Tell us how you really feel.
posted by lazaruslong at 7:16 AM on August 10, 2009

this game is complete and utter bullshit

Your mom and I loved it.
posted by CynicalKnight at 7:25 AM on August 10, 2009

Yeah, gussied-up Dice Wars.

Also, the AI is too dumb to stop attacking people other than the clear leader (when there is a clear leader), which makes it an annoying, gussied-up Dice Wars.
posted by Flunkie at 7:49 AM on August 10, 2009

kdice was good when it first started, but don't bother now.

I started playing a few months ago and found that your criticisms are perhaps true for the bottom-rung tables where all the cussers and mouth breathers hang out. Once you get past those the players tend to see the game through (and get less whiney about it), if only because more points are at stake. Maybe it's worth another try? I'm 'mr. pibb' if you ever find yourself over there.
posted by JohnFredra at 8:18 AM on August 10, 2009

kdice and Dice Wars are by the same guy, as far as I know.

But yeah, this is just Dice Wars with random cards.
posted by Caduceus at 9:21 AM on August 10, 2009

Man, it keeps stalling out when AI fights AI.
posted by klangklangston at 1:37 PM on August 10, 2009

Man, it keeps stalling out when AI fights AI.

Is that the thing where it just completely freezes, both sound and animation? That happened to me a few times playing the first game in the past but it hadn't happened in World Wars 2 for me yet.
posted by XMLicious at 2:16 PM on August 10, 2009

(full screen link)
posted by Rhaomi at 3:32 PM on August 10, 2009