Dan Edwards
United States
Shoreline
Washington
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Except for the now infamously flimsy artillery figures that look like they belong in some insane Gumby army, the main knocks against M44 seem to be Luck and simplicity.
The luck factor might be just a matter of taste. My sense is that the better M44 player will get better results over time, but the cards and dice will give the lesser tactician a victory every so often.
Is the luck factor too high? Having been in a game of World in Flames where much of the outcome seemed to hinge on a single roll of the die in an attack on Gibraltar, I've seen luck play a big factor in some pretty large, demanding, looooong wargames. Does M44 get a pass on luck due to short playtime? If you feel that the luck factor is too high, is it the dice or the cards that take the randomness over the top?
M44 is abstract, to the point where it is fair to say it is a WWII themed game, and not a real wargame. Is this abstraction justified by the simplicity and speed of play, or is it just too abstract in some areas for it to have the right feel for WWII battles? Is it so simple that once you've played the scenarios through, M44 is going to lose the luster and move back on the shelf?
A lot of non wargames are very abstract, so the focus is on the system. Does the WWII theme highlight M44's realism shortcomings, or is the theme the reason you enjoy the game? I'm going to admit that I'd rather take St. Vith than trade sugar and coffee, and this colors my opinion of M44 very much.
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Joe Knight
United States
Las Vegas
Nevada
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Re:The fickle and simplistic finger of fate vs. fast fun with theme.
Bloodybucket (#42203),
You bring up some good points. It is definately a lite wargame, and yes luck is involved, but luck played a major role in almost every major encounter of WWII. I agree that the game as it now stand will begin to lose it appeal after all the scenarios have been played thru, hopefully there will be continued support, new material, more pieces, and excellent rule varients to keep it off the shelf for some time. I will say that right now I am thoroughly embroiled in this fast, fun game of WWII conbat, and yes I would rather storm a bunker filled with krauts than trade goats any day of the week!
Joe Knight
komichido
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