From: gregory_b@cubldr.colorado.edu (Brian Gregory)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: Europs and WWII strategic level games
Date: 29 Aug 92 21:56:12 GMT
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder

In article <92241.090838CDF1@psuvm.psu.edu>, CDF1@psuvm.psu.edu (Carl Fago) writes:
> I have also gotten a couple of email replies and it would seem that Europa
> is just plain incomplete and maybe just another rehash of SPI's War in the
> East and War in the West.  So if Europa isn't the definitive small scale
> war against Germany game, then what would be recommended?
> 
> I am looking for something that is more detailed than WiF and maybe a little
> less than WiE/WiW.

If you're not sure what level of detail you really want, I'd say check out
TSR's re-release of SPI's WWII:ETO (European Theater of Operations).  It is
more detailed than WiF - one poster complained that air/naval battles would 
take too long, but hadn't played the game - yet is a well made strategic level 
simulation that seems to play very well.  I've not played it, but have read the 
rules, two excellent magazine reviews, and two exuberant posts here.  I've 
yet to see any significant flames or bad press concerning this game (is that 
an opening or what?), except the release time coincided with AH's A3R pre-
release announcements.   

The scale is about half of WiF's:  turns are monthly, with seasonal production 
interludes, units are about the same corps-level density but have half 
strenghts printed on the back - step losses may occur in combat, or you can
build units at half strength, for half the cost!  Capital ships (BB, CV, CA)
have separate counters as do the CV's air units, land air units are roughly
divided into aircraft-specific types (and have 1/2 strengths), and air combat
and naval combat has a great feel to it, at the cost of more time spent.
Weather is not as detailed as WiF, but arguably no less realistic.

Strategic warfare is only midly abstrated;  bomber raids take place over the 
hexes your units defend and convoy attacks in the sea areas you'd use for 
invasions.  Both involve fighters and ships you'd rather use for your home
country's defense, and they can the next turn- if they destroy the raiders.
There's a cute rule that allows one to rebuild INF and fighters destroyed 
in/over one's home country every month (whereas the attacker must wait for the 
seasonal interlude to rebuild his losses).  Limited intelligence allows you to 
inspect stacks within range of your aircraft (no more long-range peeking at 
Suez defenses).  

The cost of this wonderful detail is increased playing time (which none who've 
played it complain about!) and, IMHO, some sacrifice on diplomatic rules
and strategic variances (Advanced Third Reich apparently has this area
well-covered, stepping closer to enabling Axis & Allies-type "what if" 
situations), as well as loosely-fixed naval reinforcement schedules --
so you can't choose when the Tirpitz comes in or to build another, but can
build a German aircraft carrier or some extra British and Italian BBs.

> I see Europa as trying to be a game _system_ with varying theatres of 
> operation such that I don't have to fill up a garage with maps to play one 
> game but can link theatre scenarios together in a "campaign game" of sorts.

WWII has something like 20 scenarios covering the '39-'45 european theater,
as simple as the 2-turn Battle of Britain, the more complex 10-turn N.African 
scenario, Barbarossa or the whole theater in one and two year segments, as
well as the obligatory whole kit-n-kaboodle...

> It seems that all the pieces are out there, just that no one has managed to
> put them all together.

Keep looking, I will!  I'd also advise read two different reviews and/or
reading the rules before buying a game.  There's a lot of prettily packaged
poorly developed garbage out these days!  I did both the above before 
ordering TSR's WWII:Pacific Theater Operations game.

>  Carl Fago   State College, PA                | collectors -- and miss!      |
-- 
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Brian Gregory				||"When we try to pick anything 
I-net:  GREGORY_B@CUBLDR.COLORADO.EDU	|| out by itself, we find it
ECE Graduate Student			|| hitched to everything else in
Univ. of Colorado @ Boulder		|| the universe."  --  John Muir
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