Wars Across The World (2017)

Overview

Wars Across The World (WAW) is a distinctive turn-based strategy game inspired by board games, designed to simulate virtually every type of conflict from prehistoric eras to the present day. The game integrates both grand-scale wars and smaller asymmetrical battles into a single unified system. Its framework supports historical, alternate history, fantastical, and science fiction scenarios alike. The core design philosophy is to provide players with a single set of rules applicable across all scenarios, allowing for fast adaptation and streamlined gameplay. This consistency means players spend minimal time learning mechanics for each new game and more time engaging in strategic decision-making.

Gameplay Mechanics

The game employs a turn-based system following the I GO, U GO principle, where each player controls one or more nations during a turn. The game map is segmented into multiple regions, each featuring varying terrain types and structures such as ports, fortresses, and airports. Certain regions may provide sources of income for purchasing units, maintaining forces, or acquiring event cards. Combat units span land, naval, and air categories, including infantry, cavalry, artillery, guerrillas, submarines, aircraft carriers, fighters, elephants, and anti-aircraft batteries. Units can be grouped into stacks for simplified management.

Leaders and Combat

Leaders are a critical component, providing combat bonuses to stacks, influencing morale, and enabling attacks. Battles occur when opposing stacks occupy the same region. Combat resolution follows a semi-tactical system across two rounds, with automatic calculation of bonuses, penalties, and morale adjustments. Units engage simultaneously in most cases, and losses are tracked through hits and panics, affecting overall army morale. Morale fluctuations can trigger routing, pursuit, and breakthroughs, emphasizing the strategic role of leadership.

Event Cards and Strategy

Players have access to multiple event card packs to shape gameplay. These cards affect alliances, income, movement, weather, leadership, troop numbers and quality, and tactical outcomes. The inclusion of event cards introduces uncertainty and enhances replayability. Scenarios vary in scale: a unit may represent a battalion or an entire army, regions may cover small territories or whole countries, and game turns may represent hours or years. Gameplay encompasses multiple domains including land, sea, air, and even outer space.

Game Collections

WAW offers two primary scenario collections. The Classic collection features shorter playtime, approximately a hundred units, thirty-six event cards, and maps roughly two game screens in size. The Expanded collection roughly doubles the size and complexity, with larger maps, additional units, generals, cards, and events. Each collection requires the base engine pack and may be expanded with thematic packs or scenario bundles. Monthly releases introduce new scenarios for ongoing content expansion.

Included Scenarios

The Classic pack includes three initial scenarios:

• Hastings 1066: Normans, Vikings, and Saxons compete for the English crown.
• Saratoga 1777: The decisive battle influencing the American War of Independence.
• Normandie 1944: The renowned Allied landing on the beaches of France.

The Expanded pack incorporates the Classic scenarios plus three additional large-scale conflicts:

• Austerlitz 1805: Napoleon’s iconic campaign.
• Berlin 1945: The fall of Nazi Germany to Soviet forces.
• Korea 1950: The initial intense phase of the Korean War.

Customization and Multiplayer

Following release, the Game Editor is provided, allowing scenario customization and creation of new campaigns. WAW supports French, English, Spanish, German, and Russian, with additional languages planned based on demand. Initial gameplay modes include solo and hot seat, with Play-by-Email scheduled for summer 2017, and full multiplayer expected later in the year.