Although there are more WWII scenarios out there than you can shake a stick at, we felt that most of them are of poor quality, lacking the cohesion and design unity that makes for a professional look. When they are playable (Most are not) they look like a collection of bits and pieces gathered from 10 different sources. This game is first meant to be an exercise in detailing, making sure that all units are accurate, similar in design, that the terrain is appropriate, that the tech trees and events work together, that the game doesn't break down and that the course of the war stays semi-historic (No Sioux nation appearing by schism after the Germans capture Moscow...no Japanese-American alliance against Britain etc...). The old scenario got quite a bit of praise when it was first released and many of it's units have since "infiltrated" many other scenarios. Reusing Mr. Nilsson's graphics, combined with great new infantry units by Alex (The self-proclaimed "Best unit designer" on the WWW) and a few of my own new units (Copying the style of the existing units), I think we have achieved a very good design.

We also took full advantage of the 8 new unit slots and 7 new tech slots to add interest to the technical research aspect of the game. Many other changes in events, icons, terrain, wonders and cities also add to the completely new feel...But it still suffers from the very long turns characterising WWII games with many units. Some interesting points to note are the existence of "Superproduction" squares like oil, bauxite and iron (Massive shields/trade bonuses) which make the capture of such areas a real goal as it was in the war. Food production of farmed grasslands has also been increased to allow European and Japanese cities of substantial size to be located close to eachother without suffering from starvation. Industry squares replace the "mining" squares and create large industrial complexes around key cities. These squares produce massive shield amounts to simulate the output of industrial complexes in the USA, Europe, Japan and certain regions of the Soviet Union. The industry squares can be "pillaged" by enemy units and are very time consuming to rebuild, this to mimic the destruction of industry by war and the slow rebuilding process.

All the wonders are placed at the beginning of the game, with appropriate historical functions. Some have been made obsolete to prevent unwanted interference with the game (British acquired Fascism through the "Rock of Gibraltar" and immediately started producing SS stormtroopers!) but still serve as added objectives. Capture of some Wonders causes special triggered events.
The tech-trees are fully functional and allow between 7 and 23 advances for each of the major nations. The Civilopedia is also functional and allows viewing all units, advances and city improvements. The player is encouraged to consult the Civilopedia for specific unit statistics.

There are 5 events.txt files each designated for a major nation. This allows the game challenge and focus to change when it is played from either of the 5 sides...For example, when playing the Soviet Union there will be special events associated with the Eastern front and the capture of key Soviet and German cities. The event file will "help" the German AI create a challenging game for the Soviet human player...but in that same event file there will be less events associated with the Pacific campaign. More Pacific Campaign events would be found in the US and Japanese event files.

--------------------------------------------------The AMERICANS
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The Americans are caught by surprise, not really ready for a major war, but possessing the greatest economy in the world. As the Americans you may lose most of your fleet at Pearl Harbor and you may also have trouble preventing the Japanese from conquering the Philippines and other Pacific islands in the beginning of the game. Rebuilding the fleet and bringing reinforcements in against the Japanese are only two of the balls you must juggle.

Japan is well industrialized but small... but if they conquer China with it's large population and resources the war may be lost!

Although Britain has survived the initial Blitz of 1940, the Empire is still shaky and only a narrow channel of water away from Hitler's Panzers! Will you reinforce your allies with
convoys of material and men? Will you help Churchill by opening a second African front behind Rommel's "Afrikakorps"?

The German U-boats are sailing up and down the East coast, unharmed and off the Santa Monica pier a Japanese submarine has just been spotted... Are you going to huddle up and just defend
American soil or will you venture out against those intruders?

The Germans are ingenious and their war technology can produce the best weapons: You will only be able to beat them with superior numbers and a better strategy.

The Soviets have been mauled in the summer of 1941, Kiev and Minsk have fallen and the Nazis have their eyes set on Moscow, Stalingrad, Leningrad and the oil fields of Baku. If they succeed they will be able to turn their efforts back towards Britain and you. To support the Soviets you will need to send convoys either eastward to Murmansk through U-boats and bombers or westward to Vladivostok right under the nose of the Japanese...

Playing the Americans is the easiest on one hand because their homeland is not directly threatened. On the other hand getting their forces into the conflict is much more difficult and they are truly fighting full wars against both Axis powers so a balance needs to be struck.

-----------------------------------------------The BRITISH
-----------------------------------------
The British have been at war with Hitler for a while but suddenly they face imminent threats to their Far-Eastern possessions! These are isolated and poorly defended... The Commonwealth stands behind you but Australia is vulnerable, Canada is not a military power and India and Pakistan are undeveloped. The colonial Empire is so far flung that it is difficult to gather a major force for a strike against Hitler... Your strengths are the Royal Navy with all it's capital ships, the Spitfire squadrons that broke the Luftwaffe a few months ago and your strong positions around the Mediterranean, backdoor to the European continent. The danger: Hitler on the other side of the channel! The strategy: win the North African campaign, blockade the continent and build heavy bombers to pound German industry until you are ready for D-Day.

The British lack the USA's massive ressources and the German's great technologies, but they have a great empire, many ships, lots of trade... More difficult to play than the USA, very fun and challenging.

---------------------------------------------The SOVIETS
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The Soviets are reeling from 4 months of Operation Barbarossa: The German Panzers have plowed their way deep into your heartland and are getting ready for assaults against Moscow, Leningrad and Stalingrad. 60% of your economy is West of the Leningrad-Moscow-Stalingrad line so losing this fight means losing the war. In the east Vladivostok, your only major city on the Pacific is isolated and exposed to Japanese invasion. Japan has just attacked Pearl Harbor. Will you stand by and watch, mindful of your vulnerable position? Will you declare war on Japan at the risk of opening a second front in your own backyard? When will those convoys, promised by the British and Americans, finally reach your soil? How can you stop the German advance? How long can you keep trading terrain for time through slow retreat? How many Red Army units can you fling at those German tanks?

The Soviets are very challenging to play. Germany has better tanks & aircraft but if the Soviets do their job they won't have the production facilities to build them in sufficient numbers to win the war.

The CHINESE have been at war with Japan for a decade or more. The old nation has no economy, no technology, no industry but a massive population. You have the many "Nationalists" of your army and a few modern weapons acquired abroad to slow down the Imperial Army of Japan, ruthless, cruel and ready to add your resources and population to their advanced technology to form a great Asian empire. To your North is the Soviet Union, an untrustworthy "friend" (You are General Chiang Kai-Shek, leader of the Chinese Nationalists), not an ally but allied to your allies, the Americans and British. The Japanese have a foothold in southern China from where they threaten Hong Kong and Shanghai. Your strategy must be guerrilla warfare as you are not equipped to oppose the modern units of the Japanese on an even footing...Modernization is also a key to strengthening your position. Develop industrialization, flight and the automobile as soon as you can. If the situation becomes hopeless, retreat into the Himalayas and wait for the Cavalry!

The Chinese should not be played.

----------------------------------------------The GERMANS
-------------------------------------------------------------
The Germans are the military rulers of 1941! They have yet to face a loss or defeat... Poland, Norway, Denmark, the Nederlands, Belgium, France, Greece, Serbia, Crete and now the Soviet Union
have crumbled before the mighty Panzers... Only the Battle of Britain was less successful than expected. The Soviets are on the ropes and need one final blow to tumble: the capture of Moscow or Stalingrad. On the North African front Rommel is advancing on the British possessions in Egypt and Palestine. The British mainland is holding but still hurt after the losses of 1940 and 1941. Reinitiating the air war may break them... The United States is the only unknown, brought into the war by your ally's daunting feat but as Yamamoto said: Have we awakened "a sleeping giant?" Will the Americans move boldly or hold back, fearing your U-boat blockade? Your strategy must include the development of the best German weapons: The armor, the rockets, the jet fighters and the submarines, unmatched by their allied counterparts and key to balance against the weight of the American economy.

Most challenging and fun to play. Best armor units. A defensive-offensive position must be taken to win: If the Germans attack on all fronts simultaneously they will dilute their strength and ultimately lose.
Beware: You start the game with a massive army and airforce and could be tempted to just blast away at the Soviets but soon you would realize that Germany can't build units as fast as that tactic it uses them up...

The JAPANESE are the naval rulers of the Pacific. Their well planned moves against Allied possessions in the Far East can but result in major victories and rapid expansion. But how to fuel this expansion? Japan is small with only few resources...
Rebuilding lost naval and air units will strain the economy, dilution of forces as they spread over the Pacific will make them vulnerable to a counter-offensive. Addition of territories
and populations through conquest and industrialization of the conquered cities is a must to fuel the expansion or it will fizzle! Striking at the American mainland may be a tempting option but a dangerous one due to long supply lines and a formidable adversary. The Soviets are also a dilemma: Do you declare war against them since they are allied with the Americans? Do you ignore them and hope they stay out of your affairs? Can you afford to be at odds with another major nation? Can you afford to have a bunch of Soviet Communists camping out in your backyard?
Who would trust Joseph Stalin? :-( Use your amazing Zero fighter-bomber planes before the Americans can match them, fortify your positions in the islands before the American reinforcements arrive, strike the isolated Americans and British positions before they can organize and consolidate. Timing is the key...

Limited technologies but a good opportunity to see how a less developed army can hold out against a more advanced one. Another great challenge.

The NEUTRALS should not be played. Hope your enemy will strike them so they will join your side for additional resources.