Grotius
Posts: 5798
Joined: 10/18/2002 From: The Imperial Palace. Status: offline
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The three manuals that ship with MWIF are different than the manuals for the board game. The MWIF manuals indicate how and when MWIF deviates from the board game. For example, the MWIF map is different from those in the boardgames, and this affects things like measuring distance, the scale of the map in China, etc. Some chit pulls work a bit differently in MWIF. MWIF implements many but not all optional rules from various expansions. There are many other small deviations like that. In addition, the manuals contain info on MWIF's interface, menus, mouse clicks, hotkeys, and so forth. Obviously, this stuff does not appear in the rules as written. On top of all that, the first two manuals (the "player's guides") contain detailed strategy suggestions that I've found invaluable. I've been beta-testing the game for five years, but I've never played the boardgame, so I've learned the game from MWIF. The player manuals help you understand strategic and tactical tradeoffs, not just the game mechanics. For example: why you would want to use a ground strike rather than a ground support mission; what you should consider when deciding which units to scrap; how to handle the Commonwealth Navy; how to manage U.S. entry; and many other things. The third manual, the "Rules as Coded," tells you what the rule is -- and, if applicable, indicates how it might deviate from the Rules as Written. When I play MWIF, I am constantly consulting the three manuals.
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