Using NW as a strategic game in conjuction with WCDB?

[Stratos]

Can someone tell me If this game will be aproppiate to run WW2 naval campaigns with the tactical engagements played in the new WCDB?
Just wondering If I can use this game controlling both sides as a strategic game, and play the tactical part on WCDB, as I will control both sides I will be able to retire damaged/sunk ships.
Any way to play it ALONE? You know with a AI or something controlling the strategical part of the game.

[William Miller]

Stratos,

You could easily use NW:WW1 or NW:WW2 as an operational/campaign generator for another tactical system (including WC-NAW) -- I have used it myself for that very purpose.

While the NW series has rules to assist Solo play for tactical battles (tables that help decide how the "AI" side will move, how it would fire, when it would withdraw, etc) it does not have such rules for the operational/campaign portion. IMHO such rules would have simply been too complex to fit into the design of the NW series.

[Stratos]

Can you please tell me how you used the game as a operational campaign maker? I'm thinking in "small" operations, not big campaigns. Things like assault on the Philippines or Atoll jumps.
Will really apreciatte If you can guide roughly about that
Thanks in advance

[William Miller]

Stratos,

I and another person played the "South Pacific 42" campaign in NW-WW2, but used my "Battleships Zenith" WW2 rules to resolve the tactical combat (both ship and air combat) and used the BZ CCS program to assist with the combat. We had to convert damage back to the NW-WW2 rules to use the repair/refit and related rules in NW, but that was very easy to do as the NW rules use a straightfoward 25/50/75/100% damage system. We could easily have used WC-NAW for the surface tactical battles, or of course simply use the NW tactical system.

The campaigns in NW are "extended operational"-scale campaigns: for example, the "South Pacific 42" campaign allows the USN 300 starting points for ships and the IJN 270 starting points (you get to allocate your own starting fleets within certain parameters), and both sides get periodic points to purchase replacements and do repairs/upgrades (with the USN getting greater replacement points as time progresses). For an idea of the points scale, a USN Essex CV is worth 16 pts (plus 12 to 22 pts for the airgroup), an IJN Yugumo DD is worth 4 pts, the IJN BB Yamato is worth 26 pts, and a USN New Orleans CA is 8 points. The campaign generates "Battle Sets", or a series of from 2 to 5 missions that are related to a common objective, and each mission is then generated as you play. You can specify a "Short", "Average" or "Long" campaign which affects the number of Battle Sets generated (from 1 to 5 Battle Sets possible in a campaign). For the "South Pacific 42" campaign you can have Battle Sets generated for the Eastern Solomons, New Guinea, Australia, Philippines, and the Japanese Home Islands (if the current year is 1944 or later).
Missions are generated according to objective type, for example Bombardment, Amphibious Landing, Interception, Convoy, etc. Each mission performed will advance campaign time from 2 to 12 weeks or so.

[Stratos]

Stratos,

I and another person played the "South Pacific 42" campaign in NW-WW2, but used my "Battleships Zenith" WW2 rules to resolve the tactical combat (both ship and air combat) and used the BZ CCS program to assist with the combat. We had to convert damage back to the NW-WW2 rules to use the repair/refit and related rules in NW, but that was very easy to do as the NW rules use a straightfoward 25/50/75/100% damage system. We could easily have used WC-NAW for the surface tactical battles, or of course simply use the NW tactical system.

The campaigns in NW are "extended operational"-scale campaigns: for example, the "South Pacific 42" campaign allows the USN 300 starting points for ships and the IJN 270 starting points (you get to allocate your own starting fleets within certain parameters), and both sides get periodic points to purchase replacements and do repairs/upgrades (with the USN getting greater replacement points as time progresses). For an idea of the points scale, a USN Essex CV is worth 16 pts (plus 12 to 22 pts for the airgroup), an IJN Yugumo DD is worth 4 pts, the IJN BB Yamato is worth 26 pts, and a USN New Orleans CA is 8 points. The campaign generates "Battle Sets", or a series of from 2 to 5 missions that are related to a common objective, and each mission is then generated as you play. You can specify a "Short", "Average" or "Long" campaign which affects the number of Battle Sets generated (from 1 to 5 Battle Sets possible in a campaign). For the "South Pacific 42" campaign you can have Battle Sets generated for the Eastern Solomons, New Guinea, Australia, Philippines, and the Japanese Home Islands (if the current year is 1944 or later).
Missions are generated according to objective type, for example Bombardment, Amphibious Landing, Interception, Convoy, etc. Each mission performed will advance campaign time from 2 to 12 weeks or so.

Really really interesting. I got the point system and how it works, but what I don't get is how you generate the missions and how you can play a campaign more or less against the AI. This game is created with playing alone in mind. Can this thinking be used in campaigns too? and If the objectives that require a coast need a map with coast or can I create "my" maps for example Formosa plus the Philippines?
BTW, You know that I own this game right? So I can check the manual If is something there I need to know. Thanks

[William Miller]

Stratos,

I was not aware you owned any of the NW series, sorry.

While the tactical portion of NW is designed for easy solo playability the campaign part is less so, due in no small part to the complexity of many of the decisions required for a campaign. The campaign Battle Sets, Missions, which maps are used, etc are all determined by die rolls so you certainly do not another player for that; however allocation of each sides initial fleet, allocation of reinforcements, and allocation/setup of forces for each Mission are not generated and need to be decided by a human.

There are several reasons why these aspects were left to a human player, but the main reason was for playability: the Naval Warfare series was designed from the outset to be quick to play, and IMHO the much more complex set of campaign tables required to fully automate a campaign would have defeated that paradigm.

[Stratos]

Seems that I will need to re-read the strategical part of the manual. Is ok with me to play both sides as I can use dices to play one decision or another. The starting position will be a bit more difficult. Maybe I can put the map and the points and a nice player here can build the enmy fleet? If not, I will do myself Any tutorial I must read of how to play a good campaign in NW??