third reich....

[siestraphone]

what makes third reich sooo good? I have yet to receive it in the mail... stupid ebay.... lol

but seriously what makes third reich stand out and why is it proclaimed THE best WW2 game of all time?

[Y2UAsk]

I'm not sure who has the standing to make that proclamation. ;)

Personally, I've never cared much for 3R, although some of my friends love it. I find it to be neither fish nor fowl. The scale is too grand when you want details and too precise when you want the big picture. I prefer Hitler's War for a simpler treatment, or WW2: ETO for a larger treatment. 3R certainly has legions of fans, though. Let's hope some of them jump to its defense.

Steve

[msjells]

1)The game allows for a fairly wide variety of strategies, particularly for the Axis side. At the same time, roughly historical actions (in terms of grand strategy) seem to have the best chances for success. This doesn't mean that wild things won't happen or won't be successful, but it's possible to recreate history fairly well.
2) The game handles 2-5 players very well. Hitler's War, for example, really struggles with more than 3.
3) For a game of this scale, there's a remarkable amount of unit differentiation. Infantry, air, armor, naval - all act differently in the game, and all have their uses.
4) The economic section has a major impact on the game, but is relatively easy to handle.
5) Its age and popularity means it's easier to find opponents than for some other games and MOST of the rules questions have been ironed out.
6) The different scenarios allow you to tailor the game to the time you have available. Most of them are interesting and challenging in their own right, although of course the heart of the game is the campaign game.
John, who only plays occasionally but still recognizes a good thing when he sees it. smile.gif

[ May 17, 2003, 10:19 PM: Message edited by: Moderator John ]

[mkitts]

Enjoyed it, until I tried using all of the rules, then it became too cumbersome to play. Its best attribute is as a multiplayer game (are you sure you can trust your ally, much less your closest friend?). By the way, I am looking for a copy of Caesar's Legions, and will pay handsomely for it. Prefer "unpunched" set, but will also accept game in excellent condition.

E-mail mkitts@charter.net

[briguy]

Personally, it's my overall fave. I like the grand strategy thing and the rules, once you get used to them, are really nothing more than common sense. hardest part... keeping track of navies. I just bought a 3rd addition on e-bay and re-read the rules (I haven't played in eons) and discovered things I didn't realize from when I played as a tweeny). By the way, I am looking for a player via e-mail.

[sking500]

While I am a HUGE fan of 3R, I cannot necessarily agree with the "best" moniker, since I tend to differentiate between genres. For example, IMO, Axis and Allies is the best "beer and pretzels" WWII game, and is relatively simple to pick up and play, and can be completed in an evening. I cannot speak to Hitler's War as I never played it.

That being said, I've always felt that 3R provides the best balance between detail level, and complexity. While there were much more complex and elaborate games ("World in Flames" comes to mind), they tended to get bogged down in excessive detail, while the simpler games lacked the depth offered by 3R. It was popular enough, back when I was playing it alot, that I could almost always find opponents (even before the Internet).

[Dread]

IMHO : it all depends on what you looknig for. An easy and quick game or an involved strategy game.

Its like chess, it is easy to learn , it is hard to master.

I learnt 3rd Reich when i was about 12 but didnt truly master it (probably not even a master yet really) till after palying for about 8 years.


I still refer to the rule book often , especialyl when i palnning new strategties.

[private Ryan]

I play 3R for almost an year with my brother and this is the best board game of WWII I ever see. The rules are extense but clear. The mecanic of the game is very good. the only thing we don't like is the attrition combat. I think it's slow the game. But the game is cool.

[dg2c2c]

I have a renewed interest in this game after not laying for a long time. Is anyone interested in pbeming a campaign game of 3R, or ftf in the Boston area? have the 4th edition. Has anyone done this before and is aware of a standard pbem procedures?

-David

[AAGeneral]

You guys' comment make me look bad. :-) Maybe I am not a serious war gamer. I have this game collecting dust (since early 1990s). I couldn't quite understand how the game works (maybe I didn't spend enough time to read/understand the manual). Maybe I was too much expected it was like an advanced version of Axis & Allies (europe) game. Anyway, I am glad to hear so many guys enjoy this game though.

[Dread]

You guys' comment make me look bad. :-) Maybe I am not a serious war gamer. I have this game collecting dust (since early 1990s). I couldn't quite understand how the game works (maybe I didn't spend enough time to read/understand the manual). Maybe I was too much expected it was like an advanced version of Axis & Allies (europe) game. Anyway, I am glad to hear so many guys enjoy this game though.

at its time of release it was deemed to be 9/10 for complexity so it is an involved game. however i beleive it is quick to learn,

of course the only problem with the game is it is stacked against the Axis player and plays too predicatably sometime. but i still love it.

lately i just been playing the PC version as i cant find a human in my area to play agaisnt

[Beast1313131]

Third Reich is good but not too great on the computer as its pretty old. Axis and Allies and Hitlers War are both other good world War two games.

[ButchOHare1]

I visit a lot of wargaming sites and I don't think Third Reich is viewed by many as the greatest WWII game of all time.

It was an important game in the development of war gaming. It is still playable and fun.