What does WW2T stand for and why is it not spelled WW II T?

WW2T stands for World War 2 Tactics. WW2T is a turn-based strategy game that simulates the Second World War on a tactival level. It is inspired by the legendary board game series of Advanced Squad Leader(TM) or simply ASL – probably the most complex board game ever developed. Advanced Squad Leader (TM) or simply ASL. Advanced Squad Leader is a trademark of Avalon Hill Games, Inc., a Hasbro affiliate. This site is not related to Avalon Hill Games or Hasbro in any way. The reason to spell the “Second” with an arabic numeral contrary to how the term usually is spelled is that it makes for a better web domain. It also plays with the notion of World War TO Tactics.

What is WW2T about?

The game allows 2 human players to play scenarios of tactical warfare against each other that are setup during the Second World War. It simulates infantry, their support weapons, artillery and vehicles in all major theaters of the conflict between 1939 and 1945. Players take side with the participating nations depending on the scenario setup. Unlike any board game ancestors the WW2T game engine makes sure that the game play follows the rules. It is therefore much more accessible, allows for much quicker game play or much more complex scenarios. Scenarios can be played on a single Computer in hot seat mode (even against oneself), in a LAN or online in a league where player earn Elo points.

How to play online and why do I have to register?

The main focus of WW2T lies on the competitive online play of one player against another. Each player can offer matches of scenarios to play to which other players then apply. After the creator and host of a match has chosen his opponent the game is played peer-to-peer directly against each other. The result though is submitted back to the web service and influences the Elo rating of each player. For matchmaking purposes registration is necessary.

Is WW2T free to play or will it cost money?

The game can be downloaded for free. The web service will eventually require a subscription fee also because hosting and traffic to maintain it generate costs. Depending on the initial feedback of the community I might also or alternatively consider a Crowd funding campaign to finance further development.

How does WW2T relate to previous attempts to make ASL playable online like for example VASL?

Well, I’ve diceided to start from scratch. First, because of legal reasons WW2T won’t use any copyrighted material from the original game (artwork, name of the game, rule text). Secondly I’m aiming for high definition sprites and graphics (counters and maps) in order to improve the playing experience which rules out using VASL boards. Thirdly and most importantly WW2T incorporates a rule engine that will eventually cover all rules required to play. My aim is to introduce new players interested in complex strategy games and simulations to the topic and not just cater for the old community. I do hope that experienced ASL players nonetheless enjoy playing WW2T because it should allow for much more complex campaigns in much shorter time and also because of the online competition aspect and league while being 100% true to the rules.

I cannot register a user for the webservice and always get “User not authenticated, must login first”, what do I have to do?

Please make sure that WW2T appears in the list of programs allowed to access the Internet in your firewall configuration. For Windows you can configure the list from Control panel -> System and Security -> Windows Firewall -> Allow a program or feature through Windows Firewall.
In case WW2T is installed the first time to your Windows computer it will probably ask you whether to allow WW2T Internet access. Please confirm this in order to be able to connect to the webservice. Also check that your Firewall rules are not overridden by a Virus scanner that works on top of the Windows firewall.

Does WW2T provide any AI or is it Player vs Player?

WW2T is purely human player vs player and does not allow you to play against the computer. You can play against yourself easily though by facilitating the Hotseat mode. In the future Artifical Intelligence (AI) might be made available as an Add-on or even be developed by a Third-party. Since all commands are going through the command line interface the AI opponent might even be connected from a remote location.

What is this Elo rating when I play online?

Online matches which are rated (configurable when setting up a match) will result in a change of each player’s Elo rating. This system is also used in chess and is a way to score player’s victories or defeats based on their playing strength. Winning against a stronger opponent (in termins of his/her Elo rating) will gain you more points than winning against a weaker or equally strong player. On the other hand losing against a stronger enemy will not cost you as much points as losing against a player whose Elo rating is lower than yours.