From: Jay Olsen Subject: Long: SPI WW3 errata I recently purchased a copy of WW3 and the buyer was kind enough to include two Q and A letters that he had written to SPI (and received back). With his permission I've scanned them and am posting them here. The two letters are mostly redundant but I include both here for the sake of completeness. Answers in CAPS; comments in [brackets]. 27 January 1975 Mr. Jim Dunnigan Simulations Publications, Inc. 44 East 23rd Street New York NY 10010 Dear Mr. Dunnigan: The receipt of the SPI game, World War 3, has prompted me to write my first letter to you. I hope this letter will be received in the spirit of friendly and hopefully constructive criticism. I feel that you have a winner in World War 3, but I also feel that its standard of presentation, especially in the map and rules content is far below your usually high standard. The following is a list of discrepancies and ambiguities that I have located. I am also sending a letter to your game errata people with a request for clarification of some of these same questions. I hope that this letter to you will be of some help in looking at this game and hopefully preparing an errata sheet. Item: Mapboard; hexes with final two digits beginning after xx44 are numbered xx41,42,43,44 instead of xx45,46,47,48. CORRECT, OUR ERROR. THERE ALSO SHOULD BE A PORT IN HAWAII (HEX 1702) Item: Do Surface A units have Air ZOC? Especially in regard to contesting land mobile units Air ZOC. There seem to be many ambiguities regarding the capabilities of various units in the game. I feel that the above question will be answered yes, as what is the purpose of Surf A units if not to provide air support for amphibious operations. Further ambiguities in unit capabilities are mentioned in the following items. YES Item: When can't submarine units be attacked? They can be attacked in port, in coastal hexes, in restricted passage, in counter attack, in merchant ship attack, in transit, but can they be attacked in the open sea. I think the rule that says they can't be attacked in the open sea didn't make it to the printer. THEY CANNOT BE ATTACKED IN OPEN WATER Item: Can submarine units attack ASW units at times other than when attacking MS? The rules say they can but I find it hard to believe that even cruise missile firing submarines will be very effective against land based patrol aircraft installations. Why not a rule limiting Sub attack to Surf, Amph, and MS. THEY MAY _NOT_ ATTACK ASW Item: What are the capabilities of Supply Units? Can they move? Can they be stockpiled? Are they placed anywhere on the map during the Reinforcement Phase? It is fairly clear what supply units do once they are placed, but how are they placed? YES: 1 HEX PER TURN. YES. NO. Item: What is the definition of Naval Units? There are so many dissimilar unit types, in terms of capabilities, lumped in this classification that I feel more clarification of individual unit types is necessary. Perhaps along the lines of a separate rules section for each, Surf A, Surf B, Amph, MS, ASW, CD, Subs. YES [I find this one cryptic. Ed.] page 2 I have found it quite difficult to determine how to move units in this game. Item: Do Surf A, Surf B, Subs, have maximum movement allowances? ie. can they move more than 30 hexes per turn eg. from port to port? YES The majority of my difficulties in determining movement stem from the Terrain Effects Chart TEC as in the following items. Item: What is a Blocked hexside? There are numerous references to this obscure piece of terrain but I can not find a definition of what is a Blocked hexside. MOUNTAIN HEXSIDE Item: Why is land movement not applicable for Coastal hexes? TEC NOTES SPECIAL FEATURES OF HEX. COASTAL HEX IS OBVIOUSLY STILL A LAND HEX. Item: Can land units move across narrow stretches of water contained within one hex? eg can a unit move from 1536 to 1436 to 1337 to 1237 in the same turn? NOT IN TERMS OF MOVEMENT POINTS BUT THEY CAN IN GENERAL Item: Can land units attack across narrow stretches of water that are not restricted passage hexes? [Arrow pointing to previous answer. Ed.] Item: Can land units move across water on restricted passage hexes as seems to be implied by the TEC, and if so is this movement done at the normal land movement rate of 1 hex? [Arrow pointing to previous answer. Ed.] Item: Can Naval Units (?) move from 2525 to 2524? can they attack 2524 from 2525? YES, YES. Item: In (9.25) what is a "clear area"? [No answer. Ed.] With the movement items out of the way I have Just a few misc. comments. Item: What happens if MS are attacked without being under escort? Are they automatically eliminated? NO. THEY DEFEND AT ZERO. Item: Must a naval unit (?) trace a supply line if one can be traced? Can a naval unit voluntarily go out of supply to avoid transit attack of supply line? NO. YES. Item: Can land units which retreat into violation of stacking limits remain that way indefinitely? According to the rules now they can. NO My list of complaints and questions is complete as of now. I hope these questions will stimulate some relooking at this game and if the majority of my questions are valid I hope some effort will be put into reexamining your proof reading procedures. I appreciate the systematic effort you have put into designing games and the results have been uniformly outstanding as far as I a paying customer is concerned. Perhaps your system is resulting in the insulation of each individual section from design conception, game development, art, layout, and testing. I personally feel that somebody dropped the ball on this game in the detail dirty work of preparation for publication. I hope this letter can be of some use, and in the mean time keep on pitchin' and I will keep on catchin'. [Next letter. Ed.] Game Errata Questions World War 3 Simulations Publications, Inc. 44 East 23rd Street New York, NY 10010 Dear Sir: I would appreciate the answers to the following game questions for the SPI game entitled; WORLD WAR 3. Do Surface A units have an Air ZOC to contest land Air ZOC? YES Can land mobile units cress to islands without using AMPH rules? NO What are "blocked hexsides"? MOUNTAIN HEXSIDES Are MS that are attacked by themselves, ie. without escort, automatically destroyed? NO Can Submarines be attacked if not on coast, restricted passage, or port hexes and are not being counter attacked or transit attacked? NO Can Submarines participate in attacks against ASW units, ie all defending units are ASW? NO Must a naval unit trace a supply line if one can be traced? NO Can you move naval units from hex 2525 to hex 2524? YES Can you attack with naval units from hex 2525 to hex 2524? YES On the Terrain Effects Chart under the Movement Cost column is Land Movement _NA_ an error? NO Can land units move from hex 1536 to 1436 to 1337 to 1237 in the same turn? NO MOVEMENT COST TOO HIGH Can land units enter and cross restricted passage hexes? YES Can land units which retreat into violation of stacking limits remain that way indefinitely? NO Can supply units be hoarded: NO Can supply units be placed anywhere on the map at the Phasing players choice? YES NO NO Can Supply units be moved as other land mobile units? NO 1 HEX PER TURN Page 2 Do naval surface and submarine units have a maximum movement allowance? NO Can naval surface and submarine units move more than 30 hexes, for instance between friendly ports? YES Please indicate the answers to these questions and return these pages in the stamped self-addressed envelope.