WWIII Odds & Ends 18 August, 2022

Author’s Note: Tonight’s entry is just a hodgepodge of updates and information about a handful of WWIII related topics. Saturday will a brief piece on World War III-themed comic book and then we will begin setting the stage for the remainder of D+24 next week.

Microprose Unleashes Regiments  

Earlier this week Microprose released the long-awaited war game Regiments. We’ve discussed it here on the blog recently. Officially, Regiments is a Real Time Tactics game set in 1989 West Germany. The player commands forces belonging to either NATO or the Warsaw Pact and takes these forces through a campaign or individual battle scenarios. If the game looks similar to titles like Steel Division or European Escalation that’s became it is similar in a number of regards. For some of the more casual-minded gamers Regiments might seem like World In Conflict.

I have not even started to explore the game just yet and probably won’t until after Labor Day. But the initial reviews do seem to be quite promising. I’ve yet to see any traditional wargamers offer their takes on the game but I’m very curious hear what they have to say. Personally, after the two hours I’ve played, my initial opinion is that Regiments appears to be lacking the depth hardcore wargamers might be looking for. After spending a weekend or two with the game my opinion could change, mind you. But for now my first run through has left me unimpressed and rather disappointed.

A Trip Down The World War 1990 Rabbit Hole

The other evening I came across a new book by William Stroock set in his alternate World War 1990 universe. This book is titled The Weser and covers the initial battles of the Third World War on the Central Front in a hypothetical 1990 conflict. I’ve read three chapters and have to say, this book is pretty much what I expected it to be. I will not denigrate another techno-thriller writer’s efforts, but can’t notcicing that Stroock’s primary weakness appears to be his inability to present the plots and characters in a cohesive, fast moving manner. I’ll finish it up one day soon and present a review at some point in the fall. If you’re looking for something to fill your World War III fiction bug though, give this title and the others in the World War 1990 line a try. Personally, I much prefer Brad Smith’s WWIII books and recommend them without reservation. And he’s put out a pretty darn good wargame in NATO Air Commander as well. 😊

Western Pacific and Ukraine

Real world conflicts and flashpoints continue to capture the attention and anxiety of the world. To be honest, I’ve only given Ukraine passing attention over the summer. The conflict is mired in a veritable stalemate right now no matter what the Ukrainian government and Moscow say. The amount of disinformation coming out of this conflict is astounding. If you listen to some Western news reports and statements by Ukrainian government officials, you’d believe HIMARS has turned the tide entirely and the Ukrainian army will be in Moscow before the first snow falls.

The Western Pacific is another story. Something is brewing there although it could be some time before it comes to fruition. China is a much bigger threat than Russia and I believe we need to start paying more attention to events in the Western Pacific. Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taipei brought about an aggressive Chinese response that took many people here in the States by surprise. Now it needs to be seen if China’s aggressive movements will be a wakeup call for the majority of Americans or not.