I know Normandy has just come on to the scene, but I can't help anticipating a Russian expansion to TOI. I happened to also notice that there are now quite a few different German tank pieces available, and it seems to me like it would be the perfect spot in the games developement to make the next expansion (that they want to include plastic pieces in) to be focused on adding the Russians.

I've got to say that I love what they're doing with the game so far; great support for the base game in terms of expansions and the addition of scenarios ! I got lucky and printed all of the 5 competing scenarios for the introduction, and now have 50+ scenarios to tee up on. The days of dinging this game over few and imbalanced scenarios is over and done with now.

The Designer Series Scenario book is a gem too, IMHO. Just reading the footnotes of the designers is worth the price of the book! It's like a mini history of board wargaming by the guys who made that same history! A trip down memory lane if you will! It sure was great being able to put a face to greats like Don Greenwood , and to hear from them again. It sure made me miss looking forward to that every other month when the ole' General would show up in the mailbox in that big white envelope!

The Linked Campaign is a great idea, and I'm sure that we could see some more products in the immediate future (that wouldn't require any more major plastic pieces) that may center on battles in the west, with the Battle of the Bulge being on my mind the most.

But as far as plastic figures go, the Germans have a pretty fair amount of stuff already, and I was kinda thinking that in terms of the plastic pieces, that there really isn't anything major left to add, except maybe a few various tanks here and there. Which would make it just the perfect time to bring on the Red Army in one fell swoop! Not like how the Germans and British have been showing up, where they get a little here, and a little there.

I'm talking just making it all Russain pieces! T-34/76s, T-34/85s, KV-1s (& maybe 2s?), BT-7s and IS-2s. You know, pretty much all (or at least enough) of the major German stuff is out already, so why not give the grognards what they've been drooling over! I say make the next expansion that adds in a lot of new plastic a Russain one, and let's get this game kicked on up to the Big Time here!

You know that with what this game has going for it so far, that once it goes Russian Front , it's going to be a major player on the wargame scene! Not that it isn't now , but I'm talking a Russain expansion would make this game a Big Dog on the block!

This game has a tremendous potential IMO, and I hope we're just seeing the tip of the iceberg here. I can only speak for myself, but I'm already most decidedly buying everything that comes out for TOI!

kaufschtick said:

I guess you are right there. The game would sell very well (in my opinion), too given the popularity with the Eastern Front. However, I'd really like to see a Pacific expansion. I've always felt that the Japanese Imperial Army have been long overlooked, so it would be nice to see miniatures and rules for that side. Regardless, I'm still happy with whatever is released for Tide of Iron; it's a great game.

Wilfred Owen said:

I think that if they go Russain next, we'd be very nearly guaranteed in seeing a Japanese expansion.

Wilfred Owen said:

You and I both! I have no idea how the sales are doing for this game, other than to say that the Normandy and Designer Series no sooner showed up in the FLGS here Thursday, than they were out of them.

The quality of the components for this game are out of this world, and I hope to see a whole lot more down the road. My Dad always said to me to always spend your money on quality, and you'll rarely go wrong. Well, TOI oozes quality!

kaufschtick said:

If you believe what they put in the first rule book for the base game, then its been guaranteed since '06 when TOI first came out, the rule book says that it will be expanded to the Eastern and Pacific Theatre's of battle.

Luftwaffe Flak said:

I thought that the following quote from the new Designer Series scenario book was interesting. Page 50 in the designer notes, from the scenario that is credited to Dana Lombardy with Bill Jaffe.

"As a designer I am best known for my Streets of Stalingrad wargame (Lombardy or Jaffe?) - a complexity level design with tank platoons of 3-5 vehicles. Although TOI can reflect individual tanks and squads of 8-12 soldiers, it is flexible enough to represent higher level units as well. I am really looking forward to the possible East Front expansion for TOI, where I can adapt some of my SOS scenarios to TOI."

I have boldened the one word that struck me as being especially interesting from that passage. Possible...

Not planned, or expected. Not upcoming or soon to be under developement. There are some other very insightful comments in the designer notes that shed a little light into an area that we as buyers rarely get to see or hear about. The business end of the games. After all, if the games flop, or nobody buys them, the companies that make them go away (clears throat), like Avalon Hill did (tear in eye).

There were some other, although admittedly just as vague and open to interpetation as the above comment, items that suggested that Normandy was originally planned to be more of a minor expansion than it turned out to be. Events may have conspired to turn the tables and allow the fantastic result we see in the Normandy and the Designer Series Scenario book, but with the current economic climate, who knows what may happen down the road?

Here's to hoping that FFG keeps the TOI products coming and is able to continue to provide the outstanding quality that they have done so far.

kaufschtick said:

Maybe do to a NDA or something they can't say right now that they are working on it. Maybe they want to wait for a big event like orgins or gencon to tell everyone about the expansion.

Ken on Cape said: Maybe do to a NDA or something they can't say right now that they are working on it. Maybe they want to wait for a big event like orgins or gencon to tell everyone about the expansion.

I sure hope so!

I'm telling you, TOI is just a super game, and I hope that they are able to do a Pacific and a Russain expansion at the very least!

I mean, I'm sure that in the Designers Series Scenario book , they aren't going to be speculating on future projects anyway. The book itself is the main focus there. Those "little" comments probably mean absolutely nothing, and are out of context in the book. But it's sooo fun to begin looking at what may be on deck, when you have something as fantastic as TOI!

The other thing is, with a product that has such outstanding quality components like TOI, sometimes I think to myself, "it's too good to be true" ! And when I think of board wargaming, I mean, is this the kind of hobby niche that can support the type of quality we're seeing in TOI? I for one have never seen such a high quality game in the wargaming circles before...ever.

Regardless, I hope TOI is able to keep delivering the same kind of high quality, superb products, and that it has much success in the process.

Da, Comrades...I've said it before and I'll say it again...give us snow, give us ice, give us vodka, give us the Russians! Even though it is not official from FFG yet, I think the writing is on the wall that an Eastern Front expansion is the next move for the Tide of Iron game. I sincerely believe the new Normandy rules about blowing up buildings and fighting from ruined structures just lends itself to famous (or infamous) Eastern Front conflicts like Stalingrad. Also, from reading these message boards, it seems like the Eastern Front is what the players of Tide of Iron want. I know there are also a lot of players who want to see th Pacific Theater, but right now, that doesn't seem to be quite the direction the game is headed. I think that after Eastern Front, the next expansion could reasonably be Pacific Theater. Here's my reasoning...we'll all be cold, frozen, and frost bit from slugging it out in Russia...FFG will then give us a reprieve from the cold on the warm, tropical islands of the South Pacific. Hell, I don't know...it just seems logical to me to do Pacific Theater after Eastern Front. We'll see.

Has anyone played the computer game Blitzkrieg ? It is similar to Tide of Iron , and there are two features I observed in this game I would like to see in any other Tide of Iron expansion. One was multi-use rocket launcher vehicles. I would love a miniature for these things. Another was the use of trenches for infantry. I'm not sure how historically accurate this idea is, but what about a two or three hex overlay representing a trench? Infantry could move into the trench, and it would basically provide the same cover as an entrenchment, just over a longer area. I guess you could get the same effect now by placing entrenchment tokens in adjacent hexes along a linear path, but I think it would be cool to have some pieces depicting actual trenches. Just a thought. Anyway, keep up the good work FFG. I am very excited about the direction of this game.

Interceptor said:

But mostly give us the vodka! And when the vodka runs out...

To the tropics!

Interceptor said:

You and me both brother!

I, for one, would like to see the addition of say a Puma for the Germans. Plus Marders, Elephants, Hetzers,....

Lots of stuff still missing for the allies. Greyhounds, Sherman variants (Firefly, Calliope,...).

The Russians would be a nice addition as they have plenty of cool units.

I don't think, however, that Fantasy Flight wants to tackle this minature market.

Lots of choice to be found already and very cheap.

As far as the Normandy expansion goes, has any one noticed the lack of winter weather cards from the weather deck? Here's hoping...

7times7is49 said:

I think all the writing is on the wall for a Russian Expansion with all of the Panthers that have come out in the last two expansions. That and the King Tigers in Normandy, too. That kind of clears the way for the Russian expansion to only have to provide plastic for the Red Army, as there is already enough German pieces to get the ball rolling.

I also wonder if there are already enough "green" map boards to allow the Russian expansion to include winter map boards?

Dana Lombardy designed Streets of Stailgrad. I'm,bjaffe, the scenario helper and playtester extrodinaire. I to am looking forward to the Russian front

BJaffe

BJaffe01 said:

As someone who has had some experience with the game behind the scenes, perhaps you could speak about Why the Designer Book seems to have been published with so many mistakes.

I want city fight rules. That would be amazing. Stalingrad!

BJaffe01 said:

Thanks for all your work on the game. You two have made some great scenario's and I'm really looking forward to what you'll do on the Eastern Front... however I want Pacific because I need another "bad guy". I'm sure any scenario's you two do will be fantastic either way.

- Jacob

where kind i find cheap these things that u have commented on

kaufschtick said:

I just bought Battlepack 2 for Combat Commander. This collection of scenarios and maps deals with the fighting in Stanlingrad. It has a few neat simple rules for sewer movement and factory buildings. It also has a campaign scenario which is fought over at least five battles on five different maps for control of the Mamayev Kurgan. Very nice, and - with the right material - adaptable to ToI.

So, bring on the Eastern Front expansion....

KlausFritsch said:

Stalingrad......

KlausFritsch said:

I've only read one book on Stalingrad, called Enemy At The Gates. Pretty horrific, if not nightmarish battle.

I've been kinda eyeing the Combat Commander series myself, if Conflict of Hero's wasn't so **** good, I might give it a whirl.