Beta for Memoir ’44 Online, Mac Impressions

I’ve blown through my 100 starting ingots for the Memoir ’44 Online Beta, and somehow they accredited me 32 more. (So I’m playing again.)

The first thing I like about Memoir ’44 Online is that it’s universal. There’s a Mac, Windows, and Linux client available on the Days of Wonder download page. In my opinion it’s just smart for developers to make universal games if the resource or technology limitations are not obtrusive. Board games usually demand very little in terms of hardware resources. So it’s nice to see that Days of Wonder have chosen to support the three major platforms with distinct clients. Bravo, ya’ll.

The next thing I like is that Memoir ’44 Online is a good way for newbies like me to introduce themselves to the Memoir ’44 game system, which is apparently pretty extensive. I wrote earlier about how Days of Wonder uses an ingot-to-play system for both single and multiplayer games. Basically, you pay real money for ingots and use ingots to play individual matches, generally spending 2 to 5 ingots depending on the scenario and upgrades. Since the beta offers you a complementary load of ingots, the beta is a great way to pilot the Memoir ’44 ruleset and see if it meets your fancy. (And it does mine, for the most part.) I’ll quip about the demoralizing effect of card draws and combat rolls on me the player, but, overall, Memoir ’44 is a pretty accessible and easily understood system to play.

Enough of that. Let’s look at its online companion.

With the online client I can filter scenarios, which makes organizing a little easier because I can filter by the ones I’ve played, not played, or created myself. I can also filter by war front and year. Filtering, obviously, becomes more helpful as Days of Wonder adds new scenarios. And if the Memoir ’44 Online base module is successful, you can securely bet that Days of Wonder will willingly provide new content.

Right now there are 16 available scenarios: 14 on the western front and 2 near the Mediterranean. For those unfamiliar with the game, think of a scenario as a specific map with specified unit distribution and special units. Special units can take the form of Elite SS Grenadiers who can move twice and shoot in the same round. They can also take the form of French Résistants who can choose to retreat 1 to 3 hexes if the enemy rolls a retreat flag, and who can move into obstructing terrain and still battle on the same round. That said, each scenario offers slight twists to the standard ruleset.

Days of Wonder also offers a Memoir ’44 Online map editor through their online store for $6.99, but you can only play these custom maps through the game’s Expert Mode, which is unlocked by buying the Captain ($30) or Major ($60) ingot packets. Incidentally, the Expert Mode is still under development.

On the up side, the Memoir ’44 player community surrounding the beta is growing. And that’s always good. I spent the first week in beta waiting in the lobby for other players to show. Now there are no less than 30 players between the lobby and current games. Like any decent social interface, Memoir ’44 offers a friends and ignore list. Between the two I can pretty much guarantee that I will have a pleasurable game experience since those I socialize with will populate my friends list, and those who choose not to finish a game will go on my ignore.

Achievements are a staple in video games nowadays. Memoir ’44 uses them to quantify map and battle accomplishments as well as reward unique actions such as destroying an enemy unit in one turn or winning a game with the enemy claiming no victory medals. Memoir ’44’s achievement list is very protocol to the point of uninspired. To me, achievements equate to browsing battle statistics. By this I mean that what you seek from these details determines its value. For those who like it, enjoy. For the others, don’t bother trying to find legitimacy for the achievement phenomena here.

Where can the beta improve? For starts, the client is rather unintuitive in how it displays open games. Your screen is divided into two halves. On your left sits the scenarios. On your right, the player lobby. The interface displays available matches in green on the left-hand side of the screen, which took me about 3 days to actually notice. During that time I figured that the match-making system only worked via private invitations. And that seemed silly. New players will more than likely find the same confusion, so a little clarity in the interface will help out a lot.

The Ambush card is another confusing thing about the online beta that I can’t consistently get to work. The instructions tell me to prime the Ambush card in my hand by clicking on it during my opponent’s turn. But after doing that, I can’t seem to activate it on the close combat battle of my choice. As a result, ambushing in Memoir ’44 seems rather arbitrary. And for a game whose main mechanic is card draws and dice rolls, arbitrary will consistently shorten any player’s temper.

That said, Memoir ’44 Online is worth a look if you’re into the board game experience at any level. It’s very accessible. It has an inviting music score that matches the Axis and Allies player turns. And it’s essentially free while the beta runs. So, go check it out.