I'm coming to the conclusion that WiTP, yet alone another AE with a smaller scale to 40 mi's/hex may be 'unplayable'. Here's my experience thus far. I have started the May '42 - to the end scenerio, and have made it to Oct '42 vs the AI. It has taken about 30 hours of my time. Now I'm not complaining...I have little else to do recovering from a hernia operation....Seriously, the most vexing concern is I'm getting bored. I thought I could run my war on 3-day turns - not plausible, I find myself alternating between 1 day or 2 day turns. How can it get better with 40 mi hexes? It takes too much time to do minute tasks that my Lt's, Capt's, Col's, Gen's, etc. should be doing without me.
As the Pacific Allied War God (Nimitz/Macarthur), I find my time being wasted with toooooooo many details that significantly slow this game down. This is what I need to run a good war:
1) An AI officer who can evaluate all enemy info, and to place it on the main map for me. It should show all data including SALUTE (size, activity, location, units, time, & equipment. Arrows showing directions of enemy TF's would be helpful.
2) Logistics officer who can run my supplies - I'm tired of making my own supply/transport convoys.
3) Transport officer who can ferry my units to my theater commanders. I tell him where they need to go - he gets it done. I'm paying him well, I shouldn't have to do the work for him.
4) Submarine officer who can carry out the zones of which I want to conduct sub operations. Maybe I give him 3- 4 zones - done deal.
5) Air officers that know what altitude to fly, when they need a rest/standdown/grab a pilot, etc. They know their job better than me. I spend a lot of time running the Pacific Theater, schmoozing Capital Hill/Roosevelt/Marshall, I don't have the time to tell Capt. Smith how to fly his air mission.
6) TF commanders that can handle simple tasks such as refueling at sea, evading enemy air zoc's, loading/unlading, refitting, withdrawal, etc.
7) War production/procurrment of resources is convoluted & tedious. Maybe an icon button at the top showing my base/factories? I need A Production Czar.
Wouldn't it be nice if I could designate where my major bases will be, and my underlings would carry them out? List where my units should go (naval transit) and they will pool the ships, and then they go? List where my suppiles will go (maybe ie 15% NorthPac/ 35% CentPac/ 30% SoPac/ etc?). Can any new tools/userinterface be developed for simple delegation of tasks? I would rather be several Nimitz's, Halsey's, Blamey's, etc, than to do several hundred Major Jone's.
I LOVE MILTARY HISTORY. I LOVE COMPETING AGAINST HISTORY.
WITP is a strategic/operational level game, but has far too many tactical demands that though is very interesting, realistic, and fun at the outset, is deflating my fun factor.
Can there possibly be options for me to deligate these details in the new AE? This game needs to pick up the pace. (And no, I am not going to relegate myselve to just the smaller scenerios).
OK folks, looks like meat's back on the table (please be kind
).There needs to be more thought on how all these wonderful, remarkable changes we comment about (me included) on these threads can make a better strategic game using these newer operational/tactical devices.
). Also you are a bit limited to historical actions taken by your nation if you want to play an even game. If you want to rule the world, its an another story... 
