Another new player

[hjc]

I'm new to WitP, and new to this forum. I bought the game because it looked challenging and there's such a strong community here. I'm impressed with the amount of work the developers must have put in and the mod community clearly are no slackers either.

I've played wargames since "Panzer Blitz", Squad Leader etc, and WitP is making me feel like a beginner again.

I've a question for the long-timers here: Seriously, where are you guys getting the time to play this game so well? In some AARs here I've read astounding statements like "my opponent and I only got 2 turns in yesterday so we're moving pretty slow".

Are most guys here retired? Because I have a full time job, wife + son, and much as I would love to PBEM I wouldn't be able to guarantee the time to do it properly. I sure hope you are all still playing this game in 10 years time because by then I might have retired.

No doubt it's been covered here before, but I wonder what the median age on this forum is. I wouldn't mind betting most are of an age like me - old enough to have bought boxed games with punch-out counters and boards. I hope there's plenty of younger guys around however this really does seem like an old grognard's game... no that's not a criticism!

cheers

[bradfordkay]

Welcome to the madhouse, BofH!

My opponent and I are averaging only slightly more than one turn a day, and we prefer it that way. That is to say, it seems that both of us like to take anywhere from one to four hours per turn, dotting all the "i's" and crossing all the "t's". Once in a while we will both have the same day off and might get in two or three turns that day (I think that the most we ever processed in one day was four turns) - but to do so usually means that I ignore some "housekeeping" details in order to get the turn back quickly. By housekeeping detains I mean checking the units in backwater locations to make sure that they are taking replacements, or receiving supplies, or getting repaired, etc.

I was originally scared away from PBEM by all the ads demanding a player that could average two to four turns a day. I finally decided to test the waters with an ad for a slow paced game and am more than happy.

[2ndACR]

Welcome to the last game you will buy......except AE when it comes out.
 
Once you get the hang of things, well, average turns can actually only take 15-30min to crank out, then it is send and check back in about an hour.......repeat. Once you learn your opponents gaming times, you can really crank the turns. Even faster if you use MSN messenger or AIM to direct transfer the files to your opponent.
 
I have a full time job, and family (for now, possible divorce looming) but before this situation raised it's head, I could average 1-3 turns per day easy.
 
You have to get over the learning hump........the  first few turns can take forever, but once the "rush" is over, well everything is in motion and you only make small coreections with about 1-2 larger/longer admin turns per month.
 
Again, welcome.

[USSAmerica]

Welcome aboard, BoH! [:)]
 
I have a slow paced PBEM going with a buddy.  We average 3-4 turns/week.  I have a job, wife, son who plays travel hockey, and I'm trying to force time into my schedule to train for triathlons again.  There are players around who are able to match the pace you might be able to play.  I am another "double and triple check everything" type player, so my turns still take me 1-2 hours. 

[USSAmerica]

2ndACR, I'm sorry to hear of your trouble on the home front.  I hope your wife does not blame WitP, or if she does I hope no one tells my wife! [;)]

[vettim89]

My PBEM opponent and I have a pretty good rhythm of two turns a day. One in the morning before he heads out to work. If he doesn't get it to me in time before I leave I can return the turn at lunch. Then he sends me one in the evening and I make sure it is back to him before I head to bed. Rinse and repeat. Sometimes if one of our schedules is cramped we only get one in. Then every once in a while we get three in. Today was a three turn day

[Barb]

I am doing turn/day with my oponent at present (I had no wife or kids yet). It takes me as much time to make a turn as read the forum actually [:D]. On "lucky" days when both of us are free to play, we manage 3-5 turns.

[hjc]

Thanks for the welcome and the encouraging replies. I'll keep cutting my teeth against the AI; learning how to efficiently manage forces and resources will probably get my move times down. cheers

[51st Highland Div]

Im like yourself BofH,getting used to managing units and resources against the AI before being b*tch-slapped on PBEM repeatedly....priceless [:D]

[stuman]

Welcome. To answer your question, I am co-owner of a business, have a wife ( version 1.0, for some reason she has not left me yet ) 3 kids with active lives, etc. I am new to the game so am playiing stock against the AI, full campaign, and just made it to March 1942. My turns are moving much faster now. I spend hours some days, and also don't play at all for many days in a row. I think you should be very patient, learn, read and after a while you get faster and faster. PBEM one of these days for me, but not anytime soon.
 
And i also cut my teeth pushing card board counters around, D-Day, Stalingrad, Panzerbitz, and many many others with my brother and our friends.

[EWGuttag]

BofH,
 
Greetings Downunder!  I'm fairly new WitP too.  Here's what I posted for another newcomer on a different thread that you might find helpful:
 
Welcome, as I call it, to the "Land of the Truly Lost" (I was also told that me my soul was now "lost" or "possessed").  Actually, the folks on this forum have been really good to us "newbies" got this game, which by far the most complex and complicated computer game I've ever dealt with.  I also do several "war game" board games (I'm a WWI buff, but do others as well), but it's often hard to find opponents in my area to do this with (I live north of Cincinnati).

So where should you start?  First, try out the Tutorial.  Not only does it address some basic concepts (both from the Allied and Japanese side), but looking at the antimations is a hoot (these include some gigantic air combat/surface combat battles where the opposing ships line up on either side, and have at it).  Next, as someone recommended to me, try the Guadacanal scenario (first from the Allied side, then from the Japanese side), with the Historical start setting on; this will give you a feel for what strategies to pursue, how to arrange the various types of TFs, etc.  (Later you can turn off the Historical start, and try your own strategy.)  Guadalcanal also gives you the variety of "island hopping" (in the Solomons), as well as a significant "land campaign" (New Guinea), plus dealing with both US and British air (and naval) units.

As Canoerebel (aka Dan) advised (he's got a very detailed and interesting AAR post running under Forelorn Hope with John), logistics is a crucial part of WitP.  If you don't move supplies/fuel in the direction of you offensives, you're going to be in trouble.  Also, you've got to pay attention to support units (SeaBees, aviation, etc.), not just combat units, or your bases, especially those you capture, aren't going to develop as you need them to.  You'll also find a bewildering array of naval units that you need to assemble for transport TFs (both to carry and protect those supplies/fuel).  I know quite a few of the acronyms for the various naval units, and even I don't know them all; the folks on this forum have been good about explaining some of these nuances.

Which brings me to my next point; don't be afraid to ask questions.  The folks on this forum love to help you out.  Also, as you start out, don't be afraid to make mistakes (I've only had WitP about a month and have lost plenty of planes/ships with my "goofs") and learning from those mistakes.  "Do-overs" are highly recommended, especially as you try out new strategies and tactics, and learn how the WitP "flows."  I'm also reading the 200+ page manual (and will probably read it again when I finish), but use it as a resource, and just jump in and have fun (and loads of it).  Good luck and good hunting.

[John 3rd]

Hello--My name is John and I am a WitP addict.

I have 2 Campaigns and AARs Running:

1.  Dan and I (Forlorn Hopes AAR) get at least 2 turns in a day.  We sometimes get as many as five done on a good day.
2.  In my 2x2 (The First Team AAR) we average 1 turn a day.  Two in one day is really good.

Read the Forlorn Hopes AAR for my life state as to why I have lots of time.

Have a great time and keep asking questions.

[scott64]

Hi. I am the worst WiTP Player [:D][:'(] I lose KB a lot [X(][:'(]

[John 3rd]

HAH!  That is defeatist talk.  The KB CANNOT be sunk!

BANZAI!  [:D]

[Misconduct]

I am bran new to WitP also, on my first grand campaign actually (I am taking 43-46 just so I can learn some more) While playing the allies is a learning curve I figure it would be semi easy for a new player. But about PBEM - one reason I love this game is simply the PBEM, I started back in early 90s playing Panzer General by PBEM and loved many games that had that option. Mostly because I would get
home from work and be able to study the map for while without the other player bickering about how long I take, usually finish my moves and by morning right before I go to work and email my game off.

Pretty great option really with the size of the campaigns attempting to do one in a real time enviroment would entirely suck, however I think the option of connecting via IP for a live game should be allowed for someone that plays say a Scenario.

[hjc]

Thanks folks. Some good advice there. I just put most of my weekend spare time into WitP, playing scenario 2 as Japanese. I've worked out a checklist for moves, which helps me stay focussed. I think I'm getting it to a point where some tasks are almost second nature. Definitely logistics is the real challenge, and I still haven't got a grip on the whole HQ zone thing (should this or that unit come under southern army, or....?)

Question: production is off in this scenario... am I always going to have to constantly convoy supplies to bases I've taken over? For example if I took over the whole of the Phillipines do any "supply" points come naturally from the islands there or are the only supplies I get from my original home bases?

[bradfordkay]

There are some bases, those that have x amount of resources that will produce supplies. It may or may not be enough to support the forces you have there, and there are fewer bases with resource/supply production than there are those without - so, yes, you can expect to keep sending supply to forward bases as long as you hold them. 

[hjc]

Thanks Brad. Turns out it's not as bad as I thought. I had the idea that the "supply required" for a ground unit was what it required each day. Looks like that's not so, meaning I had overestimated how many supplies to transport to each base. [8|]

[Misconduct]

I did that with terrible consequences today, over supplying certain bases I figured I could stack the bases and use for jumping point later on - turns out Jap AI loved I did this to shortland (next to rubaul) and totally trashed the base burning over 100k in supplies I had to take over Rubaul.

[Barb]

The number in Bases or units named "Supply required" is a calculation of how many supplies will be consumed in 1 month period by base/supply in last turn consumption rate. [:)]