Wet Blanket?

[madgamer2]

Over the many years I have played computer games there always was a kind of breakin period and as the games got more complex the patch count went up. AE is a very complex game and I have read some very strangethings happening. I can't speal for anyone else but for me I will wait the full 90 days to see if things get better before I plunk down $70 for AE.
I feel that most are more due to system or OS problems and the folks here will get things in order after a couple of hot fix's and patch's and that is when I will decide. It looks to be much more complex than I think I want to deal with. If they get this game to work it will be a real acomplishment. it may not be possible to dig out all the little problems but even then its a great game. My life is just not long enough to spend the time I would have to with a game who's manual alone is almost 3 times longer than WitP.
I just hope the promised patch for the old WitP game will correct the most glaring problem and make it a bit better game for those of us who love the old game inspite of its having much less micro management and detail .....some of us like it that way.

Madgamer

[dpstafford]

The problem with AE is not so much the micro-management. Let's face it. As WITP players we have already embraced a great deal of micro-management. And we loved it. Or we stopped playing it long ago.

It's the things they chose to complicate with added MM.

1) Search zones. You now have to tell each patrol squadron where to patrol. (Or not, and be at a disadvantage to your fiendish opponent...) That is the kind of a feature you would expect to see in a game on the scale of CAW. Not in a grand strategic epic.

2) Shipyards. You know have tell your shipyards to conduct repairs. And how to conduct those repairs. Could a brother get an automate button on this maybe??

3) There are now 57 (give or take, or is that ketchup?) different types of experience levels for pilots. And training can be specified for each type.

I could go on. But it isn't what I signed up for. I wanted a game with a UV like hex size, and an improved air to air model. And I got those things. The new land movement system is also pretty good. As are sub patrol zones. But I seem to spend all my time on the "other" stuff.

[jwilkerson]

ORIGINAL: dpstafford
2) Shipyards. You know have tell your shipyards to conduct repairs. And how to conduct those repairs. Could a brother get an automate button on this maybe??

There might be some help in terms of automation for repairs, found this while reading the manual (hate when that happens! [:D]) ... see page 243 ... seems we can overassign damaged ships to the yards and the guys in charge will manage the repairs and the backlog for us ...need to try that!!!

[Charbroiled]

ORIGINAL: dpstafford

The problem with AE is not so much the micro-management. Let's face it. As WITP players we have already embraced a great deal of micro-management. And we loved it. Or we stopped playing it long ago.

It's the things they chose to complicate with added MM.

1) Search zones. You now have to tell each patrol squadron where to patrol. (Or not, and be at a disadvantage to your fiendish opponent...) That is the kind of a feature you would expect to see in a game on the scale of CAW. Not in a grand strategic epic.

2) Shipyards. You know have tell your shipyards to conduct repairs. And how to conduct those repairs. Could a brother get an automate button on this maybe??

3) There are now 57 (give or take, or is that ketchup?) different types of experience levels for pilots. And training can be specified for each type.

I could go on. But it isn't what I signed up for. I wanted a game with a UV like hex size, and an improved air to air model. And I got those things. The new land movement system is also pretty good. As are sub patrol zones. But I seem to spend all my time on the "other" stuff.

These are all items that I was surprised were not in the original WITP.

1. Search zones are important. You don't want to waste half of your search resourses seaching over land for naval ships. This is an item that has MAJOR stratigic and tactical purpose.

2. I'm finding that the ship repair routine is easier to use the more I use it. It really isn't as complicated as it seemed when I started my first game.

3. The air unit/pilot experience thing is going to take some getting use to, but, again, it really isn't that complicated. The good news is that individual experience increases pretty fast. I plan of doing a lot of multi-training with most of my units.

EDIT: Madgamer, I have not found any "game-killers" yet. Sure, there are things that need to be tweaked, but it sounds like the us "gamers' are not being abandoned by the support people. AE is more complicated then WITP. I am using the time until the 90-day patch as a learning period. Once most of the problems have been identified and fixed (hopefully with the 90-day patch or prior) then I plan on starting my "real" campaign and/or PBEM games.

[madgamer2]

For me (perhaps I am just different) I encountered the micromanagement and detail in WitP and DID NOT love it. I also kept playing and may again but there is more than enough of MM and detail for me.
I have come to the conclusion that it is not so much that I can't play AE but it is just to much time, brain power, and desire that I would have to commit to do it.
I deal with MM and detail in a game because it is nessasary but there is only so much I want to deal with. With a few changes WitP would have enough of both. I fall on the playability side of gaming. and am willing to get along with most of the added stuff in AE, not all but there is no way you can play with some of the added stuff and not the rest.
I do not want to spend hours on each turn. I do not want to try and figure out some of the strange things the game does. Players like you don't mind the time, the detail and all the rest because you must really love that kind of stuff.
I have been in contact with several former players who like me choose not to move on to AE. I am also not going to go through a fleshing out period while the game is patched, fixed and in perhaps several months will take another look.
Al the players who were on the old WitP forum who moved on to AE are here and those like me are not. I keep asking the same questions but never get an answer (perhaps its the questions themselves)

1. how much detail is enough for you?
2, Do you want more in the next version?
3. I might be slow but is having to devote large amounts of time to a turn really worth it?
4. Can you tell me you own method of managing you life and play this game

I do not WANT to not play AE I just do not have the time in my life to go through a long learning cliff. By the time the 90 days for my $20 discount are up I will have to be more assured that the game has been patched, fixed and is ready to really be played. I don't want to go through another play...patch....play.....patch .... play thing again as I did with WitP.

I believe there are those such as yourself who have been waiting for such a game as AE and there are those like me who have been dreading it. I can no longer afford(even with the discount) to spend the money to find out.

I wish all the AE players good sailing and the fun and enjoyment that seems to elude some of us.

Madgamer

[madgamer2]

Would we not be violating the first rule ow WitP/AE? Never leave any thing to the tender hands of the computer unless its part of the game system LOL

Madgamer

[dpstafford]

ORIGINAL: jwilkerson

There might be some help in terms of automation for repairs, found this while reading the manual (hate when that happens! [:D]) ... see page 243 ... seems we can overassign damaged ships to the yards and the guys in charge will manage the repairs and the backlog for us ...need to try that!!!

Aren't you the guy in charge? Give me a button that gives me the same repair logic that the AI would get. I can live with that. At least until a CV comes in for repair.........at which point I will be screaming for the ability to fast track that repair.

......did I say that out load??

[dpstafford]

ORIGINAL: Charbroiled

1. Search zones are important. You don't want to waste half of your search resourses seaching over land for naval ships. This is an item that has MAJOR stratigic and tactical purpose.

If not patrolling for enemy ships over land is you goal, and a worthy goal it is, then that could have been programmed to be handled by the computer (increasing the planes search effectiveness at sea based on how much land is in their patrol range). And it could have been done without burdening the player with more micro-management.

[dpstafford]

ORIGINAL: madgamer
Would we not be violating the first rule ow WitP/AE? Never leave any thing to the tender hands of the computer unless its part of the game system LOL

I would also agree that AE is much much more play ready out of the box than WITP was. But all that extra micro-management stuff is not going to go away.