Too much fun, for a change.

[m10bob]

I notice a lot of the major posting contributors are scarce these days, and it is no wonder.
Personally, I have been having a lot of fun actually playing the game so many have waited a long time for.
Very impressed and pleased with the way things turned out, and I'm even glad "problems" are being found, because they will soon be corrected.

The submarine screen in particular has taken a major turn for the better and I love the color of the water and the full-hulled views of the subs. (I feel it important the artist(s) be recognized for this), and otherwise the sub screen had been a flash of words with a flat cardboard cut-out of a screen, but now really looks like something we can enjoy.

In 1965 I poured over fresh copies of Air Classics (while eating a very greasy pizza), and remember fondly the tales of some of the airedales relating when they got their commissions and went from "hot dogs and beer to steak and whiskey". The tales were very inspirational for a high school kid trying to figure out what he wanted to do in life, and in those days WW2 vets were as easy to find as counting neighbors on both sides.
No more, but it is easy to see the contributors to AE did their homework and put "the feel" of the era, the genre, into this game and did those vets justice.

Since those adolescent days, it was difficult for me to get involved in any narrative of that war, of that theater, but WITP-AE has taken the measures needed to provide that step for me, and I can now (as a player) feel more a participant, especially when I see the enemy (AI) doing things which vanilla WITP never would/could do.

I am learning the hard way not to play the game by past rules of reckless engagement, because the new AI will not give up on a planned objective, and just when you think the battle for a certain island is complete, here comes another amphib assault force, supported by enemy flat-tops, surface ships, the whole shebang!

With the much larger map, it might give me more means to show aggressive mobility, but it also increases the "enemies" options, and forces me to provide escort on my transports which had never been much of a necessity in past.

In effect, many more of the things the real-life commanders had to be concerned about, have become an issue of greater importance in this game, and for my money, there is no need for a WITP2, this IS WITP 2.....[&o]

[thegreatwent]

It has been awhile since a game got me up before the alarm. Just to check something[:)]

[timtom]

ORIGINAL: m10bob

In 1965 I poured over fresh copies of Air Classics (while eating a very greasy pizza), and remember fondly the tales of some of the airedales relating when they got their commissions and went from "hot dogs and beer to steak and whiskey". The tales were very inspirational for a high school kid trying to figure out what he wanted to do in life, and in those days WW2 vets were as easy to find as counting neighbors on both sides.

So you decided you wanted to eat C-rations, sleep in mud and be shot at by strangers? Mebbe Termie is right after all [:'(]

[Sardaukar]

I must say I have great time against AI. It is definitely something else than in WitP. I play Allied on Historical difficulty, 2-day turns..and quite often I feel like small elephant trying to stomp out army of soldier ants...getting eaten slowly in process.

Just when you think you stopped something, AI hands you another one. Like trying to get some fuel into Australia, since I am desperately low on fuel there. AI is pressing my reinforced PM garrison and I cannot reinforce or intercept, because my surface forces lack fuel. Didn't help that KB decided to visit Colombo and sunk big 8 TK convoy on the way to Perth in process...

I really start to appreciate the logistical nightmare Allied commanders faced in early war.

[John Lansford]

Yes, the logistic nightmares the Allies faced early in the war are some of the most daunting to deal with.  I've got tons of supplies and fuel sitting in the WC, the off-map bases around the Indian Ocean, and at Pearl Harbor, but have to build up strings of bases between those places and Australia before getting serious about offenses.  Just trying to build up supplies at Canton, Noumea, Pago Pago and Suva is bad enough, and meanwhile these little nuisance invasions keep happening. 
 
Right now the AI has landed in the Ellice Islands, which are basically undevelopable big rocks, so I'm leaving them for now, but it galls me to see them landing and doing nothing about it.  I did kick them back out of Canton, Baker, Ndeni and Luganville, and have held them off at Sarakan and Kendari so far (allowing me to ship supplies and fuel down to Darwin from Java continuously), but now there's a landing at Milne Bay that I CANNOT allow to stay there and East Australia is badly short of fuel or deployable men right now...

[Andy Mac]

I think the AI is going one of two ways folks either hate the compromises we had to make to get it to work or love the fact that it gives them a challenge there seems to be no in between

[John Lansford]

Andy,
 
The AI is lightyears better in AE than in WitP; it's acting at least somewhat rationally (methodically advancing on Java and Port Moresby, using CV's and SAG's), which WitP's AI really couldn't do past a certain point.  I never lost Balikpapan or Amboina (Ambon) in my WitP games, and invaded Eniwetok and Tarawa in January 42.  While I've taken Makin in 1/42 in this game, all 4 of my CV's are busy fending off the Betty attacks on the landing force and I'm worrying they will soon need to run off for rearming and those transports will get torn up if they don't have aircover.  Makin may become my version of Guadalcanal really soon with the Army playing the part of the starving 1st Marine Division; at least it's just a combat engineering battalion plus some supporting units instead of a full division...

[Cap Mandrake]

Yes..the AI is much advanced. Those who complain about historical accuracy are just not being fair. The raid on Pearl Harbor was itself ahistorical.

Re. inadequate escorts, witness the historical example of Wake. The first Japanese naval force was inadequate.

The map is a work of art.

The OOB is superb, though I haven't figured out what to do with the Stearman biplanes in the PI.

Great work to the team!

[Graymane]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Yes..the AI is much advanced. Those who complain about historical accuracy are just not being fair. The raid on Pearl Harbor was itself ahistorical.

Re. inadequate escorts, witness the historical example of Wake. The first Japanese naval force was inadequate.

The map is a work of art.

The OOB is superb, though I haven't figured out what to do with the Stearman biplanes in the PI.

Great work to the team!

That is so true! I can imagine the threads between gamers back then. Probably have a bunch of house rules on the ahistorical PH attack from the AFBs with the JFB arguing that the it was shown to be possible by Billy Mitchell and the Brits [:D]

[m10bob]

ORIGINAL: timtom

ORIGINAL: m10bob

In 1965 I poured over fresh copies of Air Classics (while eating a very greasy pizza), and remember fondly the tales of some of the airedales relating when they got their commissions and went from "hot dogs and beer to steak and whiskey". The tales were very inspirational for a high school kid trying to figure out what he wanted to do in life, and in those days WW2 vets were as easy to find as counting neighbors on both sides.

So you decided you wanted to eat C-rations, sleep in mud and be shot at by strangers? Mebbe Termie is right after all [:'(]

Oh, yeah...As a kid....jus' "livin' the dream"..........(To my credit, I learn my lessons the first time.)[;)]

[m10bob]

One of my American CA's took a torp in a day raid, and rather than head for the home base (Pearl), she headed for the nearest friendly port large enough to repair her!..Major improvement..Thank you..

[mussey]

ORIGINAL: John Lansford

Yes, the logistic nightmares the Allies faced early in the war are some of the most daunting to deal with.  I've got tons of supplies and fuel sitting in the WC, the off-map bases around the Indian Ocean, and at Pearl Harbor, but have to build up strings of bases between those places and Australia before getting serious about offenses.  Just trying to build up supplies at Canton, Noumea, Pago Pago and Suva is bad enough, and meanwhile these little nuisance invasions keep happening. 

Right now the AI has landed in the Ellice Islands, which are basically undevelopable big rocks, so I'm leaving them for now, but it galls me to see them landing and doing nothing about it.  I did kick them back out of Canton, Baker, Ndeni and Luganville, and have held them off at Sarakan and Kendari so far (allowing me to ship supplies and fuel down to Darwin from Java continuously), but now there's a landing at Milne Bay that I CANNOT allow to stay there and East Australia is badly short of fuel or deployable men right now...

Wow! Stick to your guns and continue developing your major bases to Noumea is my advice. These bases will provide the groundwork for future offenses in late '42 - 43. But it does infuriate you when you can't react to these Jap in-pricks!

[Captain57]

Here! Here! I completely agree. I'm an old fart (53) and have been playing this silly game since it came out. But the AI in this new version really has me pumped up for the competition. The power of setting patrol areas is really great. Also found out bad things happen if you steal too many of your garrison troops. The Japanese subs are showing up in lots of frightful areas. I'm very glad I bought this game and hope you guys sell a ton of them. It is a truly great wargame.

OK, enough praise, now back to the war.....

[Anonymous]

I have seen much of this and have been a tester for JWE for over two years now. At many bars now we have decompssed what we did and many US Navy and US Marine officers say this game is like a cpx. This is how we play with sargeants against Colonels and the better man wins and must buy the beer.

Many very smart people think this game is an institutional learning experience. They are ripping my pants but tell me just how stupid I am being. When you play this game with a man who has eagles on his coller you soon learn to pay attention. I have learned more in two years than I thought I had to learn.

MO

[Sheytan]

Um, well there is no question the AI in AE is much better then WITP. And I am very much enjoying AE, only thing I really had a issue with was the large convoys completely unescorted invading and dying, pointlessly in my opinion. Dont get me wrong thats about the only bright point in my game currently IS that the AI is feeding me these convoys, im at Dec 29th now...yes still 1941 and the AI has currently begun to assign more escorts, so thats interesting to see as well, but according the the INFO screen I have also sunk over 150 IJN ships...including a BB and CV! HORRAY![:D] Those I got with hard work.

Sure theres room for tweeking and fixing stuff, but frankly I cant see anyone saying this is worse then AE, no Sir. Add all the other improvements and the map, which I love, I just discovered the hot key for removing the green grid, and love the map even more now.

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac

I think the AI is going one of two ways folks either hate the compromises we had to make to get it to work or love the fact that it gives them a challenge there seems to be no in between

[Zebedee]

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac

I think the AI is going one of two ways folks either hate the compromises we had to make to get it to work or love the fact that it gives them a challenge there seems to be no in between

All I can do is offer my deepest and most sincerest thanks for working on it so hard. It's a massive improvement on WitP. Of course there will be gripes, of course there can be improvements and of course there will be the odd bug or odd issue - but for players who are unwilling or unable to PBEM, it actually is offering an initial challenge in a way that the WitP AI did not. Hopefully, constructive feedback will find its way into improving things further and minimising negative effects from making things enjoyable from a challenge perspective.

Sat there running a quick few turns this evening and had that lovely little buzz when you realise that something surpasses every expectation you had beforehand. Delighted and overwhelmed at the moment. And reading the manual (not had to do that for a game for a loooooong time [;)]).

[TOMLABEL]

ORIGINAL: m10bob

and the full-hulled views of the subs. (I feel it important the artist(s) be recognized for this), and otherwise the sub screen had been a flash of words with a flat cardboard cut-out of a screen, but now really looks like something we can enjoy.

I'm glad you like them. It was a labor-of-love, but well worth it!

[SuluSea]

This game is everything I thought it would be and more. [:)]

[TOMLABEL]

ORIGINAL: TOMLABEL

ORIGINAL: m10bob

and the full-hulled views of the subs. (I feel it important the artist(s) be recognized for this), and otherwise the sub screen had been a flash of words with a flat cardboard cut-out of a screen, but now really looks like something we can enjoy.

I'm glad you like them. It was a labor-of-love, but well worth it!

But keep a look out for this one as I lost it along the way.....[:(]

[sfbaytf]

Its obvious this is a labor of love and it shows. This is the best computer game ever. As much as I like the Total War Series it doesn't come close.

From SPI's War in the Pacific, GG Pacific War, WitP to AE the games in this linage has provided years of entertainment.

Best of all there is a full editor so we can expect more improvements in the future.

The only thing I could hope for is 3D graphics in the combat screen ala Navy Field. I know the hard core gronards will moan, but I believe there is plenty of room for both serious game play and pretty graphics-I'm not knocking the graphical improvements made in AE. I've noticed and enjoy them.