Here come the Rebels! (Canoe v. Q-Ball)

[Canoerebel]

That's a good question - whether Brad is giving the game the attention it needs and deserves. He has seemed more engaged the past three days, but I'm not getting my hopes up yet. Perhaps he'll respond to the challenge of fending off the Allies, but there's an equal or greater chance that he's sucked too far into WitE to look back.

[witpqs]

It seems a common malady now.

[JohnDillworth]

I know Brad did not initially want to do this, but perhaps you might suggest 2 day turns?

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: JohnDillworth

I know Brad did not initially want to do this, but perhaps you might suggest 2 day turns?

I don't think PBEM games can be changed mid-game the way AI games can.

[Canoerebel]

You can't change turn cycles during the game, so one-day turns it is. (For the record, I like both one-day and two-day turns, though I have a slight preference for one-day).

While there is no present indication that Brad will quit, I have been mulling over my options if he does so. I love the idea of WitP:AE and I would play perpetually if that's all I had to do in life. But I am beginning to think that the game is too much of a good thing - that it's too involved, too clicky, too micromanaging, and as a result too time consuming.

If I were to decline AE campaign games in the future, what other options are there? AE scenarios would be one possibility. And are there any other really, really good strategic level Pacific war games out there?

As much as I have loved UV, WitP, and AE, I think that the best strategic war level games ever were pure old Avalon Hill board games - Advanced Third Reich and Empire of the Rising Sun (note - you could play these games via email, but it was more akin to playing by snail mail than playing a computer game). Those games were challenging but moved pretty quickly.

[Bullwinkle58]

Just stuck my head into the WitE forum, and Q is online there. Chance of AE turns today? Hmm . . . [:)]

[Canoerebel]

Nah. He's just begun an WITE PBEM match. That's where his heart is now. He'll probably send an AE turn late tonight.

[John 3rd]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

You can't change turn cycles during the game, so one-day turns it is. (For the record, I like both one-day and two-day turns, though I have a slight preference for one-day).

While there is no present indication that Brad will quit, I have been mulling over my options if he does so. I love the idea of WitP:AE and I would play perpetually if that's all I had to do in life. But I am beginning to think that the game is too much of a good thing - that it's too involved, too clicky, too micromanaging, and as a result too time consuming.

If I were to decline AE campaign games in the future, what other options are there? AE scenarios would be one possibility. And are there any other really, really good strategic level Pacific war games out there?

As much as I have loved UV, WitP, and AE, I think that the best strategic war level games ever were pure old Avalon Hill board games - Advanced Third Reich and Empire of the Rising Sun (note - you could play these games via email, but it was more akin to playing by snail mail than playing a computer game). Those games were challenging but moved pretty quickly.

Hey Dan. Of course, I am still reading your AAR!

Remember how you felt at times during and at the end of our WitP Campaign? I still remember your Thread about abstinence and chuckle when I think about it. How long did that last?

You've had one heck of a good run here against a capable and solid opponent. However it plays out your work on the AAR has been magnificent and insightful...

[Bullwinkle58]

From a distance, it seems that AE is part of your daily rhythm, as reading the forum is for me. I think you'd miss it. OTOH, it is a lot of time that could be spent exercising, reading, making money, blogging (spit), or contemplating death.

Just a sugg, but you might want to take a month off from PBEM if this one goes south, and play the AI in the Downfall scenario. You've never really gotten to push the really late-war toys around. Playing the AI lets you set your own schedule. If you want to play ten turns in a row you can.

Then, if you miss December 1941, maybe go look for another game and be very careful to see if your opponent is into any other PBEM games already. Maybe play John 3rd again? You guys seemed to have a lot of fun, be on the same wavelength, and be close to each other in ability.

[Canoerebel]

Of course! My Vow of [WitP] Cellibacy lasted from April 2009 to about September 2009. I am honored that you remember...and thank you for the comments.

[John 3rd]

That is REALLY weird that ole Bullwinkle just posted this right after my comment...

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

That is REALLY weird that ole Bullwinkle just posted this right after my comment...

Yeah, and I hadn't read yours either. Hooves don't type so fast.[;)]

[Bullwinkle58]

Adding to my comment about playing the AI so you can control your schedule, this weekend, through 4 NFL playoff games, I played over five weeks of turns in my AI game. Not all gems, but playing so consistently, straight through, let me really get on top of what I was doing and planning. One of the hardest things for me is to come back after 3-4 days away and pick up on what I was planning to do. I don't keep notes or anything like that.

To give the AI a break, sometimes I'll just hit "End Turn" as soon as the save loads. The moves remind me what was in motion when I left off, even though it wastes a game day.

Anyway, I think playing a bit of AI and gettting back in control of your time might freshen things up for you.

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

You've had one heck of a good run here against a capable and solid opponent. However it plays out your work on the AAR has been magnificent and insightful...

I've gotta say, John - they're only in October '42!

[Cribtop]

Another option is a team play game to reduce your responsibilities. I've been thinking about this option myself as I don't quite have time for two PBEMs but do seem to have time for more than one, if that makes any sense.

I would LOVE it if some enterprising modder would create a scenario beginning on May 1, 1942. This would allow players to skip the sometimes tedious expansion phase and start at the meat of the game.

While I'm dreaming, I've always wanted a setup option for the first turn a la Avalon Hill board games. Subject to certain restrictions, of course.

[vettim89]

ORIGINAL: Cribtop

Another option is a team play game to reduce your responsibilities. I've been thinking about this option myself as I don't quite have time for two PBEMs but do seem to have time for more than one, if that makes any sense.

I would LOVE it if some enterprising modder would create a scenario beginning on May 1, 1942. This would allow players to skip the sometimes tedious expansion phase and start at the meat of the game.

While I'm dreaming, I've always wanted a setup option for the first turn a la Avalon Hill board games. Subject to certain restrictions, of course.

At present my only PBEM game is a DaBigBabes 2x2. Thoroughly enjoying it. ONly wished I had stuck to my guns when we started for two-day turns. I think that is a must in a team setting

[Canoerebel]

10/23/42

West India: Allied armor (1000 AV) advanced one hex SE of Bombay, catching up to the IJA stack that just retreated from Bombay. I'll bombard tomorrow while awaiting arrival of the infantry and artillery, which should make it in time to allow an all-out assault the day after tomorrow. The IJ airforce has disappeared from the Poona and Goa bases, leaving control of the air uncontested at the moment. Allied bombers are targeting the various IJA stacks in and near Poona.

North-Central India: To the northeast, Allied troops reclaimed Nagpur and are moving via strategic mode to Raipur, which was never taken by the Japanese. Brad isn't really contesting this vector, because there aren't any good roads out - it's all rail and yellow trail. I'll advance along several routes, but it won't be any blitzkrieg unless I can take an undefended base by para assault and then move by strategic mode.

Allied Troops in India: Have begun prepping for a variety of targets, ranging from Diego Garcia and Addu Atoll to the Nicobars and the island chain just off Sumatra's south coast. I don't know how much lift capacity I'll have available when the Allies invade Sumatra, but I hope to be able to also pick up some of the nearby islands. At least one remains an Allied dot hex. If that continues, I may even move in some engineers via sub to start working on an airfield (but that would be time so that it would go to level one coinciding with the Allied invasion).

Base Count: The recent captures of Norfolk Island and Nagpur dropped the IJ base count to 523 and raised the Allies to 331. So, unless something goes wrong in the near future, the IJ high water mark was 525 and the Allied low tide was 329. The Allies should pick up another base in India tomorrow, and then more will fall over the coming weeks.

[Altaris]

As a long-time fan of both your AAR's (your first helped me in learning the ropes quite a bit), I'm sad to hear you're considering calling it quits. OTOH, I reached exactly the same point as what you're talking about around 9 months ago... the game is just a bit toooo involved, clicky, and micromanagement hell. I reached that point once I realized that even putting up a breakneck turnaround speed was only going to make things move along at a moderate pace, there was no such thing as making quick headway in this game.

I'm currently playing WitE, and I have to say it's a fantastic game. It has all the aspects of WitP that I liked, and none of the problems. And with 1-week turns, games don't bog down into years-long RL commitment to get to the meaty parts.

Only downside, IMO, is the lack of the very good naval game in WitP, which of course is non-existent on the Eastern Front. But I'm finding WitE scratches that grog wargaming itch just right, without become an excessive burden. If you have any interest in that aspect of WW2, I seriously recommend the game, I think you might find it quite enjoyable.

[Canoerebel]

Thanks, Altaris, for the comments.

I hate to see any erosion of support in AE, but I can understand it given the time required.

Is there an alternative, folks? Is there a really, really good strategic level Pacific war game out there? By really good I mean an excellent game that moves along much more quickly?

P.S. Please, please, please, Matrix, acquire the rights to Advanced Third Reich and Empire of the Rising Sun!

[crsutton]

I have two campaigns going. One involved about 10 turns a week and it just gobbles up my time. Perhaps too much time but I do love it. I find that I can sometimes spend a couple of hours dwelling on a turn. I suppose if I had any organizational skills I could get it to under an hour but that is just not how my mind works.

As you know, I find the biggest problems and time waster to be pilot training. I know that we all wanted detail and more stuff but I would like to see a future patch devoted soley to streamlining the game a bit. The first thing I would do is get rid of pilot training-or at the least make it optional. I know JFBs love it as it allows them to create a historical fantasy of an airforce but I think it hurts the game. Get rid of it and just let the game produce pilots on a historical level for both sides. Give the Japanese player the option of improving his pilots for some sort of cost but "keep it real mon".