My humble opinion of WITPAE

[Treetop64]

ORIGINAL: shartlep

This comes after trying very hard to play and enjoy this game for the last month. It is obviously aimed at those grognards who thoroughly enjoy micro-management. No doubt this game provides extraordinary detail in all aspects of the Pacific theatre of WWII, but I personally would have liked an option for some second-in-commands. Something that had elements of Hearts of Iron III and Supremacy at Sea. Something where the player could set an overall strategy and objectives and then his 2IC's would attend to the minutia with the option for the player to review and modify said details; TF composition and mission, troop deployment, etc.

I know this is going to garner me a lot of flame and bad talk, but I just had to get it off my chest.

Thank for letting me.

That is exactly how I felt long ago when first trying this game. I'm certain many here felt the same way, too. I hated all the micromanaging.

WitPAE is an epic learning experience when you are starting, though. It took me many months just to get the hang of basic logistics. Once I figured some of it out, there was more to learn that could benefit from what I just figured out, and then I figured that out, etc. etc... It became a learning circle!

Today, my favorite part of the game is the micromanaging and, especially, the logistics (hence, my sig!).

This game gives the player a lot of room to plan his or her own strategy in logistics and military operations. One has a lot, a lot, to learn to do this effectively, however. It takes time.

Note: Even for experienced players, the first month or two of game time in a new campaign (the Grand Campaign, or equally large campaign) is a royal pain in the backside. Every time. Once in February or March of '42, however, you have a generally good idea on how things are running and you can concentrate more on how you want to prosecute the war itself.

I implore you not to give up. WitP-AE is certainly not for everyone, and even for those that it is, it is tough at first. If you have the time, stick with it, and it'll come around. You'll be glad you did.

[GenChaos33]

ORIGINAL: Omat

Hello

Was that not an important point in Worls War II to make mistakes? When I read about it saw and read about misinterpretation, mistakes, incompetency.
An other aspect was that e.g. the US also did not "know" how to use their forces under prevailing conditions. Many tactics they had to develop.
In a way WiTP give you the possibility to the same. Use you oppoment his forces in a certains way you have to react.

The funny part is even very good and high regarded players here did not all "game rules" and making udicrous mistakes.

So playing correctly and fully at 100% gameplay will probably not possible because we are humans. [:)]Humans tend to do mistakes (But they do not admit them willingly [:D])

I do not think this game is about doing all thinks right but rather can my opponent see my mistakes and get an advantage.

Omat

ORIGINAL: GeneralChaos

I say just take a break from the game. Hopefully, it will draw you back into the madness. It always does it to me. I'll then play some other bad pacific game. Then it hits me maybe I should try AE again (since AE is so much better). Then I find that I end up going a little deeper into the game. Then the cycle keeps repeating. FYI - I bet I'm still only about halfway into knowing all of this game. Hopefully sometime in my life, I'll be playing this game correctly and fully at 100% gameplay. Just enjoy the ride! (then take another break....hehe)

I think Omat read my comment wrong. I did not mean you can only play mistake free games. Yes, mistakes are a part of all strategy/war games. So mistakes in planning, failure to setup a base/TF/air/etc., or major losses in battles are just part of the game. I meant correctly understanding how to work the menus to do exactly what you want to do. The UI is not the most friendly and the manual is always outdated. So thats where alot of my frustration has come from. Since there is no 2nd in command/friend AI help, its all up to the player to figure it out by himself, ask/search on the forums, etc. So for me, the game has always been a practice game for me vs AI. I just try to keep adding a new part of game that I don't understand into my current game. I don't worry about how well the JAP AI is doing. I just keep working on my babysteps (repairing ships, setting up new bases, resupply, invasions, land battles, training pilots, air strike alts/packages, China, Japan Industry, planning Tracker/spreadsheet, etc. - endless stuff to learn) So again I'll repeat. Hopefully at some point, I'll understand this monster of a game (the learning curve is a wall!).

[mikkey]

ORIGINAL: Mac Linehan
...
> There are also a number of other specialized scenarios, including (but not limited to) Andy Mac's "Return to Wake", "Downfall", and "Burma" scenarios. Nikademus has a Guadalcanal Nick Mod, and a May 1942 start Campaign.
...

Mac, where I find Guadalcanal Nick Mod scenario? Thanks

[shart1949]

Again, I want to thank everyone for their support, encouragement and suggestions.  This is what makes for a "great" community.  I WILL continue to wrap my brain around this game, and I WILL come to enjoy it!

Thanks again.

[DSwain]

The British equivalent of USO was ENSA - Entertainment National Service Association. My dad told me that, in the RN in the 1940s, it was commonly referred to as 'Every Night Something Awful'

ORIGINAL: zuluhour

I heard in AEII we get to pick the USO performers[;)]

[Shark7]

Actually, the OP hits on the biggest problem with the game. I just can't get into it due to the over-whelming amount of micro-management. I can play for a while, but it just gets to be too much. Vanilla may have had less control, but it also had a lot less micro-management which made it more palatable for folks like the OP and myself.

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: Shark7

Actually, the OP hits on the biggest problem with the game. I just can't get into it due to the over-whelming amount of micro-management. I can play for a while, but it just gets to be too much. Vanilla may have had less control, but it also had a lot less micro-management which made it more palatable for folks like the OP and myself.

Agreed, if they only got rid of "pilot training" which I find to be a serious time suck I would get 3 hours a week of my life back...[;)] Still, I am addicted.

[witpqs]

The later Betas have vastly improved the facilities for managing pilots/pilot training, just in case you guys haven't seen them.

[nashvillen]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

The later Betas have vastly improved the facilities for managing pilots/pilot training, just in case you guys haven't seen them.

+1 here. I now only spend 15-20 minutes managing my pilots on the 1st and 15th of each month instead of an hour or so. Much appreciated!

[Nikademus]

ORIGINAL: BB57

So AEII is being worked on.

Sure. Herwin and elCid are teaming up for the job. Its highly technical. Should be out by around 2020.

[;)]

[Dili]

I thought it was JWE and el cid [;)]

[USSAmerica]

ORIGINAL: Dili

I thought it was JWE and el cid [;)]

The internet may short circuit just because you typed both their names in the same sentence! [:D]

[jwilkerson]

ORIGINAL: shartlep

Agreed. And that is why I profoundly thank all for letting me spout, and why I will gamely continue to try to "get into" this game. Wish me fortitude.

Back in July, 2004, when I first got WITP (the predecessor of AE), my first (second and third) thought(s) were, "I will NEVER be able to play this game."

And it took at least months and hundreds of turns before I changed mind. I played against the AI only for maybe the first month, then tried two PBEM disasters as the Japanese in the campaign game. Fortunately, one of my Allied opponents had a worse disaster than I did and I came out of those two games "one and one".

It does take a lot of effort to learn and it is not for everyone. But those who like it would mostly NOT be satisfied by much else.

[Schanilec]

WitP-AE keeps me offs the streets. And for that Grand Forks is entirely greatful to WitP-AE.[8D]

[Misconduct]

I remember getting WITP and tinkering with my first few campaigns, oh dear has time passed. Few years later I get AE the day it comes out and did one last allied PBEM before taking on the Japanese Industry. Currently in the middle of an Allied PBEM roughly around 10/20/42 I can look back and say "Time well spent playing Admirals Logistics".

Each Day I am puzzled to whether my turn will be sour grapes (simply logistics movement) or the small airfield raid by 50 planes.

So far nothing special going on, I lost Moresby early to the Japanese and just retook her last month (9/42), I would say more however I know my opponents wondering eyes would gladly love to have some Intel about now, quite sure his finger nails are being bitten off at my next great crusade

Whenever WITP 3 comes out, Surely will have the 300+ page manual printed the same day, eager to run the logistic gauntlet of the pacific.

[Grotius]

Shartlep, that's a fair comment. For what it's worth, I find the logistical challenge diminishes as I play. The first few turns, especially the first, are the worst -- you have to set everything in motion. Once things are moving, often the follow-up turns are more routine. Not always, though, heh.