WitP AE Equivalent to a college course?

[spence]

The logistics of shipping everything half way round the world (for the Allies) is simulated relatively well if with considerable abstraction. The movement of supply overland not so much.

Nothing I have ever read suggests that the IJA could move supplies adequate for major formations long distances independently from the railroads and ports/rivers.

I am presently engaged in a PBEM in which my IJ opponent surprised me strategically by seeking to conquer China. I'm not complaining about the strategy (since it has worked sorta) but I have reflected on whether it is realistic to see Japanese armored units driving to the Siberian border in Western China. Gasoline to run them to say nothing of parts and ammunition transported by what: coolies?...over a thousand miles? The Red Ball Express (lol)?

(The Malaya Campaign, the IJAs most well prepared land campaign, came within a hair's breath of running out of steam before the necessary final victory at Singapore.)

Major offensive operations by the Western Allies in France in 1944 were seriously affected by supply shortages until Antwerp was captured and the railroads were operational. The Allies had a lot lot lot more trucks to jury rig some kind of supply than the IJA ever had.

IIHO the logistics of the land campaign are not well simulated.

[LoBaron]

Yep, spence, agree.. I always regarded overland warfare (including logistics) as the most lacking aspect of WitP AE. There, the high abstraction level in combat and logistics, in combination with extreme unit detail, backfires IMHO.

On contrary, Politics & diplomacy never was a focus of the game, so arguing it is not implemented in a historical sense is pretty moot.
For the same reason WitP lacks in teaching history lessons in that specific area, but it never was intended to do so.

[dr.hal]

Folks,

I never meant to imply that the game ALONE could be a college course; it can not. However after teach MANY college courses at the undergrad and graduate level, this game could definitely be incorporated into a long term project for credit, proving the theory that not all college courses need to be dull and dreary! You could infuse papers into this project, team work, leadership and a whole litany of other "objectives" all of which could be measured. I fully agree with what has been said about the limits and effectiveness to the game's abstractions of "the real thing" but all such learning is an abstraction unless you are present at the event and even then you "learn" only from your limited view of the event, you discover the other aspects through research, formal or informal. When I was talking with Karlis a few years ago, that was one of our topics we discussed and it was given serious consideration. Maybe it will yet happen!

And I certainly have a position for Chickenboy in this hypothetical game, commanding officer of the war production effort from Hiroshima!

[pws1225]

This game is nothing like college. If it were, there'd be way more beer swilling and late night carousing going on. WitPAE players are way more sophisticated than that, aren't we?

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: dr.hal

Folks,

I never meant to imply that the game ALONE could be a college course; it can not. However after teach MANY college courses at the undergrad and graduate level, this game could definitely be incorporated into a long term project for credit, proving the theory that not all college courses need to be dull and dreary! You could infuse papers into this project, team work, leadership and a whole litany of other "objectives" all of which could be measured. I fully agree with what has been said about the limits and effectiveness to the game's abstractions of "the real thing" but all such learning is an abstraction unless you are present at the event and even then you "learn" only from your limited view of the event, you discover the other aspects through research, formal or informal. When I was talking with Karlis a few years ago, that was one of our topics we discussed and it was given serious consideration. Maybe it will yet happen!

Yes. For marketing strategy (in my MBA course work), we had a company simulation that took input from advertising budgets, sales, R&D, the vagaries of the stock market, and so forth as an integrative whole. The simulation was not the entirety of the course-we also had didactic lectures, other group exercises and visiting speakers. However, it *was* the most engaging aspect of the course.

This game would provide a very useful portion of any such coursework re: logistics, geography, platform and leadership management, etc., etc.

And I certainly have a position for Chickenboy in this hypothetical game, commanding officer of the war production effort from Hiroshima!

D'oh! [:D]

[jeffk3510]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Huge AE fan here, but Alfred's large point is right. This game is a game, not a college-level course.

There are things I have learned through the game, primarily (1) names of units; (2) geography; and (3) the huge importance of planning and logistics (in fact, no college course could teach the latter - only real life experience could, with a monster game like AE coming next in line).

I will say the geography lesson is pretty intense. I'm sure I didn't know the wherabouts of places like Ndeni, Port Headland, Mersing, and Lanchow until I started this monstrous and magnificent game.

+1

[bradfordkay]

ORIGINAL: pws1225

This game is nothing like college. If it were, there'd be way more beer swilling and late night carousing going on. WitPAE players are way more sophisticated than that, aren't we?

Speak for yourself. [;)]






Isn't Uncommon valor being used by the Australians in an officer training program?