Where is the tutorial?

[mantrain]

I understand there are videos to watch, but are there any written tutorials, like the one in WITP? Or should I just do the tut in the WITP.

I really wanna learn. but not sure what the steps are. I mean, I can make a task force, but what about logistics. etc?
should I just play tut in WITP ? Are these games the same mechanically?

[Quixote]

Mantrain,
Did you play original WitP? If so, how much, and what's your comfort level with that game? If not (it's OK if the answer is no) there will be different ways to best start learning how to play WitP AE. In answer to a couple of your questions:

1. Logistics are even more essential in AE than they were in original WitP.

2. Yes - WitP and AE are the same mechanically, but with an added level of complexity in AE. If you're comfortable with WitP, then AE won't be too big a stretch. If you've never played either one, you're in for a massive learning curve. This isn't a bad thing, but it will require some time and patience on your part. If you have that, it'll be fun. A lot of fun, actually. That said, the rewards aren't instant - you'll have to put a little time and effort into it.

With that out of the way, let us know what your level of prior experience is so we can make some better recommendations about where you should start.

[mantrain]

I do not have much prior experience with either title except reading through the manuals in a non intensive manner, starting scenarios several times but not sure how to proceed. I understand the overall concepts, but not the steps.
IF I could just see how someone conducted some turns, maybe a good "aar for dummies" that might be helpful.

[Quixote]

Two thoughts:

1. Here's a link to Sardaukar's AAR for new players. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q ... B0C50ruWyg Note that this is for the campaign game, which may be overwhelming for new folks even with the advice Sardaukar provides in the AAR.

2. If you'd like, I'll walk you through a small scenario - something like Coral Sea - either by PBEM, or by playing with you on the same team vs the AI, where I'll send you a turn with the orders I've issued along with a brief explanation of why I issued the orders I did, and you'd be welcome to ask questions. Send me a PM if you'd like to try either of these out.

[JeffroK]

Qickshot has the best way to learn.

[mantrain]

2. If you'd like, I'll walk you through a small scenario - something like Coral Sea - either by PBEM, or by playing with you on the same team vs the AI, where I'll send you a turn with the orders I've issued along with a brief explanation of why I issued the orders I did, and you'd be welcome to ask questions. Send me a PM if you'd like to try either of these out.

Thank you so much for your generous offer. At this point I will review the AAR. Then as I go along I will follow up with some questions. Thanks again.

[mantrain]

Well, the first question I have going through this AAR, is what to do with all the aircraft outside the theatre of operations? The AAR says to assign tasks, such as ASW, but what good is that if the units are in San Diego? I thought to transfer some units to other bases but the options to transfer them into the eastern pacific realm, like Pear Harbor, was not an option. So I thought to put some units on ships, and when I went to click on that option no ships showed up. Perhaps I need to re-base the airunits to nearby ports that have the available shipping? thanks again!

[Quixote]

1. ASW, or at least search, will be useful even in the San Diego area when Japanese subs start showing up there looking for the convoys you should be sending from the US to Pearl Harbor and beyond.
2. Putting aside the utility of ASW in San Diego, you still want your air groups doing something in the grand campaign so that the pilots in those groups can gain experience. No activity or training, no experience gain, which is why Sardauker recommends what he does.
3. Most of your air units don't have the range to fly from the West Coast to Pearl by themselves, which is why you don't have this option. Most of the ones that do have the range are currently restricted to the US, so you won't see the option to transfer them to Pearl either. You can free up these units over time by spending Political Points. Until you can buy them out, ,though, you may as well make them as productive as possible within their current theater.
4. To ship unrestricted units, whether air or ground, first move them to a port. When this is done, create a TF in that port (transport TF, or in some cases an amphibious TF), then select the load option and select the unit you want to transport. There are no options on air units (or ground units either) to "auto-ship" to on-map bases out of range - you have to assemble the shipping yourself, load the unit(s) yourself, and send the loaded TF on it's way yourself.

[Oldguard1970]

Hello Mantrain,

You're getting good advice here. Please allow me to add two other thoughts.

Mechanics: One of the first problems is HOW does one do anything. (How do I assign air missions? How do I form task forces? How do I control supply? etc.) A new player is often stumped. My advice is to play a small scenario against the AI. Do not worry about "winning". Use the exercise as a way to develop a modest understanding of mechanics. Run a turn or two focusing only on air missions. Start over. Run a turn or two only using ships. Start over. Run a turn or two to transfer units, use PP (political points) to change leaders and HQ, and fiddle with logistics. Start over. As Japan, fiddle with the Economy. Start over and try to put it all together.

When you are stumped with the mechanics, use the forum. There are lots of helpful folks out there.

Operations and Strategy: Once you can stumble through the mechanics, the next hurdle is the stunning problem of WHAT to do. Egad! There are so many choices and options! Read the start of a few AARs. Read some of the forum posts about strategy. In my case, my next step was to fire up Scenario One against the AI and try my hand. I blundered and stumbled, and the AI handed me a whole series of painful lessons. I started over several times because my mechanical skills were still too limited. Then I began to get a handle on the game and finally learned how to take on the AI. Whew.

PBEM came next, and the world changed. I have never gotten so many hours of play from any game. The price in money per hour is absurdly low.

Have fun and welcome!

[mantrain]

so at the beginning like this, the first turn, are you literally clicking on every air or ship, even land unit in Allied inventory across the theatres and assigning tasks, whether it be training, recon, or a task force? I guess what I am getting at is, how to you spend all your time in the first turn(s)? Is there something I am supposed to be doing w logistics? This is before UPS, but I know I got to get supplies everywhere. Heck, I want to try and save the Philippine Command. Can I start shipping needed men and material to Manila and Wake, Guam, those places. and Singapore -- can I turn the big guns around to face the jungle?

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: mantrain

so at the beginning like this, the first turn, are you literally clicking on every air or ship, even land unit in Allied inventory across the theatres and assigning tasks, whether it be training, recon, or a task force? I guess what I am getting at is, how to you spend all your time in the first turn(s)? Is there something I am supposed to be doing w logistics? This is before UPS, but I know I got to get supplies everywhere. Heck, I want to try and save the Philippine Command. Can I start shipping needed men and material to Manila and Wake, Guam, those places. and Singapore -- can I turn the big guns around to face the jungle?

You will likely not save the Philipines. The guns there will shoot toward troops invading. There will be a long siege. Troops will starve. The Japanese will take the islands eventually.

Think about first steps first. Align your logistic with your LONG TERM strategy. Don't do anything if it doesn't fit your long term goals, (unless its getting valuable stuff out of harms way in the first few weeks especially).

Start with a small scenario though, first. Coral Sea will teach most of the basics and you can get used to how the turns flow. you'll get your ass handed to you by the AI, but you can always back up and try again.

Notice there are many ships in the ports along the west coast. you have to make transport, cargo, and fuel TFs and load them manually with the stuff you want to send. Then you assign them a destination and they should move there. You may have to assign that as a new home base if the distance is to far and the fuel numbers go red.

The campaign is great, but virtually no one does everything on the first turn. You have to ease your way into it. A bit at a time. And there is a war to wage in the DEI as well.

Good luck!

[mantrain]

wow, still wondering if I should play the tut from the previous version of WITP (SAJ) since the learning curve is deep (to say the least).

[mantrain]

[/quote]
Start with a small scenario though, first. Coral Sea will teach most of the basics and you can get used to how the turns flow. you'll get your ass handed to you by the AI, but you can always back up and try again. [/quote]

Are there any threads/ AARs' out there for dummies that show this scenario? And I mean dummie, literally.

[Icedawg]

mantrain - the best tutorial is getting your butt kicked by the AI for a year or two, followed by breaking even against the AI for another year or two, followed by beating the AI for about 6 months. Along the way, you pretty much figure things out through experience and reading the forum. Once you start beating the AI, you turn to PBEM and start getting your butt kicked again. Which is just about where I am now. [:(]

[mantrain]

When you see year or two, six months, etc, I hope you are referring to game time (ie, each turn is a week, sort of thing) and not real human time.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: mantrain

When you see year or two, six months, etc, I hope you are referring to game time (ie, each turn is a week, sort of thing) and not real human time.

I've played AI grand campaigns on 1-day turns and they took about a year real time each.

[Yaab]

ORIGINAL: mantrain

so at the beginning like this, the first turn, are you literally clicking on every air or ship, even land unit in Allied inventory across the theatres and assigning tasks, whether it be training, recon, or a task force? I guess what I am getting at is, how to you spend all your time in the first turn(s)? Is there something I am supposed to be doing w logistics? This is before UPS, but I know I got to get supplies everywhere. Heck, I want to try and save the Philippine Command. Can I start shipping needed men and material to Manila and Wake, Guam, those places. and Singapore -- can I turn the big guns around to face the jungle?

I wouldn't recommend clicking everything on turn one if you are a perfectionist. I tried this approach and it took me one month in real time to set up everything the way I wanted - makes no sense. After some experimenting I created for myself a quick checklist of what to do on turn one - a short document, only eight pages long in Word, heheh.

On turn one, I would try to expend political points wisely. Fighter airgroups in Phillipines and Pearl Harbor have some really poor leaders ( low Air skill and Inspiration, crucial for number of planes flying). If you want use all the B-17s offensively in Clark Field I would change their poor leaders too.

As for supply, learn how the economy works. If you want to supply Manila, you can probably haul supplies from Sorebaja (ample supply, fast loading times), but you can also haul resources by xAKLs from several bases in Phillipines to feed the light industry in Manila.

[mantrain]

I am surprised so many people love this game. Thing is, games are to enjoy, but if it takes so long to learn, well, surprising so many breached that cliff of required knowledge to enjoy this game.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: mantrain

I am surprised so many people love this game. Thing is, games are to enjoy, but if it takes so long to learn, well, surprising so many breached that cliff of required knowledge to enjoy this game.

The mean age of people playing it is probably about 50. Folks of this age are used to things that take a long time to bake. Careers, marriages, children. This game is nothing. If you're 20 the idea of a single PBEM taking three years or more might be horrifying.

I spent 25 years of my life in formal schooling. I love to learn. I'd say that's true of most people who play AE.

[Tone]

When I first learned of to play this game, I played all the smaller scenarios a number of times. On the Nippon side they have no economies to manage, so are fun and good for tutorials.