Question

[coachi]

I have witw and enjoy it. Although sometimes the air war can be a pain. I’ve thought about this game but am overwhelmed listening to the post. Does one need a PhD in WWII to play this or can it be fun without knowing every single plane. Etc

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: coachi

I have witw and enjoy it. Although sometimes the air war can be a pain. I’ve thought about this game but am overwhelmed listening to the post. Does one need a PhD in WWII to play this or can it be fun without knowing every single plane. Etc

As long as you do not expect to play a perfect game you can have fun from the start. There is a lot to learn about game mechanics and strategies, let alone the technical details of aircraft and firepower ratings of various units. It takes only a few weeks to feel like you have an idea how to make things happen but it takes much longer to feel you can arrange things to challenge another player. There are short scenarios with limited forces involved to help you get started.

Bottom line, if you like lots of detail and organizing huge undertakings like preparing an island invasion, you will enjoy the game. If you want things to happen fast and resolve quickly, you will probably find the game too long. Most of the long-term players here actually enjoy the logistics - getting the units, supply and fuel where you need it can feel like a small victory each time you succeed.

[Leandros]

A little training goes a long way....[:)]....Even if I read the manual extensively before my couple of first games I still learnt an incredible number of things when actually playing it.

Fred

[zuluhour]

He said perfect game....[:D]

[rustysi]

ORIGINAL: zuluhour

He said perfect game....[:D]

No such thing.[;)]

[pmelheck1]

This is a fun game if your interested in the subject. Also it can whet your appetite to learn more of aircraft and ships. The ground war is secondary as the primary focus of this game is ships and aircraft. It's different in this game watching enemy attack aircraft bomb and torpedo your carriers knowing how precious they are and knowing how few if any are in the pipeline and the next carrier to be produced might be days or up to a year and a half away

[m10bob]

The best way to learn the game for me was to "restart" every single time I learned something new.
I probably did 20 or so of these before I got past 6 months of game time.

The game just has so many great features, it will become second nature to you and is such a great learning tool.

You do NOT need to be a history nut to play the game, and this forum has many great people willing to help you with any single question you might conjure!

[GamesaurusRex]

If you are a "Grognard"... you will love it.
If not... you may be overwhelmed by it.
It depends upon what you are looking for in a game.
Personally, I freely admit to being a Grognard.

For the unwashed among us... and because even some of the current definitions of "Grognard" floating about are lacking...

DEFINITION : "Grognard"

A reference describing that "type" of gamer who is generally attracted by games of great complexity, wherein the modeling and operating rules and mechanics reflect a high degree of reality. Additionally, these gamers are often more ardent about the degree to which a game's rules and mechanics properly reflect reality. As a result, they are often viewed as "Grognards"... the French word for "Grumblers" or, "complainers"... and this is the piece of the definition of Grognards that seems to be often overlooked in recent definitions one finds.

It is important because it is the actual source for the derivation of the word. "Les Grognard" was originally a French term referring to members of the "Old Guard" in Napoleon's day who, having much experience in combat and time spent in "La Grande Armee", had very definite opinions about how battles and operations should be carried out. When their orders from High Command differed from their own sense of the proper approach to military situations, these experienced and opinionated veterans were often outspoken about it. Ergo, "Grognards"... or in english, "Grumblers".

[pbiggar]

Edit - I misread your post. You are WitW player, not War in the Pacific. I will leave comments below for anyone former WITP players.
To original poster - if you enjoy the Pacific Theatre,ships, planes and naval battles I suggest you give this a go.

======================================================================================================

I too played the original WITP a ton years ago. I have played WITP AE off and on for 3 years or so now. My short answer is that you will probably enjoy this game as well if you can get over the interface learning curve.

I remember when I started to play AE I knew what I wanted to do, but was stuck trying to figure out how to execute. I expect this will be your biggest challenge. The interface is not intuitive and time needs to be invested to learn it. Learning the interface is not rewarding - planning and executing amphibious invasions and having carrier battles is. The only way to get to the good stuff is be prepared for the investment in learning.

Tips that helped me learn:
1) Watch the you tube videos about how to do basic stuff - create a task force, make an air strike etc.
2) Play very small scenarios with the intent of learning how to do the basics
3) Start and restart the full campaign a few times

Most of the detail in forums is very advanced complexity that will keep you interested in the game for years as you will discover deeper levels of sophistication, but you do not need to play at that level to have good rich experience like you did with the original WITP.

In my experience, I loved WITP, and I appreciate the deeper complexity of AE version and active community. I get to do all the stuff I loved about WITP, but in a richer environment.

Welcome aboard!!

[dasboot1960]

I too hark from the old paper and cardboard days, and suppose myself a'grognard'. The worst of which was the 'lawyer grognard' who tried to argur every if, and but, comma and semi-colon within the rules to his favor(or hers). On definite positive of the computer game is. The rules just are!

[Hermit]

ORIGINAL: rustysi

ORIGINAL: zuluhour

He said perfect game....[:D]

No such thing.[;)]

Really? I've had several perfect games... if you count perfect fiasco's!! [8D]

[crsutton]

Well, if you really want to know fully about the War in the Pacific, I contend that you almost have to play this game. History books are great for detail but I learn best from visual images and now understand why so many things happened they way they did. I thought I knew a great deal about the Pacific conflict. But would have never understood it like I do now without experiencing this simulation. Just knowing the geography alone is worth the cost. So, yes it is a pain to master but has been well worth it for me.

That aside, there is also some satisfaction to be had in sinking some poor bastard's carriers. [;)]

[Lecivius]

ORIGINAL: GamesaurusRex
For the unwashed among us... and because even some of the current definitions of "Grognard" floating about are lacking...

Hey, I take showers! Every 3 months, religiously!! [;)][:D][:'(]

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Lecivius

ORIGINAL: GamesaurusRex
For the unwashed among us... and because even some of the current definitions of "Grognard" floating about are lacking...

Hey, I take showers! Every 3 months, religiously!! [;)][:D][:'(]

Religiously? Does that mean you pray you do not clog the drain when you take that shower? Or you pray that no one turns on the hot or cold water in another room ...

[Korvar]

ORIGINAL: crsutton

Well, if you really want to know fully about the War in the Pacific, I contend that you almost have to play this game. History books are great for detail but I learn best from visual images and now understand why so many things happened they way they did. I thought I knew a great deal about the Pacific conflict. But would have never understood it like I do now without experiencing this simulation. Just knowing the geography alone is worth the cost. So, yes it is a pain to master but has been well worth it for me.

+1


The game provides a framework and context for everything you read in books / on the internet, and more importantly that context provides reasoning for your brain to retain the information instead of discarding it. Before WitP:AE, I knew the broad strokes of the Pacific War - Midway and the like, but nowhere near the detail I do now - to the point I've had a WW2 historian recently make the comment in conversation "you know what you're talking about". That said, there is still a bunch to learn.

Keep in mind that the game isn't 100% accurate - it is a game after all, not a WW2 simulator. For example, there's no such location as "Shortlands" IRL (i.e. the game base on the south tip of Bougainville in the Solomon Islands). That in-game base is actually a combination of the real base of Buin combined with the neighboring Shortland Islands. Yet the game is close enough most of the time to be of benefit.

If you can supplement the game with books as well as museums (if you have access to any), it will help even more. Not much beats standing on the bridge of an Iowa class battleship, the hangar deck of a WW2 carrier, or seeing three Japanese Zeroes fly in formation. You should be able to access books at least, and if you don't have any museums/monuments nearby, then find out where they are and let them influence your choice of future vacation destinations.

[Lecivius]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: Lecivius

ORIGINAL: GamesaurusRex
For the unwashed among us... and because even some of the current definitions of "Grognard" floating about are lacking...

Hey, I take showers! Every 3 months, religiously!! [;)][:D][:'(]

Religiously? Does that mean you pray you do not clog the drain when you take that shower? Or you pray that no one turns on the hot or cold water in another room ...

Means I pray I don't loose my mind as the dirt swirls down the drain. [:'(]

[LargeSlowTarget]

The game has all sorts of abstractions which makes things easier than it was IRL. As Kovar mentioned, in the game the Shortlands is just one base that can be build into a medium-sized airbase and port. For game purposes that's all you need to know about that location. You don't need to know that this base actually represent the RL Japanese seaplane base in the channel between Shortland Is. and Fasie Is., a small airfield at Ballale Is. (the destination of Yamamoto's last flight), and a good-sized protected anchorage with minimum port facilities - all this in the Shortlands Islands group - plus a small airfield near Buin in southern Bougainville, which is also know as Kahili airbases. This level of detail is not modelled in the game, so do not feel overwhelmed by postings on the forum, where knowledgable grognards are in abundance.

[GetAssista]

War is about logistics. This is an underappreciated concept IMO (not on this forum ofc), and WITP is a perfect game to ram it in.

[wegman58]

ORIGINAL: Korvar

ORIGINAL: crsutton

Well, if you really want to know fully about the War in the Pacific, I contend that you almost have to play this game. History books are great for detail but I learn best from visual images and now understand why so many things happened they way they did. I thought I knew a great deal about the Pacific conflict. But would have never understood it like I do now without experiencing this simulation. Just knowing the geography alone is worth the cost. So, yes it is a pain to master but has been well worth it for me.

+1


The game provides a framework and context for everything you read in books / on the internet, and more importantly that context provides reasoning for your brain to retain the information instead of discarding it. Before WitP:AE, I knew the broad strokes of the Pacific War - Midway and the like, but nowhere near the detail I do now - to the point I've had a WW2 historian recently make the comment in conversation "you know what you're talking about". That said, there is still a bunch to learn.

Keep in mind that the game isn't 100% accurate - it is a game after all, not a WW2 simulator. For example, there's no such location as "Shortlands" IRL (i.e. the game base on the south tip of Bougainville in the Solomon Islands). That in-game base is actually a combination of the real base of Buin combined with the neighboring Shortland Islands. Yet the game is close enough most of the time to be of benefit.

If you can supplement the game with books as well as museums (if you have access to any), it will help even more. Not much beats standing on the bridge of an Iowa class battleship, the hangar deck of a WW2 carrier, or seeing three Japanese Zeroes fly in formation. You should be able to access books at least, and if you don't have any museums/monuments nearby, then find out where they are and let them influence your choice of future vacation destinations.

You make me feel old. I remember sharing a pier with USS NEW JERSEY. It is BIG. Not as big as a super-carrier, but BIG!

[Zorch]

ORIGINAL: Lecivius

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: Lecivius




Hey, I take showers! Every 3 months, religiously!! [;)][:D][:'(]

Religiously? Does that mean you pray you do not clog the drain when you take that shower? Or you pray that no one turns on the hot or cold water in another room ...

Means I pray I don't loose my mind as the dirt swirls down the drain. [:'(]

Which way does the water swirl around the drain if you're on the equator?