I don't think I'm smart enough for this game

[Ridcully70]

I bought this game a couple of weeks ago and been trying to get into it. A big mistake. This game had turned my brain into a pile of mush. It's so complex and hard to grasp it's beyond my puny mortal comprehension. You can move units and attack. And then you can use strategic movement to move elsewhere. Or you can use strategic movement first and then move and attack. And if that wasn't stupefying enough, you can use other units on the map to do that before or after that unit. The possibilities are astronomical.

The most phenomenal thing about is the detail though. Planes have different armaments and speeds. Adding bombs to a plane will reduce maneuverability. Tanks have different armor thickness for front sides and rear. People have fatigue levels, planes and vehicles have damage levels....and it's all done....... in percentages. It's insane. None of this low/ medium/ high stuff, a guy can be 3% fatigued, 26% fatigued, 45% fatigued or even higher. Incredible. Think of the dilemmas. Should you send up a guy with 48% fatigue in a bomber with 34% damage with only 80% escort cover in poor weather? There's a 32% chance he won't come back. It's just like fighting a real war.

Clearly this is the most insanely deep computer wargame ever created and I have no hope of ever mastering it. It's a real man's game.[&o] I should stick to sissy games like Hearts of Iron, Operational Art of War or Tac Ops.

[Searry]

If you keep at it, you'll learn it slowly. It absolutely destroys my brain.

[cfulbright]

We all learned, and there's still more to learn and tune after six years. Keep at it.

Cary

[overkill01]

It takes time and patience to learn, but it is very rewarding after a while. Don't give up.
While I play WitW I also save some time to play some other casual game, just to relax a bit.

IMO war in the pacific AE is even harder.

[loki100]

in my view, the best way in is via the scenarios.

Breakout is good as it really focusses on ground combat with limited options. Either Market Garden or WestWall are good as they will teach you a lot about the logistics game.

In both, you can start with the air war fully automated - just ignore it.

Then there are a range of ways to mix automation with manual input, down to the level where you choose load outs, plane allocation to mission, mission height and flightpaths.

Once you feel that essentially tactical movement and combat are under some control, try one of the Strat air war scenarios. Don't fuss about the VP side, just get used to setting up air directives, thinking about the logic of sustaining your attacks - try things out ... ignore fatigue - what happens? Bomb 3 days a week - what happens?

I know the Husky scenario is set up as the intro but I'd leave that a while, it has invasions and para drops etc.

in general for the air war, esp if you are playing the AI, find your own happy spot between control and automation.

when you start a campaign, you'll find with the allies that the strategic air war is the main thing up to an invasion of France - so you might want to manage this closely at those stages and then automate later on. Its a huge game but lots of ways to break it down.

[rysgame]

I feel you man. I've started and restarted and restarted campaigns again and again because I'll limp along to mid-late '44 and then learn something new, and realize "Huh, if I had known that from the start, this would of been way easier." I've found this game can be as simple or as insanely in depth as you want it to be.

[Blond_Knight]

I know Im not smart enough for this game.
I think Im going to finally pull out the hardback manual and try to figure out how to play.

[xhoel]

It is a very hard to learn game, but once you learn it, it is a beauty. You will be learning new things all the time as the game has so much to offer. However in the beginning just start with the smaller scenarios and dont pay attention to all of the details, otherwise your brain will turn to goop. Focus on the important parts and then slowly you can learn about all the other things.

The most important thing is to keep at it and don't give up. Trust me, it is worth it!

Cheers!

[cfulbright]

What do you feel you're missing?

Cary

[LarryP]

ORIGINAL: Ridcully70

I bought this game a couple of weeks ago and been trying to get into it. A big mistake. This game had turned my brain into a pile of mush. It's so complex and hard to grasp it's beyond my puny mortal comprehension. You can move units and attack. And then you can use strategic movement to move elsewhere. Or you can use strategic movement first and then move and attack. And if that wasn't stupefying enough, you can use other units on the map to do that before or after that unit. The possibilities are astronomical.

The most phenomenal thing about is the detail though. Planes have different armaments and speeds. Adding bombs to a plane will reduce maneuverability. Tanks have different armor thickness for front sides and rear. People have fatigue levels, planes and vehicles have damage levels....and it's all done....... in percentages. It's insane. None of this low/ medium/ high stuff, a guy can be 3% fatigued, 26% fatigued, 45% fatigued or even higher. Incredible. Think of the dilemmas. Should you send up a guy with 48% fatigue in a bomber with 34% damage with only 80% escort cover in poor weather? There's a 32% chance he won't come back. It's just like fighting a real war.

Clearly this is the most insanely deep computer wargame ever created and I have no hope of ever mastering it. It's a real man's game.[&o] I should stick to sissy games like Hearts of Iron, Operational Art of War or Tac Ops.

You have me laughing so hard! I can relate 110%. I've tried getting into this game and the eastern version before this, and I always give up. Now I am trying again, probably just to quit gain. [&:][8D]

[cfulbright]

Don't give up! And there are many of us here in this forum to share experience and advice.

I've been playing the game now for seven years. A 1943 Campaign game typically takes five months just to get to the invasion of Northern Europe. I've probably run through 8-10 games over those seven years. Keep learning new tricks, sometimes trial-and-error, other times from people on this forum.

Cary

[Gilmer]

You think that's bad? I just started a Let's Play and got completely owned on the landing in Normandy. I set up the invasions and landed just fine. But they were kicking my rear almost from the beginning!!

And I'm beginning to think letting the AI run the war is a foolish man's way to play, but I am completely clueless about the air war.