ORIGINAL: Larac
I know alot of folks really like it, and I am thinking about getting it.
The price of course makes me slow down a bit, but from what I read it seems to be worth it.
Fixed incomes are not good for gamers.
Can a few folks give me a line or two on what WITP does so well every wargamer into WWII should play it?
I guess I am trying to talk myself into it and need a little help, spending 100USD on a computer game, as if if get it I'll need that manual
Thanks for the help
Lee
Just to add the perspective of a newbie –
I come to WitP: AE as a Hearts of Iron 3 refugee. Bought HoI3 the day it came out, and was a huge fan of the series. But I’ve shelved it for now, and I suspect for several months to come. Even after hotfixes and a major patch, the game is plagued by major bugs and a lobotomized AI. It’s simply not fun in its current state.
So, feeling the need for a grand WWII strategy game, I started to look more & more into WitP. I had the same hesitations as you. “$100 for a single game? Hearts of Iron was only $40. And it sounds almost unbelievably complicated. I’m a WW2 enthusiast, very knowledgeable and have played many WW2 computer games… But can’t claim to be a true grognard…”
I hemmed & hawed for a couple of weeks. Then, feeling plenty bored by not being able to play the deep WWII strategy game I had expected in HoI3, I bought WitP: AE.
Let me be completely honest. When I fired it up for the first time and looked & clicked around the map and UI idly for a few minutes, I had an initial pang of buyer’s remorse. “Uh oh… $100 for this?? The task force icons on the map look like something out of Atari’s “Combat.”
So, just so you’re prepared if you do buy it: if you think the gfx of Paradox titles are lackluster, be prepared to be taken aback by the no-frills look of WitP.
But of course, as I’m sure everyone in this forum will attest: judge a strategy game not by its graphics. Agreed. I personally think HoI3, for example, looks really great. But right now it’s a Porsche with a VW Bug’s engine (…notice the pun on “bug”). WitP is by contrast a humble looking Ford Focus with a V10 600 horsepower 6 liter turbo.
In other words, it’s all in the guts. And to be honest, the look of WitP has definitely grown on me. The thumbnails of the aircraft – and there are *a lot* of models -- are especially pleasing.
And if you do wind up buying WitP, a piece of friendly advice: PAY THE EXTRA $$ FOR THE PHYSICAL SOFTWARE **WITH THE MANUAL.** I’m glad I did.
You cannot play this game without thoroughly reading the manual. And I for one cannot read 300+ pages in PDF form. Yes, the manual is 300+ pages.
In fact, reading the manual is what turned my initial gut-reaction disappointment into genuine fascination. The manual really is fascinating. It’s incredibly well documented. And once you get a sense of all the things you can – and have – to do in this game, you will probably get hooked, as I am starting to be.
There truly are things in WitP that can make Hearts of Iron feel like Risk by comparison. It’s *that* deep.
The one thing I’m wondering now is… How am I going to find time to play this beast? It’s absorbingly time-consuming. Your first turn especially so – you have a lot of Task Forces and missions to assign in the first turn (if you want). I’ve made a few aborted efforts on the ‘grand campaign’ and have just begun a new one with the new patch. Let’s put it this way – I’ve spent hours setting up my first move – I still have more to go – and I haven’t pressed “End Turn” yet.
So I’m hoping the pace will pick up a little after the first couple of turns… But, end of story: I’ve put away HoI3, and I’m not missing it at all. WitP has definitely sucked me into its vortex of OOB’s and convoy assignments...
