Pacific At War 1941-45

[Nemo84]

Tamas, let's not be disingenuous.

Yes, there always is an "AI" even if the PO isn't programmed. It simply won't do much. No coordinated long-distance movement, no objectives, nothing but reshuffling units a bit and attacking those enemies that happen to be adjacent. It's utterly braindead without the PO and not an enjoyable singleplayer experience.

I've played a lot of TOAWIII, so I knew what to expect for the scenarios and considered the scant improvements not worth the price. New players do not know this. The marketing of this sequel on this site and the forums is putting in a lot of effort to emphasize the number and size of scenarios but never mention the limited singleplayer potential of many of those. I can fully understand why some customers are complaining about a bait and switch, and Matrix once agains shows very poor customer support in dismissing these complaints instead of dealing with them in a professional manner.

As for the suggestion to just program a PO ourselves: people don't pay $40 to do the developer's job. And if it were this easy, why didn't Matrix put in the effort?

[Cfant]

I think Nemo84 has a valid point there. You have to keep in mind, that TOAW has no difficulty-option like many other games (e.g. AI has 30% more attack points on hard or something) AND it is very complex. I know no game, where the AI can be a challenge without being boosted. So I don't blame the developers, that the AI is not really good.
I think the fire would be extinguished by the release of a full scenario list with notes like "only PbEM-tested" or "PO for Axis side".

So everyone could decide for himself. Like on battlefiedl - it's all about information [;)]I think most interested people would see, that there ARE lots of scenarios with PO. Some like OP however may be warned. I hope we still can convince him to give TOAW IV a try, as TOAW is worth it. But I really can understand, that people feel not well informed or mislead.

[Titus]

ORIGINAL: Cfant

You have to keep in mind, that TOAW has no difficulty-option like many other games (e.g. AI has 30% more attack points on hard or something) AND it is very complex.

In player options there is AI intelligence option and handicap/cheat human or computer 0/+1/+2 option also.

[jnpoint]

I do not think I will regret buying this game, but I'm somehow angry anyway. I watch a scenarios list for this game and it tells about the BRAND NEW SCENARIOS, and here I can read that there are 'Pacific at war 1941-45', 'world at war 1939-1945' and I look forward to play them against the AI. I couldn't imagine that it was NOT playable as single player. I really thought that it was made by the devs. Why shouldn't I?

[Cfant]

ORIGINAL: Titus
In player options there is AI intelligence option and handicap/cheat human or computer 0/+1/+2 option also.

I've never seen any improvement by this option. [:)] Therefore I didn't mention it.

[Curious]

ORIGINAL: goodwoodrw

I just checked the Pacific WW2 around half the scenarios are for Human to human. This is a lttle disappointing

I don't even see any Pacific WW2 scenarios. They aren't listed with the rest of the WW2 scenarios. Either the Pacific scenarios are hidden or I've gone blind.

p.s. I see that they're listed under Asia WW2, not Pacific. Sorry 'bout that.

[Tamas]

They are in the WW2 Asia folder.

Meanwhile, since this appears to be a concern for several people here, I am working on a document that lists scenarios categorised by recommendation of the designer: AI&PBEM, PBEM only, AI only.

[Titus]

ORIGINAL: Cfant

ORIGINAL: Titus
In player options there is AI intelligence option and handicap/cheat human or computer 0/+1/+2 option also.

I've never seen any improvement by this option. [:)] Therefore I didn't mention it.

You might want to try again, from manual 3.3.3.:
Selecting Human +1 or Human +2 gives increasing advantages (supplies, rest, strength modifiers, etc.) to a human player; selecting Computer +1 or Computer +2 gives the same increasing advantages to the programmed opponent

[Nemo84]

ORIGINAL: Cfant
I think the fire would be extinguished by the release of a full scenario list with notes like "only PbEM-tested" or "PO for Axis side".

So everyone could decide for himself. Like on battlefiedl - it's all about information [;)]I think most interested people would see, that there ARE lots of scenarios with PO. Some like OP however may be warned. I hope we still can convince him to give TOAW IV a try, as TOAW is worth it. But I really can understand, that people feel not well informed or mislead.

Exactly. Simply informing the customer of the product's limitations instead of trying to pretend they don't exist would intantly solve this instead of disgruntling customers.

I think there is also a misconception about what this game really is. Many people see the monster scenarios like Pacific at War 1941-1945 or FitE and think those are what TOAW is all about: an alternative to WitE or WitP. But TOAW doesn't really handle those monster scenarios well. The interface and mechanics aren't well suited for it and neither is the AI (which is why there often is no PO for those scenarios). TOAW is really about smaller operational warfare and single battles: Desert Storm, Korea, the Bulge, Normandy, Kasserine, the Fulda Gap,... This is where the game shines and why it should be bought. And most of those scenarios do have at least one PO.

[Szilard]

ORIGINAL: Nemo84

Tamas, let's not be disingenuous.

Yes, there always is an "AI" even if the PO isn't programmed. It simply won't do much. No coordinated long-distance movement, no objectives, nothing but reshuffling units a bit and attacking those enemies that happen to be adjacent. It's utterly braindead without the PO and not an enjoyable singleplayer experience.

I've played a lot of TOAWIII, so I knew what to expect for the scenarios and considered the scant improvements not worth the price. New players do not know this. The marketing of this sequel on this site and the forums is putting in a lot of effort to emphasize the number and size of scenarios but never mention the limited singleplayer potential of many of those. I can fully understand why some customers are complaining about a bait and switch, and Matrix once agains shows very poor customer support in dismissing these complaints instead of dealing with them in a professional manner.

As for the suggestion to just program a PO ourselves: people don't pay $40 to do the developer's job. And if it were this easy, why didn't Matrix put in the effort?

Agree 100%. A scenario without a PO is almost certainly worthless for single player unless there have been radical changes since 3.4; Matrix claiming otherwise is at best inept; the marketing should have made clear which scenarios are single-player ready.

[basilstaghare]

ORIGINAL: Tamas

They are in the WW2 Asia folder.

Meanwhile, since this appears to be a concern for several people here, I am working on a document that lists scenarios categorized by recommendation of the designer: AI&PBEM, PBEM only, AI only.

Thank you. Thats all I was curious about. I have purchased TOAW I - III so understand that many scenarios are designed by fans, including my old favorite, "Europe Aflame" which I played PBEM for 2 years with a friend. I like the larger scenarios and only play solo these days so was wondering. A list of AI capable scenarios would be great. Thanks.

[Tamas]

Here you go:

tm.asp?m=4378959&mpage=1&key=&#4378959