Matrix Games Forums

I truly feel that the most important ally in any pc wargame is the interface. When I buy a game I rarely think about it, however.

Case in point, WiTP&AE, I love the content, love the setting and love the idea of mass control over fleets etc, indeed my imagination goes wild about it. But where I run into trouble is the user interface and I believe I have more fun thinking about it than playing it. I feel as though even though I know what I want to do in a given situation, it is a fight and a struggle to get there. Getting an overall picture of the situation feels difficult and maneuvering individual units sometimes feels tedious rather than empowering. I still play in spite of this but I am aware of it when I think about opening it for another turn against the AI.

WiTE succeeds here magnificently. I opened up the game and started pushing counters around immediately having a relatively gratifying experience. Information was conveyed using all the tools at hand, with colors, side panels and popups. While I didn't know what much of it meant, I was confident I could pick it up in time by RTFM and forums. As I progressed through turns 3 and 4 I dug deeper into supply, leadership and support. These made sense as I learned about them. I began to feel powerful and competent as I thrust my formations against and around the enemy, utilizing the terrain and logistics to work for me. Vast amounts of information is funneled successfully to the user. In fact, I am no longer a user, I am commander, a genius, a war hero! No, indeed, what makes this experience feel that way is the interface allows me to visualize what I want to do and helps me get there. The formation colors, the HQ system, the way support and airpower is handled are all crafted brilliantly to assist me. When I make a mistake it is because *I* made it, not because I was busy fighting a difficult interface.

I post this for two reasons. One, for those who are fearful of the large scope of this game. Two, as positive reinforcement for those designers in charge of UI specifically. I thank you and dedicate my next "masterful" victory to you! Obviously a game like this is a team effort and they have all done superbly to create, design, implement and support this endeavor.

Thanks again,

Josh

Yup the interface is very good and the game handles very well

this game is a piece of art, one can only hope that more games like War In The East become available for we all, i think for me when/at least, better than a portray or picture or even music, just want to make a post in agree with all said here,
 
have my best regards,
 
Murat30.

Hear Hear - If WiTP had an interface like this my copy would not be sat on the hard drive shelf

And I know for a fact that the next one is War in the West and after that a WW3 Cold War game.

Hold on - Firiday Night - Glass or 2 of red wine - Dreaming......

ORIGINAL: LuckyJim1010
a WW3 Cold War game.

That would be a rather boring game... All you need on that game is the American/Soviet President/General Secretary... and the buttons which trigger the Doomsday devices... A big kaboom ok, but that´s all. Then bring WW4: sticks & stones. That would be more interesting [8D]

EDITED: as for the interface on WitP AE I think you are exagerating [:)]

Well the most important ally in WW2 was Italy. It allowed a third front and the defeat of Germany...

ORIGINAL: TulliusDetritus

ORIGINAL: LuckyJim1010
a WW3 Cold War game.

That would be a rather boring game... All you need on that game is the American/Soviet President/General Secretary... and the buttons which trigger the Doomsday devices... A big kaboom ok, but that´s all. Then bring WW4: sticks & stones. That would be more interesting [8D]

EDITED: as for the interface on WitP AE I think you are exagerating [:)]

A WW3 game would be boring ? Huh ? What about in a post peak oil world like ours since 2008 when we past peak oil which is the very cause of the current economico-geo-political crisis? Look:

- controlling oil fields and oil routes.
- Controlling gaz and uunconventional oil
- mastering the population through media propaganda and police state (including implementing full body scanners and a NAZI TSA) .
- fighting the internet freedom (putting in jail activists)
- War in irak, Iran, Pakistan, in North Korea
- developing new weapons including weather weapons (like HAARP)
- saving shrinking economics due to reduction of oil outputs
- preparing war against russia and china
- sending economic hitmen in IMF and wORLD BANK controlled countries
- saving the (doomed) soldier EURO
- Building a large Empire army called NATO

and much more !

Did you say boring ?

I think most gamers want to recreate history not make it...