War in the Pacific 2

[alesha93]

Does anyone know if there is any hope of a War in the Pacific 2?

[BBfanboy]

Yes! There is no hope!

[Torplexed]

Yes! There is no hope!

Short but sweet.

The question comes up every few months and the answer is always no. Maybe there should be a sticky?

[dr.hal]

I started playing the board version of this game DECADES ago. I was ecstatic when the computer version came out and then even happier when AE was released. So I would love to see an upgrade, but it's not going to happen as it's no longer cost effective to redo or even upgrade.... sad but true. So in response no.

[Timotheus]

Relax, AI is coming.


It is possible NOW to make an AI opponent for any game, starcraft 2 (which is real time) is already doing this.


Very soon somebody less lazy than me will make an AI opponent for this game.

[joey]

I really wish there would be a WITP 2, but I doubt it will be in my lifetime. The market for such a game is too small to make it profitable. It would have to be done using volunteers. I am not sure there would be enough volunteers to make it possible.
If I knew how to code, I would give it a try. But, that is not my forte.

[CaptBeefheart]

It's simple: Win the lottery, dedicate $10 million and you'll get WITP2.

Cheers,
CB

[Timotheus]

I don't think people realize the power of AI, what it can do now, and to extrapolate it by 2-10 years.

[Platoonist]

Recent game titles solely covering the Pacific War have been much simpler and more abstracted. In terms of sheer detail WitP/AE likely represents a bar too difficult to top nowadays so I doubt we'll ever see a game on the subject quite like it again.

[dr.hal]

Recent game titles solely covering the Pacific War have been much simpler and more abstracted. In terms of sheer detail WitP/AE likely represents a bar too difficult to top nowadays so I doubt we'll ever see a game on the subject quite like it again.

This is an interesting point, well said. It's also related to the question of AI. Yes AI can add unimagined detail, but that must be balanced against human playability. Too simple, no challenge, but too complex is equally off putting. This game is best for ONE person against another. When I was teaching at a military university, I tried to implement this game as a team concept to students in order to learn the value of supply, support and other aspects of the conflict "spear" besides just the pointy end, but the game didn't work well. We tried to build rules for team intra and interaction but it was cumbersome to say the least! So as it stands in its current form, I think the game strikes a good balance on detail, complexity and playability for one on one play.....

[Yaab]

Yes! There is no hope!

[Sardaukar]

[Nazcatraz]

It would cost them $10,000,000 and 5 years to make WITP2 just for 11 people to buy it. That's why it won't happen. Not that I'm dissing WITP lol it's the best computer wargame ever made. It's just very few people actually care about it let alone willing to spend 300 hours just to learn how to play it. Oh what I would do for a WITP2.

[littleike]

WitpAE is a michaelangiolesque construction with a big recourse to the non finite technique
where many sculptors contributed to its execution over time and as every work of art it cannot be easily replied!!

[Rising-Sun]

If they want it so bad, why dont they learn how to make one for themselves? Hundred of people are making games for Steam and other sources.

If you are young, driven and got plenty of time to mess around, go for it. Gotta be smart though and if you hang out with parties, dating, breaking the law and/or get a girl pregnant then probably wont make it.

There are some tools you can get from Steam, to make your own. Some are free and some arent. Now dont message me for details, go look or google it yourself

[haegint]

All that was needed, IMO, is for WITP 2 to bring it onto a modern basis in terms of code and UI, first of all. This is probably much easier said than actually done, TBH. Then improve the game information conveyed to the player with additional reports and statistics screens. I'm roughly thinking of something integrated like the WITP Tracker. Then improve the AI. But me too I have no hope a WITP 2 will ever happen. Commercial interest is probably not there.

Even now I wonder how many copies of WITP were ever sold since first launch and whether it is/was a profitable venture for the devs and publisher. Not sure it was, TBH.

[BBfanboy]

There is the sticky matter of copywrite. The research that led to the database and the way the game engine handles movement and battles are copywrited. The concept of a game with a core engine, random die rolls (within parameters) and a database of input is probably copywrited. It would be hard to design a game that mimic's WITP-AE's look and feel without stepping on some legal doo-doo.

[actrade]

All that was needed, IMO, is for WITP 2 to bring it onto a modern basis in terms of code and UI, first of all. This is probably much easier said than actually done, TBH. Then improve the game information conveyed to the player with additional reports and statistics screens. I'm roughly thinking of something integrated like the WITP Tracker. Then improve the AI. But me too I have no hope a WITP 2 will ever happen. Commercial interest is probably not there.

Even now I wonder how many copies of WITP were ever sold since first launch and whether it is/was a profitable venture for the devs and publisher. Not sure it was, TBH.

WAs going to make the same point. Everything thing for WITP2 is already here, just need a few more user friendly reports (like Tracker), better AI and UI and make the installation process modern (with clickable/chooseable menu options for graphic settings and the like) and that's really all that is needed. If Matrix ever decided to open source the code to allow for modding, I would think much if not all of this could be done by the community.

[Yaab]

At this point, even an updated manual would be enough for me.

[btd64]

At this point, even an updated manual would be enough for me.

....GP