Matrixgames Warplan Pacific

Started by steve58, December 06, 2020, 06:00:08 PM

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Boggit

Quote from: rocketman on May 03, 2021, 09:14:58 AM
I don't have the game, but IIRC you can set the AI to play along historical lines or not. However, the AI is more tailored to play as in real life.
It is better according to the designer to play the Allies, and the Japanese are apparently better optimised as the AI. You can still play the Japanese vs the AI, but don't expect the Allied AI to be as good.
The most shocking fact about war is that its victims and its instruments are individual human beings, and that these individual beings are condemned by the monstrous conventions of politics to murder or be murdered in quarrels not their own. Aldous Huxley

Foul Temptress! (Mirth replying to Gus) ;)

On a good day, our legislature has the prestige of a drunk urinating on a wall at 4am and getting most of it on his shoe. On a good day  ::) Steelgrave

It's kind of silly to investigate whether or not a Clinton is lying. That's sort of like investigating why the sky is blue. Banzai_Cat

Boggit

Quote from: Ian C on May 05, 2021, 09:57:48 AM
I wonder how long the reviewer played the game for.
In my experience it takes a while until the game opens up in ways you didn't see at first, making the strategy experience deeper.
Probably a fair while. I have been working on it since the weekend and it is a hard game to get into. By that I mean understanding what is going on. The mechanics are fairly simple, but you need to understand it to make sensible moves and decisions. It is all about the interrelationships between different factors.

Personally, I like it. I found it extremely frustrating when I tried to jump into a game, and only after reading the manual and doing several test games did it all start coming together. There are a few minor things that I think make little sense in the design, but I hope that the designer will pick these up in a patch. Otherwise, it is a good game that balances out a streamlined approach to a massive campaign and bypasses the extreme micromanagement that War in the Pacific can lead to.

Obviously, there are purists who want the detail of WitP, and WarPlan by design is a compromise. That said, I think it is a very good compromise and with a little more polish on a couple of issues will be even better.
The most shocking fact about war is that its victims and its instruments are individual human beings, and that these individual beings are condemned by the monstrous conventions of politics to murder or be murdered in quarrels not their own. Aldous Huxley

Foul Temptress! (Mirth replying to Gus) ;)

On a good day, our legislature has the prestige of a drunk urinating on a wall at 4am and getting most of it on his shoe. On a good day  ::) Steelgrave

It's kind of silly to investigate whether or not a Clinton is lying. That's sort of like investigating why the sky is blue. Banzai_Cat

Boggit

Quote from: Toonces on May 05, 2021, 01:00:47 PM
I haven't picked this up yet, but I definitely plan to soon. 

I'll always hold up WiTP:AE as the gold standard for a Pacific Theater wargame, but I think I'm liking the idea of abstracting some of the stuff out.  Honestly, logistics is/was such a huge part of the Pacific War but man alive is it tedious to manage in WiTP.  I might really like streamlining it to simple lines of supply like traditional board wargames. 

I haven't been on the Matrix forums but I would imagine this is getting some discussion on the WiTP:AE forum; I'd be curious their thoughts.  They can be a tough crowd.
I suspect that it will hit that sweet spot for you. It is quite an elegant and streamlined game. It does have some very minor issues, but overall I think it is good. O0
The most shocking fact about war is that its victims and its instruments are individual human beings, and that these individual beings are condemned by the monstrous conventions of politics to murder or be murdered in quarrels not their own. Aldous Huxley

Foul Temptress! (Mirth replying to Gus) ;)

On a good day, our legislature has the prestige of a drunk urinating on a wall at 4am and getting most of it on his shoe. On a good day  ::) Steelgrave

It's kind of silly to investigate whether or not a Clinton is lying. That's sort of like investigating why the sky is blue. Banzai_Cat

Boggit

Quote from: berto on May 03, 2021, 01:17:22 PM
Quote from: devoncop on May 02, 2021, 03:42:58 PM
Okinawa is a very short tutorial campaign/scenario with less than 20  units per side

It is interesting that WPP supports such wide differences in map scale.  Contrast how large Okinawa is in the Okinawa tutorial scenario with the much, much smaller (one hex? two hexes?) Okinawa in the full-war campaign scenarios.

I hope that, without too much difficulty, ordinary users/modders can create new, smaller scenarios like the Okinawa one.  So that WPP can have a long line-up of "battle" scenarios much like Order of Battle has.

Although I don't see any such community-made scenarios for the original WarPlan.  Maybe I missed them.  (An Operation Husky scenario was attempted, but seems to have been abandoned.  Not a good sign.)
A lot of liberties were taken with the Okinawa campaign in terms of scale.

I've played it, and won first time as the Allies, and it leaves out a lot of stuff in the main campaign game. It's an OK scenario which showcases the flexibility of the editor. There isn't an official tutorial, but essentially this is probably the best/nearest thing to one.

The game is really designed more for the larger campaigns where the 50nm per hex, two weeks per turn scale is much better. WarPlan is more geared up to a strategic/grand operational game, rather than for smaller battles.

For sure you can do them, but I suspect there are better games to handle these if you want the detail and flexibility required to depict smaller battles and campaigns.
The most shocking fact about war is that its victims and its instruments are individual human beings, and that these individual beings are condemned by the monstrous conventions of politics to murder or be murdered in quarrels not their own. Aldous Huxley

Foul Temptress! (Mirth replying to Gus) ;)

On a good day, our legislature has the prestige of a drunk urinating on a wall at 4am and getting most of it on his shoe. On a good day  ::) Steelgrave

It's kind of silly to investigate whether or not a Clinton is lying. That's sort of like investigating why the sky is blue. Banzai_Cat

WallysWorld

So I'm sitting on my Matrix anniversary coupon for 47% off and debating whether to get both Warplan games. I already have TOAW IV and the Strategic Commandand was wondering if it's almost redundant to get Warplan?
"I used to be with it, but then they changed what *it* was. Now what I'm with isn't *it* and what *it* is seems weird and scary to me." - Abraham Simpson

Ian C

Quote from: WallysWorld on May 31, 2021, 05:00:49 PM
I already have TOAW IV and the Strategic Commandand was wondering if it's almost redundant to get Warplan?

I'd say Warplan is the best tabletop-style European WW2 game out there.

It has a classic boardgame feel to it that the others don't and I think it's got the best supply and logistics system I've seen in games of this type so far and it plays very well. Definitely a one-more turn game.

Just my opinion  -anyone else?





nelmsm

I thought WarPlan Europe was way better then Strategic Command.  I've got the Pacific game but haven't opened it up yet.  Strategy Gaming Dojo is doing a tutorial series plus a series of a PBEM game he is playing.  Watch those and see what you think.

al_infierno

Quote from: nelmsm on June 02, 2021, 05:57:35 PM
I thought WarPlan Europe was way better then Strategic Command.  I've got the Pacific game but haven't opened it up yet.  Strategy Gaming Dojo is doing a tutorial series plus a series of a PBEM game he is playing.  Watch those and see what you think.

+1 on all accounts
A War of a Madman's Making - a text-based war planning and political survival RPG

It makes no difference what men think of war, said the judge.  War endures.  As well ask men what they think of stone.  War was always here.  Before man was, war waited for him.  The ultimate trade awaiting its ultimate practitioner.  That is the way it was and will be.  That way and not some other way.
- Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian


If they made nothing but WWII games, I'd be perfectly content.  Hypothetical matchups from alternate history 1980s, asymmetrical US-bashes-some-3rd world guerillas, or minor wars between Upper Bumblescum and outer Kaboomistan hold no appeal for me.
- Silent Disapproval Robot


I guess it's sort of nice that the word "tactical" seems to refer to some kind of seriousness during your moments of mental clarity.
- MengJiao

WallysWorld

Thanks for the opinions. I might wait for the next Matrix sale and then combine the sale with my coupon and get both games.
"I used to be with it, but then they changed what *it* was. Now what I'm with isn't *it* and what *it* is seems weird and scary to me." - Abraham Simpson

steve58

Quote from: WallysWorld on June 03, 2021, 03:41:22 PM
Thanks for the opinions. I might wait for the next Matrix sale and then combine the sale with my coupon and get both games.

Not sure when the next MG sale is, so just an fyi: Matrixgames anniversary coupons expire after 30 days.
Government is not the solution to our problem—government is the problem.   Ronald Reagan
The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.   Thomas Jefferson
During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.   George Orwell  The truth is quiet...It's the lies that are loud.   Jesus Revolution
If you ever find yourself in need of a safe space then you're probably going to have to stop calling yourself a social justice warrior. You cannot be a warrior and a pansy at the same time   Mike Adams (RIP Mike)

WallysWorld

When I add the coupon to my cart for the Matrix store, it happily accepts it and gives me the discount. I got the coupon months ago.
"I used to be with it, but then they changed what *it* was. Now what I'm with isn't *it* and what *it* is seems weird and scary to me." - Abraham Simpson

steve58

 ???  Well I want your coupon.  My MG anniversary coupons are always only good for 30 days.
Government is not the solution to our problem—government is the problem.   Ronald Reagan
The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.   Thomas Jefferson
During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.   George Orwell  The truth is quiet...It's the lies that are loud.   Jesus Revolution
If you ever find yourself in need of a safe space then you're probably going to have to stop calling yourself a social justice warrior. You cannot be a warrior and a pansy at the same time   Mike Adams (RIP Mike)