Missing a classical style WWI video-wargame

Gusington · February 13, 2012, 03:23:52 PM

Any of you play War Plan Orange? I've been interested in that game since it's release but haven't bought it. Is it hard to get into?

LongBlade · February 13, 2012, 03:46:46 PM

Quote from: Gusington on February 13, 2012, 03:23:52 PM
Any of you play War Plan Orange? I've been interested in that game since it's release but haven't bought it. Is it hard to get into?

I have not played it. IIRC it's a more limited version based on War in the Pacific's engine.

Gusington · February 13, 2012, 03:48:58 PM

^Yes and that's one of the reasons why I am interested in it. Besides the era of course.

Bismarck · February 13, 2012, 03:52:33 PM

It's fairly intricate but not unplayable. I'd compare it to Uncommon Valor. Same engine as WitP but manageable scenarios.

LongBlade · February 13, 2012, 03:53:07 PM

I have played through a few initial turns of War in the Pacific.

IMHO the game isn't so complex as to be beyond mere mortals to play. It is simply the same thing across an enormous expanse that is the PTO.

WPO takes place before the advent of air power, so you won't have CAPs and the like to deal with, which will simplify things for you. Probably enough to make it a complex wargame, but not enough to make it overwhelming.

Bismarck · February 13, 2012, 06:12:18 PM

No, you have a couple of carriers in WPO and land-based stuff.

Gusington · February 13, 2012, 08:37:48 PM

Land based stuff eh? Like what?

Bismarck · February 13, 2012, 09:03:19 PM

Pretty ineffective bombers deHavlin DH-4s, etc.

Gusington · February 13, 2012, 09:07:16 PM

^Very interesting.

Staggerwing · February 13, 2012, 09:38:14 PM

Quote from: Bismarck on February 13, 2012, 09:03:19 PM
Pretty ineffective bombers deHavlin DH-4s, etc.

The Martin bombers were good enough to sink the SMS Ostfriesland (remember Jimmy Dolittle?) and
there were torpedo bombers being developed in the late 20s that could have sunk capital ships. My
understanding of WPO is that if you train your aircrews mercilessly they will become effective antiship
weapons. My actual experience with the game is limited however.

Gusington · February 13, 2012, 09:42:17 PM

So 1920s era bombers are capable of sinking capital ships in this?

Staggerwing · February 13, 2012, 09:46:35 PM

If they are lucky and well trained. Especially the torp bombers. The AA was primitive on those ships at the time, mostly MGs.

Gusington · February 13, 2012, 09:49:03 PM

Very cool!

JasonPratt · February 14, 2012, 09:08:09 AM

Quote from: Gusington on February 13, 2012, 09:49:03 PM
Very cool!

I've played it a bit, and it is indeed very cool. {g} More capital-ship oriented than air-power, as noted, but the air-power is there. But it's easier to manage than in full-bore WitP (even the original version of it, which is what WPO is based on.)

Production management is more simplified, too. Altogether, WPO is somewhat easier to get into than WitP.

There's a recent mod that introduces the German High Seas fleet and more British power, too.

The game isn't terribly buggy either. Most of the improvements that "Tankerace" (the game's designer) was working on, back in 2008 when his harddrive crashed, were OOB.

I'd say it's still the best (pseudo-)WW1 turn-based "operational" strategy game on the market right now. Although the new releases (from HPS, Slitherine and Battlefront) are pushing hard. (WW1Gold is still the best grand strategy game of the war.)

Ogof · April 20, 2012, 04:57:29 AM

Old thread put good info.
I played Conflict in Vietnam by Microprose on my C64 many years ago.
It is available for free download from an abandobware site.
The game runs in DOS mode.
I have it and works better than on the C64.
Link is...
http://www.myabandonware.com/game/conflict-in-vietnam-7r

Give it a go, I enjoyed the hell out of it.

Cheers

Missing a classical style WWI video-wargame

Ogof