WitP:AE

[Mad Russian]

So then, is there a Pacific War game out there that doesn't track every boot and shell?

What is the best Pacific War computer game available that's not a monster to try to play?

Good Hunting.

MR

Which of these do you recommend?

Good Hunting.

MR

There is also Battlefront's Strategic Command WW2 Pacific Theater (this is a Demo but beware of the DRM) &  Matrix games - Storm over the Pacific (demo)

[jomni]

So then, is there a Pacific War game out there that doesn't track every boot and shell?

What is the best Pacific War computer game available that's not a monster to try to play?

Good Hunting.

MR

Pacific War has the best level of detail for me. 
World in Flames has a PTO scenario.

I don't like the Naval model of Strategic Command (which is important).
Storm Over the Pacific has some rules that I don't agree with.

[Mad Russian]

Thanks. I have several board game versions of the PW. I've played WiF since if first came out but we always play the full game and never just one theater.

At the moment I don't have any Vassal opponents to play those and was thinking I could find a computer PW game that would fix my addiction.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Toonces]

The problem is that WitP:AE is the best Pacific wargame.  There are others that streamline the experience, but ultimately whenever I've tried a different strategic Pacific game I end up missing the features that WitP:AE has. 

It's just so bloody tedius...but when you don't have all those options at your fingertips you start missing them.  It's a catch-22 for sure.

[MengJiao]

The problem is that WitP:AE is the best Pacific wargame.  There are others that streamline the experience, but ultimately whenever I've tried a different strategic Pacific game I end up missing the features that WitP:AE has. 

It's just so bloody tedius...but when you don't have all those options at your fingertips you start missing them.  It's a catch-22 for sure.

   WitP:AE is a very interesting game -- the entire dynamic of the Pacific War is there and you don't get that in the smaller scenarios.  However, a good small scenario at least limits some of the time you end up spending in the game.   Unless you spend a lot of time making scenarios.  Which is what I ended up doing -- so no more WitP:AE for me.

[SgtRock]

It's kind of funny, with the mods for WITP-AE, no one has created smaller scenarios!

[Toonces]

I actually dabbled in the scenario editor for AE once and it is an absolute nightmare...makes DCS's mission editor look spectacular by comparison.

One of the real problems I've run into is that when I play a smaller scenario- and this goes for vanilla and Uncommon Valor too, I always end up wishing the scope was bigger.  Like, being able to control the flow of forces into and out of the play area.  Once you have the whole strategic game as a possibility, narrowing down the focus for a scenario is a little unsatisfying.  Still, I agree that playing a smaller scenario certainly makes the game more manageable. 

[MengJiao]

I actually dabbled in the scenario editor for AE once and it is an absolute nightmare...makes DCS's mission editor look spectacular by comparison.

One of the real problems I've run into is that when I play a smaller scenario- and this goes for vanilla and Uncommon Valor too, I always end up wishing the scope was bigger.  Like, being able to control the flow of forces into and out of the play area.  Once you have the whole strategic game as a possibility, narrowing down the focus for a scenario is a little unsatisfying.  Still, I agree that playing a smaller scenario certainly makes the game more manageable.

   I did eventually enjoy small scenarios (well...like the Guadalcanal scenario or mods of it...not really small except compared to the whole WitPAE) and I had the editor figured out.  I think for me the good thing about the "small" scenarios was that it let me gradually get out of playing the game at all.
   Somewhat paradoxically, I would absolutely love a game that let you say command a part of a South Pacific campaign and maybe even fly some crucial missions as part of that campaign (or drive a sub or a DD or a PT boat or something).  Or even get shot down and try to work your way back to your own side through the islands.