WITP - AE micromanaging

[Philippe]

Apologies for starting a new thread, but I couldn't find the old one. 

WITP -AE is on sale at a normal price this weekend.

In the old days I would have just looked at the price and pulled the trigger.

But the problem is that my understanding is that WITP - AE is a monster game.

I don't want to pour thousands of hours into it.  But I like the idea and I like the scale of the map.

So I have two questions. 

1) Is WITP - AE the micromanagment nightmare that I suspect it is?

2) Are there enough smaller scenarios that you can play interesting parts of the Pacific war without writing off your marriage, your job, and half your life?

I remember wanting to like Uncommon Valor, but being unable to relate to it. 

A scenario that covers the Guadacanal campaign would be nice, as would something in Burma and mainland China,  but the idea of making sure that every platoon under my command in the Pacific has the requisite number of clips of ammunition for its officers' sidearms is somewhat terrifying.

[Boggit]

LOL! ;D I know Jejo68, and Attilla60 have been playing it together for over 4 years. I'd PM them your questions.

[Swatter]

It is a monster game, no doubt about it. It is the most complicated game I have ever owned.

Let me say this, if you love this particular topic, they you will probably find the motivation to get over the learning cliff. I just can stress enough prior interest in the pacific war as a prerequisite. If you want to buy it, you should harbor no illusions- it is detailed and then some.

I personally bought the game recently, mostly because I love the topic. I had to read the manual and watch hours of tutorials and do hours of forum research and obtain help and clarification from forum members (the AE forums contain some of the most intelligent people I have encountered on the internet). The pay off is putting together complex operations and watch them play out.

[gameleaper]

I found youtube tutorials made it possible to learn, and there is a carrier only scenario for beginers.

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

I think the biggest hurdle for me with this game is that the interface is clunky and information is not presented as well as it could be.  I don't think the supply management stuff wouldn't be as big of a headache as I currently find it if one didn't have to open and close several different sub-screens in order to form a task force, select ships, change unit stances for ground troops, order them loaded, double check space requirements, add more ships, add a fudge factor, check port size, check that the transports are docked, etc.  I'd much prefer that this could all be done from one screen and have much of it automated with the ability for the player to go in and modify if he chooses to do so.

[bobarossa]

What would be the complexity/time multiplying factor compared to Uncommon Valor.  I played and love that game.  Are there any scenarios of comparable size to UV campaigns?  Does it have more complexity?  My wallet wants to know before it will give up the $40.

[Nefaro]

I think the biggest hurdle for me with this game is that the interface is clunky and information is not presented as well as it could be.  I don't think the supply management stuff wouldn't be as big of a headache as I currently find it if one didn't have to open and close several different sub-screens in order to form a task force, select ships, change unit stances for ground troops, order them loaded, double check space requirements, add more ships, add a fudge factor, check port size, check that the transports are docked, etc.  I'd much prefer that this could all be done from one screen and have much of it automated with the ability for the player to go in and modify if he chooses to do so.

This sums up the UI issues with the game quite well, as one example. 

[sandman2575]

There are a couple of shorter scenarios.  Battle of Coral Sea is essentially the "Tutorial" -- a very small, very manageable scenario.  A couple other more manageable ones, Battle of the Marianas. Guadalcanal is a more substantial scenario.  But the grand campaigns are the meat of the game, without question.

I've never played UV so I can't compare.  There's no question that the game requires a huge investment of time to learn and play. If you find the Pacific Theater fascinating (as I do), then you may well have the motivation to learn the intricacies of this game. If you only have a passing interest in PTO, I'd pass.  Although $40 is a steal.  I paid over twice that 7 years ago and have never regretted it. This is one of the 'top 10 games I'd take to a desert island' type game, as far as I'm concerned.

[Toonces]

To answer the OP:

Yes, it is a micromanagement nightmare.  Period.  And anyone who says otherwise is a dirty stinking liar.

No, there aren't enough scenarios of a smaller scale.  You get Coral Sea which is really a tutorial, Guadalcanal is something like 12 months or maybe 18 months long.  I think there might be one or two similarly sized scenarios- I don't have it installed right now to check- but regardless they're not going to satisfy you like a full campaign will.  I wouldn't buy it with the sole intention of playing smaller scenarios.  WitP vanilla was better in this regard.

I would say it's at least 5 times more time-consuming than UV, maybe 10 times.  It's just so much bigger in every way, and the AE version is just micromanagement hell. 

[Grim.Reaper]

I wonder if a game like War Plan Pacific is better for folks wanting a pacific war game but less micro....never played myself but thought people mostly had positive thoughts...currently on sale for $35 and has a demo to try before buy.

http://www.shrapnelgames.com/KE_Studios/WPP/WPP_page.html

[Staggerwing]

WPP is a fun little game. I was in on the closed beta and enjoyed it immensely.

[Nefaro]

I wonder if a game like War Plan Pacific is better for folks wanting a pacific war game but less micro....never played myself but thought people mostly had positive thoughts...currently on sale for $35 and has a demo to try before buy.

http://www.shrapnelgames.com/KE_Studios/WPP/WPP_page.html

I picked it up awhile back.  Not bad but a bit too thin on detail for my preference.

[gameleaper]

I would like to give you an honest opinion on some of the needed info that took me a long time just to find out.

1) when you create a taskforce to move supplies from major dumps to smaller dumps, you have the option for the Taskforce to repeat over and over, you can do this all over, reducing MicroManagement

2) you need to set objective hexes before a planned attack, or your units will suffer, wait until 100% ready, I found this to be the biggest secret that I found. this is why you have week turns and day turns, the week turns means you will be ready sooner InRealLife time

3) you have the option to set all units in the hex with the same orders, not just one order but all, eg set all bombers in hex with same orders, this reduces micromanagement.

4) there is a lot of stuff you wont know from looking at the board, you have to get stuck in with micromanagement, but its like no other game you've played, you feel like your really at war and your the commander.

5) I have spent lots time learning things in this game, but I enjoyed it more and more as I learned, you should not miss this purchase its worth full price. I still cant play, but its the journey

[jomni]

you feel like your really at war and your the commander.

In a real war, you have your staff doing micromanaging. The game lets you look at every level of the war.  This means you're playing the role of several levels of command.

[Toonces]

^ This.  And believe me, I'm a fanboy of WitP.  But I think my head exploded when I pulled my BBs into port for repairs and after a few turns with no repairs taking place I realized I had to go into the base and set repair priorities for each and every ship.  You get to a point where it's just too much. 

I love the game.  I really think, if you're into the Pacific Theater you owe it to yourself to give the game a try.  It is the best Pacific wargame out there.  But I really believe that the game would be exponentially better if some of it was just automated.  Things like allowing subordinates to control repair priorities, set search arcs for patrol planes, stuff like that.  It's hard to explain.