WW2-Pacific Theater

Rayfer · November 06, 2015, 09:48:30 AM

My dad fought in the Pacific in WW2 so I have always had an interest in that theater. But I can't find the right strategic game covering the entire war that works with my 64 year old brain. War in the Pacific is just way too complex and at the other extreme there is SC: Pacific Theater and Storm Over the Pacific....both are too abstract, light on detail and not complex enough. HOI3 is about between the two extremes but I struggle with the real time aspects (especially when the war starts, I prefer turn based) and regions rather than hexes. Is there anything out there I've missed that I might give a try? Ps. not interested in board games.

Barthheart · November 06, 2015, 09:55:57 AM

Have you looked at War Plan Pacific:

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

I've not played it but heard good things about it. Also heard that is was sort of like the old AH game Victory in the Pacific.

It even has a demo.

sandman2575 · November 06, 2015, 10:09:50 AM

Great question. I for one would pay through the nose for a strategic/operational level PTO game that was deep but not WitP-level of micromanagement. In short, a game that was closer to WitP on the complexity spectrum than games like Order of Battle: Pacific without getting mired in WitP's micromanagement hell.

Unfortunately HoI has always made a hash out of naval warfare, which was always a secondary (if not tertiary) concern for the series. I have some hope that HoI4 will be better and offer something approaching a decent representation of the Pacific war, but I have my doubts...

Anguille · November 06, 2015, 10:47:54 AM

I've heard good things about War Plan Pacific too. I usually play Storm over the Pacific which i like.

What about Order of Battle: Pacific?

http://www.matrixgames.com/store/516/Order.of.Battle:.Pacific

Rayfer · November 06, 2015, 01:31:07 PM

Quote from: Barthheart on November 06, 2015, 09:55:57 AM
Have you looked at War Plan Pacific:

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

I've not played it but heard good things about it. Also heard that is was sort of like the old AH game Victory in the Pacific.

It even has a demo.

Thanks for the link...wasn't aware of WPP, have never played a shrapnel game. Anyone know if it works with Windows 10?

IronX · November 06, 2015, 02:14:51 PM

I see there is a demo there, which could be worth checking out for compatibility and gameplay.

Rayfer · November 06, 2015, 06:12:49 PM

Quote from: IronX on November 06, 2015, 02:14:51 PM
I see there is a demo there, which could be worth checking out for compatibility and gameplay.

Thanks...I went on their site but missed the mention of a demo.

Pete Dero · November 07, 2015, 04:36:56 AM

Not really strategic but cheap : Battlestations Pacific (2,69 € this weekend)
http://www.greenmangaming.com/s/be/en/pc/games/strategy/battlestations-pacific/

Pacific Storm Allies (with community patch 1.7 http://steamcommunity.com/groups/PacifcStormGamers/discussions/1/613938575218163622/ )
http://store.steampowered.com/app/11260/
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLa5Z4LLXZDehsBGctRqKlz6UpwJ5_FXCK

I have these games on my HD but never really played them so i can't tell if they are any good.

bbmike · November 07, 2015, 09:07:11 AM

I was looking for a good Pacific WWII about a year ago. I finally settled on SC:Pacific Theater. It is a bit light but fun. I could never really find the game I really wanted. I don't think it's out there. :(

W8taminute · November 07, 2015, 10:04:46 AM

Quote from: Pete Dero on November 07, 2015, 04:36:56 AM
Not really strategic but cheap : Battlestations Pacific (2,69 € this weekend)
http://www.greenmangaming.com/s/be/en/pc/games/strategy/battlestations-pacific/

Pacific Storm Allies (with community patch 1.7 http://steamcommunity.com/groups/PacifcStormGamers/discussions/1/613938575218163622/ )
http://store.steampowered.com/app/11260/
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLa5Z4LLXZDehsBGctRqKlz6UpwJ5_FXCK

I have these games on my HD but never really played them so i can't tell if they are any good.

I have both of those games and have spent quite a lot of time with both. Battlestations Pacific is a fun to play scripted action campaign game where you can jump into the seat of a plane, man the guns on a ship, or just sit back and direct your forces from the command chair.

Pacific Storm Allies had a rocky start which I was a part of. Over the years this once abandoned game has been polished to the point where it is playable. It's real time grand strategy but the battles are fought much like in Battlestations Pacific. The plus with this game however is resource management, research, and industrial production. For me the joy of this game is setting up your production lines to mass produce aircraft, ships, and buildings for the war effort. You can even change the historical equipment on your aircraft and ship models to suit your needs. Say for example you need a small destroyer outfitted with the 'new' radar technology and the anti aircraft guns to go along. You can do that. I like changing the fuel tanks on the A6M2's to self sealing fuel tanks to improve survivability.

You can also change the speed of the game to very slow to allow you the time to plan things out and neither of the above mentioned games are realtime click fests. I'm an older gamer as well and appreciate games where I have the time to think things out. I prefer turn based but sometimes I enjoy real time games if they have the ability to either pause and issue orders or at least slow time down enough to react to what's happening.

sandman2575 · November 07, 2015, 10:55:52 AM

W8aminute -- I'm very intrigued by what you say about Pacific Storm -- a game I always looked at as having amazing potential but thought was left for dead by the devs. You recommend picking it up then? I've seen it on sale so many times for practically 'giving it away' prices, but always held off b/c of all the reports that the game was terminally unplayable. But if you think it's playable I will definitely jump in!

(+1 to praise for Battlestations: Pacific and Battlestations: Midway -- both are very fun games, but definitely video games. Still, there are hours of solid Pacific theatre entertainment to be gotten out of them.)

Tuna · November 07, 2015, 05:00:06 PM

Always wanted to get into Pacific Storm, looks great on paper. Sounds like it's time to try and learn it again and give it another shot!

sandman2575 · November 07, 2015, 05:41:34 PM

The idea that Pac. Storm is playable and actively being supported by a dedicated community was too much for me to resist. Purchased and am downloading the community 1.7 patch now. 8)

Boggit · November 07, 2015, 07:20:12 PM

I have this game on DVD. Will the patch work on the disk version, or is it only Steam compatible?

Johnnie · November 08, 2015, 12:29:23 AM

Rayfer: You must try War Plan Pacific by Shrapnel. It's playable; you can complete the entire war in an evening, a long evening. There are a few separate strategies available to the Japanese (I play the Japanese side as I consider it more interesting.) The games play out quite historically. It is area (not hex) based. It looks like the AH game (Victory in the Pacific?) The combat is played out, more or less, like Carriers at War.

Aside from being playable and surprisingly historically accurate, it is really a lot of fun. It has been the hard drive of my last three pc's and I don't upgrade often.

Oh, I'm 64 also. Every time I think of it I sing the Beatles tune in my head. It was the Beatles right; it's so hard to remember.