War in the Pacific - Admiral's Edition

AngusJS · 01-31-11, 12:11 AM

Reading John Toland's The Rising Sun has sparked my interest in this title.

Does anyone have any experience with this game? How is the AI? Is there an active PBEM community?

Thanks

TheSatyr · 01-31-11, 12:18 AM

All I can say is that I've had that game for over 3 months and I still can't figure it out...lol

Herman · 01-31-11, 12:28 AM

The WiTP AE forum over at Matrix is extremely busy. It may be the single-most busiest area there. The folks are generally very helpful (with the odd curmudgeon thrown in

).

The AI isn't too bad, but the real challenge is from the PBEM games.

http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tt.asp?forumid=528

Takeda Shingen · 01-31-11, 11:37 AM

Been playing it for awhile now. The AI is pretty good, but it will stray from history. Playing the US side, for example, I had Pear Harbor bombed repeatedly for the better part of a week. In terms of gameplay, it is deffinitely a micromanagement game. It takes a long time to play, and you are going to have to keep a journal of what you do and when to keep it straight. Otherwise, you're not going to be able to keep the countless number of convoys that you will assemble straght, let alone your military assets and operations. And it is pretty decent in terms of overall realism; playing the US side, you're going to be on the defensive for awhile, and will start the game by getting the snot kicked out of you.

In short, it is a game for the most patient among us.

Egan · 01-31-11, 03:46 PM

Probably the finest game of its type available. I just finished my first full campaign about a week ago as the Allies versus IJN AI and it was a blast.

There are some things to keep in mind. Although there are a number of smaller scenarios now, available both with the game and for download, the real meat is the full campaign. I started in March/April last year and just finished. I might not have played it every day but I think you can safely say you are looking at at least six months for an AI game if you are playing with one day turns on and playing several turns a day.

I would agree with Takeda with regards to the AI but would add that the more ahistorical you play it, the more ahistorical the AI is likely to act. It doesn't always do brilliantly when it has to "think" out of the box but, even given that, it's still a good opponent.

The game mechanics reward players who actually prepare and form a plan of action, both short term and long term. In fact having a plan is pretty essential, be it training troops to land at an atoll or simply organizing supply convoys to go where you need them too. In my campaign I decided early on to go through the DEI in order to deny Japan access to oil and gain ports and airbases for my eventual assault on the Philippines. This meant I was always working towards certain short term goals: Securing Darwin, building up several other bases in order to provide air cover for convoys, making sure that there was always enough supply moving into the ports I loaded the convoys into. Later on it became a question of troop training and recon before the assault on Koepang...from that point on it started getting complicated..

I never found the game as complex as others have claimed. yes, there is an awful lot to remember but the basics are pretty easy to master. Once you get a few months into a campaign a lot of stuff becomes almost second nature. Of course, mastering the system is a whole different thing.

There are 'features' of the game I am not a fan of: Pilot training is brutally boring and fiddly but is essential of you wish to gain air superiority, and - a personal bugbear of mine, Japan's late war ASW skills are quite simply too good. I got to March 44 and it was like someone throwing a switch. Seriously, I had lost 15 US boats during the entire war up until that point and afterwards - wow. I think the worst I had was 6 lost on the same day.....

There are a couple of other niggles here and there but nothing that really detracts too much from the game. Land combat isn't brilliant but does the job well enough. All the little problems with the game are pretty much forgotten the first time your carrier fleet goes up against the Kido Butai ....man, Thats a rush better than any FPS I've ever played. My midway moment was north east of Hollandia in '43. I sunk 4 of the IJN carriers over two days without losing any myself. Good stuff.

I would recommend you go over to Matrix and read through some of the AAR's. In particular I would read the two AARs by Canoerebel (His current AAR against Q-ball is great but looks like it may be stalling. His previous entry against Miller is worth looking at.) If you have the time I would also take the time to relax in the deep and penetrating analysis of WW2(b) that can be found in Cap Mandrake's classic 'Bring me the head of Diego Garcia....and the mayor of Addu Atoll too!'. It's the closest I've ever seen to pure genius in a military games forum and I cannot wait for it to be green lighted as a movie!

Hope this helps.

Arclight · 02-11-11, 03:59 PM

Ah right, SimHQ review: http://www.simhq.com/_naval/naval_037a.html

Zad Fnark · 02-28-11, 07:23 PM

Hi,

First time poster. I was prompted to join here after picking up SH4. Being a WITP player made me interested in this sim. (S-Boats forever!)

Andy Mac, who developed the scripting for WITP-AE, created a rather active Japanese AI opponent. It's probably a bit more far reaching at times than in real life, but then if all the trains ran on time, what fun would that be? The better players can deal with the AI fairly quickly, but to someone starting out with the series, it can keep you busy. The Allies just have to little to stop the steamroller. I thought I could make a stand at Rangoon, but paid heavily for that choice.

Despite having the whole series going back to Uncommon Valor back around 2002, I'm only on my second PBEM game. My other one is in UV against my long-resisting brother, who's hooked now. My opponent ran an aggressive strategy against the Philippines, and two weeks in, I'm down to Manila, Bataan and Clark AB. Of course, he isn't moving much in Malaya.

Most people, given the chance, evacuate Task Force Z at the start, if possible. My only gripe in the game is that if you use the Historical start, (basically 1st turn on autopilot), TF-Z gets hit by Netties at sea on Dec 7. Historically, they were at Singapore. It was a miracle that his aircraft failed to spot my ships at the start. Being slightly slavish to history, I sent them on Dec 8 to Khota Baru to resist the landings. Repulse got beat up, but survived, PoW was untouched, and Haruna went down.

Small moral victory. The downside was that only two BBs survived Pearl Harbor, and they'll be laid up for at least a year.

It's an excellent game with a whole theatre at your fingertips. At Matrix, there are plenty of good after action reports. The two by Canoerebel are the ones I follow closely. Like my PBEM game, his use Scenario 2, which assumes a better prepared Japanese situation before the war starts. It's a bit harder to attrit their pilots than in the more historical Scen 1.

Sorry for rambling,

ZF-

Egan · 03-01-11, 01:56 PM

Welcome, Zad!

Against the Ai I lucked out with the PH strike. I didn't lose a single BB, although I lost a lot of other ships. In my game, Force Z went on to become a 'pirate' fleet and put a severe dent in the IJN at the start of the war before I they headed out to join up with the USN.

My warship losses during the whole campaign were, in actual fact, light; I never really played that cautiously but only lost a handful of capital ships and not one of my heavy carriers, although several of them ended up in dry dock for substantial periods of time.

Zad Fnark · 03-03-11, 09:46 PM

Thanks!

My opponent and I are up through Dec 21, 1941.

He seems to be taking a slow methodical approach. Besides the Philippines, he's now on the British part of Borneo. He seems to be going out of his way to land troops on some of the islands between Borneo and the PI. I don't know what the rush is there. In addition, he's made three landings along the Chinese coast.

In the meantime, I'm building up fortress Java. I'm putting the Aussie infantry division jigsaw puzzles together, and have the two units in Singapore enroute to Moresby.

It is a big game, but after turn 1, it's very managable. (China's still ugly, though.)

ZF-

Egan · 03-04-11, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zad Fnark

Thanks!
It is a big game, but after turn 1, it's very managable. (China's still ugly, though.)

ZF-

Yes, I agree entirely. It's famous complexity is relative and quite manageable. I frequently see people commenting on the hours they spend on each turn but I find that I cope perfectly well with a fraction of that time. Every so often I'll spend longer because there is something I need to do but if you are checking pilot training or every one of your subs every turn it's not a game you need...

China sucks big time, this is very true.

Happy Times · 03-18-11, 01:04 PM

Got the game and got hooked.

Tooks a few days to get a hold of it all but now ive started my first GC game as Japan.

Im still reading the manual and the forums every day but im confident enough to start a PBEM game also.

So any volunteers to play as the Allies?

At first it would probably be of slower pace but im sure it will pick up soon as i get exprience more of the game mechanics.
I dont mind personally how long it takes to finish..

I allways prefer the most historical game settings possible and im open to discussion about what those should be.

Egan · 03-18-11, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy Times

Got the game and got hooked.

Tooks a few days to get a hold of it all but now ive started my first GC game as Japan.

Im still reading the manual and the forums every day but im confident enough to start a PBEM game also.

So any volunteers to play as the Allies?

At first it would probably be of slower pace but im sure it will pick up soon as i get exprience more of the game mechanics.
I dont mind personally how long it takes to finish..

I allways prefer the most historical game settings possible and im open to discussion about what those should be.

I'd love to take you up on that but I don't really have the time just now. It eats your life. I'm clearing space for CMBN coming out next month as well.

Tell me, are you using Tracker? a lot of people swear by it if they're playing as Japan. It's not really needed for the allies and I could never get it to work anyway.

Happy Times · 03-18-11, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Egan

I'd love to take you up on that but I don't really have the time just now. It eats your life. I'm clearing space for CMBN coming out next month as well.

Tell me, are you using Tracker? a lot of people swear by it if they're playing as Japan. It's not really needed for the allies and I could never get it to work anyway.

Shame, lets hope someone else takes up on the offer.

No im not, ive just eyed it a bit and see that it could be a useful tool.
Havent had the time to really get in to it yet.

03-18-11, 10:47 PM

*Gulp* Ever had that feeling you bit off more than you can chew? That's me right about now. Just purchase WitPAE and I need serious help, looked over the manual but honestly couldn't make heads or tails of it. Are there any video tutorials or anything in that regard, as there is no tutorial in game.

I think I can really love this game, I just need I big big big push in the right direction.

Torplexed · 03-18-11, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slyguy3129

*Gulp* Ever had that feeling you bit off more than you can chew? That's me right about now. Just purchase WitPAE and I need serious help, looked over the manual but honestly couldn't make heads or tails of it. Are there any video tutorials or anything in that regard, as there is no tutorial in game.

I think I can really love this game, I just need I big big big push in the right direction.

It is indeed a monster of a game. There is a on-going newbie thread on the WitpAE forum that may help some. I don't know of any video tutorials.

http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=2580654

I'd definitely start with the small scenarios like Coral Sea.

01-31-11, 12:11 AM	#1
AngusJS Seasoned Skipper Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 746 Downloads: 62 Uploads: 0	War in the Pacific - Admiral's Edition Reading John Toland's The Rising Sun has sparked my interest in this title. Does anyone have any experience with this game? How is the AI? Is there an active PBEM community? Thanks

01-31-11, 12:28 AM	#3
Herman Ace of the Deep Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Canada Posts: 1,187 Downloads: 273 Uploads: 1046	The WiTP AE forum over at Matrix is extremely busy. It may be the single-most busiest area there. The folks are generally very helpful (with the odd curmudgeon thrown in ). The AI isn't too bad, but the real challenge is from the PBEM games. http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tt.asp?forumid=528 __________________ Guidelines for ScenShare scenarios: 1) Enjoy creating it 2) Enjoy playing it 3) Enjoy sharing it 4) Enjoy helping others create them The PlayersDB - The Harpoon Community's #1 Choice. Harpoon3 Frequently Asked Questions

02-11-11, 03:59 PM	#6
Arclight Navy Seal Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Land of windmills, tulips, wooden shoes and cheese. Lots of cheese. Posts: 8,467 Downloads: 53 Uploads: 10	Ah right, SimHQ review: http://www.simhq.com/_naval/naval_037a.html __________________ Contritium praecedit superbia.

01-31-11, 12:18 AM	#2
TheSatyr Captain Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 545 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	All I can say is that I've had that game for over 3 months and I still can't figure it out...lol

01-31-11, 11:37 AM	#4
Takeda Shingen Navy Seal Join Date: Mar 2000 Posts: 8,643 Downloads: 19 Uploads: 0	Been playing it for awhile now. The AI is pretty good, but it will stray from history. Playing the US side, for example, I had Pear Harbor bombed repeatedly for the better part of a week. In terms of gameplay, it is deffinitely a micromanagement game. It takes a long time to play, and you are going to have to keep a journal of what you do and when to keep it straight. Otherwise, you're not going to be able to keep the countless number of convoys that you will assemble straght, let alone your military assets and operations. And it is pretty decent in terms of overall realism; playing the US side, you're going to be on the defensive for awhile, and will start the game by getting the snot kicked out of you. In short, it is a game for the most patient among us.

01-31-11, 03:46 PM	#5
Egan Admiral Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 2,020 Downloads: 15 Uploads: 0	Probably the finest game of its type available. I just finished my first full campaign about a week ago as the Allies versus IJN AI and it was a blast. There are some things to keep in mind. Although there are a number of smaller scenarios now, available both with the game and for download, the real meat is the full campaign. I started in March/April last year and just finished. I might not have played it every day but I think you can safely say you are looking at at least six months for an AI game if you are playing with one day turns on and playing several turns a day. I would agree with Takeda with regards to the AI but would add that the more ahistorical you play it, the more ahistorical the AI is likely to act. It doesn't always do brilliantly when it has to "think" out of the box but, even given that, it's still a good opponent. The game mechanics reward players who actually prepare and form a plan of action, both short term and long term. In fact having a plan is pretty essential, be it training troops to land at an atoll or simply organizing supply convoys to go where you need them too. In my campaign I decided early on to go through the DEI in order to deny Japan access to oil and gain ports and airbases for my eventual assault on the Philippines. This meant I was always working towards certain short term goals: Securing Darwin, building up several other bases in order to provide air cover for convoys, making sure that there was always enough supply moving into the ports I loaded the convoys into. Later on it became a question of troop training and recon before the assault on Koepang...from that point on it started getting complicated.. I never found the game as complex as others have claimed. yes, there is an awful lot to remember but the basics are pretty easy to master. Once you get a few months into a campaign a lot of stuff becomes almost second nature. Of course, mastering the system is a whole different thing. There are 'features' of the game I am not a fan of: Pilot training is brutally boring and fiddly but is essential of you wish to gain air superiority, and - a personal bugbear of mine, Japan's late war ASW skills are quite simply too good. I got to March 44 and it was like someone throwing a switch. Seriously, I had lost 15 US boats during the entire war up until that point and afterwards - wow. I think the worst I had was 6 lost on the same day..... There are a couple of other niggles here and there but nothing that really detracts too much from the game. Land combat isn't brilliant but does the job well enough. All the little problems with the game are pretty much forgotten the first time your carrier fleet goes up against the Kido Butai ....man, Thats a rush better than any FPS I've ever played. My midway moment was north east of Hollandia in '43. I sunk 4 of the IJN carriers over two days without losing any myself. Good stuff. I would recommend you go over to Matrix and read through some of the AAR's. In particular I would read the two AARs by Canoerebel (His current AAR against Q-ball is great but looks like it may be stalling. His previous entry against Miller is worth looking at.) If you have the time I would also take the time to relax in the deep and penetrating analysis of WW2(b) that can be found in Cap Mandrake's classic 'Bring me the head of Diego Garcia....and the mayor of Addu Atoll too!'. It's the closest I've ever seen to pure genius in a military games forum and I cannot wait for it to be green lighted as a movie! Hope this helps.

02-28-11, 07:23 PM	#7
Zad Fnark Nub Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Neenah, WI Posts: 2 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Hi, First time poster. I was prompted to join here after picking up SH4. Being a WITP player made me interested in this sim. (S-Boats forever!) Andy Mac, who developed the scripting for WITP-AE, created a rather active Japanese AI opponent. It's probably a bit more far reaching at times than in real life, but then if all the trains ran on time, what fun would that be? The better players can deal with the AI fairly quickly, but to someone starting out with the series, it can keep you busy. The Allies just have to little to stop the steamroller. I thought I could make a stand at Rangoon, but paid heavily for that choice. Despite having the whole series going back to Uncommon Valor back around 2002, I'm only on my second PBEM game. My other one is in UV against my long-resisting brother, who's hooked now. My opponent ran an aggressive strategy against the Philippines, and two weeks in, I'm down to Manila, Bataan and Clark AB. Of course, he isn't moving much in Malaya. Most people, given the chance, evacuate Task Force Z at the start, if possible. My only gripe in the game is that if you use the Historical start, (basically 1st turn on autopilot), TF-Z gets hit by Netties at sea on Dec 7. Historically, they were at Singapore. It was a miracle that his aircraft failed to spot my ships at the start. Being slightly slavish to history, I sent them on Dec 8 to Khota Baru to resist the landings. Repulse got beat up, but survived, PoW was untouched, and Haruna went down. Small moral victory. The downside was that only two BBs survived Pearl Harbor, and they'll be laid up for at least a year. It's an excellent game with a whole theatre at your fingertips. At Matrix, there are plenty of good after action reports. The two by Canoerebel are the ones I follow closely. Like my PBEM game, his use Scenario 2, which assumes a better prepared Japanese situation before the war starts. It's a bit harder to attrit their pilots than in the more historical Scen 1. Sorry for rambling, ZF-

03-01-11, 01:56 PM	#8
Egan Admiral Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 2,020 Downloads: 15 Uploads: 0	Welcome, Zad! Against the Ai I lucked out with the PH strike. I didn't lose a single BB, although I lost a lot of other ships. In my game, Force Z went on to become a 'pirate' fleet and put a severe dent in the IJN at the start of the war before I they headed out to join up with the USN. My warship losses during the whole campaign were, in actual fact, light; I never really played that cautiously but only lost a handful of capital ships and not one of my heavy carriers, although several of them ended up in dry dock for substantial periods of time.

03-03-11, 09:46 PM	#9
Zad Fnark Nub Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Neenah, WI Posts: 2 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Thanks! My opponent and I are up through Dec 21, 1941. He seems to be taking a slow methodical approach. Besides the Philippines, he's now on the British part of Borneo. He seems to be going out of his way to land troops on some of the islands between Borneo and the PI. I don't know what the rush is there. In addition, he's made three landings along the Chinese coast. In the meantime, I'm building up fortress Java. I'm putting the Aussie infantry division jigsaw puzzles together, and have the two units in Singapore enroute to Moresby. It is a big game, but after turn 1, it's very managable. (China's still ugly, though.) ZF-

03-18-11, 01:04 PM	#11
Happy Times Ocean Warrior Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Finland Posts: 2,950 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	Got the game and got hooked. Tooks a few days to get a hold of it all but now ive started my first GC game as Japan. Im still reading the manual and the forums every day but im confident enough to start a PBEM game also. So any volunteers to play as the Allies? At first it would probably be of slower pace but im sure it will pick up soon as i get exprience more of the game mechanics. I dont mind personally how long it takes to finish.. I allways prefer the most historical game settings possible and im open to discussion about what those should be.

03-18-11, 10:47 PM	#14
Slyguy3129 Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	Gulp Ever had that feeling you bit off more than you can chew? That's me right about now. Just purchase WitPAE and I need serious help, looked over the manual but honestly couldn't make heads or tails of it. Are there any video tutorials or anything in that regard, as there is no tutorial in game. I think I can really love this game, I just need I big big big push in the right direction.