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All Forums >> [Current Games From Matrix.] >> [World War II] >> War In The Pacific - Struggle Against Japan 1941 - 1945 >> on the fence about getting this game...

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on the fence about getting this game... - 11/19/2006 5:47:11 PM

augustus

Posts: 105
Joined: 2/27/2004
Status: offline

I can't quite decide if I'd like to get this game or not, and considering its price I really should know what I'm doing before I buy. With one-day turns, how long does a turn take--to check up on everything that needs to be checked, adjust small things, make big decisions, etc. I also read somewhere that you can change the length of a turn to be anywhere from one day to one week--does changing it to one week change the game mechanics (more movement for ships, troops, plains, anything else?)? I have the same questions for WPO and will be posting in that forum as well. I usually love micromanaging a game and am quite good at it, but I have a feeling that these games might be beyond what I can do.

Post #: 1

RE: on the fence about getting this game... - 11/19/2006 5:53:32 PM

Terminus

Posts: 41459
Joined: 4/23/2005
From: Denmark
Status: offline

They are very heavy, though WPO is a bit "lighter" than WitP. Depending on circumstances, a WitP turn can take a looooong time to plan and draw up, though the actual process of running it takes 10-15 minutes. An example of a lengthy turn to prepare is the Japanese 12/7/41 turn. I've heard of people spending days on that one.

As for multi-day turns, I'm the wrong guy to ask about this, since I've always stayed away from them. I assume, though, that it simply involves running more than one 24 hour turn at a time without letting the player input new orders.

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We are all dreams of the Giant Space Butterfly.

(in reply to augustus)

Post #: 2

RE: on the fence about getting this game... - 11/19/2006 6:08:46 PM

Mike Scholl

Posts: 9349
Joined: 1/1/2003
From: Kansas City, MO
Status: offline

The learning curve is steep, and the potential minutia almost overwhelming---but the rewards are great.
Just look at the number of MOD's and the sheer number of posts to this forum. People have spent months of their lives playing and patching and building new maps and working on OB's... That doesn't happen unless there is a lot of game in the package.

(in reply to augustus)

Post #: 3

RE: on the fence about getting this game... - 11/19/2006 6:50:33 PM

Ron Saueracker

Posts: 12121
Joined: 1/28/2002
From: Ottawa, Canada OR Zakynthos Island, Greece
Status: offline

With the ongoing support of the game which not only focuses on squashing the odd remaining bug but promises to revamp various aspects of the game deemed necessary after a few years of player testing is a really good reason to chuck any reservations you may have and dive in. It is damned fun now and is only going to get better.

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Yammas from The Apo-Tiki Lounge. Future site of WITP AE benders! And then the s--t hit the fan

(in reply to Mike Scholl)

Post #: 4

RE: on the fence about getting this game... - 11/19/2006 7:28:25 PM

pauk

Posts: 4162
Joined: 10/21/2001
From: Zagreb,Croatia
Status: offline

Greetings...

considering the price - you will never got a cheaper game then WiTP. Not kidding you - i bought this game 2 years ago and hundreds or more likely, thounsends of hour playing this game are behind me. Since i bought WiTP i never bought another game so you can imagine how much money I saved

Not that i will never buy another game - there is few other titles (all by Matrix) which i will buy - game about American civil war; Eagle Day...

If you have some free time to spare (lets say 2 hours if you play PBEM) than this is a game for you. You will never regret your decision if you are really interested in the game (i assume you took a look in the AAR section and saw how this game works) - great support by Matrix and several other knowgeable guys will resolve problems (if you have any problems with the game) and community here is really the best one i've ever saw- Lots of knowgeable and really nice persons are lurking and posting there every day and you will get all help you need.

Just beware of infamous Spammer Terminus and Evil Englander Speedy and everything will be just fine

...

Seriously, you may be overhelmed with complexity of the game at the first sight, but we all been there and we are still here...

i hope was able to help...

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(in reply to augustus)

Post #: 5

RE: on the fence about getting this game... - 11/19/2006 7:37:48 PM

rroberson

Posts: 2050
Joined: 5/25/2004
From: Arizona
Status: offline

I have to say...get off the fence. Honestly, a lot of games have come and gone on my hard drive. This is the only one that truly endures. I regularly play multiple turns a nite (and there is nothing that cures a bad day at work then sinking an enemy carrier)...heck even my wife hums the theme song she hears it so much.

That 70 dollars (I actually dropped 100 plus getting Xargun to next day it to me) I spent breaks down to well under a penny an hour at this point.

Good hunting.

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Post #: 6

RE: on the fence about getting this game... - 11/19/2006 11:55:32 PM

TheDudelyLlama

Posts: 14
Joined: 11/8/2006
From: Directly under the earths sun..... now!!
Status: offline

I have recently purchased the game after going through a long decision making process myself. Up front, I will say that the game is worth purchasing and is a lot of fun.

First, the pro's.

1. The games scope is enormous. No doubt about it, when it says War in The Pacific, they mean it and the Pacific is a large theatre.
2. The level of detail is significant and relevant to the enjoyment of the game. For example, supply and logistics is not some abstract game mechanic that allows supplies to magically appear at a destination. You must get those supplies to the destination through real threats.
3. A large and active community as shown by these forums. Check out this AAR thread by VSWG for a good example of how the game plays.
4. Ongoing development and improvement. Look at the number of patches (I think that is a good thing).

However, there are crticisms I have of the game that you should factor into your decision. Given that you like micromanaging, they may not be terribly relevant.

Some cons.

1. The user interface is unecessarily clunky, slow, and inefficent given the level of details requiring attention.
2. Information tracking from turn to turn can be difficult to do in game. Look for Bodhi's utility to track intelligence information.
3. Some information is either difficult to find, or not available. I still have not found lists such as OOB, or an easily readable leader list for a game I am playing. I understand this information can be derived from the database editor etc but that again means I must track information manually within the game.

Overall though, I have found this game worth the money but I do hope that more time is spent on the user interface and information access in the next game :)

(in reply to rroberson)

Post #: 7

RE: on the fence about getting this game... - 11/20/2006 1:27:07 AM

Grotius

Posts: 5798
Joined: 10/18/2002
From: The Imperial Palace.
Status: offline

What those guys said. I've played and enjoyed many other computer wargames, but I've probably spent more time playing WITP than all those other computer wargames combined. (Whether I've played more time playing WITP or Advanced Squad Leader is a closer question.) It's an incredibly ambitious undertaking. It models every ship, pilot, aircraft squadron, and significant base, all on a huge map of 60-mile hexes stretching from Karachi to San Francisco. And yes, it forces you to haul supplies and fuel around the map, past enemy threats; indeed, if you're Japan playing a campaign game, you'll also have to haul resources and oil. Personally, I love the fact that logistics are modeled in such detail.

There are downsides. As the Dude said, the interface is a bit klunky, and it would be nice to have some in-game way to monitor long-term trends. And there are still some bugs crawling around, though the game-breaking ones are mostly stomped. The AI is a decent opponent if you set it to "hard" or "very hard" and if you play within historical constraints, but the game shines best in PBEM. Also, some of the game mechanics are suboptimal, and others are the subject of ongoing debate here. E.g.: does the game allow us to base too many planes at once base? Is flak strong (or weak) enough? Is the Japanese merchant marine too plentiful in the game? Is it too easy for the Allied player to amass European-theater style air raids, with hundreds of heavy bombers, especially early in the war? Why do land-based bombers sometimes just refuse to fly? For new players, perhaps the most frustrating mechanic involves carrier ops. You don't have tactical control over your carriers; you do set CAP and airstrike orders, but your AI officer chooses targets for you. Still, there's plenty of skill involved in managing your carrier task forces as is.

As for time, the first turn of the grand campaign will take you 12 hours or more. That sounds crazy, but once you start doing it, you'll see that it's fun. Thereafter things go much faster. Against the AI, I can do a complete turn in half an hour. Against a human in PBEM, I tend to be more fastidious, and it typically takes me more like an hour or so. Really, once you're past that first turn, it's a lot easier.

WITP isn't perfect; no game is. But if you have any serious interest in the topic, this is the best computer-game treatment of the subject, bar none.

(in reply to TheDudelyLlama)

Post #: 8

RE: on the fence about getting this game... - 11/20/2006 5:55:03 PM

siRkid

Posts: 6650
Joined: 1/29/2002
From: Orland FL
Status: offline

It�s the only game that I've played for 4+ years straight. I only have one PBEM game going now and we get in about 4 turns a week. The first thing I do on getting home every day is check for a turn. No other game has held my interest for so long.

_____________________________

Former War in the Pacific Test Team Manager and Beta Tester for War in the East.

(in reply to Grotius)

Post #: 9

RE: on the fence about getting this game... - 11/20/2006 5:59:32 PM

Nemo121

Posts: 5821
Joined: 2/6/2004
Status: offline

Aye, I'm a trenchant critic of a lot of things with the game BUT so long as you don't stick with the stock air to air model and go for one of the many mods ( all of which have their different flavours and drawbacks) you will have a ball. On balance it is worth purchasing.

(in reply to siRkid)

Post #: 10

RE: on the fence about getting this game... - 11/20/2006 10:56:28 PM

ny59giants

Posts: 9869
Joined: 1/10/2005
Status: offline

If you look at the thread that Woos has about a WitPDecoder, some of the micro-managing will be minimized by his Utility. He is still refining it, but it looks like it will be a necessity for all PBEM'ers. This game is addictive (I am a Mental Health Counselor by profession) so i can atest to it.
Any other game will soon become second fiddle to WitP. Plus, there are so many mods out and many under development that you will be able to enjoy this game for years to come.

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Post #: 11

RE: on the fence about getting this game... - 11/20/2006 11:12:01 PM

captskillet

Posts: 2493
Joined: 3/1/2003
From: Louisiana & the 2007 Nat Champ LSU Fightin' Tigers
Status: offline

I promise you when you divide the cost by the number of hours spent totally engrossed in the game it will be the cheapest entertainent you have ever bought (next to that $5 "date" in Juarez late time.......remember

) !!!!!!!!

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Post #: 12

RE: on the fence about getting this game... - 11/20/2006 11:13:13 PM

Terminus

Posts: 41459
Joined: 4/23/2005
From: Denmark
Status: offline

Ooooh, you didn't go for the $5 date in Juarez, skillet... $7.99 minimum!

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Post #: 13

RE: on the fence about getting this game... - 11/20/2006 11:17:15 PM

captskillet

Posts: 2493
Joined: 3/1/2003
From: Louisiana & the 2007 Nat Champ LSU Fightin' Tigers
Status: offline

hey I was on a budget..............anyway youv'e heard "Mexican Blackbird" by ZZ TOP.........well they are only $5!!!!!!!

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"Git thar fust with the most men" - Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest

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Post #: 14

RE: on the fence about getting this game... - 11/21/2006 4:40:55 AM

Knavey

Posts: 3052
Joined: 9/12/2002
From: Valrico, Florida
Status: offline

Get of the fence. The longer you sit on it, the more it hurts. AND...you are missing out on valuable play time!

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CVN-71
USN 87-93
"Going slow in the fast direction"

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Post #: 15

RE: on the fence about getting this game... - 11/21/2006 4:49:26 AM

AU Tiger_MatrixForum

Posts: 1606
Joined: 10/9/2006
From: Deepest Dixie
Status: offline

Aye!

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"Never take counsel of your fears."

Tho. Jackson

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Post #: 16

RE: on the fence about getting this game... - 11/21/2006 10:13:44 AM

ChezDaJez

Posts: 3436
Joined: 11/12/2004
From: Chehalis, WA
Status: offline

All I can say is that since I purchased this game 2+ years ago, I have purchased only one other and it has been erased from my hard drive for over a year.

Seriously, if you are interested in WWII in the Pacific, then this is the game to have. As others have said, it isn't perfect but it is fun.

One thing before you buy... if you are married or have a girlfriend, let them know that they will not be seeing much of you for the foreseeable future. Make sure that they have a picture of your face so they will recognize you when you turn around from the computer. My wife can tell you every detail about my bald spot but she doesn't remember the color of my eyes!

Chez

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Ret Navy AWCS (1972-1998)
VP-5, Jacksonville, Fl 1973-78
ASW Ops Center, Rota, Spain 1978-81
VP-40, Mt View, Ca 1981-87
Patrol Wing 10, Mt View, CA 1987-90
ASW Ops Center, Adak, Ak 1990-92
NRD Seattle 1992-96
VP-46, Whidbey Isl, Wa 1996-98

(in reply to augustus)

Post #: 17

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All Forums >> [Current Games From Matrix.] >> [World War II] >> War In The Pacific - Struggle Against Japan 1941 - 1945 >> on the fence about getting this game...

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