Slitherine

quote:

ORIGINAL: Gary Childress
What makes a game interesting? Does being on the edge of your seat with every turn, not knowing what the overall outcome of the game will be more fun or is playing out the historical sequence of the war more fun? Does fantasy ruin it for the game?

quote:

ORIGINAL: Gary Childress
What makes a game interesting? Does being on the edge of your seat with every turn, not knowing what the overall outcome of the game will be more fun or is playing out the historical sequence of the war more fun? Does fantasy ruin it for the game?

quote:

ORIGINAL: janh

quote:

ORIGINAL: Gary Childress
What makes a game interesting? Does being on the edge of your seat with every turn, not knowing what the overall outcome of the game will be more fun or is playing out the historical sequence of the war more fun? Does fantasy ruin it for the game?

Damn good questions... I often have a weak spot for underdogs, no matter whether it is the Civil War or WW2, so Japan being vastly inferior to the Allies does add some sort of a challenge. That's of course not the full story, i.e. playing Allies in 1942 and trying to stop the waltzing empire is also something very exciting. I can see the point of scenario 2 or the mods that bump up the IJ side a bit for PBEM, though, and also generally, but I kinda prefer the historical Scen 1.

This game somehow has extreme addictive potential. A lot of it comes from my perspective from the level of detail, OOBs and technical, and the vast logistical and organizational "nightmare" following from that. A positive nightmare, sorts of. There's always new aspects to learn and find some eye openers. It's like a well-researched, interactive book. And it lets you try out things, "what-if" things, and (almost always) gives you even a range of plausible results that very well could have happened in reality. What had happened at Midway had Nagumo's trap worked?

The other aspect that makes this game so addictive for me from the daily turn resolution. It makes it feel so real to watch combats and events unfold "day after day". It is totally different than predecessors with week resolution, or I-Go-U-Go. There is nothing better in this game to watch a critical air combat or major naval battle unfold. Yes, nothing moves, you only read the messages, but it can be very very tense. Perhaps it would be nicer if the ships or planes would move around on a fake map and you could watch them, or the LCU operate as symbols on a random battle map, but it doesn't even need this to be fun. Maybe the latter would be nice, but maybe your fantasy can do a better job there. It often feels like you'd like to jump right into the combat, push a button and fight it a la TF 1942 or IL-2.

On a side note, I know it may sound stupid, but if Matrix/G&G doesn't have the (financial) incentives to put together a (new) team to built a new engine for AE and enhancements, but there seem quite a few people who'd right away buy a successor, how about crowd-funding?

Member: Treaty, Reluctant Admiral and Between the Storms Mod Team.

Reluctant Admiral Mod:
https://sites.google.com/site/reluctantadmiral/

quote:

ORIGINAL: Gary Childress

Just out of curiosity, what does everyone think of WitP as a "game". I know there is dispute over the title "simulation". So let's stay off that, but as far as having a "game" what do players think?

What makes a game interesting? Does being on the edge of your seat with every turn, not knowing what the overall outcome of the game will be more fun or is playing out the historical sequence of the war more fun? Does fantasy ruin it for the game?

quote:

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

quote:

ORIGINAL: Gary Childress
What makes a game interesting? Does being on the edge of your seat with every turn, not knowing what the overall outcome of the game will be more fun or is playing out the historical sequence of the war more fun? Does fantasy ruin it for the game?

The long-term knowledge that I'm doing better than historical Japanese performance is satisfying. To see how the Japanese war effort could have been improved if only they focused on.... is also very intellectually satisfying.

Of course, the 3.5 year march towards the endgame is more interesting when sprinkled liberally with frantic and heady action. As other posters have stated-a good carrier battle, major air engagement or naval action gets my blood pumping and is a real shot-in-the-arm to gameplay.

quote:

ORIGINAL: nashvillen

I like the long term planning and watching those plans come to fruition. Of course, part of the excitement is when those plans make a hard left hand turn and you have to figure out how to get them back on track.

Running the Japanese economy is a challenge in itself. I have, on more than one occasion, told my opponents that if they would just leave me alone, the game would be enough challenge, just to keep the economy going! Great fun! I enjoy this so much that I took on a 1/3 game as the allies doing all the US logistics, with some minor roles (NOPAC, CENTPAC, China, and USSR). Keeping the beans and bullets moving is fun for me.

Don't get me wrong, having a major carrier engagement in June of 1942 and watching the KB sink four US carriers without batting an eye is also great fun, but I do like the more mundane side of things, also!

quote:

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

Echo these sentiments about the underdog in particular. ALWAYS like to play the South as well in Civil War games. Guess we're just gluttons for punishment!

quote:

ORIGINAL: AW1Steve

I perfer "The Grand poo-bah of all allied forces!"

quote:

ORIGINAL: ilovestrategy

Oh Crsutton, nice avatar by the way. Thats from a popular comic made in WW2 designed to show the war from the common soldier's point of view isn't it? The artwork looks familiar but the name of the comic and artist escapes me.

"Life is tough, it's even tougher when you're stupid" -SGT John M. Stryker, USMC

quote:

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli

I love the challenge of playing the Japanese. They're doomed, but doing better than they did historically is the goal for me.

I love to tinker with the production system to make it as efficient as I can.

Surprising my long time opponent where he least expects it is always enjoyable. I particularly love when he sends me an email describing how he swore at the computer while watching the replay.

I've made many very good friends here, and I've never seen or met any of them (yet).

Finally, sinking the Boise!

quote:

ORIGINAL: DivePac88

As to what WitP is, a game or a simulation; well for me I think that it is both, in that it is a game of simulation of the operation level of warfare of the World War Two Allied/Japanese theater. But thats just for me, and for anyone-else as with other beliefs in life, it can ether a game or a simulation doesn't really matter.

I remember when I started with the original WitP, and I was learning how to play it. The more I got into it the game, the more I would find. It really has so many layers to it, learn the mechanics of one layer, and you find another layer underneath. It just the sort of game that hits you over the head, and then it’s too late and you’re addicted for life.

I’ve had a few health problems in the last five years, and spent many months in hospital. For some of that time I was unable to play this wonderful game, and I sort of thought of it as been exiled. Because I wasn’t allowed to play it, I learned the data-base inside out . Because the editor just looked like a word to the medical staff and Mrs DivePac program and fooled them.

As to why I play this game, well I think it’s maybe for me like this; I once asked my Chinese toaster, who is very wise, the vexing question on ‘what is the meaning life’. The toaster after some thought answered that the meaning of life ‘is in the living of it’. So I think that for me the reason I play this game is in the enjoyment I get from each and every turn, even the bad ones.

As to why I like this game; well for me it seems slightly real in the inputs and results you get. That it is an honest game in that if you make a mistake, or scrimp on preparation you pay for it, especially in Pbem. Then that brings me to the real clincher, WitP is probably the best operational Pbem wargame around, as nothing else come close at present in my humble opinion.

"Life is tough, it's even tougher when you're stupid" -SGT John M. Stryker, USMC

quote:

ORIGINAL: denisonh

Bill Mauldin's works of Willie and Joe. As an infantry officer I kept a complete copy of his works on my desk and would copy an approriate cartoon out when farewelling soldiers NCOs and junior officers.

Used the one Csutton for my driver when he departed given all the trouble we had with my HMMWV.....

quote:

ORIGINAL: denisonh

Bill Mauldin's works of Willie and Joe. As an infantry officer I kept a complete copy of his works on my desk and would copy an approriate cartoon out when farewelling soldiers NCOs and junior officers.

...