Trugrit
Posts: 947
Joined: 7/14/2014
From: North Carolina
Status: offline
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The best way to learn WITPAE has divided players (armchair philosophers some of us) for many years. It is not a settled issue.
Each individual approaches it differently. The curve is really a long and continuous journey instead of a final destination.
I think most players who have played for a long time will agree that they don’t really “know” it as a final learned solution.
I think that is why it has strong lasting appeal; you can never get to the end of the road with it.
Like chess it has an eternal quality that has the ability to surprise and delight you even after years of play.
After playing and observing the game for many years I’ve come to believe that players don’t really ‘learn” it so much as they understand it in “chunks” and develop a collection of “skill sets” which they apply on a situation to situation basis. There is an “upper” skill set that deals with things like combat strategy and tactics and a “lower” skill set that deals with things like production and Logistics. Both are important and one can be more important than the other based on the situation. Players are always adding to - or refining their individual skill sets. The skill sets not only include an understanding of the game parameters but also the knowledge of which buttons to push, in which order, for optimum results. Players are still learning techniques even after playing for years and years. The mechanics of the game need to be well understood.
WITPAE is a lot like Baseball which I also love.
The game, like Baseball, rewards you for thinking correctly short and long term about a whole series of fixed and random variables that exist on
Many different levels; and then adjusting your thinking as conditions change. Thinking correctly in a dynamic environment requires experience, knowledge and concentration.
Few people can do that really well. I’m not one of them because I have several flaws that prevent me from being a really good player but I can appreciate the game as played.
I recommend that you focus on learning the interface and the mechanics first and, although I am in the minority on this, start with the full campaign game – Scenario 001.
After all, like many of us, you probably bought the game so you could write your own personal history of the Pacific War and attach your name to it.
This is a prime motivation for most wargamers. Indulge yourself.
To start, I think you should play as the Allies against the Japanese Ai, or play head to head against yourself to start.
The Japanese with production on or off are very hard to play as a starting player and you don’t want to climb that hill just yet.
Also, the Allies get more toys to play with in the game and you want to see and play with all the toys you can at first.
You want to play the full campaign first for a number of reasons:
It is your game. You paid good money for it and you will be hot to see it in all in its glory right away. The entire Pacific Theater of Operations.
You want to see Australia, India, China, Burma – all the nationalities and move them around and look at them.
You want to see the geography and the vast sea lanes. You want to see the intricate road and rail networks, the heavy industrial bases and repair yards.
The historic battle sites you have read about like Guadalcanal and Midway. Take it all in and marvel at the vast scope of this magnificent game.
You want to see where the Off-Map bases are, how they work and how to get ships there. Only the Allies can go there.
You want to see the reinforcement screens – the entire line up, and not the way they, and the map, look all chopped up in the small scenarios.
You want to see the line of mighty warships waiting to come into the game under your command.
You want to feel the power and the tragedy of the Pacific War from the very start.
You can save the small scenarios until you know more about the game mechanics before you play them. That way you can enjoy them more
And understand them much better when you have learned more of the basics about how to deploy and fight all your forces.
You want to play yourself or the AI first for a number of reasons.
Playing head to head with yourself you can see the entire game from both sides. Just think of it as a learning experience.
Or play against the Ai because:
The AI is always ready to play 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Late or early hours are not a problem. Multiple turns in a single day.
The AI won’t quit and won’t get mad or complain about some obscure issue.
The AI cheats and it doesn’t care if you cheat. You need to cheat some to learn the mechanics.
(Play the AI on the hard setting, you have nothing to fear, it is a game and you can’t be injured) Like in Baseball, don’t fear the ball.
You need to do a lot of “Scum Saving” to learn the mechanics. Scum Saving is when you play a turn – save it – play another turn and
Then go back and reload the previous turn and play it over again because you “Screwed the Pooch”. If you screw up a turn you can play
It over again and the Ai doesn’t care how many times you play it over again. This is acceptable when learning the game by playing against the Ai
Or even yourself. You can’t do that in PBEM games.
Start the campaign and start pushing buttons and watching what happens when you do. Try all the Hot Keys. Examine every info screen you can find.
Read them, run the mouse over them and over every element. If you see something in yellow text click on it and see what it does or where it goes.
Run the mouse over the forces on the map and study all the information. Form up task forces and run them into the enemy and see
What combat looks like in the game. Use your carriers to hunt the KB on the second turn and then watch it sink them and you will learn
Respect for it early on. Get your butt kicked and then run the turn again trying something different, the AI doesn’t care. Have some fun.
Then take a break and read the manual and the addendums cover to cover.
It helps if you can see in your mind the game screens so that you will know what the manual is talking about when you read about them.
You would be surprised how many players don’t read the manual. It is essential to know what is in the manual and it will save you time
By not asking a lot questions on the forum and hoping you will get the right answer. Be advised that not everything in the manual or what
You see on the WITPAE forum is true. We all have to sort that out and you will also in time.
Learn the mechanics. Set your own pace. Try crazy things, push the interface. Form up every type of task force. Load them,
Run them at full speed and see what happens. Take them off map. Set up waypoints and patrol zones. Learn the ship and plane types.
Try all the air mission types. Look at the plane data. Look at the upgrade paths. Move the ground troops around and engage in combat.
If you hit a snag check the manual and go to the forum and use the search engine for an answer first; and then ask the question if you need to.
Stick with it and laugh at all your screw ups. Start the campaign over as many times as you want. If you get tired or frustrated just stop for awhile;
Don’t push yourself if tired, just rest. Never continue play when exhausted.
Then when you feel confident with the base mechanics start the campaign again and play more serious this time, play to win and
Try not to “Scum Save”. Follow the real world historic path in the game to give the Ai the breathing room it needs.
Stay with the full campaign all the way into late 1945 or 1946 so you can see what it looks like late game.
You would be surprised to learn how many PBEM players have never seen 1946 even after years of playing the game.
Most Players who play The Ai have seen what that far country looks like.
Then move to the small scenarios and play them in order. Each one is a learning experience.
Then you are on your way from game mechanics to tactical strategy.
When you finish the small scenarios you have graduated from the Junior Officer’s course and you are at a crossroads in your naval career.
You are ready to go to the fleet as an Ensign.
You have a couple of career options:
You can return to the Ai war college and continue your studies. You can sign up for the honorable path of the Japanese warlords if you want.
There is much to learn in the land of the Rising Sun. (Many players remain with the Ai for the rest of their naval career)
Or, you can find a good PBEM partner close to your skill level and take the advanced strategy course.
Either way, play the Ai or PBEM, in six months or so you should be able to advance to the rank of Fleet Admiral with a cyber Purple Heart and clusters.
This is just my two cents.
Best of Luck……
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