WingedIncubus
Posts: 512
Joined: 10/3/2007 Status: offline
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Having played both PTO I and PTO II when I was a kid, comparing WITP:AE to PTO II is like comparing a Dual-Core Processor to a Pentium 4. WITP:AE is THE ultimate Pacific War wargame available until now, in sheer details, scope, and, logistics. In PTO II the player had only the control of the Navy, while in WITP:AE you have the control over everything related to the conduct of the war: Army, Navy, Airforces, Merchants, Logistics, Production, etc. Many things in PTO II were simplified, while it isn't the case in WITP:AE. Logistics in PTO II, for instance, was left to the player to use his or her imagination. However, WITP:AE is lightyears away in complexity and micromanagement than KOEI's PTO II, and for its time PTO II was a pretty management-heavy game. Management in WITP:AE IS overwhelming at first, to the point of being intimidating. Also, as far as I know the Japanese AI in WITP:AE does not take as much liberties with the conquest schedule than in PTO II. In general it respects the time-tables for conquests in the PI and the DEI, while the AI wasn't in PTO II because Japan had already access to some bases that could supply the mainland in Oil and supply from the start. Also, the political factor is completely absent from WITP:AE, while it is one of the main features in PTO II. WITP:AE is a wargame, while PTO was both a grand strategy, operational, and tactical game all in one, but all three simplified to be playable. However, I must admit that I greatly miss the political aspect of PTO II; having to negociate and compromise with the Army, the Foreign Minister, the Head of Government, and the Finance minister, each with its own interests and propositions, was a great feature in PTO II. But it can be "replaced" in WITP:AE by team multiplayer games (like 3 vs 3, or 4 vs 4).
< Message edited by Drakken -- 8/5/2009 7:16:15 PM >
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