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RE: Thinking of buying ... but need a push over the edg... - 9/6/2010 9:11:39 AM   
moonraker65


Posts: 556
Joined: 7/14/2004
From: Swindon,Wilts. UK
Status: offline 		Slightly OT but are you any relation to Sir Frank Whittle ?

(in reply to CaptBeefheart)
Post #: 31
RE: Thinking of buying ... but need a push over the edg... - 9/6/2010 9:04:26 PM   
Mac Linehan

 

Posts: 1484
Joined: 12/19/2004
From: Denver Colorado
Status: offline 		b whittle -

I bought UV and then WiTP when they first came out. Was really excited about WiTP, but overwhelmed (to put it mildly) by the mass of detail on map. I am a detailed kind of guy, and would spend hours going over the map, checking each base and task force one at a time. Read the rules several times, but still did not have a very firm grasp on how to play. This was tough - I wanted to play and go forward so badly that I could taste it; but was not sure what to do with, or where to send all the forces.

Fortunately I had enough sense to peruse the forums and read what others had learned and how they played or delt with each aspect of the game. This was critical, because it kept my interest up and wanting to learn more. It is not possible to over emphasize how important it is to at least read the forums on a regular basis; and to ask for help when needed. The men and women (Gräfin Zeppelin; Tone Class Fangirl!) on the AE forum have been, in my experience, very knowledgeable, willing to help and patiently answer all of my questions. As time went on I began to play the smaller scenarios, which, as other posters have mentioned, are faster paced and require significantly less time to play.

What really helped me make the breakthrough the mass of detail and move on to playing WiTP was a utility called WiTP Tracker. Tracker is an outstanding tool that tells you practically anything about everything in an easy to use, logical format. If I wanted to know which bases were low on supplies or if my Japanese engine production matched airframe production - it was there at my fingertips. Tracker - for me - gave me the ability to know who was where and doing what. This enabled me to focus on playing the game instead of spending time looking all over the map, trying to figure out where everybody was. Since that point there has been no looking back.

AE is a major quantum leap and improvement over the original WiTP. As outstanding as AE is, the quality and flexibility of the game design gives a good basis for the Modding community to work with; there are a number of excellent modifications that enhance and / or give a different flavor to the stock game.

Time: I play weekends only; it may take multiple weekends to set up (as the Japanese) for the campaign game - but this is unimportant as I love every minute of it. AE offers a level of detail and historical immersion that is second to none; not to mention being highly addictive. If you are not interested in spending significant time on each turn, take heart in the fact that there are many other players who can turn out multiple turns in one day - it's all a matter of personal style and preference. No matter your style of play, help is at hand on the forum.

As for cost - I respectfully submit that what most of us spend on food, drink or entertainment in a week will exceed the cost of AE. AE has a much higher return in playing enjoyment and the sheer thrill of spreading peace and good will across the pacific - my way<grin>

Hope you will join us,

AE loyalist Mac

< Message edited by Mac Linehan -- 9/11/2010 5:46:37 PM >

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Post #: 32
RE: Thinking of buying ... but need a push over the edg... - 9/6/2010 11:18:57 PM   
AW1Steve


Posts: 14507
Joined: 3/10/2007
From: Mordor Illlinois
Status: offline 		I've purchased many, many computer games. None have given me the hours of enjoyment as this one. And that includes several Matrix ones.

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Post #: 33
RE: Thinking of buying ... but need a push over the edg... - 9/7/2010 4:07:58 AM   
Zemke


Posts: 642
Joined: 1/14/2003
From: Oklahoma
Status: offline 		AW1Steve,

I agree. 

I'll tell you how good AE is, I was not even interested in the Pacific War, till I played this game.  Have always been more of a European Theater wargamer, but this game is like a drug, the more you play, the more you learn, the more you want to play.  It is has a lot of hidden depth.

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Post #: 34
RE: Thinking of buying ... but need a push over the edg... - 9/7/2010 11:00:32 PM   
SuluSea


Posts: 2358
Joined: 11/17/2006
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: b whittle

Been lurking for ages & very seriously interested in buying.... but it's a huge amount for a 'game' and need some persuading.

My big worry is that you can't enjoy this game without giving up half (or more) of your life to it, which I can't afford.

So a question - can you start small and truly enjoy WITPAE without having to give 3 hours to one turn? I haven't got the space in my life for hours of micromanagement and worry my £70 would be wasted. I enjoy serious war games & chess & learning new things & history, so there's hope. But I bought UV and never really clicked with it.....

Must say that part of my problem is that this forum makes me think I must be missing something great. Am I?

Thanks....

BW


BW , your post sounds similar to my experience when I first purchased UV. I bought the game and played it for a few days and thought this game doesn't do it for me and sold it. A short few months later I realized I didn't put the proper time in to getting to know the tools and inteface so I could enjoy it. I bought UV again learned everything I needed to know to enjoy it and Uncommon Valor became my go to game for years. The game was so must have I still have two copies as I bought the game 3 times. For me nothing on the market is even close to Admirals Edition but if you've put time in to UV and it isn't your cup of tea I'd be surprised if you'd like AE even as good a purchase as it is for most buyers.

Titles like AE, WITP, UV and WPO, the more time you put into it the better the gaming experience, IMO.


Good luck on your next purchase!

< Message edited by SuluSea -- 9/7/2010 11:01:37 PM >

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Post #: 35
RE: Thinking of buying ... but need a push over the edg... - 9/10/2010 8:11:21 PM   
barniewhittle

 

Posts: 51
Joined: 3/11/2008
Status: offline 		Hi All - very many thanks for your kind, generous and encouraging responses. This is a special forum.

After all the fond praise for this game I jumped and am now at the foot hills of Everest. (Looks cool - if rather intimidating - on a wide screen with the alt font!) Even if it doesn't turn out to be my cup of tea, I had to try. I think I had the same experience as SulSea with UV - didn't give it enough time and didn't get used to the terminology and UI. The UI is really different from any other game I've played and clearly needs time.

So, I've discovered the tutorial thread and am getting started. If there are any hints how to digest this mammoth slowly in small chunks without the indigestion then I'm all ears.

Thanks again ........much appreciated...

PS - no I'm not a relative of Frank Whittle, but as a Brit engineer with an interest in aero-engines I am a fan...

(in reply to SuluSea)
Post #: 36
RE: Thinking of buying ... but need a push over the edg... - 9/10/2010 8:15:36 PM   
anarchyintheuk

 

Posts: 3921
Joined: 5/5/2004
From: Dallas
Status: offline 		Congratulations on the purchase. Hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

1000 mile war is an excellent scenario to learn the controls w/ a low unit density.
Guadacanal in an excellent scenario to learn how to develop a campaign w/i a theatre.
AE is about x8 Guadacanal.

(in reply to barniewhittle)
Post #: 37
RE: Thinking of buying ... but need a push over the edg... - 9/10/2010 8:17:51 PM   
KenchiSulla


Posts: 2948
Joined: 10/22/2008
From: the Netherlands
Status: offline 		Enjoy the game b Whittle, dont expect everything to work out from the start. Expect to loose a lot at start - and enjoy the learning process.

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Post #: 38
RE: Thinking of buying ... but need a push over the edg... - 9/10/2010 9:23:46 PM   
berto


Posts: 20708
Joined: 3/13/2002
From: metro Chicago, Illinois, USA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: b whittle
So, I've discovered the tutorial thread and am getting started. If there are any hints how to digest this mammoth slowly in small chunks without the indigestion then I'm all ears.

I'm a newbie, too, having just purchased the game several weeks ago, so what do I know? None the less...

After a quick run through of the Coral Sea scenario, where I didn't know at all what the heck I was doing, I am now slowly playing through the Aleutians scenario. I try this, I try that, I read a little of the manual here, a little there, then go back to playing.

I'll be tinkering and experimenting with the small scenarios for a good while longer, I figure.

I let all the combat animations play out. It's both fun and enlightening.

I have tried skimming through the printed manual, skipping over the sections (like production) that don't apply to me yet (playing the scenarios as I now do).

I am about to read (not skim) through the manual, making a real effort to digest and reflect on all the material. Having played with the game the past week or two, I will understand better the reading matter. I figure on reading through the manual several times before I digest it all.

So, back and forth, game to manual, manual back to game. Little by little, step by step.

In many ways, this is like learning a new programming language. It will be months before I feel comfortable with it. Patience and persistence are my bywords.

I'll get around to using the game aids (like the Tracker program) sooner or later.

Very important to me, both to deepen my understanding of the game mechanics, also to motivate my interest over the long haul: My bedtime reading is about the Pacific War, in all aspects, but especially areas (like air combat) I have glossed over before. (I already know a good deal about Pacific War land combat.) After my current read, "Bombers Over Japan," next up on my reading list is Eric Bergerud's "Fire in the Sky."

So far, I'm having a blast. My only regret is that, as expected, WITP:AE is leaving me no time to play HPS American Civil War (and Musket & Pike). In a way, it feels like bigamy, and I'm cheating on my wife #1!

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(in reply to barniewhittle)
Post #: 39
RE: Thinking of buying ... but need a push over the edg... - 9/11/2010 2:42:58 AM   
wdolson

 

Posts: 10398
Joined: 6/28/2006
From: Near Portland, OR
Status: offline 		Way back in the days of Avalon Hill, I read an article in the General about the philosophy of game design.  There are a number of factors to balance: look and feel, ease of learning, re-playability, etc.  AE is not easy to learn, and the look and feel is a bit different from other games, but it is extremely high in re-playability.  Especially the longer scenarios/campaigns.

Bill


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Post #: 40
RE: Thinking of buying ... but need a push over the edg... - 9/11/2010 5:07:20 AM   
stuman


Posts: 3907
Joined: 9/14/2008
From: Elvis' Hometown
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: b whittle

Been lurking for ages & very seriously interested in buying.... but it's a huge amount for a 'game' and need some persuading.

My big worry is that you can't enjoy this game without giving up half (or more) of your life to it, which I can't afford.

So a question - can you start small and truly enjoy WITPAE without having to give 3 hours to one turn? I haven't got the space in my life for hours of micromanagement and worry my £70 would be wasted. I enjoy serious war games & chess & learning new things & history, so there's hope. But I bought UV and never really clicked with it.....

Must say that part of my problem is that this forum makes me think I must be missing something great. Am I?

Thanks....

BW


So I assume you have purchased it by now

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Post #: 41
RE: Thinking of buying ... but need a push over the edg... - 9/11/2010 10:20:36 AM   
barniewhittle

 

Posts: 51
Joined: 3/11/2008
Status: offline 		Just taken the top off the box and looked inside.....WOW!

.... but can't work out how to control what pilots have for breakfast... can anyone help?

(in reply to stuman)
Post #: 42
RE: Thinking of buying ... but need a push over the edg... - 9/11/2010 11:13:50 AM   
KenchiSulla


Posts: 2948
Joined: 10/22/2008
From: the Netherlands
Status: offline 		Play Japanese man, rice and fish... easy as pie

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"It happened, therefore it can happen again: this is the core of what we have to say. It can happen, and it can happen everywhere.”
¯ Primo Levi, writer, holocaust survivor

(in reply to barniewhittle)
Post #: 43
RE: Thinking of buying ... but need a push over the edg... - 9/11/2010 5:51:01 PM   
Mac Linehan

 

Posts: 1484
Joined: 12/19/2004
From: Denver Colorado
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: b whittle

Hi All - very many thanks for your kind, generous and encouraging responses. This is a special forum.

After all the fond praise for this game I jumped and am now at the foot hills of Everest. (Looks cool - if rather intimidating - on a wide screen with the alt font!) Even if it doesn't turn out to be my cup of tea, I had to try. I think I had the same experience as SulSea with UV - didn't give it enough time and didn't get used to the terminology and UI. The UI is really different from any other game I've played and clearly needs time.

So, I've discovered the tutorial thread and am getting started. If there are any hints how to digest this mammoth slowly in small chunks without the indigestion then I'm all ears.

Thanks again ........much appreciated...

PS - no I'm not a relative of Frank Whittle, but as a Brit engineer with an interest in aero-engines I am a fan...


Congratulations!
You have been assimilated - resistance is futile!

Mac

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(in reply to barniewhittle)
Post #: 44
RE: Thinking of buying ... but need a push over the edg... - 9/12/2010 6:58:04 PM   
Joe D.


Posts: 4004
Joined: 8/31/2005
From: Stratford, Connecticut
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: b whittle

... I enjoy serious war games & chess & learning new things & history, so there's hope. But I bought UV and never really clicked with it.....

Must say that part of my problem is that this forum makes me think I must be missing something great. Am I?


Yes, but if you didn't click w/UV, what makes you think it will "click" on a larger scale?

Many, like myself, went from UV to AE, so my suggestion is to try UV again and at least play one campaign before investing in its bigger brother.

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Post #: 45
RE: Thinking of buying ... but need a push over the edg... - 9/12/2010 7:23:58 PM   
berto


Posts: 20708
Joined: 3/13/2002
From: metro Chicago, Illinois, USA
Status: offline 		UV didn't click with me either, partly for lack of time, but mainly because I never made a real serious effort to learn it. So I set UV aside, and took a pass on WITP.

Because I'm learning the new game step-by-step slowly and deliberately, supplementing with extensive background reading, and giving it all due attention--WITP:AE now "clicks" with me.

Knowledge of what you're up against, a willingness to meet the challenge, and readiness to commit long-term (perhaps due to changed life circumstances)--these might make all the difference.

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Post #: 46
RE: Thinking of buying ... but need a push over the edg... - 9/12/2010 8:30:38 PM   
KenchiSulla


Posts: 2948
Joined: 10/22/2008
From: the Netherlands
Status: offline 		AE really helped me learn about the pacific theatre. It never really was my "thing".. was more interested in the war in Europe...

Guess what, you get to blow stuff up and learn! Great!

_____________________________

AKA Cannonfodder

"It happened, therefore it can happen again: this is the core of what we have to say. It can happen, and it can happen everywhere.”
¯ Primo Levi, writer, holocaust survivor

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Post #: 47
RE: Thinking of buying ... but need a push over the edg... - 10/7/2010 8:16:32 AM   
jomni


Posts: 2827
Joined: 11/19/2007
Status: offline 		...sigh...
If only WOW Gold can make aircraft research and ship production faster, and buy me more skilled pilots as Japan.

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Post #: 48
RE: Thinking of buying ... but need a push over the edg... - 10/7/2010 8:17:46 AM   
wdolson

 

Posts: 10398
Joined: 6/28/2006
From: Near Portland, OR
Status: offline 		Gibberish spam.

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Post #: 49
RE: Thinking of buying ... but need a push over the edg... - 10/7/2010 6:56:04 PM   
crsutton


Posts: 9590
Joined: 12/6/2002
From: Maryland
Status: offline 		My flat screen TV cost me over $700 bucks. I rarely watch TV these days but spend an awful amount of time playing AE. You have to put it in perspective but it really is a good deal.

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Post #: 50
RE: Thinking of buying ... but need a push over the edg... - 10/8/2010 1:28:58 AM   
tigercub


Posts: 2004
Joined: 2/3/2003
From: brisbane oz
Status: offline 		I spend anything from 1 hr to 5 hrs doing 1 turn (if i have the time) i always find some thing i did not do....the reward in this wargame is very high indeed.

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