How Did You Learn?

[kentcol]

I know this probably has been asked before but how did you learn to play this monster? I'm still too intimidated by this game and have yet to tackle it even though I have bought it long ago.

[Bullwinkle58]

I played WITP first, and that had a tutorial. But AE I played the 1000 Mile War scenario to see some of the changes, then started a GC versus the AI. If you screw up nobody can see you. If you need to re-start you can. It's important to not have a feeling of perfection when playing. Just play, see what happens.

[mind_messing]

Trial and error. Coral Sea for naval operations, Guadalcanal and 1000 Mile War as mini-scenarios, then the Marianas to tie it all together.

[AW1Steve]

I'd already played WITP for a while. I fell into it , and didn't play it well. When WITP AE came out , I decided "Damn it, this time I'll do it right". What that means is slooooooow and steady , methodical and through. I played all of the shorter scenarios. First I'd play one side , then the other. Then I played PBEM's against experienced player. Whenever possible I mirror played (two simultaneous games , on opposite sides so you gain knowledge of the scenario from both sides). Then I started playing the GC in PBEM's against the best players I could get to play me. About this time I started "mentoring" rookies. You learn from teaching , and often recall basic questions that you'd forgotten. The teacher is the student thru the eyes of the student. My current step is playing a GC scenario 2 against one of the toughest opponents out there, facing some pretty difficult house rules. Of course I get my head handed to me on a daily basis. But you learn far more from your defeats than victories.

My next step , after I finish this PBEM with Chickenboy will be to finally "cross over" and play the Japanese in a GC. Maybe I can find a "grand master" that will let me be a junior partner in a 2x2
GC". In my estimation , production ( which I refer to as "Factory manager in the Pacific") is the most difficult aspect to this game. Hence , when you master it , you are in good standing and eligible to join some of the "Grandmasters" in this exclusive club. (No one will admit to being one , but you'll figure out who they are).


So....I've been playing since the day the game 1st came out ,almost every day since then. I consider myself to be an advanced beginner.

Good luck and welcome grasshopper! [:D] And I hope that you have at least as half as much fun as I have had reaching this small stage.....And I look forward to someday viewing you as a grandmaster.[:D] (AND I'LL STILL BE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT "Factory Manager in the Pacific"!!!!)[:D][:D][:D]

[crsutton]

Find a human opponent on the same skill level as yourself and just have fun. You will pick it up fast enough. You can play pretty darn well without knowing everything. There is tons of crap that I still don't quite get but I can still play a very good game.

[SuluSea]

Has anyone learned to play this game yet?[;)][:'(]

As most people say start with the smaller scenarios to get the basics, and move onto the Allied GC. I'm not the brightest lightbulb in the room, this game isn't as daunting as it looks. More than likely you'll still be picking up tips or tricks 5 years in.

The ride is great , enjoy!! [:)]

[Panjack]

Here's what I'd suggest: play just the first couple of turns of the scenarios just to learn the basic mechanics of ships, land units, and air units. Then move right to a GC versus the AI (which is playing as Japan). But ignore most of what you think you need to do. Focus only on keeping your CVs safe, moving units out of the Philippines, sending out a few subs, and organizing some sort of defense in the Philippines and around Singapore. But don't be too diligent. Your little digital sailors and soldiers will forgive your mistakes and omissions; they are very gracious.

Don't study the complete manual but only look at what you need to accomplish basic tasks. Bookmark this in your browser:
site:matrixgames.com/forums + "War in the Pacific: Admiral's Edition" XXXX.

Here, XXXX is what you need to learn about.

You'll make lots of mistakes and won't figure out how to do some things, but you'll be moving forward with the game, which should be your #1 goal. Over time, move to dealing with other things...setting up training groups, moving supplies/fuel, repairing ships, sending units out to defend key locations, etc. At some point you'll want to restart a new game, maybe one "for real."

Because of my schedule it took be a couple of years (in real life) to get beyond the first couple of turns. Now I'm still working on a game I started over a year ago but am only in April 1943. Every couple weeks (in game time) I decide to learn something new. I still know only about 25% of what I need to know to play the game. But it's a blast.

[RogerJNeilson]

If you expect to learn this game before you play it then its not for you. I have been playing it since it appeared and am still learning stuff on a daily basis.

That is part of its charm.

Just jump in, make mistakes and ask here on the forum - 99% of people will be very helpful if you ask questions in the right way.

Roger

[kentcol]

Thanks,guys. Feel a little better about starting!

[Numdydar]

I took the road less traveled and just started playing the game as Japan. Still have not played past Dec '41 as the Allies yet [X(]. Played three full games as Japan including a PBEM though [:D]

[rockmedic109]

I am not sure I can say that I've learned to play this game. I know enough to be able to play it and enjoy it. But "learning" to play this game is still a work in progress.

I started by playing Uncommon Valor. Then I played WITP since it came out. I've played AE since it came out. But I am still learning it.

I went against the common sense of most people {typical since I have very little}. I fired up the Grand Campaign and played for a month. That way I learn from mistakes. And I learned the map as well. The sheer size of the map was the most intimdating part of learning.

[LargeSlowTarget]

I'm playing Pacific War games since "Guadalcanal" on the C64 and like many went through the predecessors Uncommon Valor and WitP Classic - and I am still intimidated by AE [:)]

The best (and probably only) approach is probably "Learning by doing" and "The path is the goal" - but the path is long, winding and always uphill...

I also have learned a few things from other player's mistakes / achievements reported in AARs and there are severel useful guides and link collections on this forum.

[Trugrit]

I think that the reason I like it so much is that I’ve yet to learn all of it.

This game is like an onion, you peel away a layer and you discover another layer.

I learned what I know by jumping right in. I started pushing buttons and reading the manual and forum.
Learn the mechanics. See a button, push it, see what it does and then go read about it.

You can learn a lot using the forum. You have to dig and read and try things out.
Now, I’m studying up on Japan. Another big layer awaits PBEM.

Have fun.

[szmike]

Imho the hardest thing to learn is not game mechanics, it is to apply that knowledge correctly to achieve your goals. And that can be gained through experience only and mainly in PBEMs.

AndyMac vs PZB old WitP AARs come to mind.[&o]

[Richard III]

Very valuable learning vids here:

tm.asp?m=2353946

and VS AI Game here: tm.asp?m=2940156
Some things in the 2010 AI GC above may have changed due to patches/upgrades.

[geofflambert]

You need to play a PBEM against a gorn. I would teach you many lessons. [:'(]

[obvert]

Just know that the forum is where you'll learn the most. Play, make mistakes, ask questions. When you post make sure to include a lot of (pertinent) information so other players can really get a sense for what is going on. We've all been looking at this beast of a game and thinking the same thing, "will I ever get it?" Probably not, but you'll have a hell of a lot of fun and meet some good people in the process. [:)]

[Dili]

It helps knowing about war and specifically about WW2 and its hardware: what type of planes, ships and their capabilities. If you don't know that already you start with an handicap.

The best way to understand the game is to play the small scenarios and read this forum and historical sites- if you lack that part.

[wdolson]

I started learning on Uncommon Valor back in the day, but I'm still learning tid bits here and there and I was on the development team for AE!

It's like learning anything complex, it takes time, but eventually you figure things out. You still encounter new things from time to time, but the basics stick with you. First step is to get your arms around the basics. Asking questions on the forum helps a lot. There are also some very good threads here. For most players, the AI is a good set of training wheels. Start with some of the small scenarios and work your way up. The basic game mechanics will become natural after a game or two of the small scenarios. Then it's a matter of learning the little details and honing strategy, which can take a while. Enjoy the learning process. It can be a joy all in itself.

Bill

[leehunt27@bloomberg.net]

One of the most important things to learn is all the settings for a Carrier Task Force. You might make mistakes with Japanese production/economy, or routing your land units, but the mistake that will make you angry is when you set your fighters to 100% cap on a CV and then leave your torpedo bombers at extended range unescorted with no Nav Search. Once you know you aren't going to accidently lose your fleet in the next few rounds its easier to progress on the logistics