WITP or WITP:AE

[Delaware]

I see that WITP is only $39 and WITP:AE is $59. Is the core game experience worth the extra $20? Or does AE blow the earlier iteration out of the water?

[dr.hal]

Welcome to the forum Delaware. I think you will find the consensus of the players here would support going full speed ahead and getting the AE. It is like buying a VW or Merc... The both will get you there, but the Merc is a far better ride. The basic game engine is the same but the details and upgrades for AE are fantastic, as well as the options done by many on this forum. So my highly suspect recommendation is to bypass WITP and go for the gold, AE. It will be the best $20 expense you may ever have!

[greg_slith]

To me it is the difference between a P-51D and a P-40: both do the same job but one does it WAAAAAAY better than the other.

[Delaware]

Thank you. I see now its actually only $10 difference. So silly not to buy the latest. Maybe I should buy War in the West and go all in?

[obvert]

The other thing is support from the forum and continuing help from michaelm in the tech area with updates, betas and explanations. [&o]

The forum there is basically dead, and here its very active and helpful. Hope you don't have much to do for the next few years! [:D]

[cohimbra]

AE rules. Best game ever made. Thrown in the trash all other games. Although at first you don't know anything about the PTO [:D]

[robinsa]

ORIGINAL: Delaware

Thank you. I see now its actually only $10 difference. So silly not to buy the latest. Maybe I should buy War in the West and go all in?

War in the East/West are very different games compared to WITPAE so it depends on what youre looking for. I prefer WITPAE many times to the other two. I dont know if youve downloaded it already or what matrix's refund policy is like but maybe you can talk to them.

[wdolson]

I would recommend AE too. Not only is AE a richer experience, but it has fewer bugs.

Bill

[berto]

ORIGINAL: cohimbra

AE rules. Best game ever made.

+1

Time is money. The time you spend on this game dwarfs whatever (comparatively) paltry sum of money you purchase it for.

At ~twice the price -- heck, even at 3X or more the price -- WITP:AE is for sure the way to go.

[RealChuckB]

Hi - I was about to ask the same/similar question and I'm happy to have found this thread. One additional question: Is there a considerable difference in complexity between the two games?
My feeling is that I would like to get into the game but that the complexity (and required time) will be the biggest hurdle for me. So if there is a considerable difference when it comes to complexity (I assume there isn't), that would make a difference to me.
Also, I read somewhere (I think on the WitW forum) that WitP came with a tutorial and that the AE doesn't - again, for me getting into the game would be important.

Thanks!

[btd64]

AE is more complex. In a good way. Also the short scenarios are great learning tools. They each deal with different aspects of the game....GP

[wdolson]

A lot of the new complexity in AE are to give the player more control over things that were kind of klunky in the original game. It reduces some of the micromanagement you have to do in WitP.

Bill

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Chuck B.

Hi - I was about to ask the same/similar question and I'm happy to have found this thread. One additional question: Is there a considerable difference in complexity between the two games?
My feeling is that I would like to get into the game but that the complexity (and required time) will be the biggest hurdle for me. So if there is a considerable difference when it comes to complexity (I assume there isn't), that would make a difference to me.
Also, I read somewhere (I think on the WitW forum) that WitP came with a tutorial and that the AE doesn't - again, for me getting into the game would be important.

Thanks!

I said that on the WitW forum.

It's true that WITP came with a tutorial and AE was supposed to have one, but it was never done. But the WITP one was basic; I played it once with the manual open and never again. Took about thirty minutes. So you're not missing much.

AE's manual is far better. And there are video tutorials for AE done by expert players. As well as many forum threads about how to get started, and several economic primers for Japanese players, and at least one very good "newbie" AAR that takes an Allied player through the first weeks of the grand campaign. And there's the forum here for ad hoc questions, although by now most of the basic ones have been asked and answered scores of times and are in the forum archives.

AE is a tough learning curve, but it's doable. It's a fun doable. There are small scenarios to help break you in. Few players start with the grand campaign and last very long. But there's no hurry. AE is a multi-year time investment. There's no other game alive that takes as long to play. Even a GC against the AI takes many real time months. A PBEM game will be years. Few wargamers want that. But for those who do there's AE.

Edit: like your avatar. I miss C & H to this day.

[Yaab]

The core game experience is worth $200, if you ask me.

[HansBolter]

In a way AE spoiled some other game opportunities.

I started with Uncommon Valor and moved on to WITP, but for a long timed I eyed War Plan Orange and planned to obtain it.

After AE came out I now have a "I would never be satisfied going back to the old game engine now" attitude and will likely never buy and play WPO.

WITP was a GREAT game, but I will never go back.

AE is a much richer and more satisfying game experience.

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: Chuck B.

Hi - I was about to ask the same/similar question and I'm happy to have found this thread. One additional question: Is there a considerable difference in complexity between the two games?
My feeling is that I would like to get into the game but that the complexity (and required time) will be the biggest hurdle for me. So if there is a considerable difference when it comes to complexity (I assume there isn't), that would make a difference to me.
Also, I read somewhere (I think on the WitW forum) that WitP came with a tutorial and that the AE doesn't - again, for me getting into the game would be important.

Thanks!

AE is a bit more complex but it also resolves a lot of management headaches that were in WITP and will never be fixed because that game is not really supported any more. Basically there are hundreds of player suggested changes that have been implemented-not only in the original AE but through the five years that the game has been around. Plus there will be more while you won't get any with WITP. It is a no brainer...[;)]

[RealChuckB]

Thanks everyone for their feedback - I'll get AE (although I'm not sure where I'll find the time to play it ...)

[joey]

AE is by far the better of the two! There really is not question between the two!

[pontiouspilot]

WITP=Chevette...AE= loaded Cadddie!!

Also, the latter seems to have way more support by way of updates etc.