A couple of questions.

[stormbringer3]

I'm considering whether to buy this. I bought WITE on launch day but quit playing after a couple of months. The air war was an issue and I felt that properly mamaging the support units was very tedious. How much will my forces be affected if I don't want to actively manage the SUs? I'm quite interested in the air campaigns but I'd have to buy WITW and Torch to get them. I'd like to get some opinions about the air campaigns.
Thanks.

[loki100]

It depends in a way who/how you want to play. Against the AI (either side) a fairly relaxed approach to SU management will do you well. With the Allies you get a lot (esp engineers and artillery) but once you manage their allocation out to the front line corps there is little need to move stuff around again. So its a task, but mostly one off per turn.

Air war you can play lots of ways. Hand over fully to the AI. Use the AI as an aid but intervene to set the targets and so on. Do full manual targetting and squadron allocation. You can then go into the load outs and alter these (useful esp for the allies as fuel tanks give a trade off between range and effectiveness). At the outer limits, different planes do different roles best at different altitudes.

The scenarios that are just around the air war are pretty good. Most people I guess would use them to learn and experiment but they are good games in their own respect. Not least in the main campaign game from later 1943 till you invade France the strategic air war is the main focus in any case

[zakblood]

myself as a beginner, also played and then stopped on WITE but on WITW found it much easier tbh, have never once altered or found to need altering any SU's at all, same as air or bases, play fine on easy and normal now, still have FOW off and as a beginner still let the AI do the air 99% of the time, have Torch as well for the added battles, i test differently than i play, for play i use every bit of help the AI can give, and enjoy it as it's not so full on, while testing mind you i tend to alter this approach and do some manually as well, for game balance i'll say this is a large step up on the ease of play and learning curve from WITE, then again i like the battles more in the west anyway for now, Until WITE2 comes out[:D][;)]

opinions about the air campaigns

well that depends on how deep you wish to go, it's full on, on level 7 air, but on level 1 it's basic info, manual control lets you do everything, or auto or partial lets you do as much as your skill level, for me it's low so i use the AI quite a lot as it's very good, but not as good as another player, so online it's different, but to learn and pick it up from day one, a few battles with the AI with it helping made the game much more enjoyable for me, less micro management and more fun, then take it off as your skill improves, with time and hours spent.

these aren't games that can be expected to be learnt or appreciated in a few hours, it takes weeks or longer, and much longer to master and really do it well and do it justice in battle for you men.

[stormbringer3]

Thanks for the replies. Here's further info about my game approach. I'm planning to play the Axis. I only play vs. the AI. My interest in Torches' air campaigns would be playing manually vs. the AI. I'm sure that that the air war changes made in Torch apply to all the scenarios in WITW, correct?
Thanks for any additional opinions.

[RedLancer]

If you don't get Torch and its two additional air only campaigns (Pointblank & Weakest Link) all you miss out on is not being able to see any air insignia which is pure chrome. Other than that all the functionality is the same.