YEAR PUBLISHED (EDITIONS): 1978. Only one published edition
by SPI. Published errata sheet by
SPI contained within my game sheet; additional
corrections on the back of one of the tables.
CREDITS
Game Design: Edward Curran, James F. Dunnigan, Irad
B. Hardy, Thomas Walczyk
Physical Systems and Graphics: Redmond Simonsen
Development: Thomas Walczyk, John Kallaugher
Testing and Rules Editing: Simon Ellberger, Robert
Goodwin, George Horen, James Horen, Tom McComb, Oktay Oztunali, Wesley
Sayre, Brooks D. Simpson
Research: David C. Isby, Michael Moscoe
Production: Larry Catalano, Kate Higgins, Manfred
F. Milkuhn, Steve Parsons, Norman Pearl, Bob Ryer, Linda Sapin.
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2+ (multiplayer teams)
WGA COMPLEXITY SCALE (1-10): 10
TYPICAL PLAYING TIME (HOURS): My one 2 player campaign
game took a years worth of Saturdays.
MAP SCALE: 40-60 nautical miles (changing scale with longitude).
UNIT SCALE: Task forces of individual ships from aircraft
carrier to destroyer escorts. Air points represent 10 planes. Ground battalions
to divisions.,
TIME SCALE PER TURN: 1 week with cycle every 4 turns; 4
air/sea turn per lunar cycle , 1 land turn per lunar cycle (13 lunar cycles
in a year).
GAME INVENTORY: 3200 counters (eight full size counter
sheets), Seven unmounted 22" x 32" game mapsheets 56 page rules
booklet, ## page scenario book, two different Track/Chart sheets, two dice.
PBEM OPPORTUNITES: Contact Wargame
Academy if interested. A WIP VASSAL module does exist
and seems functional. However all SPI module were pulled from the VASSAL site
due to insistence of Hexwars, a UK subscription service claiming exclusive
PBEM rights to SPI titles per agreement with Decision Games (who holds the
copyrights to SPI titles). VASSAL management did so to avoid liability issues.
So the module exists, you have to ask a someone such as me for access.
WARGAME ACADEMY COMMENTS: Call me nuts but i enjoyed my
playing of this title and look forward for more. Lots of space and time needed
for FTF is unlikely so a java computerize version is sought. A human opponent
is required to allow my enjoyment however due to preference for social interaction.
Although the campaign game is generally considered 'unplayable', i actually
played it vs Bob Rodriguez in Fort Lauderdale in the YEAR of 1985 (years worth
of saturdays). Several multiplayer teams were attempted but fizzed out due
to MIA team leader who had the Japanese plan. True to history, the WWII Pacific
Theatre was dominated by supply. Much game detail and player energy is consumed
by these details. cargo pipeline status as (chunks of specific cargo chugged
so far each turn), individual ship refitting and refueling status, airplane
attrition's, port capacity and productions cycles. WAR IN EUROPE only deals
with production cycles. In my game we allowed the Japanese to fuel from Java
sources which enhances flexibility. However we disregarded the penalties for
failing to maintain a supply pipeline to Australia and raids on Pearl (normally
shorted the time to establish victory conditions, favoring the Japanese) as
the Allied can't effectively do much to prevent these occurrences in the early
game. By 1944, the IJN no longer had a navy but had hordes of Land Based air.
Our lower emphasis on the land war foresaw a Pacific Fleet vs LBA showdown
but we stopped sometime the the 3rd quarter of 1944. The extensive paperwork
of the Allied was measured in hours (nil for the IJN) to execute a 5 minute
turn finally wore out the IJN players interest. Keeping track of shipping
counters represent historical (subject to production variations) of HCV, CV,
CVL, CVE, BB, BC, CA, CL. DD. DE, SS, APB and merchants is a role in itself.
The massive playing area 88" by 64" is sparsely populated, a large
area for all the various tracks and displays is required. One would have to
seriously consider existing computer games before attempting WIP by email.
However as a boardgame, it offers vast insight into the WWII Pacific war.
One note: Soon after the release of WIP, gamers were seeking to merge WIE
an WIP into one mega-monster game as noted on a variety of articles.
WARGAME ACADEMY GAME TOOLS: I only partially
completed a lot of Apple IIE basic game assist software (learning sequential
and random data access files in the process but too late to help in the game)
in the mid 1980s. With newer software tools such as demonstrated in DOS computer
WAR IN EUROPE and VASSAL, all aspects of the immense bookkeeping can be automated.
This include where cargo is along merchant ship pipelines, Air and Ship production,
Ship refueling status, Ship refitting status, base force (port facility) repair
an refuel rates, Air unit attrition, etc. One big question is what does WIP
offer for PBEM that various computer titles such as SSI/Gary Grigsby PACIFIC
WAR doesn't already do. As a boardgame campaign, WIP is a long term social
event. Scenarios are likely more manageable in my boardgaming days, I like
big games. At that time WIP was a massive magnetic wall display. My life will
unlikely be that flexible again. In the pre computer days, my allied planning
by 1943 took in excess of four hours to execute a 10 minute turn. My Japanese
opponent watched a lot of movies, baseball games etc.
I am nearly done generating a softcopy version of the Rulebook, Scenarios,
Charts & Tables, and errata. The latter will be inserted to create an
unofficial 2nd edition WGA rulebook to server as a reference for other game
design. It is prudent I ask Decision Games for permission to post otherwise
I may be financial liable to the value of the lost potential sales of such
documentation.
