Hi Jeremy!
I agree with you on this one, it is filled with micromanagement and will take years to play the campaign. But, in a way I think it was a game that HAD to be done, and at least for me, I had to buy. It's detail and scope are amazing. But, as you say. it took me three nights just to set up my first turn in the campaign. You need to visit every air group, create a TF for every sub, verify WHERE everything is, etc.
Some key issues I've id'ed with this game:
1. No effective delegation at higher levels-- you can kinda do it at the theater level, but it hasn't worked out too well for me.
2. The auto convoy bug is a killer -- this MUST be fixed.
3. Units should default to their best, most effective settings for the task assigned to them, unless overridden by the player. Too much time is wasted going to each air unit and setting it up.
4. It should be much easier to find your units.
5. There should be some way to assign settings and orders to groups of units. Say, select all the fighters you want in a theater on CAP missions and then set them up all at once.
6. There must be a waypoint function that allows for more complex movement orders.
7. Clicking on stuff to select it is a beast, the bases and ports are too small, and the buttons on the dialogs are tiny. This is tough for a menu driven game.
8. I'd also like to be able to put a note or thumbtack on specific hexes for my only reference later in the game. Like check fatigue on this unit or last sighting of IJN Carrier group. You can do stuff tlike that in CRPG's now, why not wargames?
I could be wrong and some of this stuff is in there, the manual is only 200+ paqes! Is it me or now that companies don't print the manuals themselves they are getting HUGE. I have a laser printer and I balked at printing that beast.
But, overall, I would say it is a great game. I have always wanted a game of this magnitude on this subject. In the end I decided to buy it to support the effort. If it doesn't make money then it will never get better, or no one else will even try to create a newer version.
I realize I will never finish the campaign game, but it is fun to try.