Can't control:

[Sfox28]

Geeze, It's tough enough to win battles without your troops and AFV's running all over the place.

I had to take a defeat at Tilly...the 2nd battle in the Lehr Campaign. Because, for some reason, two of my panzers decided to turn and show their sides which of course meant that the cromwell's had easy shots (18 of them I might add). It's tough to with this battle with NO AA also! I know, I know, you will all say that I complain to much but when your in a defensive battle you would like to use the town for cover. You know, "AMBUSH" spots and all! I used to think it was only the AFV's that went directly to the first sign of the enemy but in this one I had Infantry leaving their trench cover, only to charge after the oncoming horde of Infantry and Brit Tanks! So I decided on my 3rd try to just leave the town with a bare-bones Infantry cadre. Well, when the defeat came (I thought I would save my panzers from slaugther)I went to the next battle "Otto" and I had a whole new Cadre of Troops & AFV's. I thought you were supposed to carry most of your inital group with you? You know, that's why you hand out promotions, ribbions etc? We really NEED a AMBUSH or HOLD FAST option! I mean, some groups can go on their own but others are crucial to how you make your battle plan work! I also know that most of us are not stupid and usually will make sound plans. But when KEY elements cannot take a simple command to HOLD & DEFEND a key spot.....it's all over...LOL! I rest my case...for now.

[R33GZ]

bugger!

I assume you gave all of your troops hold position orders? This shoudl have worked and made them hold their ground... the only time it wont work is when they are overrun and panicking or taking large amounts of incoming HE... then your screwed, they'll just round like headless chooks.

As for your armour, you might need to find a better ambush spot... sounds like they were being flanked if they were turning to face an enemy?

It can be frustrating sometimes when you have to baby a fully grown tank. I suggest excessive use of the pause button

[redbear]

yep you have to use hold order with all your troops they will stand in their position and won move.

Remember this units have some RTS unit behavior in their AI they go charging to the enemy because the self preservation is not programing well in this game. thats why a suppressing fire do not work here and you can kill a trooper in a trench on the face of danger they don't go to the ground! I hope this is something that will be corrected in the add on

[Sfox28]

OKAAAY, as usual redbear your correct about "self preservation is not programing well in this game."

But I would also like to remind anyone (R33GZ)that I gave soooo many stop and defend orders, in groups, that my fingers were starting to hurt! I'd stay on one thing and something else would move towards the nearest enemy. They would not protect my flanks were other enemy units would be sure to come. I'd set up panzercheck & AT ambushes in great places (I've been playing games like this for more years than anyone on this forum & I'm an Infantry veteran...sorry about my last remark...but it's true)and just when you would think they would be in the right spot as an enemy AVF comes near the place you put them....."Were the HELL are THEY!" I have to quick look all over the map to find them and they usually end up dead already...because they chased down some other enemy unit. Love the game for so many reasons but it just pisses you off about some of these "little things".

[crazyman56]

If you tell a unit to stop/defend they seem to think that defending means running towards the enemy. The ONLY way to completly stop a unit moving is to press the HOLD POSITION button. And by your description you just pressed the stop and defend buttons which do not stop the unit forever.

Crazy

[Mcalhau]

Hi Sfox28

I´m now in the last battle of the Panzer Lehr campaign, and since you wrote this post I went back again and played it again (I only play in Veteran), first of all, I think that TOW is very much Tank warfare oriented (don´t get me wrong, but when you win the tank battles almost you have won the battle, but its not always like this).

Okay, I will give some feed back of my battle, I pressed many times the f12 button to give you a better idea, but I don´t know how to get the screenshots LOL.

a) I´ve spended some time in the units selection panel, took out all the squad (not the panzerfaust one) and all the AT guns. With this I was abble to put one more PzIV. Then I have put a 75mm AT, and one more panzerfaust squad, then it was time to change individuals so that I went with all the best at my disposal (even changed 4 PzIV crew for 4 from a TD, don´t remember now from wich one, but were the best).

Since I have changed the squads, i´ve started with them outside the trenches, you just have to put them near the trench and they will get cover inside them once the battle start. The tanks I put them in a little hill in the back of the town, all very near one from another so it gave you a strong firepower. Once the squads were in the trenches I "told" them to get in the crawling position and then hit the defend button. The 75mm AT was placed in the crossroads.

Once the battle started I lost almost one squad for the artillery fire, but was abble to knock down the first two tank waves losing only one tank ( and this one I think that was by fire from the Churchil croco that came with the final attack).

I only hit the pause button one time, and ended with no squads, two immobilized tnaks and one knocked down.

Hope I helped

[Txema]

But I would also like to remind anyone (R33GZ)that I gave soooo many stop and defend orders, in groups, that my fingers were starting to hurt!

I think that the STOP order should be renamed as CANCEL order... It is clear that the name STOP causes too much misundertanding in it... It is really a CANCEL order.

Txema

[z1812]

Hi All,

Regrettably, game behaviour re movement and combat, too often cannot be counted upon as being consistent or logical. This undermines any enjoyment I may find in the game.

As many others have said, and I agree, there is a great deal of potential in this game. Hopefully it will be realized.

For those that enjoy it as it is I am glad they have fun. That's great.

For myself I don't regret buying the game as I hope the proceeds will add to the devlopement of Theatre of War or games like it.

regards John

[Sfox28]

Crazyman56, I must be the DUMBEST (oldest) IDIOT playing this game! Quote: "The ONLY way to completly stop a unit moving is to press the HOLD POSITION button. And by your description you just pressed the stop and defend buttons which do not stop the unit forever." Ahh, DUH...why did I think that the two bottom commands were not of use??? I get sooo used to seeing signs (real world) that have a slash in them that I think they are of no use or will be used later in some other scenario...future add on or whatever! I've tried what you said and things seem to work MUCH BETTER. God, what a DUMB-**** I am! ROFLOL! It really puts a whole different light on how to do things. Mahalo, to all your great posts on this subject.

[R33GZ]

Sfox28, I understand your frustration.... this game has driven me to tears on occasion

As mentioned by Texma and crazyman56, it sounds like you may have misunderstood the stop order.

You need to be using the hold position button down the bottom right side of the screen. however, depending on the quality of your troops they may behave erratically when vehicles get close to them.

For instance, they may be very unskilled and panic at the sight of a Pz4 rolling up on them, or, due to the defend order, they may have decided, in their infinite wisdom, to abandon the well placed ambush position and run out into the open to get a closer shot at the armor they are trying to repel.

Aside from all of that, I have never really found infantry to be hugely valuable in this game as they tend to be more of a cannon fodder after thought... I think the game was probably designed more around the use of armor, rather than combined arms?

[Sfox28]

R33GZ...I agree with everything you said. I tried a battle using the hold button (bottom right hand side of the screen) and "BINGO" it worked. It's going to give me a proper way to work my defensive as well as Assault plans. It's all about learning the physicality of the game.

Funny though, I thought I was getting to know the Mission & Campaign Editor but I have run into some problems adding or changing units. I did it once but I can't seem to get it to work again. I'm doing what it says in the tutorial and what once worked for me but.....wallaaaaaa...in won't click in for some reason. LOL!

[Jmayer]

Fox,

Try using the Units tab on left side it lets you select units to add to the mission. You select them with the drop down menus then click on map to place them. Be sure to edit the ammo and men allocations because they come into the map without either. you can use right mouse button to delete units of like kind also. Hope this helps you.

Malako and Milly Amiki Waka too..lol

[Sfox28]

Jmayer, no disrespect, but that's exactally what I did do. OK let me understand this again. This is what I did...Units menu is down and I'm in the Army tree on the right I click...say on the Reserves part of the tree, then go to the units menu and click on the desired unit and all I get is some number unit on the reserves tree ( a group that is really nothing). Now, your saying, that I need to do the above and click on the MAP.

I'm going to give it a try again soon as I can and I think you maybe right I'll see. Mahalo.....

[Sfox28]

Finally got it after fiddeling around with it. I didn't click on the map! Duh! Thanx.....

[Jmayer]

Just glad to see you found it . We need more people playing the game and making use of all the stuff this game has to offer. Looking forward to seeing many new missions both single and multiplayer from the ToW community soon.