Paulverisor64

There is an extra mission beyond the German and Russian scenarios. Perhaps this was generated by me; perhaps it was always there. After I get out of the Order of Battle and click on the start button the game almost loads and crashes to the desktop. I didn't realize this was supposed to work.

That is interesting; the scenario I didn't have much tank crossing issue was Verkhopenye. My computer crashes to the desktop when I use the mission generator; I thought that you could not even generate a mission from the tutorial.

When I read your reply it dawned on me that even though I can not see the HE shells displayed that these shells must be accessable. Sure enough; I just didn't expect there to be another layer hidden under the default rounds. Excellent! Thanks for your help. Sneaksie: If it wouldn't be any trouble could you comment on my previous post in this thread? Does the game purposefully ignore the target you want to focus on unless the tank can see the target? What is the recommended way to gain the target acquisition to prevent having the gun pointed in the wrong direction at the wrong time? Would scouting abilities help? Would having another armored vehicle which has a line of sight help? Perhaps one of the recon vehicles?

I am sorry about the size of the picture I posted. It obviously came in much smaller than anticipated. After the fact I looked at my pictures file size and it was over 1 meg; this most likely is why it shrunk down so much. Anyways; I wanted to add the my discussion about one of the most frustrating quirks of the game. I want to call this a bug but perhaps this is what was intended. This was actually in Theatre of War Africa. My German tank (either Panzer III or IV) spent 10 minutes strafing the enemy trench with no effect. I was managing other aspects of the game up to that point. The US counter attack comes from the West so I click the target which is a fair distance away and out of line of sight. I anticipated that the tank would make this as a priority and scoot over to obtain a line of sight and shoot the Sherman tank. I micro'd the other tanks and came back. The gunner still was aiming and shooting ineffectively at the trenches. I manually moved the tank beyond the trenches and tried targeting again. It did not show the red targeted icon, but I just wanted to swing the gun around. It would not do it. I did a manual facing change which it allowed. In which afterwards the gun went right around once again strafing the trenches. I started to move my tank towards the threat. I tried targeting, the gun would not swing around. Finally when the target broke into the open the tank agreed to turn it's gun. It is a good thing I was on Novice level because the Sherman landed a couple free hits. I'm just looking for an honest answer; is this the way the game engine is supposed to be or is this a bug? If this is not a bug what is the prerequisite for the tank to obtain a new targeting assignment? The tank was visible to at least one of my units otherwise I would not see it. Would I be able to work on the targetting bead if another tank had a firing solution? (As the tank crews did communicate by radio). It seems that radio chatter would say (in German of course) "Hey we've got US tanks making a bead towards the village; look for your target due West".

If I were to choose the best British Campaign I'd have to go with the Medenine Defensive. There were staggered attacks throughout the game on the British position waver your attention to one side and another attack was gaining momentum on the other. Airstrikes on both sides. There also was a challenge to prevent the Sappers from clearing the minefield. Very good mission! I was disappointed that this was the last British Mission because there were a few battlefield heroes that emerged. The worst mission in my opinion once again was Kasserine Pass as it was not as much of a challenge. Once I complete the German campaign I hope to go kick the difficulty up from Novice to Normal. At that point I may have differing opinions on some of the missions.

Thank you so much for taking time to help out. As far as mines are concerned I believe in real life the Germans took after the problem after dark with their Engineers. They were stalled terribly by the extreme ammount of mines. They really couldn't use their Panzer tactics very well. They also used Goliaths. You suggested better scouting. How would you effectively scout something like this out? Does this just mean making lesser vehicles expendable? The demo at one point suggested the use of High Explosive type shells. I didn't see the HE type listed. I will attach a picture from my game at the end of this post. The alternate round types I saw listed were both DT? I agree that it would be quite aggravating if your tank crew selected HE against armored targets. I think with ample care that it is possible to keep all the selected soldiers in the dirt. I just discovered how to switch stances. That combined with hold position seems to keep my squad glued to their position. It would be nice if the Sneak command kept them that way automatically. Even though I had heard the SDKFZ 32 was a communications vehicle I thought it might of had a duel role. I wonder if it is any better in any respect to the other vehicles which could be used in a recon role. Anti tank guns seem to eat all the mechanized special purpose vehicles up. That is very helpful in what you suggested about the sighting level of the gunner being lower and not seeing what the commander sees. I wonder if giving the gunner better scouting capabilities would help or if this is entirely a line of sight issue? Perhaps in the real game there will be half tracks which can be loaded. That would be great for getting the infantry from Point A to Point B quickly with improved protection. It doesn't appear that infantry can hitch a ride as in Combat Mission. With every answered question this game becomes that much more playable!

Turn off Smart Pause in the menu selection. It works correctly with TOW Kursk.

If you are speaking of the Russian mission where you have to prevent a German river crossing; I have not had any trouble with this yet. I have clicked on the other side of the river directly across the bridge and my T-34 does stay on the bridge. On the other hand I have had an occasion where my tank stopped on the bridge. I'm not sure whether path finding was at fault or the tank found a target and just stopped.

I’ve been looking forward to Theatre of War Kursk since before Christmas. Since that time I have purchased TOW Africa which I have been pleasantly surprised with. Of course the demo was released this week which increases my anticipation for the upcoming game. In playing both games I have been compiling a list of things that have me perplexed as well as made observations on things that appear buggy or could use varying degrees of improvement. I pledge to continue on regardless of issues; I’m just hoping to see this game polished enough to where the whole gaming community takes notice. This game helps me learn while having fun. I’ll start with some of my questions and I’ll work into the issues. -One thing that I’d like to understand better is the allocation of experience points. I understand that by allocating experience points the soldier becomes more experienced in Accuracy(Marksman), Scouting, Driving and Gunning. A gunner naturally would be very well effected by giving him Gunner points. A sniper would be well effected by spending a lot of Scouting points on him. What I am not sure about is how important it would be to round off a players experience with different skill sets. For instance would it help a tank gunner hit targets better if he had Accuracy and Scouting skills on top of his gunning skills even though the tank commander might have a good scouting rate? Would it help an infantryman to add good scouting skills on top of accuracy skills even though his officer had good scouting skills? What primary skills should the loader have? Would it be necessary for an artillery crew to have any driving skills? (the AI gives them driving skills sometimes) -Is it possible to see where a minefield is laid? I frequently lose tanks to a lost track and since they happen often in close quarters to the other de-tracked vehicle(s) I am suspecting they were victim to a minefield. -What is the best use of smoke? I’ve played many games but really haven’t used smoke yet. Would this be for protecting a stationary position or concealing advancement? -Is it possible to load infantry into half tracks or on top of tanks? I have not seen the load symbol for either one yet. (Of course I haven’t gotten around to the German campaign in TOW Africa). In Combat Mission I know this was possible (even though it wasn’t possible for loading some of the half track choices). -Does this game factor in a greater speed for traveling on a road versus moving in the open? I haven’t observed a difference but that doesn’t make it a fact. If it does make a difference does that apply to infantry as well? -With tanks or other guns is there a way to tell which round is high explosive? The demo suggested using high explosive rounds but I wasn’t sure which ones that was. -There are many types of vehicles in the game. It is confusing which one to pick according to the anticipated need. Is there a way to demystify the selection process? For instance I actually thought the SDKFZ 232 was a communications type vehicle, but as there isn’t actually that type of communication in the game it would be just another vehicle to be considered amongst the several half tracks. I am not a ballistics purist; I don’t know what all the round size designations would signify except that a bigger number might take down a bigger target most of the time. -Is there a communication delay if I were to cancel out an action and replace this with another action? This was present in Combat Mission which simulated the delay of reissuing an order. From here I will list some of the things within the game that appear not to work optimally. -It was very noticeable in the demo that if a gunner did not want to turn to a target that I pointed out, he flat out would not do it. Yes the targets in question had a red cross hairs. When I needed to land a shot before the enemy did this was quite a disadvantage. -At times it was very labor intensive moving a vehicle from point A to point B. In specific there were 2 half tracks that I finally was able to move after about 10 times. There wasn’t any message saying “I can’t do that” which would have been helpful. -The infantry was not very good at being stealthy. I would give a move to position command by sneak and the buggers always wanted to stand up in the most inopportune times. I observed this even when I used the hold position option. -There have been times when I run into a tank that just won’t die. I can get the initial crippling blow but after that I can not wipe the tank out. I had 2 tanks that would not die at the same time. I was behind each tank landing blow after blow with no result. One was a Panzer V and the other was a Panzer III. I emptied my entire supply of 76mm shells. I observed I had over 30 rounds to begin with in one of the instances. Lastly I’d like to make a bit of a petition to ask for certain features that would help the game player a little bit. -I wish there was information for the scenario objectives available by mouse cursoring over the appropriate item. For instance the mission told me to destroy the enemy HQ. I destroyed many buildings not knowing which one to take down. I was not sure whether I captured the correct village or not as there was nothing naming the town that I could see. It would also be nice to get some kind of visual cue if there is only one unit left that I need to destroy. I have spent close to an hour trying to tie up missions because I don’t know what remains to be taken out. -It would be nice if the mini map had a small N with an arrow underneath it. I am pretty sure that north is on top, but in many games I’ve played the map revolves with the point of view. -Finally I would really like it if vehicle movements could not only be made by waypoints but also be concluded by a facing command. Company of Heroes allows a series of waypoints and a facing command at the end. (Shift, Shift, Shift, Right mouse held and turned to appropriate direction). To make things even better it would be great if you could specify movement types for each movement segment. For instance sneak up to a road, sprint across and sneak once again. I will appreciate any help with my questions. Hopefully this will help others as well.

I do agree that the enemy would not have an advantage in quality of troops; but the quantity is very hard to offset. I will most likely give it a try at normal settings but on certain maps I'd have to believe it would be an exercise in pain. The reason you play games is to enjoy what they have to offer, not to get humiliated. I could actually see the advantage that I had when I would hit the panzer tanks with a frontal shot and take them out. I would not want to play this way if the strength of each side was equal; then I would want full realism. As it is I can't really see that my infantry is carrying that much of an advantage; they seem to break and die very easy. You have said it yourself (overwhelming enemy superiority making the mission so difficult as to be no fun), that is precisely why I choose a lower difficulty. I am hoping that as I gain experience that I will be able to raise the challenge and realism with the difficulty level. Until then bear with me as I am a noob in training.

Success at last! I must have been defeated a good 10 times before I emerged victorious. I followed your suggestion and traded a 105 and Stuart for another Sherman. I guarded the pass entrance with a Sherman on either side. I did get good side shots in on the approaching armor. I also moved all my army closer to the barracks area. I had my remaining 105's concentrated on the distance and a couple Shermans rotated to the areas that were needed the most. This time around I ended up routing the enemy. I really did not need the reinforcements (which once again got butchered from the enemy tanks in the distance). The enemy never really even got close to me. It made a lot of difference keeping all 4 of my tanks in one piece. I also was able to rotate infantry in to man any of the guns which lost their crew. After getting whooped many times I would say it is a great conclusion to the US campaign.

I will make a surprizing number one choice here. I liked Tebessa the best because it was the biggest challenge; I thought it was unbeatable. I had to completely overhaul the starting position, the starting units and put painstaking detail into troop placement. When it finally played out correct it was a thing of beauty. Prior to this battle I enjoyed the Sidi Bou Zid scenario the best. With this I enjoyed learning tactical timing and it was a rare US map where you were on the offensive. I would have to agree with the other poster here in that Kasserine Pass would be considered the worst. It did not pose a great challenge. I played all the scenarios on Novice level. The numbers offset which favored the enemy would seem to be too much to overcome on a higher level.

Thank you very much for your descriptive help on this specific mission. I may be somewhat limited in Tankers with 90+ gunner ability. I will definately consider trading in one of my Howitzers for another Sherman tank. My Howitzers kick butt with the enemy at a distance but easily flounder once the enemy closes. In my last try I moved my Eastern army behind the large hill. I did last a bit longer. Perhaps if I had one more Sherman instead of the last Stuart I might be able to do a little better. I did keep my infantry close to the 105's but it is amazing how hard it is to cover the small distance to reoccupy the gun. Thank you for giving me some good ideas to try.

I've tried for the 6th time on the novice level and have not been able to win at Tebessa. I've scattered my troops around trying to have safe places for my big guns to fire away. I have stationed my infantry close by the guns in case my crew dies but the guns are intact. I have swapped out infantry for a bazooka team, and have traded in one infantry so I can afford 3 Shermans and only 1 Stuart. I appear to do decent in the beginning but eventually I just get overwhelmed in 3 different directions. The artillery doesn't appear to really do much damage. The reinforcements arrive too late and too little. Typically my tank and SP replacements get knocked out very soon after coming in. My infantry as well gets slaughtered. If I don't survive long enough for reinforcements my kill ratio is close to 2 to 1. If I do survive long enough my kill ratio is close to 1 to 2 because the units coming in get slaughtered right away. I have to move them because when reinforcements arrive the enemy is about a minute away from victory. What can you possibly do to win this battle?

Yesterday I watched a show on the Military Channel about the Battle of Kursk. There was a comment made on the human cost in this battle. I believe I heard that the Russians lost 180,000 men in the battle compared to the German loss of 55,000 men yet the Russians won this battle. It would seem a tall order to win this battle as the Germans in the game. There was discussion on one aspect in which the Germans were able to exploit; and that was in terms of communication. The Russians had AM radio; 1 transmitter per column. The Germans had FM broadcast capability in every tank. The Germans would seek out the Russian tank with the broadcast antenae and target it 1st. Once this was accomplished the communication capability was removed for that tank column. Does TOW Kursk emulate this difference between the sides somehow in the game? Would there be more disarray with a Russian tank column than a German column if the lead tank was taken out? Many years ago I read this fascinating difference when I played the game Panzer Blitz, and the Military channel special brought this back to the top of my mind.

I'm glad I could help. It does appear as if the more experienced personnel will rotate back into DEPLOYMENT after they wait out the one battle. I always review my DEPLOYMENT team for their experience as there will be a mixture of new and experienced rotated in. One thing I am putting in consideration is that it might be better to rotate green troops in under certain circumstances. 1) If your starting units will get knocked out likely and 2) saving your experience for tough maps such as Sbeitla. (playing as US) Doing this helped me to survive until reinforcements on this map.

Page 11 and 12 of the manual describe this pretty good. (The page number on the bottom of the page not the overall document number) Being new to the game I was confused about transferring over upgraded units as well. When you look at the Order of Battle, there is a Task Force and a Staff tab in a picture on page 12. The Task Force tab gives a good description of what the entire unit is and it's cost. The Staff tab identifies all the people in the battle by name. It is my understanding that your armed forces from the previous battle become part of the RESERVES for the next battle. You can drag and drop individual members from the RESERVES (which you have upgraded skills for) into the corresponding Right column labeled DEPLOYMENT.

Thank you for forwarding my post to someone who has experience in putting together strategy guides. Interactive or non-interactive having a guide to breakdown tactical considerations would go a long ways towards how to do well in the game. There are some things that happen that are hard to pick up in the middle of a heated battle. I really must say I'm enjoying TOW2 Africa! Due to quietness in the WWII gaming community in regards to this game I really thought there had to be some serious flaws. Of course I've been playing on the easiest level but the gameplay has been much better than I would have expected. I think a lot of people are missing out. I have pre-ordered Theatre of War Kursk which I am anxious to play. Just looking at the screens shows me that a lot of attention was placed on the Russian countryside. I just watched a show this evening on the Military channel which analyzed the battle of Kursk. The Russians held a clear numerical superiority and they really did a good job of setting up a defensive position. There were some statements made about Russian tank weaknesses which will be interesting to see if this upcoming game impliments them well.

I recently purchased TOW2 with the Strategy of War guide. I really don't want to come down on the strategy guide because in reality it was very professionally done. This was just a case of I bought the guide expecting one thing and getting another. This guide is about strategy; but primarily in a historical sense. I was actually hoping for a guide which would delve into tactics and strategy of the actual game itself. I don't contend to be a master of any of Battlefront's games which reward tactical and strategic thinking; and rip apart those who hit the battlefield running and gunning or those who just don't see the map. When I bought Strategy of War I was hoping to sit down and read how I could be prepared to play TOW2 with a plan in mind. -How would you want to split up your troops to take advantage of capabilities and minimize weaknesses? TOW2 does not directly split up into squads; I have no reason to believe TOW Kursk will be any different. -How would you conduct battle to meet the offensive or defensive requirements for a) the given terrain the given unit types c) the given commands to achieve the requirements -Scouting of the enemy disposition for each mission and match this with what you have to meet the objective. -How to best set up troops for Order of Battle and how to optimally use reinforcements. Strategy of War does lay out some scenarios for armor engagement. It shows initial deployment and result of taking a specific action. This is a very good use of multimedia. It would be nice if this could be done on a much broader scale; including infantry and all other units. (for situations such as I have mentioned with a), , and c).) I would really like to see the game Theatre of War do well in sales. There is a core following for this game, but it would be nice to keep new people who try the game out because this type of game offers something that very few others do in realism. It would be nice to keep the people who say this game is too hard I can't figure it out and just quit without cheapening the game. I think a well focussed strategy guide would go a long ways in accomplishing this.

Very good, thanks for your help

This game appears to be much better than it's sales were. I really like the Faid Pass Mission. The immersion level is very good. I do have a couple questions I ran into; 1) The game kept playing well beyond wiping out the German troops; how would you conclude the mission? 2) Can you get your fighter reinforcements to take on the Stuka dive bombers? If so how would you do this? I click the fighter plane icon when I hear the rumble of planes in the distance, and right click on the ground because it isn't really clear where else to click.

Same for me: smartpause unchecked does not work. I'm sure someone mentioned how to turn this off with notepad; I'll give it a search. Users folder and game.ini appears to do the trick. Changed the smartpause 1 to 0. This was tricky because Windows 7 was dead set against the change. I had to right click on game.ini and allow the write privelege.

Thanks a lot guys. Smart Pause is now turned off. Look forward to trying this out. The next time I get in the game I will take notice of who has the smoke grenade. There was a couple times in the tactics demo that requested a smoke screen set for the captured tank.

There will be a learning curve to use the correct actions in the correct context. This evening at last I got through the tactical tutorial. By splitting my group up and being cautious I did much better than before. The only trouble I had was that I couldn't find out how to use smoke. I was looking for this in the area of my grenades but could not find. I started up a campaign game for the US. I liked the action sequence in defending the pass; I really can't say I've experienced a game anything like this. The only thing that put a wet blanket on the fun was the pause and ensuing change of camera point of view every time an individual died in combat. I don't mind the reminder but having the map reorient with every loss cost me lives not saved them. I read somewhere that you can turn this off; I will do this for my own sanity.

11 pages into this forum I found the answer If the manuevering mode is set to halt instead of free it does appear to lock the soldiers in position (unless of course they break under fire). This is great; now I can remove a huge portion of randomness from the battle. I might be going out on a limb but I think I might be liking this game a lot!