So Far = So Good

[Timskorn]

Currently in my first and only game of WaW versus Zinfandel. No AAR, but I wanted to throw out my thoughts on the game so far...and anyone else who feels like chiming in.

As Axis it's currently June 1st, 1941. The biggest difference I noticed early were the U-Boats. They no longer feel like the fragile metal tubes that had to wait for tech upgrades and additional subs to survive past 1941. Right out of the gate they are what they should be, terror on the seas. It's an open challenge to the Allies: stop us if you dare.

I love the larger selection of units to choose from. PGIII comparisons can kiss my arse. Who cares? This is SC2, it's fun and doesn't detract from the strategic scale. Artillery just looks and feels right being in the game. Separating the duties of fighter and tac bomber is fantastic. In my current game I made sure to bring fighter support for my tac down in Egypt, knowing the Brits would have air support there. It's also no longer enough to just buy fighters for ground duty. You need both fighters and tac if you want to ground pound.

The additional units also splits where the MPP's go. In general, I feel this is going to make players "diversify their portfolio" moreso than in SC2.

The double-strike armor and bombers are nice additions and certainly makes the bomber more appealing. In the early part of the war, the advantage is definitely with the Axis with this ability. I have to withold judgment until I go through Russia though.

The new events and graphics are nice touch, just got the "Germans invade Crete - Operation Mercury" pop-up. Norway is a juicy consideration now with the free units.

Overall an absolutely positive experience and WaW is delivering more than what I was expecting. Between the additional units, more viable techs and diplomacy, WaW opens up a LOT of options for every game (as if there weren't enough!).

[Hubert Cater]

Timskorn,

Very glad to hear you like the game and I think you have described what I wanted to achieve with this expansion much better than I ever could... well that and I was curious just how players were finding the expansion release so it is always good to hear this kind of feedback

Hubert

[Timskorn]

As I mentioned in my AAR thread, it's great having additional units on the map in general. It makes the war in Russia feel more like the major event that it was.

I've also found that with the additional units has come an increased ability to do more. Before, especially as Axis, you would typically have only a certain number of units by 1941. The great players found ways of maximizing how to use these units in a short period of time (Ie, grabbing minors and still being ready and prepared for Russia).

In short, Axis strategy seems more open. You have the tools and the means to pursue different strategies, but it doesn't necessarily mean the Axis player is much stronger than before WaW. Time will tell. Pursuing a sub strategy is completely viable now without handicapping the rest of the Axis military.

Being able to upgrade minors is great too. It's expensive, but it allows you to keep them on the front lines.

[Bylandt]

The more I play WaW, the more I like it. In fact, I'm finding it hard to go back to vanilla SC2, even to play the new Global campaign.

I particularly like:

- Tanks are now really weapons of Blitzkrieg, instead of auxiliaries to all-powerful infantry armies. That doesn't mean they are unbeatable. AT-units and particularly tactical bombers are a real threat to unsupported tanks.

- The new units are very useful. In an earlier post I was a bit dismissive of the AT, AA and artillery units. I'm starting to appreciate the value the AT and ART units, though mainly on the defensive. AA is still a bit disappointing, and only really useful for the Germans and on the western front. IMO they should be able to fire more than once each defensive turn.

- Strategic bombers have much improved. They have lost some of their anti-ship abilities (rightly so) but are now very useful in support of ground offensives and, finally, strategic bombing campaigns to destroy ennemy MPP production is now a real possibility

- An approximative position of raiding subs is useful and, of course, realistic.

- Ability to upgrade minor's units

- Trying to conquer Egypt is now a real strategic choice. The Axis player can go for it, but he knows it will mean diverting important forces, that will propably arrive too late for Barbarossa.

- Players who now neglect research into AA (axis), AT (all), heavy taks (all), ASW (allies), do so at their own peril!

All in all, I'm really happy with the expansion. And then there's that great Spanish Civil War campaign ...

[Youri]

I just finished my 1st campaign with WAW playing against Axis. My first impression is very good, the WAW brings many great improvements, beating the AI is a challenge now. A few comments below :

- The restult of the campaign was quite close to what happened historically, Germany was much more difficult to beat

- Axis failed to win Leningrad, but with a bit more concentration of firepower (use of armored units for instance), could have been achieved. On the other hand in 45, some air attack were still performed by the AI

- D-day successufull in south of France, by the way why did Germany did not invade Vichy as it happened historically ?

- In 44/45 many german units were still fighting outside of their home country (north africa, Finland, Balkans) and fortifications build in France and Benelux were not used effectively

- I noticed the display is slower with WAW when many units are on the map (similar to earlier versions of SC2)

- Finally, due to the time to complete the campaign, maybe would it be possible to accelerate the game with an option making the AI play instantly (no sound, no message, no unit movement ...)

[pzgndr]

- Strategic bombers have much improved. They have lost some of their anti-ship abilities (rightly so)

Naval Warfare tech can increase the anti-ship abilities for Tactical Bombers, so these units can be customized as naval bombers.

[Bylandt]

Originally posted by pzgndr:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr /> - Strategic bombers have much improved. They have lost some of their anti-ship abilities (rightly so)

Naval Warfare tech can increase the anti-ship abilities for Tactical Bombers, so these units can be customized as naval bombers. </font>

[pzgndr]

Tac bombers can be manually upgraded, it's not automatic. Strat bombers do not get this tech. It's a way of spreading capabilities around. Players have more tough choices to make in WaW.

[Bylandt]

I see. Good thing too. Naval bombers fall in the category of tactical bombers, not strategic.

I like the double-strike strat bombers, nevertheless. In vanilla SC2 I always put strat bombers on the western front, as AWAC for impending D-DAY, and maybe to catch a careless ship. But in WaW they are in active service on the Russian front. Very useful.

[Hubert Cater]

Youri, to speed up the AI turn simply press the F3 key once in game. This will accelerate the AI animations and combat for the AI turn. To turn this off just press F3 a second time.

Hope this helps,

Hubert

[Lars]

Question on the Taranto raid popup.

Is this just glitter or does it actually do anything to a ship sitting in that port?

[Hubert Cater]

It does!

[Lars]

Cool.

Looks like I got lucky that turn.

[Timskorn]

Ran into my first Russian Winter as the Axis. Brutal! Shaved off a strength point for just about every unit. I assume supply also drops down as it did in SC2 vanilla. I like it...

Subs feel like superweapons right now. Not sure if I'm getting lucky, or what, but my level 2 exp. 1 sub just zapped a cruiser in a suprise encounter. Went from 10 to 0 in a single bound! I don't think my opponent has teched up his destroyers yet, nor do they have the experience, so that's probably a big factor. That being said, any other ships that run into one of my subs have a one way ticket to the bottom of the Atlantic.

Also, is it just me, or does artillery gain experience a little too quickly? It's March 1942 and my Italian Art. already has 3 bars from the fighting in Egypt.

[John DiFool the 2nd]

Well, I just got my head handed to me on the Russian Front (and this is at Expert +0!) in Nov. '41. The AI is so much better it's spooky. I'm at the gates of Moscow and Rostov, and out of nowhere 3 Russian tank armies ambush 3 of my tanks and wipe each of them out of existence. Before they would continually send their tanks forward during the summer to get killed, but they held them back just like a good human player would. Now I have a very thin line of troops out there and if I kept playing I doubt I could regain the offensive initiative.

The AI has also done things like try to sneak a unit via amphib into Rumania, and is very aggressive in North Africa. I have to conclude that to do well in Russia I'll have to forgo any wasted MPPs spent elsewhere, such as in U-Boats, and throw the full weight of the Wehrmacht against the Russkies. I was able to use their uppity-ness against them in the Med and killed most of the RN's capital ships tho.

[Lars]

Wait till it drops a paratrooper on your rail lines.