Please Help me Like this Game!

[Dano13]

Hi There,

After reading about the uber-patch and the battle generator, I took the plunge and bought this game. I tried the German campaign but found that it was way too difficult controlling so many units at the same time. So I used the Battle Generator and was quite pleased out how easy it was to use, and its stability.

So I created a mission with 1 squad and an AT gun, (all Elite) vs 3 squads of regular germans and two armoured cars.

I was impressed with how the AI fanned out its units, thus limiting my ambush plans. What I was NOT impressed with was the following

1) All of my units were hidden behind trees/bushes and holding fire. Suddenly, from afar, the enemy started firing at one of my units. How could this happen? I thought if you stayed put, and held fire, a unit could only fire at you if they got within the Green zone of the targeting arrow.

2) How the heck can you tell WHO is being fired upon? I had no idea until my Machine gun crew dropped dead. It sure would be nice to get a report from the targeted unit saying "Taking Fire"

3) One of my snipers who were told to hold position was doing really well dropping the enemy. I told him to attack another unit, and suddenly he started crawling OUT of his bush hiding place, and crawled out into the open towards his enemy! WTF? I am pretty sure I said Hold Position, and even if I didn't why in the WORLD would you crawl toward someone with a sniper rifle when you were told to attack them?

4) On the topic of Campaigns, I have a whole screen full of units but for some reason when I lasso select them all - only a small segment is selected. I definitely must be doing something wrong here ... trying to move a mass of units with mutually exclusive multiple selects is a nightmare.

Please Help! I really, REALLY want to like this game since it could be exactly the war game I am looking for (I hate the resource collection of Company of Heroes) ... but the above frustrations are making me pull my hair out

Thanks!

Dan

[Jmayer]

Dano,

I understand your frustration. I had the same problems when I started this game (although it had issues when I started playing it, Now fixed thank God). Give it some time and watch that you dont' select your units and the hold fire or hold possition button goes out. I made the space bar my hold possition that way if they start to move I just hit space and they hold. Try it a few times you will see it starts to play just as you would hope it would. I use Team Speak if you feel like joining it we could play co op game online. TS addy is 69.42.7.2:8767 same goes for anyone out there that plays ToW. Join in

[soldiercrush]

hey man i will join your ts address, i wann get some online game going

[Treetop64]

It's a tough game, man. After years of CMBB and CMAK it took me a while to learn to play ToW well. I was admitedly disappointed with ToW at first but I kept going with it and eventually it got better.

Now, I play at the middle difficulty level, as the beginning level gets a bit too easy at times, while the most difficult level tuns into a friggin' meat grinder for me!

The method that works best for me is that, while moving my forces across the map, I set them up initial defensive positions for both tanks and grunts, and not issuing the "hold position" order - that just invites too much micromanagement. The tanks in particular will exercise their own initiative when engaging targets, and depending on their skill level, tend to do a good job. After engaging their targets they will reposition themselves to where you initially ordered them to go. This is very helpful since it's almost impossible for the player to individually manage the tactics of each armored vehicle on the board while keeping track of the "fog of war" that inevitably takes it's grip on the entire map. Also, you will want to move armored vehicles in formations of a pair of vehicles or more. They are less vulnerable that way, and will cover each other.

The grunts, on the other hand, need a little more attention. However, you really need to think, and plan ahead - as well as employing squad level leap-frogging team tactics - to ensure that you are using your troops' maximum efficiency and minimising your own casualties. And you WILL absorb casualties. You can avoid getting your entire infantry companiy wiped out by not employing foolishly optimistic tactics, but you will lose guys, perhaps a bit more than you might be comfortable with. Get used to that fact. And yes, they do freak out sometimes when being shot at (as in RL, trust me! and will do what they can to protect themselves.

Ultimately, one has to think much more in this game than in many others, and the more you think and plan ahead, as well as deploying your forces carefully and with mutually covering movements, you will be more sucessful.

Hang in there, man! It gets better, and quite rewarding!

[Dano13]

Thanks for all the responses!

Some specific questions I have - Is there a way to select a MASS of units? As it is I can only select like 12 or so and I find this incredibly annoying.

What IS the best way of handling a HUGE force? I tried the Germany campaign and really fumbled with the huge number of infantry I was given. Are all the battles this big?

[KiloPapa]

I haven't been able to select more than ~12 units at a time either. I usually manage my units by 1) splitting them into a main force and a diversionary force, and 2) hitting the pause button a lot while constantly watching the minimap for enemy units to appear.

I've had pretty good success in deploying my infantry. I mass the majority of them on what I believe to be the weakest point in the enemy's defense and then leap frog each squad in the line/chevron formation. They do a good job of placing covering fire on the enemy while the other squads leapfrog. When I get to within 100 meters of the trench I then give the assault order to one of the squads while the others lay down the fire! I usually give one of my armored units the area fire command in order to keep the enemy's heads down as well.

[Jmayer]

NEW IP FOR TEAM SPEAK.... 69.85.229.162:8767

All feel free to join up when you like. Lets play online....