Help for Complete Newbie

[OldnSlow]

I am a total newbie as far as military games are concerned. Have just purchased TOW and attempted to play the first battle of the Polish campaign with disastrous results. I have also competed all training successfully. Are there any campaigns or battles that ease you into the game without completely demoralising you? Or does one just keep trying?

[Moon]

Welcome!

If you're a complete newbie to military games, you will certainly have some learning curve ahead of you before you can master TOW. It can be a fairly unforgiving game in terms of tactics.

My suggestion to you would be to play the tutorial missions 2 or 3 times first, before you tackle the first campaign, because like you say, you might get demoralised. Try different approaches during the tutorials, pretty much ignoring the instructions, and simply see for yourself what works and what doesn't. Then, after 2 or 3 plays through the tutorials, you can start applying it to the campaign.

But - don't expect to win all the time. Unlike mass-market RTS games, TOW (and most of the other games we make) isn't artificially balanced for a "pleasant gaming experience" Meaning - you may be chewed to pieces by your opponent if he is able to exploit a hole in your tactics. Simply book this under "lesson learned" and try to approach things differently. The difference between the best TOW players out there and those that seem to get frustrated in the end is the ability and willingness to try out new things.

Martin

[OldnSlow]

Hi Martin

Thanks for the prompt reply. I will follow your suggestions and attempt to improve my tactical awareness and my gameplay.

Noli illegitimus carborundum!

[Knokke]

I had the same problem as you OldnSlow, at the beginning.

For the first mission of the Polish campaign, here are a few things that helped me to win the battle:

_try to find a good position for your AT guns, so that they both have a clear line of fire, and be able to hide so that they can ambush the tanks. Hiding them in bushes on top of the hill, or behind clusters of tree will make them more difficult to spot for the ennemy. also have some reserve infantry hiding nearby to man the guns if the crew is killed. at the beginning of the battle, have the guns hold fire till the ennemy tanks are closer and you've a good line of fire. try to concentrate fire on one tank at a time.

_have your infantry hiding in the trenches, holding fire and standing prone. use your anti-tank rifle soldiers only when the ennemy tanks are getting close enough to be vulnerable. try to hit the softest spot because de AT-rifle don't have a good penetration.

Hopefully, you'll be able to damage the tracks or the gun of some tanks. have other soldiers nearby to replace de AT-rifle crew if they get killed.

some peoples prefer to have their infantry hiding outside the trenches, because they get constantly shelled at the beginning. I succeeded in this mission with the infantry hiding in trenches though.

Have your infantry hold their position, and hold fire till the ennemy infantry is close from your trenches. At long range, they're simply wasting ammo, and will be defenseless by the time the attackers get close to the trenches.

If tanks are trying to overrun your infantry in the trenches, have your men use their AT-grenades. They're very useful against early war tanks. try to throw the grenades only at stationnary or slow moving tanks, as they're easily missed when moving too fast.

The polish tankettes are almost useless, and are sure to be destroyed if they start to fight against the german tanks (they can't damage them, and are destroyed easily).

Keep them in reserve behind a slope or a building, holding position, till the tanks are out of action, and use them against the infantry only. most of the time, I give the order to hold position to my vehicles, otherwise the crews will advance to engage the ennemy without orders, and sometimes, this is a recipe for disaster. Have them move only when you need them to.

When you want your infantry to counterattack, use the assault order instead of the move order (with move only, it looks like the guys don't use cover much and try to close at the fastest speed without shooting much at the ennemy - they get killed easily this way). Always have them move in a prone position if they're in line of fire from the ennemy. They can duck and move faster (or even run) if ennemy is not in line of sight.

I hope this help a little.

[tooz]

I would also suggest setting the Difficulty setting to Easy. At least this will help you get through a campaign. It worked for me, but now I am getting spanked at the Medium level. Yep, learning curve is a bit steep.

[medlinke]

Take your time!

That's the biggest recommendation I can make. Remember that infantry are very fragile unlike in most RTS games. 1 bullet will take them out so when you're ready to assault make sure it's a combined arms assault (tanks + infantry, or some other complimentary combination).

[OldnSlow]

Thanks for all your help guys. I really want to learn this game and will try to follow all your recommendations.

[Arzok]

try the US campaign. I think it is the easiest mission.

Polish campaign was for me the most difficult one

[SG1]

I second that. Some campaigns are more difficult and beginning with them while having no experience whatsoever with similar games might disgust you once for all, which would be a pity.

The US/UK campaign is considered as the easiest one, meaning the most balanced one - you usually get an array of troops, weapons and support that leaves some room for blundering.

I think next come the Russian and German campaigns, though in which order I do not remember.

Then is the French campaign and, last, the Polish one in which the rather desperate odds ensure that anything less than careful and good positioning right from the start invariably results in defeat.

Hope this helps.

If you browse the forum, do not be pushed aback by very negative complaints about this or that item that has been got completely wrong by the developers while it used to be such a refinement in this or that other game.

Have fun.

SG

[OldnSlow]

Thanks again chaps. TTFN