My impressions of the game - the good and bad

[Robby1]

If you are an experienced player of other SC games, you might initially think that GC is just Blitzkrieg pasted together with Pacific Theater. But as you play, you see that it is not that. The sum is greater than its parts. It is a much more complex game, which challenges the player to manage a host of priorities and crises across the globe. The AI is much smarter. I would almost say it was creative in its aggression. When I took for granted that the AI would act in a certain way, based on my experience with other SC games, it surprised me. I loved the challenge. And the introduction of many decision points and political variables ensures excellent replay value.

So all in all, this game rocks.

On the negative side, I would note two items. First, I am pretty sure that there was a serious error in setting the difficulty levels. I played at the Expert level w/no experience bonus. I played once as Allies and once as Axis. At a certain point in 1942, I would stop the game and turn off the fog of war to see what was really going on. Unfortunately, it seems that the Expert level simply floods the AI with massive amounts of MPP and free units. The number of enemy units on the board in 1942 was just ridiculous and completely inaccurate from a historical view. There were excessive enemy units on every front, and the enemy was sitting on several thousand spare MPPs to boot. All at an early point in the game and regardless of whether the AI was Axis or Allies.

I don't mind a challenge, but it is sort of a pointless exercise to fight such an overwhelmingly skewed battle. I will try playing at lower difficulty levels in the hope that these scenarios are more realistic. Hopefully, there will be a mod or a patch that will moderate the Expert level somewhat.

The other item that I didn't like was how some units are virtually invulnerable. I am thinking of the Chinese in particular. I understand that they were resilient, but how can one corps go undamaged after 4 or 5 attacks from armies and special forces with enhanced infantry? At one point, I thought this might be a bug in the game.

Anyway, the two points above notwithstanding, I think this is a fantastic game that really takes SC to a whole new level.

[Big Al]

I always recommend increasing the AI's experience. I find it much more challenging. When they have more experience they lose less in combat which compensates for their not perfect ability to manage MPPs.

When they have TONS of units its just an XP feast for me.

[Hubert Cater]

Hi Robby1,

Glad to hear the game is living up to expectations

What you've described when playing at the Expert level actually makes a lot of sense since at that level the AI collects 20% more MPP per turn so if you are playing with hard limits and not wearing down AI units at a fast enough pace it is more than likely they will have built up quite a unit base. The hard limits will also explain the excess of AI MPPs since once they have built up to their unit limits there is little else for them to spend on.

That being said, it is true the AI does receive some extra units at the higher difficulty levels but really it is only a handful and would not explain the extra units you are referring to as much as the higher difficulty level setting does.

I'd concur with BigAl that you might be better off playing with the higher AI experience levels as opposed to higher difficulty levels if this is the result in your games.

Hope that helps,

Hubert

[Robby1]

Hubert:

I agree that the bonus units accorded to the AI are not great in number. Its just that in combination with the 20 percent MPP bonus accruing every turn, the result is overwhelming by as early as 1942. You can't destroy AI units fast enough. I gave the AI a good mauling from 1939-41, but by 1942 the map was still flooded with AI units.

The result is that the AI never has to make any hard decisions. For example, an AI Germany at the Expert level could easily fight on both fronts while having extra units to spare for Africa, a massive Atlantic fleet, and could dip into an ever-expanding reservoir of MPPs to fully fund research. When the AI is given so many resources that it can do everything simultaneously and to the max, it really changes the premise of the game IMO.

Anyway, I have checked out the lower difficulty levels and I find them more playable. Once again, you guys did a wonderful job on this.

[Brian the Dane]

Ah! Now I think I understand something much better. I thought increasing the AI actually just made the computer smarter. Now I think the AI is already smart and increasing the difficulty levels and experience makes the game more replayable once someone starts achieving some mastery of the game....Is that in fact the case?

That maybe be why I've had to restart as the allies three times. I do, will just go with standard averages.

I maybe be an outstanding person. I am not an outstanding player.

(no, I'm not good at reading rulebooks when there are more important things to do, like playing the game!)

[hendriks65]

What would be the advised setting if you are used to all SC games but certainly not an expert on every single little "cheat", i.e. I regularly forget to get units ready for a timely Scandinavic invasion and do sometimes miss the first strike against the USSR.

[Hubert Cater]

Robby1,

This is why we've left the difficulty levels as a player selectable option, i.e. it really is up to you how you prefer to play and why the selectable levels are outlined in the manual for reference on cause and effects.

Brian,

More or less as we do have a few specific Event scripts to add an additional challenge at the higher levels but if you find you are walking all over the AI at the lower levels, then the higher levels will definitely make it more of a challenge as the AI will have more MPP to help make up for any game play found lacking. Also, aren't we all outstanding

hendriks65,

I would really just suggest starting with the default settings and going from there... if after your first game you find it was too easy or too hard you can make adjustments as necessary. Other than that I've heard one of the more popular settings is to play at Intermediate as this helps the AI out a little bit MPP wise and with +1 experience for the AI in order to make the fight a bit more challenging for yourself.

Good luck

Hubert

[Kuniworth]

Ok been there, done that got the t-shirt. Hubert excuse me for asking this weird question, but when will we have sc3?