To real-time or not to real-time? That is the question.

[Lt. Smash]

I'm a long time CMx1'er that has finally made the leap to CMSF. I'm not sure what took me so make the move but I'm glad I did it. After a few games, I'm really impressed. The one thing I'm strugglig with is this real-time business. Mentally, I've made the leap to CMSF. So, I don't want to play turn-based games, but I find myself on pause quite a bit while I issue orders to those units that have run out of orders/need new orders.

My question is: do you play real-time or turned-based?

If you're playing real-time, do you spend a lot of time with the game paused? Do you get better about staying head of the orders-curve and keeping the game going in real time?

Thanks.

Lt. Smash

[LongLeftFlank]

Depends on the game. I am mainly a RT guy, but when it's infantry -- especially MOUT -- and the forces and enemy are fragmented (i.e. there a bunch of distinct firefights going on at once), I play WeGo. You need that replay to figure out where the enemy is shooting from.

[Erwin]

My impression from other posts here is that RL is "easier" as one can pause anytime one hears or sees something "interesting" happen and make instant adjustments. Some of these folks also like playing Iron Man which makes C&C more complex. However, I don't think real time is practicable in large scenarios as too much is happening and if you miss something, you cannot replay. You can of course pause every few seconds to check everything, but to me that sort of micromanagement verges on the insane heh.

While I enjoy CMSF first as a game rather than a simulation, I prefer WEGO vs the AI as I think it's a just a tad more realistic to have to live with the consequences of ones orders for one minute. (In RL that would probably be longer.)

I enjoy the challenge of thinking in one minute increments and in creating orders that, as much as possible, take into account "interesting events" during that minute that my pixeltruppen will have to live with till I can regain command.

[c3k]

While I enjoy CMSF first as a game rather than a simulation, I prefer WEGO vs the AI as I think it's a just a tad more realistic to have to live with the consequences of ones orders for one minute. (In RL that would probably be longer.)

I enjoy the challenge of thinking in one minute increments and in creating orders that, as much as possible, take into account "interesting events" during that minute that my pixeltruppen will have to live with till I can regain command.

Exactly my own sentiments. I play WeGo almost exclusively. I will play RT, but rarely, and then only when I'm controlling a platoon or less.

Any way you play, the game engine is a great leap forward from CMBO/BB/AK.

Enjoy,

Ken

[Mord]

WEGO or die for me...I like the playbacks...not so much as a tactical tool (of re-watching to get the best advantage) but for the fun factor...I just miss too much in RT...all those little moments that give me the "wow" factor. But like Erwin, I also like having to live and die by my plans...that minute of non control is both satisfying, frustrating and nail biting depending on how patient I was when plotting my course of action. There were a lot of teething/growing pains with WEGO since 2007 but it really has shaped up nicely and will only get better...

I do utilize RT though, mostly when I am making mods or wanting to check or test something...depends. Also I am glad they added it as it gives both types of players the freedom to play as they wish without being confined to one system...and we don't have to argue every couple weeks with someone about why it wasn't included!

Mord.

[Paper Tiger]

I think it takes quite a while for folks to learn to relax while playing the game in RT. I remember when i started I would pause the game very frequently indeed, especially when things were happening. In fact, I'd say that I spent far more playing time paused than running. Some folks, particularly those who were upset about the inclusion of the RT option, felt that this was even worse than WEGO as the player could pause and reissue orders practically every second rather than be forced to wait a minute and accept the consequences of their actions.

However, if you pause the game rarely, you get a much better RT experience. I only pause now when performing the artillery/air support call-in routines and when I get reinforcements, and, of course, the occassional 'WTF' moment. That way, I can play an hour long mission in about 1 hour 5 minutes.

RT works best when you are controlling a single company or less. Two companies gets a bit unmanageable and anything bigger would be a nightmare. However, if I were playing a H2H game RT with a human opponent, I'd say that, since we were both operating under the same handicap, it might be an interesting experience as well.

BTW, once you get very comfortable with RT, you might find WEGO play a bit too s-l-o-w. That 1 hour scenario will take upwards of 3 hours to play. For playtesting, I'd rather play something 3-4 times in RT than play it once in WEGO.

[Field Marshal Blücher]

My question is: do you play real-time or turned-based?

If you're playing real-time, do you spend a lot of time with the game paused? Do you get better about staying head of the orders-curve and keeping the game going in real time?

I play RT exclusively, and I do spend a lot of time with the game paused.

[Erwin]

And yes, as Mord said, I also LOVE watching the playbacks - often from the troops' ground level POV. What was the point of working on all the great graphics otherwise?

[gibsonm]

WEGO unless I'm forced to do TCP/IP testing which requires RT.

[zwobot]

I only play WEGO in PBEM. Although RT is a nightmare if you have to manage more than a company on a big map I still almost exclusively play RT even in singleplayer.

[vincere]

WeGo only. And I'm a replay junkie to get really into a game. And CM is one of the few games that consistently gives me a buzz when something irregular occurs or in hardcare fire fights.

[sawomi]

WeGo-PbEM-Iron. Most satisfying Combat Mission experience.

[Damian90]

Only RT, it is much more dynamic, You need to think faster, even with pauses, besides this I never liked turn based games.

[Frankster65]

WEGO only. I like to think things through before giving my orders. I also like the fact that when you "hit" the next turn button and the game goes into real time mode, I cannot intervene but must watch and accept the outcome of that one minute of real time. For me that is like having the fog of war and I had better hope my tactics are sound.

I also love the playback utility. It is just plain fun to watch the action like it is a movie and be able to watch it from different angles.

[vincere]

Recentlry stumbled on another way to increase the tension.

Two squads on ground floor with limited visiblity due to a wall outside.

2nd squad runs up stairs and while I'm watching 1st squad and all hell breaks out up stairs with them firing on full auto. Resisting looking for 40 seconds and hearing it from the downstairs squad's perspective was tense with me wondering wtf and whether there's any casualties.

[BlackMoria]

RT only for me. I find it the best mode of play for my tastes and temperment as I can micromanage as much or as little as possible. With some scenarios, I don't hit pause that much, with others, I am all over the pause button as I move vehicles in precise hull down positions or implement a complex fire and maneuver plan.

[Lethaface]

I'm liking both actually.

Before CM I wasn't really into turn based strategy/tactical games, apart from CIV/Total war. I mostly play RT, but really like PBEM.

With WEGO I got more time to think so generally I develop more well thought out plans, but it can be a bit slow. For very large games RT is not really an option, unless you like pausing every 5 seconds.

[LJFHutch]

RT on Iron without pausing is the only way to go

[gibsonm]

Yes, but don't get too used to "pausing" since you can't use that on a TCP/IP game.

[Hairy Pie]

RT all the time. I think it just makes for a quicker, more fluid game. I have the base game and all the modules and that's a lot of scenarios to work through! It is great watching a vehicle getting hit from every angle, but one small scenario can take forever!

And I like to play through each scenario multiple times.

I also like the confusion of not knowing what's going on everywhere all the time (isn't that realistic?), and you can compensate for that by bringing all guns to bare on a target as soon as it appears, rather than waiting for your guys to work it out themselves.

[Perforator]

I play RT but I pause the game far too often, everytime I hear a distant explosion or burst of gunfire I act like mother hen and quickly hit pause to check the condition of all my troops. I wish WEGO could be played in 20 second bursts, a minute seems way too long in my opinion.

[Erwin]

I think it all depends on whether you like "wrist twitch" games (as that is the predominant game form these days).

I love the thoughtfulness of WEGO - working out reasonable tactics that my pixeltruppen have to follow for a minute at least - rather than assuming I can always pause and correct every second. I just don't like that sort of video game.

The downside is that yes, WEGO games do take a lot longer. But, the planning is what makes it fun. So, far I still love watching the graphics repeatedly too.

[gibsonm]

WEGO is also pretty the only way to do screenshots.

You can use the replay feature to get the camera angle "just right" and select the perfect frame.

[LJFHutch]

I think it all depends on whether you like "wrist twitch" games (as that is the predominant game form these days).

I love the thoughtfulness of WEGO - working out reasonable tactics that my pixeltruppen have to follow for a minute at least - rather than assuming I can always pause and correct every second. I just don't like that sort of video game.

The downside is that yes, WEGO games do take a lot longer. But, the planning is what makes it fun. So, far I still love watching the graphics repeatedly too.

The difference with CM though is that even in RT speed doesn't really count for much. Most RTS games rely almost purely on it (starcraft etc), speed only gets you so far in CM RT.

[Erwin]

When CMSF came out I tried RT but quickly realized that I would invariably lose a unit or two through getting over-focused at another place. And that would invariably cause me to lose.

In CM1 this wouldn't be so much a problem due to the number of units of a typical scenario and the considerably less lethal environment. But, I find CMSF to be very "unstable" - like a modern fighter that requires a computer to keep it flying in control. Small errors can be catastrophic. So, the loss of a squad or a critical unit can change the game quickly.

I just tried "A Trouble In Herat" (a very good/fun CMA scenario) in RT and despite my extra 2 years experience I had the same problem again of losing units unnecessarily. Also, it still took me about 3 days of average 6 hours per day to complete it - so not a lot faster than WEGO.

My prejudice is that I "feel" that the discipline of having to issue orders that are as "safe" as possible for a one minute increment is more "realistic" (to me) than the ability to pause and have everybody turn on a dime in one or two seconds.

It's just a game, so it's simply personal preference. I generally hate wrist twitch games even tho' I play Call Of Duty genre games every now and then for a change of pace.