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Adam Parker -> Coral Sea - CAW vs UV a Quick Comparison (6/13/2007 3:54:07 PM)
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I've owned Uncommon Valor since release but have actually never played a scenario with it, I think mainly due to the mechanics of convoying that never really clicked with me due to lack of concentration.
However, now owning Carriers at War I thought it would be interesting to fire up the old UV and compare outcomes/experiences using the Coral Sea scenarios as litmus. And I couldn't have done this without CaW first teaching me the essence of the campaign and the OOB's I'd be managing and facing. Here's my opinions:
Basically, the Coral Sea scenarios of the two games are very similar in objective. They are short and to the point. In both the Japanese are required to invade New Guinea (at Gili Gili in UV and Port Moresby in CaW). In both, players are rewarded for neutralising their carrier opposition.
1. Maneuver - Very similar between the games. Click areas of the map you wish to hunt in and await the enemy. In CaW there is actually more moving around, more shifting of position. This could be a factor of the WEGO pausable clock, with UV being turn based.
2. Spotting - I couldn't work out how to set up air searches in UV but the coastal observer network did its job automatically and with good effect spotting the Jap carriers for me. CaW appears to have a much more dynamic search routine and due to WEGO is more tension building.
3. Air combat - Here UV really shines. Combat is very similar between the games, on screen, with both using a 2d top-down "battle board" of sorts. But the action in UV really gets the heart going and the throat cheering. Bombing and torp hits are rewarded with emotion-building info (much like an old session at AH's Tobruk) such as "Belt Armor Penetration", "Penetration Below Deck", "Fuel Tank Hit", "Heavy Damage" and "Critical Hit!". CaW could really use something like this even with FoW feedback on. Further, in UV there's no giving away the result before the animations have ended. Cool stuff. Very interestingly, in UV the system launched my strikes automatically for me. All I did was move within range and boom! Of my Dauntlesses flew - thankfully with good results. But I had moved too close as I was to find immediately after.
4. Invasion - In this scenario, UV really put the emphasis on invading New Guinea. Even with the loss of Shokaku and Zuikaku the invasion still went ahead. This differs from my experiences with CaW as given such results, the AI usually flees the field. This could have something to do with the focus of UV on transports, convoys and surface task groups. But it was interesting to see. Yet, is it ahistorical?
5. Outcome - Well I lost the Yorktown and Lexington. The latter to Japanese air and the former to air and a Japanese sub. The Japs lost the Shokaku and the Zuikaku was mauled. However, if I've interpreted the results right, the Japs still won a marginal victory due to their successful invasion. In CaW such a result would also be an Axis Marginal Win. However, as mentioned, because of the tendency of the Jap AI to turn coward in CaW, an Allied Marginal Win would normally result.
Summary - It may be because I know UV less well than CaW but I was honestly left with the impression that CaW, due to the WEGO mechanics, actually gave me more to do and more "tactical" control over my forces. This totally surprised me because after many losses I was forming the opinion that in CaW, unless I was lucky, a game would end very quickly and I wasn't able to do enough.
Other than the excitement level of UV's combat reports, I actually feel that there's more excitement to be had with CaW. In UV the system did my fighting, in CaW I'm now left with the impression that I do. And that's quite strange, because in reality, all we do in CaW is click squadron icons and launch.
I think this is part and parcel with of fact, that SSG has done a better job in its interface and in helping the player manage/monitor his OOB during the game. It's very easy to see at a glance in CaW what's afloat, what's perilous and what's lost on your side.
All in all I'm really glad I ran this exercize. Yes, UV and more so WitP, will be great games the more CaW teaches me of the era and the more curious I become to fight the logistics war. But in this comparative scenario where maneuver and fighting are the essence, CaW left me feeling much more in command of the CiC, than did UV with its breathtaking map.
A humble .02,
Adam.
Edit: Fixed some typos...
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