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Lucky1 -> RE: List of Whats Wrong With This Game! (11/30/2007 11:23:52 AM)
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Ok. First off, I will preface my comments as being:
a) my opinions (i.e., others can and will disagree); and
b) although they are critical, they are being made with the hope that might be addressed (preferably in a patch -- GGWAWAWD has been quite diligent in this fashion, as has Frank Hunter's team).
In terms of the CEAW's interface and styling, I have no complaints. The graphics / UI are clear, and convey all that needs to be seen. Anyone complaining about the interface might not be suited to the gaming genre (I am old enough to remember tokens, matrices, and calculators....). Visually, the game is just fine. Indeed, it is quite elegant.
However, I must aver some significant disappointment with CEAW. Most notably, the computer turn takes way too long -- especially if one is playing with fog of war. Frankly, I have no desire to watch a static screen for several minutes between turns. While we all might agree that computer games can be a waste of time, this takes it to new levels. Although I might be wrong on this score, I am willing to bet that most wargamers are adults, with limited amounts of time on their hands. In short, the game needs to have the option to disable viewing computer moves and/or combats. This option exists in Gary Grigsby's World at War: A World Divided, and eliminates a ton of wasted time. I would hope that it could be easily implemented in CEAW. A must for any patch....
CEAW's AI is quite poor. Admittedly, I am sure the game is much better against a human opponent, but this is not always an option for many gamers. As such, those who cannot do the TCIP thing and who are hoping for a modicum of challenge from the AI SHOULD NOT BUY THIS GAME. Against the computer, the game is not very challenging. In my very first game (fog of war, random tech, normal settings, oil use on etc.)I kicked the allies out of Poland, France, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Yugoslavia, Cairo, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, all by early 1942 (I left Greece alone). Russia declared war on Germany around the same time, but was (paridoxically) not at all prepared to go to war and I was able to knock her out by late 1943 (I might have done it faster had I understood the victory conditions). Meanwhile, although the entire mediterranean was minimally garrisoned, the Western Allies constantly had approximately 10-15 troops TRYING to make landings across Normandy. However, I simply plugged the coastline with troops, thereby preventing the computer from making any landings. The transports simply piled up off the coast. Of course, had the AI tried to land elsewhere, it would have found my empire most weakly defended. Similarly, the AI did not contest Africa and it made no effort to intercept my troops as they were sent from Italy. In short, the AI is not remotely a challenge. Too, I abandoned submarine warfare almost immediately as being not even remotely cost effective.
In terms of other game liabilities, I find that submarine warfare is simply not viable with the current game mechanics - there is no ability to hit and dash (or submerge or whatever). Effectively, a sub hits the transport (if he can find one), and then is stuck in the open for all the destroyers and fleets in the Atlantic to converge on at the same time. Clash of Steel and Frank Hunter's Guns of August model naval warfare better IMHO.
I DO like how the game integrates oil and population factors. The reasearch functions work well. The zones of control are reasonably well done as well. However, the game could benefit from having group attacks (i.e., allow multiple units to simultaneously attack a single unit or give atack bonuses when a unit is surrounded). Similarly, strategic bombing never seems to have come into play.
To conclude, when CEAW was first announced, it struck me as reminiscent of my favorite WWII strategy level game of all time - SSI's 1993 (?) Clash of Steel. Leaving aside issues of aesthetics, Clash of Steel remains the better game. (Any developers reading this post, take heed -- I am not the only one who has observed that Clash of Steel is dying to be be redone / updated for TCIP). This is too bad, because I was really hoping that CEAW (which is so like COS in many ways) might have taken things to a new level.
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