Post Novice input

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All Forums >> [Current Games From Matrix.] >> [World War II] >> WW2: Time of Wrath >> Post Novice input

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Post Novice input - 8/5/2009 1:37:19 PM

Tordenskiold

Posts: 85
Joined: 10/21/2003
Status: offline

After playing for a while the Novice stadium is past albeit I�m not yet a Veteran but feel a little bit more qualified to mean things about this game. This is my private opinion of course and other people might disagree utterly, but anyway:
WW2 is an historical fact, and everything written about this war combined, will probably give us 70-80% facts in detail about what actually happened, maybe more.

In a game on a scale like ToW I expect to be able to reproduce almost impossible historical achievements if I play very well, like Finland fighting of USSR in the Winter war, and the German conquest of Norway. There are probably many other examples like Rommel in Africa etc. This isn�t easy because people like myself who have read a lot about WW2 know what to try to do such that the history do not repeat itself. A hard bargain indeed.

I have tried to figure out how this can be done. I think that morale and fighting spirit might be key words both on a country level as well as on a unit level. This as an addition to pure military strength. A very good general might reduce enemy morale in addition to boosting his own men (the latter is valid now I presume), and a country�s morale might be a parameter in line with war effort. Such that low country morale, which might have been the case in the UK in the start of the war, would lead to low risk taking such that big parts of the Royal Navy stayed in port. (Freezed), in 1939-40. I believe the French and the Italians where in more or less the same situation. The German morale was equivalently high at that time putting the "whole" country on war foot. There are lots of other examples one might discuss too.

Country and unit morale should increase based on accomplishment and thus give a reward based on the gamer�s achievements. It might perhaps also be possible to invest in nation morale using PP�s like what actually was done through posters and advertising in many countries.

On the user interface part and other things that need correction I think most things are already mentioned in other threads. After playing for a while I feel that these are the main issues:
1. Units with no AP�s left should have a distinct different look than a unit that can move and fight, also from a zoomed out perspective. This will make playing much less exhausting.
2. Air units should have a distinct different look from a zoomed out perspective than ground units independent of what kind of settings one chooses in the options menu. Enhance game play.
3. German units in the west should be �unfrozen� immediately if France attacks. Otherwise that particular game is ruined.

< Message edited by Tordenskiold -- 8/5/2009 1:42:57 PM >

Post #: 1

RE: Post Novice input - 8/5/2009 2:14:14 PM

PitifulGrunt

Posts: 56
Joined: 7/29/2009
From: Ohio, USA
Status: offline

I see how your comments could add some greater depth to a game but at the same time I'm not really sure how to translate unit or even country morale into anything other than military strength. It seems to me that ultimately, you'll find any benefit from morale or fighting spirit reduced to the common denominator of an increase or decrease to military strength. For instance in WWI when the citizens of Germany were basically starving to death you'd have to say that would equal very low "country morale" and in the end it did have a negative impact on military strength; perhaps not directly but it resulted in an observable negative effect on military strength.

In a sense, country morale is also represented in the diplomacy system within the game. If you're doing well (good country morale) your diplomatic stregnth increases, thereby increasing your diplomatic standingwhich increases other country's willingness to join your cause.

Like you said, it's difficult to institue the things you mentioned in any other way that an impact on military strength.

(in reply to Tordenskiold)

Post #: 2

RE: Post Novice input - 8/5/2009 2:47:19 PM

Tordenskiold

Posts: 85
Joined: 10/21/2003
Status: offline

Thanks for your comment, was not aware of the diplomacy thing you mentioned. You definitely have a point that morale and fighting spirit quickly manifests itself in unit strength but I still see some options. In the thread I addressed morale also as an issue of will to risk men and material (some will call it bravery), see the comment about UK, French and Italian navies.

For UK in the Fall Gelb scenario the number of forces available for transfer to France might be limited based on UK morale, not only transport points (TP�s).
To make the Winter war draw achievable from a Finnish perspective one might keep the number of usable USSR units down and freeze the rest because of the overall army quality, lack of leadership and readiness etc. until spring 1941 or a Axis attack.

It would have been interesting to hear some comments from the developers that might clarify to which extent moral and fighting spirit are reflected in the game both on country and unit level.

(in reply to PitifulGrunt)

Post #: 3

RE: Post Novice input - 8/5/2009 5:13:21 PM

cpdeyoung

Posts: 5368
Joined: 7/17/2007
From: South Carolina, USA
Status: offline

I would like a "draw" option, negotiated ends to conflict, without conquest. I know this is very tough to achieve with the AI, but it would be nice as an option for human play. It would be neat if the USSR could expend DP to convince Great Britain to allow it to enter Greece, without a declaration of war on the Allies. See my AAR GPW-Stalin for an example of this situation.

Nothing much more useless than a Comintern DP!

Chuck

(in reply to Tordenskiold)

Post #: 4

RE: Post Novice input - 8/5/2009 6:36:04 PM

gwgardner

Posts: 6722
Joined: 4/7/2006
Status: offline

morale could be incorporated as an element in determining unit effectiveness and the level of war preparedness for a given country

_____________________________

(in reply to cpdeyoung)

Post #: 5

RE: Post Novice input - 8/6/2009 12:44:57 PM

Tordenskiold

Posts: 85
Joined: 10/21/2003
Status: offline

Hi, yes, that is something to consider an additionally from my original thread:
"Such that low country morale, which might have been the case in the UK in the start of the war, would lead to low risk taking such that big parts of the Royal Navy stayed in port. (Freezed), in 1939-40. I believe the French and the Italians where in more or less the same situation. The German morale was equivalently high at that time putting the "whole" country on war foot. There are lots of other examples one might discuss too.

Country and unit morale should increase based on accomplishment and thus give a reward based on the gamer�s achievements. It might perhaps also be possible to invest in nation morale using PP�s like what actually was done through posters and advertising in many countries".

(in reply to gwgardner)

Post #: 6

RE: Post Novice input - 8/9/2009 12:31:55 PM

Joram

Posts: 3198
Joined: 7/15/2005
Status: offline

Here's a few comments as well:

1) During the AI's turn, when they are attacking, would like to see the hex they are attacking highlighted. I know it 'centers' on it but in a crowded situation I still have a hard time telling who exactly is under attack. A simple yellow border around the attacked hex when it happens would be great.
2) I'd like to see reports easier to get out. If nothing else, pull out the raider report to it's own button so it's easier to get at.
3) Air operations agains navy zones may be a bit overpowered. Hard to say as I seemed to use it to great affect but on the other hand, I have not once seen the AI do it. May need some tweaking there.
4) VP cities and important capture locations should be highlighted better on the strategic map. I don't want to have to click on every city in Norway to know which one is important to capture. Maybe just a little star or screen overlay indicating it's an important hex.
5) About air, on the other hand ground bombardment is very hard for the player to do but the AI seems to do it much better. Not sure if there's a bias in the tables or not but for now I almost never do it anymore, simply not worth it. The only situation I do use it in is when a unit is so damaged it could be destroyed by air. Not sure if that's the use of air that you intended.
6) Would like more feedback about research. Even though I had my tanks research at 3 bulbs, it took around 6 turns to advance 2 points needed to raise tanks to the next tech level. I know it's random but that seemed a bit strange. I would venture at the highest level you should always make some kind of progress. Nor do I think that it should cost less PP's just because you are closer to the end of research.

Ok that's it. Just some feedback, mostly about receiving better info from the game. Hope it's useful.

(in reply to Tordenskiold)

Post #: 7