Since this forum does not have a tips or strategy guide thread, I am building one now.
As a community of players can we formulate in this thread a collection of strategy/gameplay tips and techniques? For the purpose of helping each other and new customers who come along.
Let me tell you honestly what is behind this request. I think I am getting burned out on the game/system after about 2-3 weeks. Granted I have been playing CCAW as opposed to CAW, but I don't see much difference between the games at a conceptual level. In fact, I think SSG has done a superb job or recreating the original game to run under Microsoft Windows. In only one or two areas, does the original game provide greater information content than the new release.
I am a person who like to look deeply into my strategy games. I write guides, as many of you know, and I am always very happy to read guides. I like games with rich multi-layered collections of fundamental techniques for the player to master and apply.
And yet, I have reached a point of burn out with this game after 2-3 weeks of play. Why?
At this point, it seems to me that a large element as to whether I have see victory or defeat is determined by random chance. Clearly, the first sighting report and the first strike (especially when not countered) is tremendous determinant in the outcome.
After few weeks, I have only found a few basic strategies to apply. Probably there are more, but I am just not seeing them. Maybe others are more perceptive or better at this than me. Here is what I have more or less:
*(1) Use weather fronts. Keep your TGs in the weather such that they may approach the enemy undetected and get that first strike. Bad weather will make your TGs harder to find and when the enemy strikes, they will be less likely to do damage.
(2) If you are the USA (with the shorter reach), then keep your distance from the Japanese so that they cannot strike. At night, close as fast as possible. This, at least, at dawn will give you an even chance doing as much damage as they will to you.
(3) Use other TG's based on where you think the enemy will be putting them in between your carriers and the enemy. Where possible, you can use the command orders for this. So, these TGs soak up air strikes from the enemy.
(4) Use your carrier forces to fix the enemy's carrier forces, since once he launches, his TG has to remain on station. Now, while fixed close a surface combat force at flank to take the enemy out in surface combat.
(5) Use base transfers to pull your front line aircraft out of harms way from large land base airstrikes. Use their aircraft as part of a coordinated plan with your carriers. Although level bombers may do little damage, one can only hope that their attacks are disruptive thus providing your carrier wings with better opportunities to score hits.
*(6) Attempt to mass your carrier forces and catch the enemy's carrier forces isolated. This is the standard mass, win by the numbers, and defeat the enemy in detail strategy. This approach more than anything else seems to be devastatingly effective.
(7) Use your land bases as safe operational zones for your carriers, since the AI is programmed to avoid land based threat areas. You can attempt hit and run attacks from these areas. Like race to close for a late day strike, and then run back to safety over night.
(8) The carriers seem highly vulnerable despite their CAPs. Striking as soon as part of your air wing is within range is probably better than closing for a larger strike. Remember it only takes a few hits to shut down the a flight deck.
(9) If you still want to use a TG for surface combat, then consider scuttling damaged ships as they prevent the TG from moving at flank speed and closing.
(10) Let the scenario objectives dictate in part how you interpert vague contact reports. If any invasion is called for, then it is more likely an enemy invasion force of transports which hugs the coast and enemy carrier force which projects itself out into deep water.
(11) A more advanced approach to massing your carrier forces is to try to bring them within striking range of one enemy TG, but dispersed enough that an enemy strike cannot hit all of them at once. Effectively, you mass your striking capability, but not your actual forces.
(12) When the enemy vastly outnumbers you, then do not meet his carriers head on. Instead look at the scenario objectives and see if it is possible to block the enemy from achieving his critical objectives. For example, if the enemy needs to invade in order to secure a victory, then avoid his carriers, but prevent his invasion by taking out the more vulnerable invasion force.
(13) Remember that when you have anything in the air beyond CAP or search planes, then your TG is station keeping. Consider what this means. For example, you may end up having a front pass you by and exposing you to clear weather. Or the enemy may use the time you are station keeping to run down carriers with a surface group.
(14) Strike AC fly a direct path to the target. Thus, in the absence of a contact report an inbound/outbound air strike will give you a LOB (line of bearing) on the enemy carrier force. One might combine this small bit of knowledge along with AC ranges in order to create a "search and strike" artificial siting report. Thus, launching a counter-strike without a corresponding contact report. For those who play modern sub combat games like (SC/DW), this is analogous to firing a snapshot down the bearing of an inbound TIW.
(15) #14 the above technique may be especially useful when dealing with land bases, since they are more likely to be struck at first light than a CV force, since the enemy does not need a sighting report to hit a land base. So, an inbound air strike at dawn on a land base before search aircraft have produced a good picture is quite likely.
(16) It seems that during an air base strike, your recon and bomber AC are quite vulnerable to damage. Perhaps simply getting them airborn at first light when an airstrike is expected might be a good means of force preservation. So, "search and strike" artificial siting report may serve as a means to get non-fighter AC out of harms way when an airstrike is imminent.
(17) If you are play CCAW (not CAW), the main display will give you a hint when the other side gets a sighting report (contact) as you see indicator light up for the enemy side. Of course, you won't know what he has just spotted, unless you also get an alert of search planes. In any case, it may be a good time to launch an emergency CAP for any CVs you which think are at risk.
(18) Since you will be station keeping when you have launched a strike, it is important to know which way weather fronts will be moving, since your disposition towards them will be passive (meaning that you can no longer chase them). If you have positioned yourself properly, weather fronts will continue to pass over your force while on station and hide you from the enemy. In CCAW, the games appears to update weather on the hour. So, this is when you should watch.
(19) In a multi-day scenario, it may benefit you (especially if you are the defender and the underdog) to not rush into the battle area. Instead first make sure that you have positioned your forces relative to the weather and that you have a good understanding what the weather is doing in different sectors of the map. (I believe the scenario editor provides for 9 quadrants of weather behavior across the map.) Having done this, remember that the presence of mission objectives having locations make the enemy predictable, and may, in fact, force him to expose himself to clear skies. In the meantime, you can use hit and run tactics peripheral to the main battle area. Although it is nice to sink the enemy's carriers, if you can continue to maul him without being hit back, then you can certainly run up the score in your favor. A strategy based soley on catching the enemy's carriers can be very risk prone. Landing forces and capital ships without air cover can be torn up pretty good for not too much cost in aircraft or pilots.
(20) The power in having a very extensive CAP airborn when the enemy arrives is not so much in terms of shooting them down or causing damage. It would seem the big gain is that it spoils their aim. This is pretty apparent is you get if get to compare airstrikes not facing air cover and those that are. There won't be so many shoot downs, but a much small percentage of strikes on target will occur. Effectively, having no CAP over your CVs could may get them sunk, but will certainly put them out of operation. On the other hand, having a full CAP may be enough to keep your CVs in the fight despite meeting a major strike of a 100 raiders.
(21) Despite station keeping, remember that you should still have a little time to sprint even after ordering a strike, since it will take time for the planes to be armed and launched.
(22) Although no one wants to throw away points, consider scuttling damaged ships that are slowing down a TG under the following conditions. The slower TG will not be able to remain in a weather front to protect it from enemy planes. The slower TG will be more likely to be the victim of a surface battle group.
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Now, I have placed an * next to two most significant pieces of strategy. As I said, I find myself getting burned out. I am looking for and hoping for something deeper and more sophisticated, but after three weeks I mainly have luck (see asterisks) and two very basic concepts which determine scenario play. Please someone help me and tell me what I am failing to see.
Thank you.
ORIGINAL: Joe D.
I've only played C@W a few weeks, but here are a few tips I've picked-up:
- whenever possible, let the enemy come to you while you are in a wx front.
- sacrifice a small surafce TG as bait by letting the AI target fixate on it, then hit his CVs. I discovered this quite by accident as the Allies in the advanced warning variant of the Pearl Harbor scenario.
- If a strategy worked for you in UV, it will probably work in C@W; same war, same map, same ships.
Aren't there any games you come across which make you happy?
