*sigh*

[Darino]

I have played the East Front II/Fall of the Reich, Sea Lion, West Front, and Rising Sun campaign series games in the past and thoroughly enjoyed them. I figured I would give TOAWIII a chance and looked eagerly to nights when i would lose track of time while playing. Sorry to say, i am completely dissapointed. I can only play a few turns in a scenario when i get frustrated and close the game. The user-friendliness of the game just isnt there. The scale of some of the scenarios are just not conduscent for play on any computer monitor [suggestion:get rid of the Control and Display Panels--waste of valuable space]. There IS such a thing as TOO much. For instance, it shouldnt take 5 minutes or more to have to scan over the scenario just to find all the planes that are available to deploy. I shouldnt have to click on every friendly stack to find a plane that is available, deploy it, then search all over again for another. If there is an easier way to determine this, i havent found it. And that is another thing--the manual is rather inconsequential for help. Perhaps if more time was spent on what is actually IN the game and less on how to create scenarios, alot more things would be clear. Maybe i just miss the 'weapons data indexes' from the old game manuals too much.
Another thing is the stacking, and the lack of clarity with it. I shouldnt have to look at an opponents stack time after time after time and think 'wait, what was in there again?' or to go thru the stack and wonder 'wait, is that the same tank i saw earlier or is it a second tank?'. Again, if there is an easier and less time consuming way to do this, i would like to find it.

I dont want to come across as someone that has no idea how to play these types of games, as i grew up on Avalon Hill board games, then progressed to the Talon-Soft type games in my grown-up nerd years. I couldnt count the amount of hours spent playing West Front and East Front II, and while learning the games, if i had a problem being able to easily refer to the manual and pinpoint what i needed. Anyway, I will continue to break the game out once in awhile and see if the lightbulbs will go off, but frankly the long nights of anticipated playing dont seem to be on the horizon. Which is a shame, for I love the concept. It is the execution that i find lacking. This is just one man's opinion, and while i wont give up on TOAWIII entirely, so far i feel i have wasted my money.


EDIT: okay, so i am a big baby. I WILL figure this stuff out, so help me. In the immortal words of my fave general " L'Audace, L'Audace, Toujours L'Audace " [;)]

[rhinobones]

Yes, I feel your pain. At times TOAW can be very frustrating.

However, two very good things that TOAW has are dedicated support and a user community that will help with any question or issue.

That said, how would you suggest that the execution be changed in order to make TOAW more playable/enjoyable?

Regards, RhinoBones

[Curtis Lemay]

ORIGINAL: Darino

For instance, it shouldnt take 5 minutes or more to have to scan over the scenario just to find all the planes that are available to deploy. I shouldnt have to click on every friendly stack to find a plane that is available, deploy it, then search all over again for another. If there is an easier way to determine this, i havent found it.

In the "View" pull-down, select "Air Units"

[Karri]

ORIGINAL: Curtis Lemay

ORIGINAL: Darino

For instance, it shouldnt take 5 minutes or more to have to scan over the scenario just to find all the planes that are available to deploy. I shouldnt have to click on every friendly stack to find a plane that is available, deploy it, then search all over again for another. If there is an easier way to determine this, i havent found it.

In the "View" pull-down, select "Air Units"

Or simply press A

ORIGINAL: Darino

Another thing is the stacking, and the lack of clarity with it. I shouldnt have to look at an opponents stack time after time after time and think 'wait, what was in there again?' or to go thru the stack and wonder 'wait, is that the same tank i saw earlier or is it a second tank?'. Again, if there is an easier and less time consuming way to do this, i would like to find it.

Place cursor over the enemy stack, and press c.

[L`zard]

ORIGINAL: Darino

I WILL figure this stuff out, so help me. In the immortal words of my fave general " L'Audace, L'Audace, Toujours L'Audace " [;)]

Like Rhino, I too feel your pain. The learning curve for ToaW is notoriously steep!

Not downing you, but reading the help-files, manual (line by line), 'what's new' files that come with the patches and searching for the 'guides to play' articles that some have created on different forums will certainly make life a bit easier.

GameSquad has a ToaW forum that includes a 'player college' for New Players, that I suggest; as well as taking the time to read 'aar's' of scenarios that interest you, eh?

Good luck with this...the game is lot's of fun once you break the ice!

[sPzAbt653]

It's like changing drinks, at first it tastes gross, but then you find yourself craving it. Eventually you wonder how you lived without it.

And this drink has many flavors to suit your mood, and if you don't agree with something, you can use the editor to 'fix' it.

[L`zard]

Darino...

This site may help, eh?

http://www.gamesquad.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=10

Some of the 'bods' that frequent THIS forum have been playing ToaW since the begining of time, LOL!

[golden delicious]

ORIGINAL: L`zard

Some of the 'bods' that frequent THIS forum have been playing ToaW since the begining of time, LOL!

Check out the "Joined" date next to some posts here (my own and Rhinobones above, for example). We were on the old TOAW forum here at Matrix which has since closed.

[Karri]

Funny thing, at first I thougth TOAW is easy to learn. But then I remembered that I've been playing it for years aswell...but I can say for sure, that it is the most enjoyable game I know. No other game has stayed in my hard drive for this long.

[L`zard]

ORIGINAL: golden delicious

ORIGINAL: L`zard

Some of the 'bods' that frequent THIS forum have been playing ToaW since the begining of time, LOL!

Check out the "Joined" date next to some posts here (my own and Rhinobones above, for example). We were on the old TOAW forum here at Matrix which has since closed.

I realize that, Ben...not trying to put you down, LOL!

Just giving the dude an option, eh?

[golden delicious]

ORIGINAL: L`zard

I realize that, Ben...not trying to put you down, LOL!

Didn't think you were. Just pointing it out- I prefer this forum anyway.