Should I buy?

[GaryChildress]

What are overall opinions of this game so far? I've seen some complaints about vehicle pathing, infantry survivability and "internal error" messages. What does everyone think so far?

Thanks.

[Rosseau]

Just me, but at the same price, I would suggest Commander the Great War first, if you haven't already.

Only four hours in, but no internal errors with PitF. The new UI and graphics are refreshing, but I will never re-activate the Fog effect. Played Cross of Iron as a worse-case test, and PitF pathing/AI seemed much improved to me - as it should be. The game is nicer to look at and to play.

Can't comment on the strategic AI or MP, which may be important to you. I use the CC series as WW2 lab experiments (i.e., modding), so I am happy with my purchase.

[Redmarkus5]

Strategic AI just cut off my northern pincer and screwed me big time. I'm enjoying the game but AI placement at the start of each battle could be improved.

[xe5]

Youll like that the forcepools include every sub-unit specified by the contemporary TO&Es, right down to the number of snipers, in the PITF battalion and regimental battlegroups. In essence PITF is a "one to one" Mortain mod.

[GaryChildress]

Sounds cool. It's going to be a tough decision though. I've also heard some good stuff about Commander the Great War. Not sure which one I want first yet, though I hope eventually to get them both.

[nietsche]

From my week playing, no question. This is very different from past games but has a similar feel. I like it a lot and am enjoying learning the subtleties. Two decades on - who woudl have thought ...

[BigKev]

Overall, I would recommend this game. There were some nasty crashing errors at first, but these are fixed. I have played half of these CC games, and this one is very good. It is challenging and fun. Game attacking AI could be more aggressive. I have not seen any ridiculous AI issues. My main complaint at this time is there are armor path finding issues on narrow roads, in certain maps (issue being worked) which results in armor plowing through fields rather than up roads, causing loss of much American armor ("tracked").

German Panzers are really tough in the game - but that was just reality. I would say maneuvering 10 "thin skinned" American armor pieces around to deal with 3 tough Panzer 2s, without terrible American losses, has been the biggest challenge to far - and also the most fun... Play the "Operation" called "Central Slugfest" as Americans on Elite. That is a good challenge. I love the fact that when you are revisiting the same map, battle after battle, the previously lost armor remains there, as ghostly burned out husks, littering the battlefield, causing new choke points. But there "tank carcases" also provide new cover as you try new approaches and try setting up new kill zones ...

Happy hunting. [8D]

-KG

[Stwa]

Hey Gary,

I too have been watching Commander - The Great War for a while. I like the stuff that the Lordz Studio is putting out, even though I didn't get Panzer stuff.

Since, I take it yoiu are just worried about what order you are going to get these titles, and if you haven't played a WWI game in a while, maybe CTGW is the way to go for now.

PitF looks nice too, but as with all CC titles it will take a while to shake out the same old bugs, and me thinks they are going to have to re-code some of the maps because the tanks are beeger and this was not taken into account on some of the tree/hedge lined roads.

Also, if you were looking for multiplayer in CC, I suggest to wait awhile, and see how this goes with this title. There are some players, that just can deal with singleplayer no matter what improvements they make to the AI or pathing, etc. There is a precentage chance, that multiplayer will remain thin (for CC type games), no matter what Matrix/Slitherene does to enhance it.

[GrognardThomas]

The developers have built the game pretty well. The same old bugs don't exist, although there is a legitimate concern on vehicle pathing. The vehicle sizes are appropriate now and "fit" to the maps, which by the way all are 32 bit. Previous CC games are 16 bit so modding from previous CC to current CC is a challenge until 32 bit modding tools become available (check these forums for more details).
Concerning vehicle pathing especially on narrow tree hedge lined roads, it's easy to recognize armor without infantry support in these situations just may not risk an AT ambush. Therefore that's why they alter across the fields. But that's not to say pathing is perfect. Sometimes "baby sitting" the vehicle is necessary especially in areas where AT ambushes could occur (residential areas, hedge rows, trees, etc.). Try keeping an infantry squad near armor to scout the path ahead, That usually works for me.
Happy Hunting!

Grognard Thomas

[Stwa]

OK,

Well maybe the tank commanders are more paranoid now.

They weren't in previous titles, when tanks would drive down roads bounded on both sides by hedgerows, or through the center of a closed village, where ambush opportunities were presumably rich. Or in CC4 where they would drive down the roads with a dense forest on either side. [:D]

So, maybe you are saying this ambush paranoia is a beeg improvement in PitF?

[Stwa]

Also,

I am not very good at identifying tanks. So I was wondering what tanks are the beeg yellow ones in the center of the attached image.

Are these Panzer IVs or Tiger Is ? [:D]

If IVs there are ~9 feet wide. If Tigers they are ~12 feet wide.

[GrognardThomas]

Wikipedia Tiger Tank

Those in the enter of the screen shot appear to be Tiger tanks which are ~12' wide, according to the wiki reference provided. The other yellow tank appears to be a STUG III.
Myself I like the quirks with pathing in that in reality, some units do make their own decisions against your commands. [;)]

Grognard Thomas

[Stwa]

Ya, they are Tigers. I figure the paved road at 56 pixels or 7 meters or 23 feet in width.

I already figured you would be OK with the pathing, but for some reason, a few of the lifers at the CCS forum weren't very amused. But beeger problems than this has occured along the way with this series of games.

BTW, like Gary, I haven't picked up the game myself. Regarding CTGW, I am generally not partial to beeg strategy games where I am forced to plan ahead. [:D]

Edit: Here is a pic of the road where yellow is every other pixel. There must be something I don't get otherwise the Tiger I should be about half the width of the road. Dunno?

[htuna]

The two tanks left look like Tigers.. the one in the middle looks like a Jagdpanzer IV maybe?

[Tejszd]

Getting back to the original thread topic;

The game is worth getting as it does bring improvements over previous releases (32 bit graphics, better explosions, larger map scale, more teams, etc.) but not without also changing/losing a few things (h2h through server only instead of direct ip, attack from only 1 entry VL instead of two, etc.). The path finding is step backwards but is most likely just a bug that will be fixed thus I didn't include in the negative/step backwards list.

[Stwa]

Ahem! [cough, cough]

I don't think anyone has strayed from the the original thread topic. If you recall the topic is "Should I buy?"

That is a fairly broad topic, IMHO. One that might allow for just about any observation of the game to be reported, so that the observations can be taken into account by the presumed, but not yet committed buyers. [:D]

If the pathing is not fixed (is there a CC game without pathing issues), it might deter me from buying, so I don't mind passing on the observations of others (I dont have the game), to people like Gary, or anyone else, who is following the thread.

You say larger map scale is an improvement, and perhaps it is. Bigger is better, right? But the tank scale is also larger. Most people I hear from like the beeger tanks. But it is entirely possible that the new map and tanks scales are central to at least some of the current pathing issues. Dunno?

[davidss]

Just bought it, and tried a couple battles.
First impressions ... the new 32 bit graphics make a huge difference, screen movement is smooth, turrets have shadows, maps look great, mounting guns and infantry works, speed of vehicles and inf seems right, better explosion effects, haven't quite figured out the selection screen but like what I see so far.
 
I don't like the fog visual, so I turned it off.
Trees look great, but some seem too big and too many
Vehicles look great, but would prefer a lighter green on Allied ... so as to see better detail
some sounds could be better
 
I'm running win 8 with an i7 cpu with no problems.
 
Great job upgrading CC with new graphics, maps and features ... thanks
 

[VonManstein]

Good game, but not for play in multiplayer at the moment, because the new lobby works really bad. I ask for de old direct IP conecction.

[davidss]

ORIGINAL: VonManstein

Good game, but not for play in multiplayer at the moment, because the new lobby works really bad. I ask for de old direct IP conecction.

I just tried multiplayer for the first time ... lobby worked, connected fine, gameplay was smooth the entire battle. Western Canada to Eastern U.S.
It would be nice to be able to connect with IP though too, especially if the sever goes offline sometime in the future.

[Stwa]

Hi,

I agree, the game does look nice.

I wonder if Gary ever decided to get the game. For moi, I am in no hurry. It doesn't have to do with this title, apparently I am now that way with all titles.

I know I wouldn't want a CC game with pathing issues. I don't mean human player pathifinding, but AI pathfinding. Oh, I can look past a certain amount of pathing problems, but me thinks I will wait some time just to be sure everything was actually addressed.

As far as multiplayer goes. The ONLY time I have ever done CC multiplayer was through a DIRECT CONNECTION. I have already located my opponents, and they live here with me. (for the moment). [:D]