First Impressions?

[Crimguy]

Let's hear it folks. I'm still at work, so I need to get some early feedback for the next couple hours.

Please let me know what you think, and also summarize the kind of gamer you are (are you a WitP guy? a TOAW man? A Stratego fan?, etc.)

[LarryP]

I play all kinds of games but my favorites are turn based strategy. I love WiTP and TOAW3 too.

War Between the States has 18 tutorial videos and I am still watching those. I also have both World At War and World Divided. Gary went to a lot of work making the game engine work with this. I have not had much time yet to evaluate yet so be back later... [;)]

[rroberson]

WITP Fan here waiting for feedback...I'm on the fence...I have FOF and it was all right. So pause your turn and help me make a purchase .

[mike1962]

I have ran the tutorials and watched a couple of the videos, played with it a little.
Seen enough to know that it will get a lot of play time by me. Runs real smooth on my laptop,
really like the map, I like the NATO symbols, seems a lot less cluttered. Impressed so far.
I never could get into FOF, I like AACW a lot though. Thats it for now. Back to it...Mike

[tedhealy]

I have UV and enjoy it.  I've thought about WITP before but have been afraid it would just be too much.  I have AGEOD's ACW game and enjoy it despite not liking the tedious nature of grouping armies. 

I read the WBTS manual and watched all 18 vids then jumped in as the union.  Despite trying to prepare, some things were not clicking for me.  Several months in I began to figure out initiative, ratings, how to group units, training MIL to INF, and the various stat screens. 

I'd have to say I like it.  Understanding initiative, how to get it and how to increase your odds of getting, is goal numero uno.  If you don't get that, you'll be lost and if you bang your head against it not getting it, you might at first not like the game.  I thought I understood it from the AARs, but I found I didn't quite 'get it' when some guys got it and others did not and why some units/armies could move and others could not.  As I began to understand, I began to grin because of how well this simulates civil war generals.  You're going to come to love certain generals for their abilities.

I only played until DEC of 61 and secured Missouri, started to march into Northern Arkansas, and invaded KY.  IN the east I was mainly trying to organize everyone and figure out training militia into infantry.  I was preparing Grant to march south from Paducah in the spring of 62 when I quit.  It looked like the AI CSA was going to be ready for a fight though.

My only complaint right now is I feel like I needed a few more non video tutorials.  I'll have to rewatch the vids and reread the manual I suppose. 

[PyleDriver]

Ted, were here to answer questions you have. Feel free to ask, its a hard but easy game once the light bulbs go on...Gary was at his best agian.

[8D]
Jon

[rroberson]

Meh, i took the plunge at 61 percent now. Sure hope it was worth it...so many good games coming out in the next month.

[tedhealy]

Ok.  I don't think there is anything too specific right now.  I think I was just overwhelmed by numbers/stats and the actual number of units at first.  It took me a few turns to put everything together.  A final tutorial giving a small theater engagement lasting 6 months or so is what I was looking for so I wouldn't have to deal with lots of units right away.

Turning on the option to show unit types in region and changing the map scroll speed to 1 seemed to help.  Turning the NATO symbols on also helped a bit, but I do like the look of the icons.

[PyleDriver]

Ted, the CSA is easier to learn with, less units and no navy. You may give that a try at first, it will help.

[8D]
Jon

[tedhealy]

Ok thanks, I'll give them a go next time despite my dislike for playing as Johnny Reb [:D]

[PyleDriver]

Lol...A yankee in MO...Remember depots don't need to built in your home states to get initiative...

[8D]
Jon

[bschulte1978]

PyleDriver,

He's in St. Louis, a German (and Union) stronghold. [:D][;)]

Besides, Ted Healy should be slapping Stooges around, not playing a Civil War game... [:)]

Speaking of downloading, I'm at 13% and counting. Unfortunately, I have to go to bed as soon as I confirm the game is downloaded and installed properly. Stupid real life, always getting in the way!

[tedhealy]

ORIGINAL: bschulte

PyleDriver,

He's in St. Louis, a German (and Union) stronghold. [:D][;)]

Besides, Ted Healy should be slapping Stooges around, not playing a Civil War game... [:)]

Speaking of downloading, I'm at 13% and counting. Unfortunately, I have to go to bed as soon as I confirm the game is downloaded and installed properly. Stupid real life, always getting in the way!

Nyuk nyuk nyuk, Stooges did the Civil War in several shorts How long do you reckon this here war will last? I reckon about a week, takes time to win a war you know.

You can't be pro CSA in a town with Grant's Farm [:-] He's probably the reason I've always played USA. You'd have to go west or south of St. Louis to find the pro CSA sentiments.

[PyleDriver]

Yep, my Grandma was from Springfield, I rest my case, agree with yours. Should have split that state too...lol...

[8D]
Jon

[Crimguy]

Joplin far enough out? Scariest town in America.

ORIGINAL: tedhealy


You can't be pro CSA in a town with Grant's Farm [:-] He's probably the reason I've always played USA. You'd have to go west or south of St. Louis to find the pro CSA sentiments.

[Crimguy]

Bit the bullet and got it.  Played for about 15 minutes, just to see if I could jump right in from W@W.  I couldn't.

40 pages in on the manual, and the game appears more complex than I expected.  THat's not a bad thing.

[tgb]

So far I've played the tutorials and watched the videos 3 times, then jumped in as the Rebs. For some reason I'm finding the learning curve even steeper than EiA, but I've yet to crack open the manual. Will work on that later, I think.

[TheRockSal]

I watched one tutorial and tried to read the manual, but the manual to me is a bit hard to read...so I just jumped in, played around for an hour and then went back to the manual and it made a lot more sense. One thing I love are the NATO symbols....those little unit icon just clutter the map up to me....the Nato symbols are perfect.

[PyleDriver]

Going back and forth between the tutorials, manual and game is the best way to crack this game open. Don't try to get it all at once, it's just to deep. As I said in another post learn with the CSA, less troops, no navy and you don't have to build depots....

[8D]
Jon

[rroberson]

Played about a year with the Damn Rebs. (Let the AI handle my production so I could get use to the combat arms). Didn't win a single battle against the AI, which I assume is a good sign. Intend to sit down here at work and dig into the manual a bit. So far I have a neutral impression.