Better than HOI?

[ETF]

Loved HOI and HOI2.....a somewhat HOI3. How does TOF compare. Is it a lighter game. More on gameplay but sacrificing historical accuracy?
I take it no LAN support as usual for Matrix games?
Is this a WEGO or Hybrid or god forbid a backward IGO u GO?



Thanks

[Wolfe1759]

I've got AOD and HOI3 but have to admit to rarely playing them.

In comparison TOF is a much better and far more enjoyable game.

However if you love HOI you may not agree.

TOF is for me one of the best examples of grand strategy WW2 ETO computer game using board game principals. Yes it is "god forbid a backward IGO u GO" but that for me is one of the things that puts it head and shoulders above HOI. It is also probably the most playable and fun Corps / Divisional full ETO game I own, board or computer, just the right level of detail and just the right level of abstraction.

[Rosseau]

I love the current iteration of HOI3 SF/FTM, but sometimes I don't have the strength. This game does not feel like work; is graphically pleasing (get photo mod); not as simplistic to me as the Strategic Commmand or original Commander games. It fills a sweet spot and is only $30. It's also moddable, with or without an editor, if you're into that.

[Numdydar]

Much easier to play. It is a great game imho, just do not expect any historical accuracy (at least not a patch or 2). I loved HoI 3 (with all the expansions), but this is definately NOT HoI 3 other than the time period lol.

Here are some comarisions for you using HoI 3 (with For the Motherland expansion). Please remember this is looking a game that has had two expansions/patches versus one that was just released.

Diplomancy - HoI 3 much stronger than T0F
Historical feel - Hoi 3 much stronger (again just my opnion)
Technology/Research - HoI wins hands down. ToF has 5 items to research with 5 levels each in comparsion.

Gameplay - Both are great (also in my opnion)
Air combat - I have to say I like ToFs better maybe because interceptions works automaticly without me having to do anything [:D]
Naval combat - At this point in time I have to say HoI 3's is much, much, better

Supply system This is more of a draw I think. This is a thread under tech support talks about a German unit cutoff in a Russian city deep in Russian than keeps regenerating its strength. However you are able to control convoys much better in ToF than HoI 3, but then HoI 3 can handle convoys automaticly while in ToF you have to set the convoys yourself, then they will work automaticly.

Production - HoI 3 is much more detailed while ToF's is much easier to use.

UI - Both are clean and present information that is usable. Unfortunately T0F's while functional, really is not a well thought out as HoI 3's. Of course HoI 3 has had 3 versions to improve on this (plus all the expansions) whill this is only the 2nd for ToF (Time of Wrath was the first version imho). As an eanmple, there is no turn summary screen in ToF that gives a high level veiw of what happened the last turn. There is also no indicator that there is a unit ready to be depolyed. A major lack imho. Research results (not setting research with is easy to have access to) takes 3 clicks to find out as does most other details. Needless to say this gets old pretty quick.

Bottom line is that I really enjoy both games and I am glad I own both. ToF is a VAST improvement over ToW so they have done a good job in that regard. Just do NOT expect an historical simulation for ToF and you will enjoy the game. If close to historical actions/possibilities is important to you then this is not the game for you (see my England is Mine thread for more details about this point).

Hope this all helps.

[bairdlander2]

For the money AoD is far superior in terms of detail,scope and choices.Was expecting something much better for $54 for what it has I would price it more at $15-20,considering AoD is $20.Im trying to like ToF,but just cant get into it yet,maybe when I have more time.I do like the hexes but it feels like a dumbed down less detailed AoD/HoI.If you are an HoI fan I wouldnt recomend ToF.

[freeboy]

aod.. please do not tell us about realism??? these are games.. toys if you will, and while I support hoi and there flvors, adding comments about realism is, well, unrealistic..
And
While you are certainly entitledd to your opinion, therre is a lot of hidden details, reports, unit info, that this game has and to label this as 20 bargain bin is, imo, uninformed..
afterall beaty is in the eye of the be holder.. I judge these titles by fun factor and how long I can enjoy them, this game is a winner for me as a life long gamer due to replayability vs ai.. scope, and good pbem...

[Flaviusx]

Ultimately, I think this is going to be a matter of taste. I like this game better because I'm old school and not terribly fond of real time strategy games. Paradox also got on my sh*t list permanently by the way they handled HoI release. The game was quite broken for a good year. Then there's the recent fiasco with the SOTS2 release. I just don't trust those guys anymore, they lost me.

[gwgardner]

Numdydar is wrong about ToF not being able to provide a historical simulation of WWII.

There are some aspects of the campaign, for instance Barbarossa, that in my experience - see my AARs - comes closest to historical accuracy than any other similar game I've played.

Numdydar used Sealion as an example of historical inaccuracy. It's a what if situation. He could have followed a more historical line, by not executing a Sealion.

[Flaviusx]

ORIGINAL: gwgardner

Numdydar is wrong about ToF not being able to provide a historical simulation of WWII.

There are some aspects of the campaign, for instance Barbarossa, that in my experience - see my AARs - comes closest to historical accuracy than any other similar game I've played.

Numdydar used Sealion as an example of historical inaccuracy. It's a what if situation. He could have followed a more historical line, by not executing a Sealion.

There's some wonky stuff in this game, and I think the event scripting needs to be tightened up some. I also think Sea Lion is a bit too easy, possibly because the game treats landing craft in much too free wheeling a fashion. (They ought to have a build delay, this would prevent Germans from dialing up a big invasion force with no preplanning when they cash in on the French surrender. They shouldn't be allowed to extemporize an invasion force in this manner.)

But I don't expect perfect historicity in a game like this, it's fun and allowances should be made.

[bairdlander2]

ORIGINAL: freeboy

aod.. please do not tell us about realism??? these are games.. toys if you will, and while I support hoi and there flvors, adding comments about realism is, well, unrealistic..
And
While you are certainly entitledd to your opinion, therre is a lot of hidden details, reports, unit info, that this game has and to label this as 20 bargain bin is, imo, uninformed..
afterall beaty is in the eye of the be holder.. I judge these titles by fun factor and how long I can enjoy them, this game is a winner for me as a life long gamer due to replayability vs ai.. scope, and good pbem...

I never mentioed realism at all.I was answering the OP's question.

[doomtrader]

I must admit that thanks to HoI 2 I become game developer.