Matrix Games Forums

Okay, I started the game as the Axis for the barbarossa campaign game. My question is this,

With this game, I noticed that I had to move the germans first and then the other minor axis countries units. Are you able to allow the computer to take over those units from countries other than Germany?

Secondly, can you move the units without having to go in order by country moves -like all the germans, hungarians etc?

Starting a game in quick start gives you all nations of the given alliance under the control.
If you wish to choose single nations under your control you should start custom game.
Anyway you can use F12 option and switch control of those countries to the AI.



You can move units of given country only during that's country turn.

ORIGINAL: demjansk
Okay, I started the game as the Axis for the barbarossa campaign game. My question is this,

With this game, I noticed that I had to move the germans first and then the other minor axis countries units. Are you able to allow the computer to take over those units from countries other than Germany?

Secondly, can you move the units without having to go in order by country moves -like all the germans, hungarians etc?

You can select minor axis nations to be computer controlled, but under AI control they may get in your way and place their weak units in hexes you wanted to use for your major nation moves.

In my first campaign I allowed Romania to fight its own battle when the Soviets invaded and it worked quite well, as they only had their own front to deal with. They were overwhelmed, but held out long enough for me to eventually bring German forces in to save Ploesti and Bucherest. It felt quite realistic watching a minor nation fighting for itself. However, when units of different allied nations start to mix then it become more difficult.

So there no definite rule, but I use a mix of Human and AI control during each turn, for each minor ally, especially using their air units for recce flights to stop them re-basing, (or re-base somewhere of your choice, before the AI moves air units to some place you didn't want) and doing something with ground units (reinforce etc.) so they won't move out if I need a hex held, after which I return that nation to AI control.

Using the F12 control you can switch nations from AI and back to human control (do the change before the AI gets a chance to do anything), this allows you to take over and do some strategic moves and unit purchase, maybe do some of the attacks you need them to make, then change to AI for that nation to finish off its turn. The AI may do things you didn't want, but if you have already done the important things it should not be too damaging and would be quite realistic.

The Nations have to go in order and AFAIK you cannot do some of the turn for one nation, then change back, you have to complete the turn for each nation, before moving on to the next.

Thanks for the info, that's the part that should be looked at b/c if you have a german unit adjacent to an enemy unit and a rumanian unit adjacent then you can't use both to attack the hex at the same time?

ORIGINAL: demjansk
Thanks for the info, that's the part that should be looked at b/c if you have a german unit adjacent to an enemy unit and a rumanian unit adjacent then you can't use both to attack the hex at the same time?

No you cannot co-ordinate simultaneous attacks by different nations, it is a problem, you can either take the view that it's quite realistic, such co-ordination was historically difficult to achieve, or use the minor allies to finish off units you have not quite destroyed, or occupy hexes where you win the combat, but haven't (or don't what to) moved your main attacking units.

When playing the Axis I find that I am mostly using minor allies for garrisoning towns in the rear and anti-partisan work, which is probably what the Germans should have done more of. Most minor allied nation units are not suitable for manning large sections of the front line, as history proved.[:)]

i agree with you rasp, I also have the other strategic type games and they allow you to interchange the units and coordinate together, however, I guess thats a good idea of the use of minor countries.

Many games give you a God-like power to control all units on your side, I know it can sometimes be frustrating, but I like the way ToF can bring some uncertainty into the game.

Not knowing quite what you allies might do is realistic, but the game does allow you to go in and out of AI control, to find the mix that suits your style of play. The F12 control can be seen as a cheat, but properly used it can allow you to adjust the game and make it much more flexible.[:)]

that was one of the reasons i liked those real early games By SSG for my commodore 64,

ORIGINAL: demjansk
that was one of the reasons i liked those real early games By SSG for my commodore 64,

The graphics may have been primitive by today's standards, but I had a lot of fun with those games, I still think 'War in Russia' is worth playing now, maybe frustrating sometimes with the way the AI worked, but could have a more realistic 'feel'.

I am still running the old DOS games in DOSbox emulator on all my new systems, so they live on.[:)]