Matrix Games Forums

Got it... Got it yesterday at CompUSA ... F those bastages at EB!

Anyhow... I fired it up... did the tutorial... and... and....

I am so completly lost when it comes to this time slice things ... and waiting on Call...

and

and.....

Dammit I want to love this game, but am so confused about timing..

Any ideas?!

*sighs*

Have a look at the "Good starting strategies" thread for some playing hints. I agree the interface seems complex to begin with, but just play a couple of games and it seems natural. I've not seen WS yet, but in the freeware version, you can set up a game with you against the AI with random teams (you could try a solo match to start with), where the AI plays with the absolutely worst skills possible, and you play with the best. You'll win ridiculously easily, but you'll get a feel for moving and attacking without seeing your titan being destroyed without knowing what you can do to stop it.
Get your ICQ listed and fight and talk to other players as soon as you can. An amazingly friendly and helpful lot.

Just think of it as real time. You choose an action, it takes X seconds to complete that action. At the end of that time, your action takes place, and you can choose another one. If your action takes you 10 seconds, and your opponent's takes 8, he goes before you.

For example: I choose to walk to a hex. The time for that action is 26 seconds. My opponent chooses to run toward the same hex I'm walking at. His running time is 19 seconds. So, after 19 seconds pass, he will have arrived at the hex and can choose another action, while I have another 7 seconds to go before I arrive. During that time, the opponent will be starting his new action. If it's a quick one, like a torso twist or a turn that takes less than 7 seconds, he will complete that one, too, before I arrive.

Waiting on call just means you won't be prompted to take that action (Move or Attack) until you choose that option.

Thanks for the further explanation... My head is about to 'splode all over the place.

ANd I gotta say the title was supposed to be

Got it... I don't get it

I know it sounded like I was saying to buy the game... But that is the furthest from the truth.

Hang in there Munkie! The interface took a good deal of getting used to for me too. But in my gaming experience, there are two kinds of confusing UI's: Those that are needlessly confusing due to poor design, and those that are confusing because they dare to venture into exciting new uncharted territory.

The ToS UI, IMO, is a proud member of the latter category. Timing your moves adds a whole new element to battlefield tactics that isn't present in other TBS and war games. Keep practicing, take your time, follow the excellent suggestions from fellow players, and pay attention to how long each of the different maneuvers takes. Soon you'll get the hang of it and you'll be zipping through the UI like it's not even there (so you can concentrate on more important things, like blasting the crap outta your enemies and whatnot )!

Game hasn't appeared around here yet, but in any game with hotseat capability, playing both sides gives you the best chance to understand whats going on, without getting hammered while you're trying to learn.

You can not only get comfortable with giving commands, but see the effect on the opponent.

To make moves quicker with all the extra mouse clicking use hot keys. These are the ones I use a LOT.

x [recycle next weapon] recycles the next available weapon.
z [Wait on locked foe] do this after you've actually targeted
your enemy and want to keep your automove going quickly.

y [Wait on new foe] This one is good for after you've seen your enemy and have an automove sequence but the computer keeps asking you for your move decisions after you've lost sight of your enemy.

I fixed the thread title for you

It was **** confusing for all of us at first. It took me 2 hours of sittin there, trying to attack, and each time hittin call attack because it didn't do what I thought it should have.
ToS teaches patience. Instant Gratification is not a feature.
Be steadfast my friend. You shall learn this too.

I'm not so sure that Instant gratification isn't a feature. I remember the first time in TOS when my Tesla Bolt took an enemys head clean off the first shot.

That was fun. In TOSWS I like blowing up buildings, forests, creating smoke on the water etc,. . . Pretty much everything thats tied to the ground can be affected or affect you.

And then there's the enemy. There is a very great feeling. Like in Total Recall when Arnold says 'These guys were trying to kill me. But I killed them!'