Thank you for a pleasent surprise

[Skeleton]

I have played wargames for longer than I care to recall but have only recently (3 years) began to explore PC wargames. There are so many with either 3-D graphics and no AI, or terrible eye squinting, incomprehensible graphics with marginal AI, but there seem to be only a few who perfectly blend the two. HTTR is one of those games. I found an old demo for AARDOA and played it ad nauseam for two weeks, and could not run fast enough to purchase HTTR. Well done, sorry that I have arrivied so late to the party, but with COTA and AABRTB, I may be just in time, great game. Thanks for restoreing my faith in WW2 PC games, a pleasent and welcome surprise. Does anyone know where or if I can still find Red Devils Over Arnhem?

[MarkShot]

I can't see why you would want a copy of RDOA if you already have HTTR.

They cover the same material more or less, but HTTR contains:

- bug fixes
- modeling down to the company as opposed to the battalion level
- quite a few interface improvements
- improved AI combat modeling

About the only thing I can think that you got with RDOA which HTTR was missing is that one half of the RDOA manual contained a very nice historical analysis of Market Garden. That was not in HTTR's manual, but it was reproduced in the HTTR strategy guide (which was sold as a separate product).

See for a quick look at RDOA:

tm.asp?m=1039812

[Skeleton]

Got it, thanks Markshot, I was under the assumption that RDOA contained different scenarios. Thanks for the info.

[Arjuna]

Marcus,

I'm glad you are enjoying HTTR. Welcome.[:)]

[JeF]

Marcus,

as Mark explained, with HttR you have what formed the bulk of RdoA and much more. Only a handfull of scenarios didn't make it to HttR. One of them is available for HttR : see the Airborne Depot. It's Heartbreak Ridge, but you should already know about it as it is in the demo.

If you feel the need to complete the collection, RdoA is still sold at Duchet ( www.duchet.com ). It is the CDV euro version, fully patched but you'll miss the full printed manual.

Cheers,

JeF.

[Skeleton]

Thank you all for the quick and concise answers. I will pass on AARDOA, and just wait for COTA. Again, I cannot tell you how much I enjoy HTTR, really, in my opinion, it is what all of these WW2 games should strive to emulate. Also, after looking through the threads, I see mention to a strategy guide, any clues as where to find one?

[MarkShot]

It is available from the Matrix store as a digital download. It was never produced in hardcopy.

You also have available three tips threads (2 HTTR and 1 COTA) for free which are quite extensive.

[Skeleton]

Thanks Markshot, been reading your tips and I figured that the guide was obsolete in relation to the threads. I am very much appreciative of your help. You have made a lifelong fan of me with this engine and this game and the courteous nature of the people here at this forum. One last question, I believe I read in one of the other threads that HTTR did not really support much of a MP community. Why is that, seems to me the game is ideal for that type of thing. Do you foresee COTA being more MP friendly? I don't play MP at all, just curious. Thank you in advance.

[MarkShot]

Somewhere buried in this forum, I thought, the table of contents to the strategy guide was posted.

It is a little under 200 pages. Half is devoted to the game and half is devoted to an analyis of market garden.

I wouldn't say that my mini-guides made the strategy guide obsolete. In fact some of the material from the mini-guides made its way into the strategy guide. However, despite any overlap, the strategy guide player's guide section is mainly content not found in these forums.

Additionally, the player's guide section of the strategy guide is well structured and well written unlike the forum mini-guides which I did sort of "stream of conciousness". Finally, the player's guide is more authoritative, since Steve Long, the author, has real military training; unlike yours truly.

---

RDOA/HTTR/COTA support MP just fine. However, not much of an MP community has sprung up as of yet. I don't play MP, but my personal speculation as to the issue is that except for very short scenarios, it would be hard to complete a scenario in a single session. I think PBEM would see a much greater community. Request for PBEM has been raised repeatedly, but it is not small matter to retrofit it upon the current realtime engine. Also, PBEM might result in an evolutionary direction that PG would prefer not to take (meaning turn orientation).

[Skeleton]

JeF, seem to be having a problem loading the mods from the Airborne Depot. They download fine, but they are not listed in my scenario list. What am I doing wrong? Where should I be downloading them to? Know this sounds stupid, thank you anyone for any help or advice.

[Skeleton]

Sorry, got it, village idiot here.