When COTA goes on sale ...

[MarkShot]

How many of you will have the patience to carefully read all 530 pages of documentation (or, at least, the 150 pages of tutorial material) before starting a game?

How many of you will skip reading anything and immediately launch the longest scenario or the one with the most units and jump into a game?

I, myself, would probably fall in the latter category. When I used to play flight sims, I would always install and immediately be looking for the FLY NOW button even if it meant using the keyboard before getting my controls configured!

How many of you will be sitting in the soft glow of your display as the rays of morning light break over the horizon the next day?

Well, it's almost here.

[Tomus]

I'm a big camopaign man tbh. I won't even open the manual, just dive straight in.

Its only after messing around for a while will I start reading.

I love those "Ah ha thats what that means or cool didn't know I could do that" when the manual reveals all.

[Crimguy]

I will jump in, check out the interface enhancements in the manual, and play a couple small scenarios. Then go for the biggies. I figure a bit of HttR experience will get me 99% of the way there, yes?

[Arjuna]

Crimguy,
 
Yes![:)]

[bugbear]

Frankly, I'll read the manual first, lol. --It's as much fun for me to form approaches to strategy PRIOR to gameplay and then take those plans INTO game for enactment. . .

I read ALL the stuff for HTTR, every bit for POA2, "Maneuver Warfare Handbook" by Lind and "The Art of Maneuver: Maneuver-Warfare Theory and Airland Battle" by Leonhard and more BEFORE I even loaded up scenario-one for my latest historical wargame.

History IS important because it provides a framework for game design, but reliable TacAI that replicates actual tactics is MORE important for game-immersion and a "sense" of leadership in any wargame. There's little worse in our niche hobby than having code that follows its own rules and doesn't acknowledge realistic tactical approaches to historical events and practice.

Imagine the fun of knowing the actual historical events; then, interdicting those known events with your own planning and tactics while having the TacAI respond appropriately and realistically. HTTR is the ONLY game that will respond credibly and with VARYING methods to prevent your success while attaining its own goals.

It's a SIMPLE thing, really. The concept is, anyway. But, HTTR and (hopefully) COTA will continue to be a source of gaming enjoyment while offering a credible challenge based upon historical accuracy and realism.
Frankly, if Panther Games could get financing for a modern warfare update, their code is clean enough that their work would likely be drafted for training at the highest military levels. At present, with their documentation, HTTR and presumably COTA SHOULD be included with textbooks on military science and/or WWII histories.

[Brady]

Play it first, ask questions latter[:)]

[Real and Simulated Wars]

ORIGINAL: bugbear
... "Maneuver Warfare Handbook" by Lind and "The Art of Maneuver: Maneuver-Warfare Theory and Airland Battle" by Leonhard ...

Hi bugbear,
Those are excellent books. If you liked them, you may like also "Race to the Swift" by R. Simpkin.
Keep up the good reading. [:)]

[JudgeDredd]

Play first, Questions later. I'll try and keep daft questions out of the forums until I've read the manual...I promise

[CriticalMass]

Well, I for one have, sorry, will [;)] read the MarkShot tips document before, during and........

[Tzar007]

Since I have played HTTR extensively, I will only read the part of the manual that deals with the difference between HTTR and COTA and then dive straight into a short scenario (in terms of duration, something like 2-4 days) that will entice me from an historical point of view. I will certainly also read all that is available in the manual about supply since that's the biggest change from HTTR.

The rest of the documentation will probably be sent to a printing shop and once printed I will read it with a highlighter at a leisure pace when I am not playing COTA - in the metro, while eating alone, before going to bed, in the bathroom as toilet seat reading (who hasn't done that [:D] )