Should I get CAW?

[GoodGuy]

Hey there !

I've been browsing this forum for a few mins, and I'd like to know more about CAW's approach of simulating battles. First things first, it's like either getting CAW or Theatre of War this month, for me. So it would be cool if ppl who own both games would reply here to enlighten me regarding any shortcomings (scope? low amount of scenarios? .. stuff like that) of CAW (or ToW), replies from CAW fanboys are welcome too, though. [:)]

I'm a real time fetishist [:D] (note: not a RTS-game fetishist :p, although games like Company of Heroes can be entertaining), and RT is like the only type of game that works for me right now. I used to play flight sims, Panzer General, the Steel Panzers series before, but most notably (and excessively) the Airborne Assault series (HttR + COTA), now, so I'm doing good on the strategical/tactical side of things.

Is CAW a real time game? The spec-sheets on the matrix pages are kinda confusing, since they state that it's real time on one sheet and turn-based on the other one.
Does it pause automatically? If so, are these pauses as annoying as the pauses for the system msgs in "Hearts of iron" (yeh i know you can turn off most of the msgs, but it takes a while to get to a good customized setup)?

What's the smallest time unit? Is it possible to "skip" the boring parts (where nothing happens -> no contacts) by increasing the game speed?

I've read that you can't control single planes or single ship units, so does that mean it's still limited to hexes with counters representing TGs or a group of units? (*whisper*: sorry, but i don't like hexes anymore, hehe).
How are battles executed? Is it more like an "animation" where u just watch engagements and wait for the outcome?

If you own ToW + CAW: Which one should I get first? [;)]

What about CAW's multiplayer part? Any good?

Thanks in advance for some hints.

[Oleg Mastruko]

TOW vs CAW is a no brainer for me - get CAW. I tried TOW demo and found so many shortcomings, bugs, quirks and downright stupidities to fill several pages. Mission design in that game is just terrible.
 
Still, in all honesty, if you tried TOW demo and liked it (for some reason I cannot imagine or comprehend) then TOW is probably a better investment, as that game is much richer than CAW in content department (more scenarios - however badly designed, more campaigns etc)....
 
CAW Multiplayer.... I hope to get it off the ground, we need all the help we can get [;)]
 

[MarkShot]

Howdy,

I remember you.

RT with user configurable auto-pausing, variable run speeds, and variable run intervals.

It does use hexes, but for a game of this scale, I don't see that being a negative. The hexes provide a convenient way to eyeball distances.

I haven't played much yet. So, I have yet to form an opinion there.

---

It has animations of air strikes, but after watching them a few times, I just turned them off and use the summaries instead. The graphics in the animations get old fast.

[Gregor_SSG]

I think you'll love the game, but I could be considered biased so I'll just answer the factual questions.

The game is pausable realtime. You control both the speed of the gameclock and the conditions under which the clock will automatically stop, as well as being able to stop the clock at any time. In multiplayer you get to set a minimum cliock speed which if > 0 will result in an unpausable realtime game.

There are hexes in the game, but the map is huge and the hexes small so you should be able to forgive us using them.

Your units are Task Groups, but you get to control strike composition down to an individual plane level. Your decision making happens up to the moment a strike is launched, after that, like any Admiral, you must await the results of the combination of your decisions and your plane's efforts.

Multiplayer is very tense and exciting, but plenty of players are reporting multiple defeats by the AI.

Gregor

[willycube]

Good guy listen to Oleg about TOW, I downloaded Tow demo and was very dissapointed with it, actually I don't know what the programers are doing with that game and I was interested in the game until the demo. If you don't like the no campaign routine than get WITP, one player said it was like doing his taxes, got news for you I had finished my taxes before the computer finished it's first move. I have not received my CAW disc and book from Matrix yet even though I ordered it saturday the 9th of june, I think they are sending it down rivers by canoe. Combat mission is about to be released about the middle east, and if you really wan't a hands on game then wait for World in Flames by Matrix, it is a WITP in Europe starting in 1939 with the invasion of Poland. It sounds like CAW is well received by almost all of the gaming community and I am looking forward to receiving the game.

Willycube

[Toby42]

Great Remake of an old Classic. Go for it!!!

[TheHellPatrol]

[8D]Buy it, it's like a thrill ride at the amusement park. A stellar release with a superb ai that will keep you coming back to scream, yell and laugh at your monitor while your family looks at you with great concern[;)].

[Adam Parker]

ORIGINAL: GoodGuy

Does it pause automatically?

Is it possible to "skip" the boring parts (where nothing happens -> no contacts) by increasing the game speed?

Hi GoodGuy,

Yes to both. And in my opinion this is one of the finest elements that SSG has included in the game.

No they haven't revolutionised gaming by allowing these to be done. But it's the way they have done it. It's as if they had a brainstorm and looked at UI's past and probably building on their own gaming experiences too, built UI features that just ooze user-friendliness.

With regard to these two features you've mentioned, how's this?

1. Wheel scroll the clock field to change game speed on the fly as you want from 0 to speed 9 and all around. Immediate game response.
2. Wheel scroll the clock whilst in the middle of other order and admin screens.
3. Buttons for immediate game stop, run at set speed, run 5 game minutes, run 1 game hour or run to a specified game time (I set this to 4am during the night period, set Task Group courses and zip the game time along ready to rearm and re-fuel for dawn).

Not bad innovation in my book. For me it's the kind of stuff that grabs the attention straight off. Once you get used to game play the benefits are then realised in full.

Buy it!
Adam.