Unity of Command always wipes me out!

[YoungAtHeart]

Okay, I'm really a novice at strategy games but I love Panzer Corp and Battle Academy. I bought Unity of Command expecting to have fun but after the tutorial and 1 easy scenario I just can't make any headway. I've just finished playing Eidelweiss for about the 10th time and I never get even close to winning. Just as I start to make headway...the game ends. This is getting extremely frustrating. There should be an introductory or easy level for those of us who just want to have fun.

[sterckxe]

ORIGINAL: YoungAtHeart
Okay, I'm really a novice at strategy games but I love Panzer Corp and Battle Academy. I bought Unity of Command expecting to have fun but after the tutorial and 1 easy scenario I just can't make any headway. I've just finished playing Eidelweiss for about the 10th time and I never get even close to winning. Just as I start to make headway...the game ends. This is getting extremely frustrating. There should be an introductory or easy level for those of us who just want to have fun.

A fair enough request that might stand a better chance if it was posted in the Unity of Command forum

Greetz,

Eddy Sterckx

[YoungAtHeart]

Thanks for your suggestion. I didn't know what forum under the Unity of Command would be appropriate. Anyway, I posted it in the After Action forum. Hopefully it will get a positive reaction.

[wworld7]

You would probably be better off if you put your comments in the main forum, rather than a sub-forum like AARs.

Just do what you did here (ie: post a thread) in on the front page of UOC.

[gdrover]

I was able to win the first five scenarios of the German Campaign on my first try, but am stuck on the 6th (deep in the Caucasus) because it's over so quickly that I can't capture all of the objectives quickly enough.

So the system that 2 x 2 has here is very robust, but the decision to make it 'like Panzer Corps/ Panzer General' may have been a bit off. Like many gamers who will enjoy this system, I would rather have control of my own decision-making about how aggressive to be in capturing objectives. As the system is today, it forces the player to attack and move quite fast and focus on getting to the objectives as quickly as possible, even if it means by-passing enemy troops in your rear. While this may be very do-able in Panzer Corps, it is severely punished in UoC when the enemy units move to cut yoour supply lines.

My suggested fix is to:

1) Rebalance the scenarios to allow the player to accomplish the mission in a longer timeframe, albiet gaining fewer prestige points.

2) If a player is defeated, don't force them to replay the scenario...this gets old and frustrating, and breaks the flow of the campaign. Rather have the next scenario be a logical next step based on the outcome (i.e. The Russians have larger reserves for the next battle, etc.)

3) Offer players a long scenario that allows them to fight a larger/ longer battle (say 60 turns); (For Example: Armee Group South for 1942). This option allows the players to make decisions about husbanding their forces vs. driving forward aggressively. Grabbing objectives in a timely fashion then becomes more about gaining prestige than about winning or losing.

[Adam Parker]

ORIGINAL: gdrover

I was able to win the first five scenarios of the German Campaign on my first try, but am stuck on the 6th (deep in the Caucasus) because it's over so quickly that I can't capture all of the objectives quickly enough.

So the system that 2 x 2 has here is very robust, but the decision to make it 'like Panzer Corps/ Panzer General' may have been a bit off. Like many gamers who will enjoy this system, I would rather have control of my own decision-making about how aggressive to be in capturing objectives. As the system is today, it forces the player to attack and move quite fast and focus on getting to the objectives as quickly as possible, even if it means by-passing enemy troops in your rear. While this may be very do-able in Panzer Corps, it is severely punished in UoC when the enemy units move to cut yoour supply lines.

My suggested fix is to:

1) Rebalance the scenarios to allow the player to accomplish the mission in a longer timeframe, albiet gaining fewer prestige points.

2) If a player is defeated, don't force them to replay the scenario...this gets old and frustrating, and breaks the flow of the campaign. Rather have the next scenario be a logical next step based on the outcome (i.e. The Russians have larger reserves for the next battle, etc.)

3) Offer players a long scenario that allows them to fight a larger/ longer battle (say 60 turns); (For Example: Armee Group South for 1942). This option allows the players to make decisions about husbanding their forces vs. driving forward aggressively. Grabbing objectives in a timely fashion then becomes more about gaining prestige than about winning or losing.

Just got the game but I understand exactly what you mean. I have to get that far personally myself [:'(] but yes, I like games where you fight the battle rather than the puzzle. It makes sense to move on after losing in a strategic level game, rather than having to refight exacly the same battle - but I have to see how it goes first to contribute in any meaningful way with my own ideas.

[Anguille]

I try to take out the enemy tanks first with a combination of bombing and then strike with my own tanks...hope it helps.

[cpdeyoung]

Some points about Axis play :

The AI is aggressive, and we all know that the aggressive commander likes mobile units, so I try and destroy them at the earliest opportunity. If you don't do this STAVKA will be feeding their troops on your sausage. Nothing ruins the day more than three Red Army units sitting on your rail line.

Wear the enemy down with the German units and then let the Axis allies finish them off.

Pay very close attention to supply. It takes awhile to realize that the best paths forward are those that will be best supplied.

Play out the battle with your generals on the sand table to get the feel for the task. (This is game speak for a recommendation to play the scenario before coming across it on the campaign path.)

Have fun, and keep trying. Someday you will remember these days when it all seemed so challenging and want them back!

Chuck

[gdrover]

Just completed the Soviet Campaign. The AI played well, but I managed to win in 5 scenarios.
Didn't really have it too tough until the final scenario: Orel/ Bryansk...
The Germans in this scenario are really strong. They were actually more on the attack in the first few turns than I was. As a matter of fact, they captured my two northern supply sources...
I almost panicked. Instead I kept a cool head and used my southern forces to drive north across their rear and link up with my Partisans and the remnants of my northern force.
The German's aggressiveness now turned against him and he was unable to break out. The bulk of their forces were reduced in a couple of turns and I was able to turn west and finish off the rest while my infantry mopped up.

FUN! But now I'll be ready for more. I wonder how quickly 2x2 can create more content...

I'd really like a longer scenario: 60 turns+ and the entire Armee Gruppe Sud operational area for 1942/43 would be awesome.

Prestige Points could be accumulated immediately upon the capyure of objectives and reserves and replacements could become available as they did historically.

Can't wait! Love this game.

[Flaviusx]

There are 5 scenarios in the Soviet campaign? It never lets me go past the Rostov one (scenario 3) and this despite winning that handily on turn 6 or so.

[nenad]

There are 7 scenarios in total in Soviet campaign. You need to achieve a certain type of victory (decisive, brilliant) to advance/branch to some of them. Otherwise, the campaign ends earlier.

[pzgndr]

There should be an introductory or easy level for those of us who just want to have fun.

I found the tutorial and indroductory scenario easy to get through. It's well done.

One thing that surprised me is there is no difficulty level selection at the start of the game. It should be easy enough to add some modest bonuses to one side or the other to establish Easy/Normal/Hard settings in a future update? That would help newbies get into the game easier and later provide more challenge for those who want it.

[Flaviusx]

ORIGINAL: nenad

There are 7 scenarios in total in Soviet campaign. You need to achieve a certain type of victory (decisive, brilliant) to advance/branch to some of them. Otherwise, the campaign ends earlier.

So I need to take Rostov by turn 4 to advance the grand campaign? Geeze louise, that's kind of a tight schedule.

[nenad]

In Soviet campaign? No. You just must not lose the scenario. That's 12 turns I think.
Advancement conditions for selected scenario are listed on lower right on the campaign map screen. You can typically see something like: ">Little Saturn >>Race for Rostov". Hover the mouse over it to get detailed info. If nothing is listed there it means there are no special advancement conditions, except for winning the scenario in any way of course.

[Flaviusx]

Well I generally take Rostov by turn 6, and the campaign ends there and then for me. (This even generates positive prestige.)

It won't advance past scenario 3.

Do I need to do better in the earlier ones?

[nenad]

You need decisive at least in Little Saturn to advance further.

[Flaviusx]

Ok, thanks. Yeah, I have real problems winning that one in less than 4 turns. I got a 3 turn win just once. Have a very difficult time recreating what Pieter shows in his AAR. You need to get lucky with overruns on turn 1, and if it doesn't happen, you might as well restart the game since you'll stall on scenario 3.

I think the schedule on this is overly restrictive.

[nenad]

What you're talking about is Uranus, the first scenario. You need any type of victory (5 turns) there to open Rostov *and* Little Saturn. Then you need decisive victory in Little Saturn *and* plain victory in Rostov to advance to 4th scenario.