Matrix Games

quote:

ORIGINAL: themetalcrow

im thinking about buying this game, but $90 is no joke for me. i really like that intelligence isn't completely accurate, but is there any way in game to make it more accurate? or is it always completely unreliable?
if it's never reliable, doesn't that make it a pointless feature?

thanks garrett

quote:

ORIGINAL: Mynok


Glens might very well be much better than in real life, but they also die in droves when doing recon missions. It is essentially kamikaze recon.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Certain aspects about intel are always reliable, some are vague, and some are subject to manipulation by a cagey enemy. I don't think there's anything you can do to make it more reliable, but with experience you'll become more adept at reading it.

Here are some examples:

1. Always reliable (as far as I know): (a) There are xxx troops at yyy; (b) XXX Unit is aboard YYY Maru bound for Port ZZZ; XXX Unit is prepping for YYY Base.

2. Vague: Major radio transmissions at hex xx/yy. It's hard to know whether that's the KB, a combat TF, or a delusion.

3. Subject to manipulation: See Item 1(b) above, that is supposedly always reliable? Well, a cagey player can load a unit aboard a Maru, set the target as some distant and deceiving port, and then unload at a waypoint somewhere else. Cagey, cagey, and difficult to unravel, but great fun.

Anybody can read SigInt and get good information from it, but with experience you'll get better at using it and using against your opponent. It's a really fun part of the game, at least if you're the Allied player.

quote:

ORIGINAL: bradfordkay

Sometimes the intel is spot on - at least for the allies. Part of teh game is deciding which intel you want to put stock in.


If you are playing against the AI, you can be assured that "Unit X is planning to attack location Y" is spot on. Against a human it could mean that your opponent has given one of his units that location as its "planning target" but has no intentions whatsoever to actually attack that place. Consider that a "The Man Who Never Was" type intel trick.

If you receive a message "Unit X is on ship Y headed for location Z" you can be assured that this is good intel. Uhnfortunately you do not have any idea of where that ship is in its trip to that location, so it can be a crap shoot if you try to intercept that shipment.

Those above discussed types of messages are for the allied player only. The Japanese player gets "radio transmissions are detected at Pearl Harbor" type messages.

quote:

ORIGINAL: themetalcrow

so it is useful and can be effected by the player?

this is probably the wrong forum but it's about intel/recon. im also looking into "Eagle Day to Bombing the Reich" and "War in the east"

is there an intel/recon system in those games as well? how does it compare?

overall are they pretty similar types of games, with regard to depth and options and details?

thanks garrett

quote:

ORIGINAL: themetalcrow

im thinking about buying this game, but $90 is no joke for me. i really like that intelligence isn't completely accurate, but is there any way in game to make it more accurate? or is it always completely unreliable?
if it's never reliable, doesn't that make it a pointless feature?

thanks garrett

quote:

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

The more I play the game, the more enjoyable I find intel and information gathering.

...and the more useful I find that information - critical even.

...and the more I learn how the other side can use it to create misinformation.

Man, it's a blast and it's rich and it adds an incredible element to the game (and I don't even use Tracker or any other device).

witpqs is right - the Allies get much less useful information in the game than they got in real life. In real life, they usually knew where the KB was, or at least where it wasn't, for instance. You don't get that very often in the game, unless your opponent discloses his carriers through ignorance or an important mission.

quote:

ORIGINAL: themetalcrow

so it is useful and can be effected by the player?

this is probably the wrong forum but it's about intel/recon. im also looking into "Eagle Day to Bombing the Reich" and "War in the east"

is there an intel/recon system in those games as well? how does it compare?

overall are they pretty similar types of games, with regard to depth and options and details?

thanks garrett

quote:

ORIGINAL: V22 Osprey

I almost never look at intel. Current enemy ships being sighted is shown on map as the red Japanese ship icons, and usually just rely on that. The only thing actually care to read(atleast in my current PBEM Campaign) is combat reports.

quote:

ORIGINAL: themetalcrow

so it is useful and can be effected by the player?

this is probably the wrong forum but it's about intel/recon. im also looking into "Eagle Day to Bombing the Reich" and "War in the east"

is there an intel/recon system in those games as well? how does it compare?

overall are they pretty similar types of games, with regard to depth and options and details?

thanks garrett

WitP:AE > WitE > EGtBTR (I have all three games)

IMO

quote:

ORIGINAL: themetalcrow

quote:

ORIGINAL: V22 Osprey

I almost never look at intel. Current enemy ships being sighted is shown on map as the red Japanese ship icons, and usually just rely on that. The only thing actually care to read(atleast in my current PBEM Campaign) is combat reports.

quote:

ORIGINAL: themetalcrow

so it is useful and can be effected by the player?

this is probably the wrong forum but it's about intel/recon. im also looking into "Eagle Day to Bombing the Reich" and "War in the east"

is there an intel/recon system in those games as well? how does it compare?

overall are they pretty similar types of games, with regard to depth and options and details?

thanks garrett

WitP:AE > WitE > EGtBTR (I have all three games)

IMO

good to know, now do you like all 3 and are all 3 fun and worth their price?

quote:

ORIGINAL: themetalcrow

one last thing. reading all these forums it seems like most think the AI is useless and no fun to play. i don't really do multiplayer so i do need a good fun AI. is the AI actually that bad, or is it just too easy for the real experienced players? im just looking for a challenging fun play experience that is dynamic and replayable. also, ive never actually played these types of wargames before, so i don't need a real hard unbeatable AI opponent.

So does the AI provide a fun, dynamic, and at least challenging opponent?

garrett

quote:

ORIGINAL: themetalcrow

im thinking about buying this game, but $90 is no joke for me. i really like that intelligence isn't completely accurate, but is there any way in game to make it more accurate? or is it always completely unreliable?
if it's never reliable, doesn't that make it a pointless feature?

thanks garrett