COH2..I SURRENDER

[TYSON]

After two hours of playing campaign and online mode i finally surrendered and exited to windows. There is too much going on for my liking, too much info and too much noise. Maybe im getting old but i cant enjoy the game because there is too much to think about and the noise levels are off putting. Am i alone in thinking this? Anyway, maybe i will play on but reduce my time to maybe 1 hour at a time. I feel that im getting nowhere online and just cant seem to understand how enemys progress through tech trees much quicker. pfffff

[JDMait]

I felt somewhat the same, then again this is coming from a person that hasn't really sat down and played an RTS for a very very long while now.

That and I have gotten more used to the Total War games. Which is a lot slower paced.

[Die Easy]

Funny you say that but the intensity and concentration needed really are metally draining - there is just so much multi tasking and micro management but then again that is part of what makes the game so great. The sound is fantastic but again for those of us ain't spring chickens it can get a bit much, you know like the nightclubs get too loud ;P

[TYSON]

Haha, thanks for the feedback guys. Yeah, i need to give it some time probably and improve my micro. I really do think im getting too old for this. 10 years back, i would love these sorts of games.

[Superbox5000]

i usually stop after about an hour or so :P

[TYSON]

The total war games are def my cup of tea. I cant wait for rome 2 in september time but coh will have to do meantime. I also think total war is more strategic and reliant on good micro compared to this. I feel its a bit too messy although real warfare was like that. lol

[Gen_Surgery]

I re-installed Harpoon 3, and started playing the more complex scenarios. I need to get those cobwebs cleaned out of my head. Too much 9-5 and not enough play time. Come to think about it I havenet touched my golf clubs in 11 years. 3 kids = exponential decrease in brain mass

[SoulsandBlood]

funny, i was great at the last one but many years have passed and my micro skills and dexterity have both taken a nose dive and succumbed to father time

[bli-nk]

CoH2 might have slightly more going on than CoH but the UI is better and things are easier to manage in my opinion so overall it feels easier and a reduction in micro to me. If you play vs Expert AI 1 v 2 or even 1 v 1 the game is really frantic but just with all human players who conserve forces more the attacks come in waves and you can easily manage after playing the campaign or vs AI. The main difference is that human players normally attack much better with combined arms though sometimes in 1 v 2 AI game so does AI.

[JENchantress]

Yeah I keep struggling against Easy AI, CoH1 didn't seem quite as punishing. I'm sure there will be plenty of "you're doing it wrong" responses. I appreciate a challenge but many skirmishes have felt like more of a chore than enjoying the game and having fun. I'll keep at it though, as I'm sure Relic put tons of hard work into it to appreciate.

I have found I prefer slower paced strategy games now that I'm older as well.

[DauntingDragon]

You should check out civ v for the time being. I am also waiting for total war rome II, which is going to be awesome.

[jacko640]

nice comments from the older players, like myself beeing old guy (64) i managed to play thru the whole campaign in 1 sitting, next day waking up a terrible headache lol, but it was worthwhile though, and about the sound i just put it at a low setting ^^ in fact i had more trouble with the intro movie, gave me a dizzy feeling watching it, since camera setup tried to follow everything in 1 time it seemed lol

[Cybrax]

Have you tried easy mode, you can pretty much just sit back and watch the battle in this mode. This game requires around 1/4 the number of actions per minute as other RTS. I understand you don't play many RTS and do not mean to sound judgemental video games are intended to be fun. Commanding a battle in the real world doesn't take place at the same speed as this game. Try playing on a more easy difficulty or using unit groups with the ctrl key.

[iNIG]

I find CoH2 very manageably paced compared to Starcraft 2 for instance and consider myself to be reaching the age where I'm getting bad at videogames (I was so sure it was a generational thing growing up and that I wouldn't suck at videogames like my elders).

I've given up on SC2 because I could never get the rhythm necessary to not miss a beat on macro while frantically micromanaging units and the game is just too stressful, but I did learn a few things to help manage the pace. CoH2 by comparison offeres a lot of time think during a match and the right approach can really help realize this.

Try to have a plan or a general strategy you want to implement for a given map. This can really relieve you of some unnecessary and sometimes stressful decision making. If you're focused on a specific objective, whether it be holding a key strategic area, hit and run, doing a timing attack with an early vehicle, your next step is always much clearer, your forces are often more focused and therefore stronger and less likely to be in losing situations. When I don't have a clear plan I often find myself with troops caught out of position, spread to thin, not having the units I need when and where I need them, etc, and this results in some frantic adjustments that often feel like shuffling around chairs on the deck of a sinking ship.

Concentrate your forces. If you're strong on the right, you'll be weak on the left. If you're strong on the left, you'll be weak on the right. If you try to be strong everywhere, you'll be weak everywhere. I find the need to resist the urge to lock down all the territory I've captured and to try to never lose it. This is a mistake that results in a thinly spread army that is vulnurable everywhere to a strong attack.

A single MG or garrisoned troop left behind far from your main force can't be expected to hold that point, but they can slow the enemy down enough to give you time for a calculated reaction (in addition to providing valuable scouting and in turn map control)

When things are slow, try to organize and set up your forces in a manner that will require the least amount of intervention on your behalf. This can really save you when you're caught off gaurd, both preserving your force and giving you more time to evaluate the situation and plan your move instead of having to micromanage units.

Lastly, try to make yourself anticipate. Be creative and try to think about what your opponent could do, both in offense and defense. Just thinking 1 step ahead makes the game seem much more under your control, rather than constantly having to react.

Applying these concepts have helped me improve a lot in Starcraft and now that I think about it, chess too. Hope they can help make this more enjoyable for you. On that note, I hope they can make the necessary improvements so I can justify buying this game, cause the beta was a blast! (http://steamcommunity.com/app/231430/discussions/0/864971765178967009/ <-- if you're curious, this is why I'm not sold on coh2)

[iNIG]

Some tips to make micro more managable. I've come to realize there's only so much one can reaonsably do for their speed, coordination and dexterity (no matter how much practice I don't think I'll ever be sporting the 300 APM of gosu korean gamers). CoH2 really doesn't benefit from rapid fire micro as much as calculated moves, anticipation and preperation.

Having your units in the right position when the engagement begins is huge (due to set up times, supression, accuracy penalties, cover, etc). So *anticipating* how the engagment will occur so you can *prepare* your forces is half the battle. When you're the agressor this means pre-spreading your infantry so they don't get splash damaged to hell, knowing where you're going to position your AT/MG's, queing up waypoints for flanking units, etc. This kind of stuff frees up a lot of your actions/attention for unexpected things that come up.

When the ♥♥♥♥ actually goes down I find the lag and unit pathing prevent any slick microing to begin with, so making careful and calculated orders counts for more. Put your MG's in the right spot on the first click so they don't go through unnecessary setup/taredown animations. When conscripts are Ooohraaahing towards you, move your advance unit back before they throw the moltov, if you wait till their animation starts, its already too late.

Think about how to give yourself little edges in battles. Often times its very simple and the accumulation of these small edges can decide battles. Things like target firing with the MG to suppress certain units (flamethrower, shock troops, etc). If you have more than 1 infantry, space them so if 1 unit is retreating from a grenade, the other is still shooting.

In SC2 I was always trying to get more done with fewer actions to make up for my lack of speed. In CoH2 the same concepts achieve more than just 'catching up', they actually make big differences in outcomes and more importantly than free up time to squeeze one more action in, they free up time to evaluate and think.

[Che]

There is definately much more happening in COH2 than COH1.. not so sure that is a good thing either. Seems they tried to Starcraft COH... (why are the graphics worse?)