Company of Heroes

[Sword]

Anyone tried this game out? It's a WW2 RTS game made by the same guys who made Dawn of War, and I'm really impressed with what they've done here.

It basically plays the same as DoW, except with Axis and Allies obviously. But they've done a lot of interesting improvements to the allready excellent mechanics they had in DoW. Which leads to the most strategic RTS experience I've ever had.
To make some examples:

You can't beat armour if you don't have anti-armour weapons. In other RTS games you could allways beat a tank by just massing enough damage on it. This just doesn't work here. When a tank comes rolling towards your infantry, you run or you die if you don't have explosives or anti-tank weapons.

Buildings can be used as defensive positions by your units. If you select a unti and click on a building, they'll enter it and use the windows to fire at enemy units. You can also make a building into a foreward HQ. So you can produce units from the building instead of at your base.

Machine guns supress infantry. If you've set up a MG team to cover an area, they'll fire at any enemies that enter their area of fire. Enemy infantry will then trow themselves down on the ground to avoid being mowed down. This makes the enemy unable to move fast, as they'll have to crawl on their bellies. If they stay in the MG fire too long, they get Pinned and can't move at all. So it's not just about killing the enemy. You can also simply make it near impossible for him to advance.

Destructable environment. Everything on the maps can be destroyed. Enemies hiding in a building? Blow it up or set it on fire. A wall blocking your advance? Drive a tank through it.
Even destroyed vehicles stay on the battlefield and can be used by infantry as cover. Hell, the Axis can even search through the wrecages to get more resources.


I'm just really impressed with all the things they've done with this game. They could have just made it "Dawn of War with a WW2 skin", but instead they really moved the RTS genre foreward a few steps. Hell, RTS isn't even a genre I enjoy, I was sick of it after Starcraft allready. And I'm not a fan of WW2 games. But this game is just so damn polished I can't avoid liking it.
Only problem I have is that I seem to still completely suck at it :chuckle: Even playing against the AI on Easy I'm having serious problems winning. If I play against Normal I get my ass handed to me.

So, anyone else given this a try?

[Morcalivan7]

Many DoW players have switched to Company of Heroes since it came out.

I'd get it, but first I have to be able to run it.

[Keshik]

Even playing against the AI on Easy I'm having serious problems winning. If I play against Normal I get my ass handed to me. So, anyone else given this a try?

I havnt picked it up yet but I played the demo and loved it. I also had the same problem of sucking in skirmish mode. I get my ass handed to me.

[Sword]

I havnt picked it up yet but I played the demo and loved it. I also had the same problem of sucking in skirmish mode. I get my ass handed to me.


Good to hear I'm not alone :D

I was surprised that I was so outmatch, sicne I've got thorugh both DoW and WA with no problems and could hold my own in multiplayer matches. So I'm suspecting there's some basic tricks I've yet to discover in CoH.

[Istasi]

I just downloaded the demo this morning and have played for a few hours. It definitely feels like a more refined, even better Dawn of War in a WWII setting. Definitely considering buying it.

Oh, and yeah, I have trouble winning as well. Woohoo.

[Sword]

Hm, I've tried changing to the Axis side on skirmish mode. And that seems to work much better. Axis can produce MG teams from their first barracs, which makes it much easier to hold areas as you can place the MGs in buildings.
Axis seem overall better for me. Allies seems to take so long to build up good units that I've allmost lost by the time my army is up and running.
And the Axis Tiger tanks (only available through the special abilities) is frikking insane. It feels like I could win the war just with that :D

[Dr Jack Wolfe]

Wait for the Allied production bonuses. It feels like they've made an RTS with accurate weapons modeling. Easy to throw of balance, so you have to be smart enough to play. This is where RTS should be heading all along.

[Xielos]

HOW HAVE I NOT HEARD OF THIS!?

Ok, I'm definetly going to pick this game up whenever I find myself at the mall. Are there any expansions out/coming out?

[Istasi]

HOW HAVE I NOT HEARD OF THIS!?

Ok, I'm definetly going to pick this game up whenever I find myself at the mall. Are there any expansions out/coming out?

Well, considering it only came out a few weeks ago, I'd have to say no.

[Xielos]

Back from the mall with a fresh copy :D

*fidgits with glee as he installs*

[Sword]

Ok, things are going better now. After playing Axis for a while I sorta got into the groove of it and could pretty much dominate the Allies on Normal.
After that I could do it the other wya too, playing Allies and beating Normal AI Axis.

A lot of the trick for winning is simply knowing where to set up defensive positions. And to prioritize taking and fortifying the Manpower points. If you're holding 3 of the 4 Manpower points for example, the other side can't produce as many units, no matter how many Ammo and Fuel points he has.

Also, it's a good idea to rush up to some anti-armour support. Preferrably a few cannon crews that you poisition so they cover entances to your areas. I've been too slow with the anti-tank stuff a few times and you're so completely screwed when you suddenly hear that tank motor-rumble approaching and you've only got normal guns :D

[Dr Jack Wolfe]

The Omaha beach mission in the full game is the most intense version of that mission ever. I've played it FPS, I've played other rts, I've played it turn based 3d map, I've played it counter, but this, I was cursing the whole time. Snipers, where F*** is the sniper unit?

Then the night before as Rangers running all over the country side yeeesh.

Also the game is just beautiful. I"m running 1900x1200 (duo core intel with 2 nvidia 7800GTX in SLI thank god) with everything turned all the way up. Zoom in and the models look like they came out of Medal of Honor 7 or something. Even got slow down when I swung the camera into the Atlantic and looked up at the beach, with 100s of troops and the German pillboxes. Damn.

I like the more realistic look and feel of the cut screens as oppsed to Dawn of War. I also like the rifle team that says "What the f*** do you want?" when they are tired.

Expansions, while a long way off, could be awesome. The winter of 44, battle of bulge, Patton's run north, the Eastern front.

Fun fun

*Edit* and is it me or is Lee Emory one of Sargents? A couple of other famous voices too. Saving Private Ryan/Band of Brothers the game.

[Xielos]

Sadly my computer is just enough to handle the game with EVERYTHING lowered. I don't think theres ever been such a demanding RTS game. One thing I missed in DoW that is a Relic standard are the animatics. I adored the Homeworld animatic cutscenes, and these were in partial color to boot! Incredible work, its just amazing. The voices, the detail. Gah.

I havent tried multiplayer yet, I ant to get the hang of the game first. I'm on the campaign mission where you have to protect the supply lines.

[Morcalivan7]

RelicNews.com is where you wonna get more info on the game and talk out strategies with poeple. Mostly those who've also played DoW and have been playing CoH beta for a while now. I had the key as well, but my comp can't even play the game yet. Keep pushing back purchasing some ram to see if that works.

[Dr Jack Wolfe]

ahh Homeworld....someone give Relic the Star Trek and Star Wars licenses quick. I see a 400 year Star Trek Turn Based Strategy with the homeworld engine for combat. Let skill, technology, and luck determine the winning side.

Hard coded unit strengths, so the Apollo space capsle won't be destroying a Klingon Battlecruiser, BUT 1000 of them might. None of this balance crap

[Xielos]

Ok, I can't pass the convoy level. I've tried over five times, and every time I just get totaly decimated. I'm spread out way too thin, then the friggin Panzers come outa nowhere and blow up all my Shermans. On my last try I somehow managed to trigger the convoy before I had ANY strategic points secure and I was still under seige from the Panzers. Who's passed this level?

[Morcalivan7]

Xielos, RelicNews has walkthrough section in their forums, you can find all you need on specific strategies there.

http://www.relicnews.com/

Walkthrough Section > Sub Section of Strategy > http://forums.relicnews.com/forumdisplay.php?f=191

[Xielos]

Well, that guide was of absolutely no use -.-

So no one has passed this level?

:stick:

[Dr Jack Wolfe]

Yeah, fought it once. Did ok, but the panzers own. I"m thinking of building MG nests all the way down the road. OH and I want to play defend the bridges again. I know I can hold. :) None of my good experenced units survived defend the bridges.

[Xielos]

See, thats the thing. I'm a defensive player. Defending is what I do. The map with the 3 bridges was a cakewalk for me. First thing I did was get an engineer squad to each bridge and set up a machine gun in the street before the bridges. Then I blocked the bridge with razorwire, folowed by landmines, followed by sandbags. I then put a sniper covering each bridge, along with an anti-tank gun. I made sure to secure some back-up troops at the townhall in case things got messy and put 2 squads at each bridge. Then I waited in ambush. Only real problem I had with that mission was the artillery barages.

[Istasi]

I picked this game up today, played a few skirmishes and some of the campaign. Definitely quality stuff.