On this game and it's faults in a non ranting way (yes it is possible)

[Bliep]

Recently I acquired Men of War Assault Squad. I never played this series before and since I'm a fan of the strategy genre I thought I rectify that.

I popped the box installed the game, which would run after some troubleshooting, but which game just runs out of the box nowadays, eh.

So I selected skirmish, picked heroic and well landed my sorrow excuse for a butt on the first beach.

And there the fun started for my family. I think they learned more cursing words in 5 minutes then the rest of their whole life.

I have to admit I didn't understand the rants on this forum when I popped in to troubleshoot the game but I learned soon enough to understand the sentiment behind them. However I'm not one to rant like an idiot I rather hope to get my point across.

I'll point out some of the stuff that shouldn't be in a game like this but my main focus will be on the following. I hope the Devs seriously look into this and that someone is hired to work on an AI. Yup, an AI, not an approved AI cause sadly the one that is present at the moment is just not. It is not horrible, terrible and just not sucks it really is absent. And guys (and gals be there any) lets be honest the basis of any strategy game is an AI.

To my list of points:

Armour:

1. Ordering armour to retreat (under fire) actually makes them turn there arse on the enemy presenting a juicy target for quite a bit longer time then just using reverse.

2. Units persist in selecting their own shell type, while I tell them otherwise. And trust me you are not going to pop that Tiger using HE shells

3. Crew members die from ricochets, without a message to me while looking at the armour. They die from ricochets that couldn’t have hurt them in the first place.

4. Armour often gets stuck on damaged walls or stones in the field.

5. Most armour can drive their gun into a wall and shoot through it.

6. Enemy armour often decides to cruise a bit in front of my AT guns for whatever purpose

7. Enemy armour must have thermal vision cause of their see through smoke ability.

8. Enemy armour can shoot through 4 buildings cause they spotted my armour hiding behind a house there. Window glare anyone? Oh and no houses have no inside walls.

9. Enemy armour can shoot at my armour but I not at them cause the gun angle is to steep (same armour types).

10. The shortest distance to any point is a triangle through enemy territory.


Infantry:

1. Reloading while prone? No can do.

2. Like armour, when ordered to run for it. First you run to the enemy before running back so you give them ample time to shoot you in the head.

3. Trying to kill a Tiger with your BB gun, it's so much fun.

4. I know lying prone can be obnoxious but with that prowling Tiger around I wish you would stay prone and not take self initiative even if I disabled it all.

5. If you get shot at you could shoot back you know.

6. I know concrete walls can be threatening but you won't kill them or either the soldier behind it by emptying your whole ammo supply on them.

7. As medic you always take the lead when advancing on the enemy. They won't shoot at medical staff you know.

8. When peeking around a building and looking straight into a MG42 it is advised not to repeat the exercise.

9. When ordering troops from behind cover to advance they can form up while they walk not first mill around and walk away 10 minutes later.

10. If a sniper is targeting you, hmmmm. DUCK!


Other weapons of war:

1. Why oh why do half of my AT guns keep facing to the side of the map no matter which direction I point them.

2. I didn’t know you acquired the Carmegadon rights, but my static gun soldiers are not grannies to be run over.

3. HE shells do not punch through armour, I know it is hard to believe but you’ve AP ammo to do that.

4. A bazooka has a bit larger range then 5 meters

5. Why do I have to build 5 minutes on two sandbags with my grunt while a mortar setup magicks in their sandbags?

6. If I can direct control move a unit through a gap I’m sure the AI can manage. Ooh, not!

7. Trucks/AT gets stuck on slope of hills cause it seems to steep. The sissies need to floor it or munch on their steroids more I’d say.


General:

1. Units do no appear at the spot they when saved. This can be rather upsetting with nasty enemy units.

2. Units load with the wrong weapon selected.

3. Units lost their routing when loading and just stand up and wait.

4. Why is everything so more accurate and deadly in direct control?

5. The shortest and most save route is most often the straight line I order my troops on. However following this route seems non optional.

6. Can you tell me why that Tiger tank that is rolling up to me exactly knows where my units are and which are a threat? Even if I know 100% sure the AI shouldn’t be able to know I’ve my units located where they are.

7. The same goes for my units. How the hell do they know something is approaching without me spotting it yet. Must be the other side of the coin, the divine side that is.

8. Units that are incapacitated are loaded in a catatonic state and might block static weaponry from being remanned.


I hope this list made the reader smile a bit from time to time but all in it is a sad fact that this game has an exceptional eye for detail and versatility: your sniper keeps his rifle up out of the water while swimming and challenging level design but misses the boat fully on AI path finding and unit control. As a customer I pay you with my very hard earned money for what you advertised and that is sadly not a tech guide to WWII vehicles or a direct controlled miniature puppet shooter but a real time strategy game.

You will need to hire some adequate personnel to work on the AI. No offense if you did, I know how hard it is (and no this is no application for that function whatsoever) else this series is doomed to stay what it could have been, awesome.

Regards,

Dennis.