Unity of Command Forums

I bought this game on the basis of the tutorial and introductory scenario, which I really enjoyed. Unfortunately, the real game is too tough for me. I'm not particularly fond of "easy" scenarios that have me getting my ass kicked every single time. To add insult to injury, there is no "restart" function so I can't even start over cleanly; I have to exit to the main menu and navigate back.

It's really quite frustrating to be dumped into the deep end and told that I'm playing "easy" scenarios. Is there a way to make the AI less horrifyingly difficult? Or give myself a handicap, or anything? Maybe a mod that gives extra prestige every mission or something like that? I really, really want to like this game, but as it is, I can't.

No, for me the high difficulty is one of the main reasons I like this game. I hate "casual"-low difficulty games, regardless in which genre. I prefer a real challenge. Just practice some more, once you figure out the game, it isn't that difficult anymore. You have to play several scenarios to figure out how to beat the AI. Initial success right after starting is impossible. But I like it that way! Actually the AI has some flaws you can exploit, like its inability to take back supply depots. Additionally, you have to learn how to use your troops. Just storming in withouth thinking will make you lose. The key is to create gaps, move in your mobile troops and encircle the enemy forces. Full-on Frontal attacks will lead to failure. You have to find weak points in the enemy's defense and exploit them. This can be done by studying the combat odds display by simply choosing some of your troops and adjacent enemy troops before attacking. You should always attack where you're likely to inflict heavy losses and in the same time losing as little troops as possible. You can also use the "Undo"-function to do that by simply moving some troops adjacent to enemy troops and looking at the combat odds, then pressing "Undo".

spillblood wrote:No, for me the high difficulty is one of the main reasons I like this game. I hate "casual"-low difficulty games, regardless in which genre. I prefer a real challenge.

I like a challenge, too, but I also like making progress, and it is difficult to do that when I learn a lesson the hard way, but then have to sit through 20 minutes of getting sluaghtered just to go back and apply it. Since the game doesn't have a restart scinario button, it's just pointlessly brutal. It's not fun at all to realize I'm going to lose on turn 5 of 12, and then be forced to play out the whole sad, sorry farce to get to the end so I can restart the scinario without losing my campaign progress.

Just practice some more, once you figure out the game, it isn't that difficult anymore. You have to play several scenarios to figure out how to beat the AI. Initial success right after starting is impossible. But I like it that way! Actually the AI has some flaws you can exploit, like its inability to take back supply depots. Additionally, you have to learn how to use your troops. Just storming in withouth thinking will make you lose. The key is to create gaps, move in your mobile troops and encircle the enemy forces. Full-on Frontal attacks will lead to failure. You have to find weak points in the enemy's defense and exploit them. This can be done by studying the combat odds display by simply choosing some of your troops and adjacent enemy troops before attacking. You should always attack where you're likely to inflict heavy losses and in the same time losing as little troops as possible. You can also use the "Undo"-function to do that by simply moving some troops adjacent to enemy troops and looking at the combat odds, then pressing "Undo".

I understand the basic method, but since enemy supply lines are invisible (a weakness the AI doesn't seem to share) it is difficult to know which hex I need to aim for to starve an army.

TroubleEntendre wrote:Since the game doesn't have a restart scenario button, it's just pointlessly brutal.

That's not true. If you're playing a campaign, you can just leave to the campaign menu, select the scenario you were playing, and press the "reload scenario" button. Will attach a pic to show that. It will ask if you want to delete your progress in this scenario, if you click "yes", you will be able to replay that scenario without having to replay the whole campaign. BTW, I'd suggest you should read the manual!

TroubleEntendre wrote:I understand the basic method, but since enemy supply lines are invisible (a weakness the AI doesn't seem to share) it is difficult to know which hex I need to aim for to starve an army.

That's also not entirely true, you can clearly see when enemy troops are cut off. Best way to be sure is to just put your territory around them so that there's no way back to their own territory.

TroubleEntendre wrote:I bought this game on the basis of the tutorial and introductory scenario, which I really enjoyed. Unfortunately, the real game is too tough for me. I'm not particularly fond of "easy" scenarios that have me getting my ass kicked every single time. To add insult to injury, there is no "restart" function so I can't even start over cleanly; I have to exit to the main menu and navigate back.

It's really quite frustrating to be dumped into the deep end and told that I'm playing "easy" scenarios. Is there a way to make the AI less horrifyingly difficult? Or give myself a handicap, or anything? Maybe a mod that gives extra prestige every mission or something like that? I really, really want to like this game, but as it is, I can't.

I share your grief. I had my butt kicked by the 'easy" scenarios a couple of times until I learned some of the techniques to help defeat it. But even then some "easy" scenarios are brutal. And the tough ones? I wiped out every German unit in front of Berlin with ease and speed, but the last German unit in Berlin simply eliminated every other unit I had by defending so well. I lost a dozen units, one after another, trying to defeat it, and ended up losing the game to ONE AI piece that never attacked once, just sat in place. Grrrr....

You can always use the scenario editor and create a new version (rename it, of course). Try adding an armoured unit or two to your side. Or an extra hex or two to the supply lines. Little enhancements are best... like a handicap in go or chess. Once you have the AI's quirks figured out, it's a bit easier.

ichadwick wrote:

TroubleEntendre wrote:I wiped out every German unit in front of Berlin with ease and speed, but the last German unit in Berlin simply eliminated every other unit I had by defending so well. I lost a dozen units, one after another, trying to defeat it, and ended up losing the game to ONE AI piece that never attacked once, just sat in place. Grrrr....

The key is always speed and exploit of the AI's inability to do proper territory control. Break through at one tiny spot and simply move around enemy formations that are as large as possible. You have to use the German tactic of "Schwerpunkt" or Russian "Deep Strike". When you master those actual tactics you can win. It's great that the game captures these actual tactics in WW 2 on the Eastern Front so well.
You shouldn't try to do frontal assaults, the goal is always to encircle enemy formations that are as big as possible without getting cut off yourself while doing it (which the AI WILL try!).

Another issue is the curious way difficulty levels are set in both instalments of the game.

In RT, I think many would agree Korsun is BRUTAL but 'medium'. A chimp could win a BV in the Zhitomir scenario but that is also 'medium'. Obviously it's always going to be subjective but I find it easier just to ignore the difficulty level altogether.

Stahlgewitter wrote:Another issue is the curious way difficulty levels are set in both instalments of the game.

In RT, I think many would agree Korsun is BRUTAL but 'medium'. A chimp could win a BV in the Zhitomir scenario but that is also 'medium'. Obviously it's always going to be subjective but I find it easier just to ignore the difficulty level altogether.

Yeah, I think Red Turn is generally easier, not only those two scenarios. It kinda goes from extremely difficult in the first scenarios to "walk in the park" (due to masses of reinforcements and relatively passive enemies) in the later ones.
I found the main game Axis campaign much harder. Challenge in RT comes from the inferiority of the Soviet troops (which is lowered later in the game) which makes you think much more about breakthroughs, because it often takes way more effort to break through and encircle the enemy than with German Panzers.

Hi,
I would love an easy mod, just so I could get into the game. The tutorials do a bad job at teaching the basics and I'm getting crushed in many of the initial games. I'm new to this genre and was hoping that this game would be my gateway into wargames, but it's just way too hard. So please add some sort of help for noobs

I think the scenarios should have at least one more movement point, as at the moment it all seems a little to tight.