Is this PC game too hard, or do I just suck???
So far I’ve just played against the computer, and even with it set on easy, I still get my butt kicked. I have yet to beat the computer.
Any tips??? Tricks??? Advice??? Or should I give up???
Are you trying to just jump in and play a skirmish game vs the CPU? Might be a bit difficult if you haven’t tried the campaign missions yet. They do a good job of introducing you to the different strategies you’ll need to win.
Yeah, work your way through at least some of the campaign first so you can get comfortable with the game.
In skirmish mode the computer is brutally effective. I’m two-thirds of the way through the campaign but in skirmish mode the computer just wipes me out on anything above Normal. On Normal I have to fight like (what feels like) crazy just to stay even.
If you still want to try skirmish avoid the control-point countdown (I forget what they call that mode - you start with 500 points and they count down as the enemy holds strategic points. First to zero loses). The computer is VERY good at running multiple groups of troops, constantly harassing you and taking back points.
Annihilation mode at least gives you more time to breathe and get a feel for the game. One thing that the computer is weak on is chokepoints. Find a map that has a couple of key points where you can engage the enemy. Shut one down (by destroying the bridge or piling up a ton of landmines, tank traps, barbed wire, etc) and then set up your killing field on the other. Machine gun nest, sniper in a building, mortar team (or two), anti-tank gun, halftrack with the 50-cal upgrade, a squad of infantry to back-fill any casualties and some engineers to keep things repaired. This combo can shut down any assault from the computer, giving you time to build up your attack group.
Note that this is more of a build-up and overwhelm them strategy. Some people like the quick strike with smaller forces. I can’t click fast enough to make that strategy work for me, though.
Again, try the campaign to get a feel for everything before you try skirmish again.
A-ha!!! ok… I thought that skirmish mode was for those of us who just wanted a quick game and the campaign was for those who were in for the long haul. I did try the tutorial and thought that was ok… Will do as you suggest.
And yes, I was doing the “control point countdown” …you’re right…they are able to do too many things at once and I can only do one thing at a time…
I much appreciate your suggestions.
I’m glad you made this post. I started playing Company of Heroes a few days ago and I’ve mostly been thinking the same thing.
As rowe asked, are you playing the campaign or skirmishes? I started the campaign and made it through 3 or 4 missions (on easy). I won them all, but the last one was pretty close at the end. I decided to try some skirmishes to hone my skills.
A confidence booster it was not. I got owned about five straight times on the first map before I managed my first win. I moved on to the second map (a city) and proceeded to get smoked repeatedly. I still haven’t won on that map. I finally tried a third map (rural, divided by a river running north/south with good choke points). I’ve played that one twice and haven’t lost. The map and your starting location definitely makes a difference.
I’ve come to the conclusion that there are too many resource points on the second map. It becomes less strategy and more just seeing who can run their early units around the map quicker to capture the points. Obviously, the AI has a serious advantage there. The AI doesn’t try to defend any of the points early on. It just runs engineer (pioneer) units around and captures as many as possible. It’s terrible real life tactics (exposed flanks, etc., etc.), but in the context of the game it works great. It really sucks for the whole combat realism thing though.
On preview, I see my question was answered. Also, there is advice on avoiding the control point countdown mode. That’s what I’ve been playing. :smack:
Glad to help! Let us know how future skirmishes work out.
I found that I was playing the control-point-countdown mode because that’s what the menu defaulted to. Once I switched to annihilation I never went back.
One other thing to look for: the menu constantly resets the AI to Normal. I found this out when I was trying different tactics. I had it set on Easy to see how much I could build up with minimal enemy contact. It didn’t work out (the computer took too many resource points) so I quit and then re-played the same map. The AI had defaulted to normal and I got my ass handed to me. Make sure you are actually playing the AI that you THINK you are playing!
I wouldn’t know. For some reason after 10 minutes or so of play, it causes my PC to lock up.
My first guess for that would be a heat problem. CoH is very CPU and GPU-intensive. When was the last time you opened up your computer and got rid of some of the dust?
Also check your drivers to make sure they are somewhat current.