# Advance Wars: Days of Ruin **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [February 27, 2008, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advance-wars-days-of-ruin/439320 "2008-02-27T01:07:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2008, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advance-wars-days-of-ruin/439320/1 "2008-02-27T01:07:29Z")
They basically fixed everything wrong with Dual Strike - the pointless story, the horrible learning curve, the CO special powers, the shitty interface w/ stylus - and came up with a great new art design and sensibility, cooler battle animations, etc. Loving this game. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2008, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advance-wars-days-of-ruin/439320/2 "2008-02-27T01:09:56Z")
I think I’ve heard someone mention this game before. What’s it like? ---
**Author:** ![Slacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2008, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advance-wars-days-of-ruin/439320/3 "2008-02-27T03:29:05Z")
It’s a turn based strategy game played on a grid. It’s kind of like chess. Each unit can move a certain way (more or less spaces, over terrain or water, etc), and has strengths and weaknesses against other units. You have to get yourself in position to beat your opponent, and anticipate what he’s doing so you don’t get surprised. There is a long campaign included and a ton of additional maps to play on, and you can go online against human opponents once you start whooping up on the computer too regularly. 😉 It’s a great game - I highly recommend it. ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2008, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advance-wars-days-of-ruin/439320/4 "2008-02-27T03:44:25Z")
[QUOTE=Slacker] There is a long campaign included and a ton of additional maps to play on, and you can go online against human opponents once you start whooping up on the computer too regularly. 😉 [/QUOTE] Guess it’ll be a while for me then. I’ve gotten stumped on two missions so far (just over a dozens chapters in), and I only won one mission because I was able to wait until the last airplane ran out of gas. That said, I am enjoying it. I like the variety of sounds used for the attack scenes, and the graphics in general. The gameplay is different from what I’m used to–most games of the type that I’ve played are along the lines of Final Fantasy Tactics. It’s a nice change, and brings in more strategy than just overpowering my opponents. (At what point can you use COs in the campaign? Or are they always available? I’ve unlocked two so far, but don’t know how to use them.) ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2008, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advance-wars-days-of-ruin/439320/5 "2008-02-27T17:20:12Z")
This is a great game. I’ve never played any turn-based strategy games before, so the learning curve was a big help for me. I haven’t beaten it yet; working my way through the challenge maps. Some of those suckers are _hard_. Gives you a great feeling of accomplishment when you finally beat them, though. ---
**Author:** ![Grey\_area](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Grey\_area](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey_area)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advance-wars-days-of-ruin/439320/6 "2008-02-28T05:14:35Z")
I am loving this game. Makes you completely lose track of time. So far my favorite tactic has been using the rocket trucks (Katyushas) and the artillery, playing defensively and slowly pushing them back to corner them. The katyushas hit HARD but are very expensive and with little HP. About the HP though, that’s the one thing that gets on my nerves, how it’s relative depending on the unit. Everyone has 10 HP but an infantry’s 10 HP != big tank’s 10 HP. But that’s a minor gripe, the game kicks ass. Question for everyone: do you use the stylus or the buttons? Or both? ---
**Author:** ![Slacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advance-wars-days-of-ruin/439320/7 "2008-02-28T05:33:15Z")
[QUOTE=Grey area] Question for everyone: do you use the stylus or the buttons? Or both? [/QUOTE] Buttons all the way. The stylus controls are fine, but once you really get going they’re too slow and iffy. I also disable all battle animations too to speed things up. ---
**Author:** ![Fredescu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/73ab20/32.png) [@Fredescu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fredescu)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advance-wars-days-of-ruin/439320/8 "2008-02-28T06:29:09Z")
[QUOTE=TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW] the horrible learning curve [/QUOTE] How does the learning curve differ? I loved Dual Strike (Lash’s theme is still my ring tone in fact), but I did think the learning curve was a bit long and drawn out. Is it shorter in Days of Ruin? Edit: I used buttons and only buttons in Dual Strike too. I found the stylus to be a little slow and imprecise. ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advance-wars-days-of-ruin/439320/9 "2008-02-28T08:19:43Z")
[QUOTE=TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW] They basically fixed everything wrong with Dual Strike - the pointless story, the horrible learning curve, the CO special powers, the shitty interface w/ stylus - and came up with a great new art design and sensibility, cooler battle animations, etc. Loving this game. [/QUOTE] That’s all I needed to hear! I’ll probably get this game in the next few days, then. ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advance-wars-days-of-ruin/439320/10 "2008-02-28T16:34:11Z")
[QUOTE=Grey area] Question for everyone: do you use the stylus or the buttons? Or both? [/QUOTE] Buttons, and I disable animations for the same reason as Slacker. They’re cool to watch the first few times, and it can be satisfying to watch your bomber wipe a war tank off the face of the Earth, but in general they just slow everything down.