As we all know, there exist thousands of games with better graphics, higher complexity, sound, no pay-to-win... with just more features than CoW has. So what keeps us playing CoW?
It's the board game character (thanks Restrisiko for the term) and realism. It's close to being a WW2 simulation. But then, unfortunately there are a few things keeping us from really feeling like the leader of a nation during WW2. And the biggest one is this: There's no front. It's not clouds we were missing when trying to feel like a general - it's the chance to distribute our divisions over the map like a WW2 general would have done it.
In CoW you're forced to concentrate your ground forces to just a couple of spots, while leaving most of your provinces empty, even at the border to a hostile neighbour - otherwise the enemy airforce will have a fun time annihilating your small divisions.
The last balancing update has created a nice equilibrium between air and ground. Looking at production and research capacities free for war at/over land (i.e. those you don't want to invest into buildings or navy): Until day 32, you should put 20 to 50 percent of them into development of an airforce and the rest into your ground units (depending on the situation and your personal playing style). That's fine and a great improvement compared to the time before the last balancing update. But it changed nothing about the nuisance of having to stack together ground troops to giant armies like in Napoleon's times.
So this would improve things:
* Currently 5 air units of same type can go together in one stack with 100% SBDE. Reduce this number to 3. And in return:
* Increase tactical bomber HP from 20 to 25 (also because a tactical bomber should have more HP than a fighter and not less than a naval bomber).
* Increase strategical bomber HP from 30 to 35 and damage against air by 20%, so they remain as useful as a tactical bomber.
* Decrease anti air damage of ships and submarines by 15% and increase range of naval bombers to the range of fighters, so naval bombers remain being useful.
* Decrease oil consumption of all planes from 130 to 110 per day.
* Increase manpower production costs for a AA gun from 500 to 750.
Afterwards ground stacks need only about two thirds of their current size to be safe from air attacks. So players would use smaller stacks on the ground and shape a front like in reality.
It's the board game character (thanks Restrisiko for the term) and realism. It's close to being a WW2 simulation. But then, unfortunately there are a few things keeping us from really feeling like the leader of a nation during WW2. And the biggest one is this: There's no front. It's not clouds we were missing when trying to feel like a general - it's the chance to distribute our divisions over the map like a WW2 general would have done it.
In CoW you're forced to concentrate your ground forces to just a couple of spots, while leaving most of your provinces empty, even at the border to a hostile neighbour - otherwise the enemy airforce will have a fun time annihilating your small divisions.
The last balancing update has created a nice equilibrium between air and ground. Looking at production and research capacities free for war at/over land (i.e. those you don't want to invest into buildings or navy): Until day 32, you should put 20 to 50 percent of them into development of an airforce and the rest into your ground units (depending on the situation and your personal playing style). That's fine and a great improvement compared to the time before the last balancing update. But it changed nothing about the nuisance of having to stack together ground troops to giant armies like in Napoleon's times.
So this would improve things:
* Currently 5 air units of same type can go together in one stack with 100% SBDE. Reduce this number to 3. And in return:
* Increase tactical bomber HP from 20 to 25 (also because a tactical bomber should have more HP than a fighter and not less than a naval bomber).
* Increase strategical bomber HP from 30 to 35 and damage against air by 20%, so they remain as useful as a tactical bomber.
* Decrease anti air damage of ships and submarines by 15% and increase range of naval bombers to the range of fighters, so naval bombers remain being useful.
* Decrease oil consumption of all planes from 130 to 110 per day.
* Increase manpower production costs for a AA gun from 500 to 750.
Afterwards ground stacks need only about two thirds of their current size to be safe from air attacks. So players would use smaller stacks on the ground and shape a front like in reality.