Newbie questions

[Nightmare]

Hello!

I am new here (just signed up). A friend and I are considering this game. I would simply like to ask a few questions, if you don't mind.

Our background (will try to be brief) is that we have played RTS games for years. Our interest/participation level in various games has varied from 'casual' to 'somewhat serious,' depending on the time we've had to put in, and other factors. Most recently we've been playing Starcraft 2 on ladder, and are ranked as gold league (I believe this would be interpreted as 'way better than casual players, but about average for serious players'). For me personally, I played the original DoW series, and loved it (had all the expansions), but did not play competitively or on ladder or anything. My friend, having a Mac, didn't play it, but he would be equipped to play this game if we proceed.

1. Where is the largest multiplayer community for this game? Is it here, on this site? Or does this site just represent people who like to play this mod?

2. Related to #1 above, if there are several communities for this game, could you list the major ones?

3. Assuming we proceed, we would be interested in playing this game multiplayer. Where is the best community for this? Would it be here? Would it be elsewhere?

4. Assuming we put time into getting competent in playing the game, would it be fairly easy to arrange games with people? How easy is it to find games?

5. Assuming this is the place we should be, are you folks open to having new members (esp. if they are considered 'newbs')?

6. Do most folks interested in playing multiplayer use your mod?

7. If so, would we need any downloadable content? If so, which stuff?

8. Does the mod play well with steam? Also, can it be 'hermetically sealed' and activated on its own, or will it completely 'take over' the game?

9. I am a big user of grid hotkeys. I have heard that grid hotkeys are either difficult to get going on this game, or not available. Is this true? Is there some mod or patch for this?

That's all my questions for now, and thank you very much!

[Lulgrim]

1. Well technically Elite players are a minority but there probably isn't another actual "community" left at this point (does GR count?) and all the skilled players left in the game pretty much seem to be here.

3. Here, I suppose. At least if interested in competition and balance changes. For casual luls you can just go and play retail without thinking about communities...

4. Go to our chat and ask for games (or just look up Elite games in public lobby).

5. Of course,

6. Most, no. Most of those half serious about it, yes AFAIK.

7. No.

8. DoW2 _requires_ Steam. Mods are "sealed".

9. No. They are a default feature in the final expansion.

[Ace of Swords]

1. Where is the largest multiplayer community for this game? Is it here, on this site? Or does this site just represent people who like to play this mod?

2. Related to #1 above, if there are several communities for this game, could you list the major ones?

I would say the only community left for this game is here, It's months that i don't visit relic's official forums, but last time i did they were already dead.

I also can safely say there are no good players left in retail most of those at the top have either hacked stats or exploited the system to make alot of points per win and lose 0 on loss, so the ladder isn't anymore reliable, especially the 2v2 and 3v3 one.

3. Assuming we proceed, we would be interested in playing this game multiplayer. Where is the best community for this? Would it be here? Would it be elsewhere?

alot of people are helpful here, sometimes you will meet the prick but they hide in every game, also don't forget to join the steam chat of the group which is usually between 15 to 30 players normally, use it to setup games and ask for tips.

http://steamcommunity.com/groups/DoW2EliteMod

4. Assuming we put time into getting competent in playing the game, would it be fairly easy to arrange games with people? How easy is it to find games?

Depends on hours and this game as a pretty small playerbase split between retail and this mod mostly, or alot of players simply play the last stand, so you have to be patient and there will be alot of p2p issues between players.

5. Assuming this is the place we should be, are you folks open to having new members (esp. if they are considered 'newbs')?

yes

6. Do most folks interested in playing multiplayer use your mod?

Pretty much, the mod is way more balanced than retail and less broken overall.

7. If so, would we need any downloadable content? If so, which stuff?

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=166

8. Does the mod play well with steam? Also, can it be 'hermetically sealed' and activated on its own, or will it completely 'take over' the game?

You will have different launchers, one for the ELITE and one for retail, launch with whichever you want to play.

9. I am a big user of grid hotkeys. I have heard that grid hotkeys are either difficult to get going on this game, or not available. Is this true? Is there some mod or patch for this?

I play with the standard hotkeys cos im lazy, but I saw along of time ago a post on the gamereplays forums on how to personalize them, a few of them are worth the trouble.

Forgot to add, the mod has some active youtube casters here they are

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsxTYtTqz9pqbOh8EUyUpIg

http://www.youtube.com/user/RadicallyDreaming

http://www.youtube.com/user/RedRupee (Missing by some months now)

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGCQHc_eSuW8SO749P5SNwA

And then there a few people who stream from time to time.

[Nightmare]

Thanks for all the replies - good info.

Another question. How stable is this particular community, meaning is it losing a lot of players to attrition and dying fairly rapidly, or is this base sort of the last, hardcore 'bastion' left and therefore dying more slowly (if at all) vs. more quickly?

Some replays online (for instance here: http://www.youtube.com/user/DoWReplaysNet?feature=watch) seem to be fairly recent, and suggest that tournaments and what not are still held. If so, and if this is expected to continue, that would seem to be good enough for us. The only thing I'd have to do is test lag issues, as I will be overseas for months and will be using a non-gaming notebook computer. I can set all the graphics down and run the vanilla dow2 successfully, I'd just need to test lag in a real game I guess.

Thanks.

[Ace of Swords]

DoWreplays(Indrid) is active and posts games every 3 days or so, RadicallyDreaming(Maestro Cretella) Is abit busy lately and posts 1 or 2 games per week, RedRupee as disappeared from some time but there are quite some games worth watching and thanks to Eerie we are now having Monthly tournaments, as far as the community goes I would say that most of the people who try elite stay in elite, I don't think anyone so far as quite the game if not for real life purposes.

Beign a very active players I would say that I often meet the usual faces aswell as new faces regulary, but it will take a while to find games, so prepare to be patient.

About the pc, I run this game on a core2duo E6400 and a GT440 with 4gb of ram ddr2 still a month ago, and I had no problem even in 3v3s usually, and that pc was 7 years old, so if your pc is anything more recent you should have no problems at all.

[SirSid]

Others have given u really good info so i will only say 1 thing.

If u and your bud love RTS games then for sure play this game, and play the eliet mod , best guys, best games and no problem teaching "noobs" I for 1 do this offten as do many other players.

In fact i think the noob to pro teaching of eliet is secound to non.


However a warning . We are a small community, instantly finding games like in SC2 will not happen. Get in the steam chat and meet folks and get game gowing when u can. U will fast find yourself playing SC2 while waiting for a DOW game and droping SC for a chance at the DOW match.


It truley is a great game any RTS players should play it especialy if u likes DOW 1 ( it's a totaly diffrent game so yes learning curve ) In my hummbel oppinion a must own , advancing the way a RTS game should play over SC 1.75 ( that's what i call starcraft 2 ) in evrey way.

P.S. prepare for pain

[Batpimp]

I would agree almost verbatim of what the others have said. I would say the community is growing every day.

I would add that the busiest and best times to play are either early morning PST or weekends. It seems most people are eastern time or european time. I find when i come home at 5pm PST i find maybe 2-3 games..on weekends I have seen up to 5. There are all types of levels of play too. Just yesterday i played 4 games back to back. 3 i won easily and the 4th one i lost..pretty badly too. The jump in the skill level was big!

Certain people will takethe time to teach you the game in a controlled manner instead of stomping you and yes the tourneys are frequent..there is also talks of trying to make a newbie 1v1 tourney.

[Nightmare]

Thanks guys. I already got it installed (Retribution, not the mod yet). Gonna play around to get familiar first, and bring my friend up to speed. Then hope to see you out there.

P.S. prepare for pain

Will do!

[Vapor]

Steam names?

[Kilgarn]

So far what I can tell, is that the guys here are great people :3
I usually check Indrid's casts ^^ You usually see some names popping up there quite frequently (Like Dark Riku, DJ Raffa, Max, ect. maybe changing their names XD), who play this mod more =)

Oh, a fair warning: the retail and the Elite mod plays quite differently by now, since the numbers and stuff that got balanced + the new units all add a different gameplay =) Even the retail factions got a few new units ^^
(Like Raptor + Chaos Terminator for Chaos, Fire Dragon + Dark Reaper for Eldar, ect )

If you browse though the General Discussion forums, then you will see a lot of threads that can help you get a grip on the game =)
Few of them actually cover tactics with different factions or questions that might interest you =) And you can always ask, the guys here are good people ^^
Joined only a few month ago, but I can already tell, that this is a great community :3

[Nightmare]

Steam names?

Would that be a 'profile name' by any chance?

Try 'Nightmare Crush'.