Company of Heroes Tales of Valor Information Guide
http://forums.relicnews.com/showthread.php?t=219740
Introduction
The purpose of this guide is to allow anyone to quickly see what's new and upcoming with the next Company of Heroes stand-alone expansion, Tales of Valor.
This is basically neatly compiled information to allow people to see all that Tales of Valor has to offer, and answers a few frequently asked questions about the game. While the best way to obtain information is to look up all the preview sites yourself, I'm hoping this information guide will answer all questions and allow people to see what Tales of Valor has to offer, without the hassle of being behind on the news, ask tons of questions when the answer has been around for months, and having to search around endlessly.
Please note that the guide will be updated as more information is revealed in the future about Tales of Valor.
Change-Log
April 13 2009
-Added spoiler tabs both to make this guide more user-friendly, and to give people the option of not spoiling whatever they don't want to see. Please note that the story of the campaigns is not spoiled in any way - rather, they cover what a preview would say.
-More random updates all around. Keep in mind I still need to fully update the Panzerkrieg abilities and add in more details to the new units, like resource costs.
Frequently Asked Questions about Tales of Valor
What is Tales of Valor? An expansion or a new game?
It is a stand-alone expansion (Meaning previous CoH games are not required to play it), just like Opposing Fronts. Basically, if a player only has Tales of Valor, he/she can still play online with everyone else. If you have the previous CoH games, Tales of Valor will act as an expansion, giving you access to new content.
You can install Tales of Valor normally through the DVD even if you already have the previous CoH games installed.
Is Tales of Valor the 2.5 compatibility patch?
Yes. Tales of Valor basically is the 2.5 patch. If you do not have Tales of Valor, 2.5 will contain all the necessary data in order for you to play with others who do have Tales of Valor. This prevents game/community splits and allows people to play with each other.
In other words, it's the same situation as when Opposing Fronts first came out. Do keep in mind that these kinds of patches are huge (1.5gb for this one in particular) - time (and technical hassles) can be saved by installing ToV rather than downloading the patch.
Lastly, the new skirmish maps are not exclusive and are available for all players.
What is the release date?
Tales of Valor has gone gold as of March 26, 2009. The release date was April 8 or later, hitting Australian shelves first, and North America/Europe a day later.
In other words, it is currently out now.
Help! I bought Tales of Valor but there's no cd-key!
Due to a manufacturing error, many Canadian and U.S retailers had Tales of Valor products without cd-keys on April 9 2009.
There are 2 options:
1. Return the game to the store (Unfortunately most store policies refuse refunding opened products) and wait until ToV is re-released with cd-keys.
2. Go to THQ support http://support.thq.com/thq/consumer/search.asp and follow their instructions carefully to get a ToV cd-key from THQ. You will need a digital scanner or camera to send them a JPEG. picture of your receipt and the back of the manual as proof of your purchase.
I personally had to do this, and it worked out quite fine. THQ responded within 30 minutes for me. You do not need super high quality Jpeg pictures (although it does need to be clear enough so when zoomed in, essential details can be seen) - I sent mines at just over 100 kb in size each. Avoid going over the 500 kb size limit (for individual pictures) - your support ticket will not send if you do so.
Unfortunately, I do not know what one can do if there is no digital scanner/camera, and if the stores refuse to take it back.
Why is there so little content compared to Opposing Fronts? Is this expansion priced lower?
Yes, Tales of Valor is priced lower than usual. The price has been confirmed at $29.99 USD/CAD, the same price as the Gold Edition. It seems ToV was made to be more attractive to newcomers.
Is it true that you get all 4 factions for use in multiplayer if you get Tales of Valor?
Yes, it is true. Tales of Valor unlocks all 4 factions for use in multiplayer. Previously, you needed both vanilla CoH and OF (Or the Gold Edition) to get all 4 factions.
What am I missing out on if I have Tales of Valor but no previous CoH games?
Without the previous CoH games you would miss out on the single player campaigns from CoH and OF.
It is rumoured you may also miss out on some other things, like the existing "classic" units that would be available for alternative unit swapping. Relic has yet to confirm or deny this.
What are the system requirements?
The system requirements are the same as Opposing Fronts. In other words, no change.
Is Steam a requirement to play this game, like Dawn of War 2 is?
No. Steam is not required to play this game, just like the previous CoH games. Steam only becomes a requirement if you buy Tales of Valor on Steam.
Will ToV work if I buy it from Steam but own retail versions of previous CoH games? What about buying ToV retail?
According to a THQ staff member:
"If you get ToV through steam you'll need to uninstall the current install. Once you run the steam version you will have access to the CD key. Add it to your existing account and you are set.
If you get it through retail you can either patch up, or install from the DVD; then add the key to the existing account, the end result is the same." -SGT_nemo (THQ staff)
Are the new units entirely new units, or are they just skins, or are they alternatives?
The new units are completely new units, but they work as alternatives. In the game lobby, the "Rewards" tab will also contain a new sub-tab called "Vehicles". From here, you can decide which unit to use. The new units can be swapped in for an existing "classic" unit. For example, you can decide between being able to use the new Kangaroo Carrier or the classic Cromwell Tank for your next match, by ticking or unticking the Kangaroo's checkbox.
These new units are alternative options and ideally will not be too different compared to the unit it is replacing. They may have different stats, mechanics, and abilities, but they will not stray too far from the role of the unit it is replacing. More information about this can be found in the Multiplayer section of this guide.
Is Direct Fire included in multiplayer?
Yes and no. Direct Fire is a feature used in the single player campaigns and in ONE of the new multiplayer modes called Panzerkrieg. Other modes, including normal skirmishes, do not have Direct Fire introduced.
What is an "AoS" game?
This refers to Assault, one of the new MP modes that is modelled after the AoS concept. A popular example of this is "Defense of the Ancients", or "DotA", a popular custom map on Warcraft 3.
If you're unfamiliar with AoS games, basically, each player gets a special individual, usually a "Hero" unit. The ultimate goal is to advance through an enemy's base and destroy something. During the game, AI controlled units called "Creeps" are periodically spawned on both sides, and follow a simple path towards the enemy base. These cannon fodder units are generally very weak and are meant to be killed or used as support. The "Heroes" fight alongside their creeps, destroying the enemy's creeps while leveling up and pushing as far as possible. When up against enemy defences, players will be dealing as much damage to the defences (like towers/turrets/whatever) and fall back until momentum is regained due to large numbers of creeps or hero support. Eventually a defensive structure is destroyed and they can proceed further down the enemy's territory.
Players usually play safe until they gain enough levels, then proceed to "gank" (gang kill) enemy heroes by preparing ambushes along these linear paths and such. It's a simple, addictive gameplay style that has been working for almost a decade. Generally these kinds of games take a long time to complete, and there are other factors for the player's heroes, such as items, gaining experience and levelling abilities, etc.
Note that AoS games are human team vs human team, with computer controlled bases/units for both sides.
[ 本帖最後由 Deathnote 於 2009-4-16 17:29 編輯 ] |
簡體版
訂閱頻道
訂閱電子報
發表於 2009-4-16 14:32
| 
~
梗有 D 隊友不受控制的 
