Plot and content (no spoilers)

[ImperatorMJ]

Hey, I'm playing the game through for the first time, and I decided to play as the Axis, specifically a German scout. I've been watching my brother as he plays the Allies, though, and are their definite difficulty and plot richness differences between the campaigns?

 

We're both playing on Hard level, and our guys are at about the same level (7 or 8). The Germans he meets fight like transplanted imperial stormtroopers. In contrast, I'm running into enemy officers who can grease me from across the screen with a Mauser pistol. The Allies also seem to get more dialogue and more mission explanation. Can anyone else confirm this? Was I supposed to play it through the first time as the Allies, get all the depth of dialogue and so on, then go through again as the Axis and get an actual tough playing experience?

[Guido]

I have noticed that too, but I don't know whether it's intentional. As for the difficulty level, both campaigns should reach about the same level soon enough. In a way, the harder enemies at the beginning of the Axis game are made up somewhat by better equipment.

As for plot richness, there isn't that much on either side, admittedly. The odd line of dialogue the Allies may get here and there doesn't cut it; and there are missions where it's the other way round.

There is, for example, one possible campaign start (they're semi-random afaik) for Axis where a nice 'prequel' story is developed --

 

 

(really minor spoiler)

...

..

.

1. protect General Bauer's office, 2. act as his bodyguards, 3. defend what you discovered.

...

 

One reason why I do think that the Allies campaign is suggested to be the beginner campaign (not in terms of difficulty) is that most early Allies missions have a lot of Allies troops helping you out a bit.

[ImperatorMJ]

Yeah, I figured it was something like that. I realize that there's no sweeping, Anna Karenina-like story going on in EITHER campaign, but why skimp on the Axis? Aren't the Germans worthy of a little medic/supplier/base commander lovin'?

[dblewis]

Actually, one area in which there is too much dialogue in the allies campaign is at HQ. The nurse and armory guy are useless. ( I'm really tired of hearing him brag about his poor selection!) I much prefer the way the axis HQ is set up.

[ImperatorMJ]

Still, an abandoned base with four messages conveyed over radio is just ridiculous. The Axis can't afford to staff your hq? Are we supposed to believe that the Axis base is in Allied territory, so it operates on a skeleton crew to maintain secrecy?

 

Besides, an Axis staff at base would provide additional kitschy dialogue. Man, that stuff's hilarious.

 

Have a good war!

[ImperatorMJ]

Also, this is a bit off-topic, but can someone please tell me if there's a level plateau? How powerful can guys get? I'm not really sure how I should be allocating my abilities because I don't know how many picks I get. I combed the manual and couldn't find anything.

[cptcrunch]

I think around level 14 or 15 would be a reasonable guess.

I played allied scout on hard, did all the missions, found all the clues and I wasn't excessive on the random encounters. Only have the Russian and Swiss secret factory sites left and my squad is at level 13.

So I would plan around 14 or 15 perks for each character.