Pausing

[katank]

I definitely found the MTW AI better than the Shoggy one.

somethings in MTW you have to pause.

if you ever want to go hell horse raiding with 16 units of HAs, it's necessary to pause but you can really get awesome kill ratios this way.

humanly impossible to manage without pause more than 5-6 high demand units like HAs or javs unless you are crazy good like Sinan

[McGowan]

I'm an unashamed pauser. In a real battle you'd have commanders you could depend on (or not depend on). Units would act in a rational manner and with their own initiative. There would also be a battle plan discussed before the army ever took the field.

This simply isn't the case in MTW. Your units are dumb numbers being crunched by a processor. The only initiative they have is when they run away, or they imeptously charge. No manouver, no co-ordinated action. Thus the pressures on the player as a commander are far greater. Add to that the fact that the AI can issue orders simultaneosly to it's units, and I say you need to use the pause button in order to have a fair fight.

That said, some battles are straightforward enough that I don't use it, or just small enough it isn't needed. And when I play multiplayer I don't mind not having it because I know my enemy has the same handicap.

So, I say, pause when you need to, but try not to abuse it, or your battles will lose momentum and become tedious.

[DisruptorX]

I don't pause in MTW. I find the pace is just right, in fact, I almost always am able to zoom in and watch the action up close.

[Duke of Gloucester]

When I was learning the gameplay I used to pause a lot. I also used to save and redo years if I felt my strategy was off. When I first started I used easy mode too. For me this was all about learning to play the game. Now I play without pausing and I live with the results of my tactics and strategy. Since you are not playing against an opponent, whatever you do, you can't "cheat", so enjoy the game however you want to play it.

[BigC5]

Pausing or not pausing does not make you a better or worse player than anyone else. If you want to pause then go ahead. I used to do this alot but found as I got used to the game and what I had to do I didnt have to pause it as much.

The moral of the story, do what you want as long as you enjoy playing the game!

[Timur]

As Adrian mentioned, feel free to pause if you wish, no need to seek the approval of the masses if you're comfortable doing so. I for one use the pause button fairly regularly without any qualms for several reasons:

1. You must note that the computer is not hindered with moving individual units at different times. Granted many make up for this by moving in a single block formation, but I much prefer to... experiment with various maneuvers, leaving the reliable "stick together" routine for the truly pivotal battles within a campaign.

2. Like you, I experience choppy game play and slowdowns with larger battles. I have several choices in this matter: 1. Divert money for college tuition into new hardware for a computer upgrade or: 2. Pause the game should it become almost unmanageable to issue concise orders. I choose the latter.

3. I don't use it any longer then it takes to issue orders, scouting and smaller unit actions are all done in real time, but again, user preference.

[katank]

yep, feel free to use the slider bars too.

I've seen people who routinely play at 30% extra speed without pause.

I personally frequently use double speed combined with pausing and achieve good tactical results without wasting too much time.

[ichi]

To pause or not to pause, that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune (in real time), or by pausing, to end them.

Of all of the constantly recurring threads I think that the 'pause' debate is my favorite, and perhaps the most important. It has to do with why we play.

Some folks like to use cheat codes, but I can't understand why. But hey, it's yo money, so pay it and then play as you like it.

I play this game because I am challenged by it, the SP and MP aspects, and have decided that I want to learn as much about the game and then to try to master the execution.

That's why I play, but others may have a different motivation and therefore different rules and styles. And that's OK. I am not saying that using pause is a cheat, nor that a person who pauses is weak, and wrong, or anything. It is a personal choice.

I do not use pause. I feel that using pause allows me to avoid developing skills and habits. By avoiding the use of pause I force myself to setup my army in a logical manner, to use it in a controllable style.

By not using pause I think I have improved my discipline and execution. Most importantly, I have developed habits that allow me to barely hang on to 16 units.

There is no pause in MP, so if you want to play online you need to learn to avoid pausing. If you can't beat the AI without pausing then a strong player will eat you up online.

Katank makes a great point about HAs (any skirmishers) and pros like Sinan. Use a Turkish hybrid army without pausing and you will start to develop some management skills (or die).

For me, pausing was a crutch that allowed me to avoid developing skills. Not pausing has made me a better player.

A wireless laptop will allow you to take the game into the bathroom should the need arise (I do some of my best thinking in there so . . .), phones have answering machines, food can wait, so there is only one legitimate reason to use pause - when your significant other makes a limited time offer.

Next I hope to incorporate a thing called 'tactics' into my gameplay, and then I might actually win a battle!

ichi