A new innovation?

[John Given]

My 2 cents:

You should ALWAYS watch the replay. You learn;

1. The overall direction or "flow" of the enemy forces.

2. What kind of units he's hitting you with.

3. The amount and strength of his artillery.*

4. Very roughly, the size of his force.**

5. In extreme zoom-out mode (view 3) the approximate location of his artillery, due to "muzzle flashes."

* Different types of guns make different types of sounds. It's important to know which types make which sounds. I've long since memorized which is which. Also, the number of rounds landing is a strong clue as to enemy artillery strength, and the location of the hits tells whether or not he has spotted you in a particular hex.

Also note: the number of craters can be an indicator of artillery strength. If you hear what sounds like a 150mm, and the impact hex is only lightly cratered, it *might* just be a 150mm infantry gun. However, if the hex is heavily cratered after a single shot, it's probably corps-level artillery - better watch out.

** I listen carefully to all the sounds his units make during the replay. I note motorcycle sounds, truck sounds, halftrack sounds, loading/unloading sounds, and most especially, fully-tracked vehicle sounds. For example, let's say my spotters seem to have a decent portion of his force spotted, and there is very little in the way of extra "noise." Then, I hear a whole lot of vehicle sounds. This means it's virtually certain that he just received a bunch of reinforcements. Moral: Don't ignore what the game tells you during the replay - use your eyes AND your ears to figure out what you're up against.

Note: You will hear more types of unit sounds in 3d mode - so be sure to be in it during the replay.