Snide, I have to agree with a ton of what you say about DoWII. The game is a thorough blast. I like that they've promoted shorter length games by taking out the base building and instead using a semi-phase style of play like the Germans in Company of Heroes...like when you had to go to the Blitzkrieg phase and such to build more unit types and such.
Also, I'm telling you right now: unless the patches that have come out since the game's release (which seems like a patch everyday) have fixed the Tyranids, using Carnifax units in the multiplayer = OVER-POWERED!!! That + Thornback upgrades devastate a base. The only thing that bums me out is that...since there is NO base building, it means the Annihilate setup on the multiplayer is completely useless.
The campaign is really awesome, but to be honest, I had more fun playing it on co-op. One player will control two of the squads, and the other player controls the other two. There's a little bit of lag on the in-game VOIP, but it's not so bad that you'll get rocked by the comp AI on lower difficulties. I like getting gear, though. Did it make you feel like WoW makes a person feel, going "just one more mission, I've gotta get that chainsword"? LOL I know it did it to me.
As for recommendations...if you are looking for a low base-building, high-action RTS, here's a couple for me to recommend:
Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends - there is base-building in the game, but everything is setup on one central location. Therefore, you don't have to worry about looking forever to find a place to put something. The unit types are the key focus of the game, and games rarely span past 15-20 minutes. Once the Hero units come out, all Hell breaks loose. The campaign is relatively fun also. It's also a bit more of a high-fantasy concept than the original Rise of Nations games.
World in Conflict - Units are the name of the game, and the game is fucking fun! Nukes never looked prettier, and modern warfare is only more fun in Call of Duty 4.
Company of Heroes - It's made by Relic as well, and it's fucking outstanding, sir. There is a little base building, but it's a very minimal amount. The majority of "base-building" that happens is on the actual field, and it's more along the lines of stuff like turret guns, sandbags, and such. It gives just enough micro-management to appease the typical RTS fan, but it forces a strong focus on the unit types and the balance of them rather than focusing on what building you have up. The Germans are especially difficult to master, but once you have it down, the experience is quite rewarding. Plus...the game is G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S! It's STILL one of the best-looking games around.
Send a friend request over to jakob0187 on GWL and maybe we'll hit up some co-op campaign sometime for the Hell of it...try out some multiplayer matches. I'm usually up sometime past midnight CST. = D
Also, I've got some impressions that I wrote up in one of my blogs.
Check it out, as it might help you know a few things before you hop into the multiplayer stuff heavily.
Log in to comment