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Best way to learn this game


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I'll be buying this game within the next couple months, along with the other xpacs. I've never played a detailed ww2 sim like this game (mainly Panzer General and Steel Panters).

 

For you pro's out there, can you give me some tips/hints/tricks when it comes to learning how to play this game?

 

Thanks!

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Hi there. Welcome to CM crack.

 

I am gonna assume you mean CM WWII in general, not just CMFI, though the basics can be spread across all the titles regardless of setting or time period.

 

Good place to start would be here for grasping the controls and basic game play features.

 

 

Though it's based on 1.0 of the engine (we are now at 3.0) this is a good series for tactics (there are 4 episodes, just look to the right and you'll find the other 3).

 

 

For deeper study, Bil Hardenberger's tactics thread and blog link;

 

http://community.battlefront.com/topic/110318-combat-mission-tactical-problems/

 

That should get you started.

 

It'd be much easier to discuss certain aspects of the game if you were playing it now and had specific kinds of questions. When you do have them, don't hesitate to post, we all are happy to help out and will answer what ever you come up with.

 

Have you tried any of the Demos? The Red Thunder demo is the most up-to-date version. CMBN and FI are using demos that pre-date the 3.0 upgrade.

 

 

Mord.

 

P.S. Don't wait too long on your purchase, every day that goes by is a day you could be playing CM!

Edited by Mord
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Oh, and another fun way to learn about the game and where you'll discover hints and tips, is to read any of the AARs or DARs in the various forums. There are many more than what are stickied or sitting on the first page, so if you wish to find others try AAR or DAR in the search bar.

 

 

Mord.

Edited by Mord
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When you get into it, make sure to play through the tutorial campaign, and read the manual, cover-to-cover once. All the resources listed above will also be informative.

 

Then fire up a Quick Battle and get started. Keep it in "Basic Training" until you get a feel for how your actions affect the opposition; play attacker vs AI defender to start with. Save scenarios and Campaigns for when you're not going to bork the "first time experience" with ignorant mishandling (wait til your mishandling will be  informed :) ). Even if you prefer real time style games, play a few engagements in WeGo mode, in order to be able to go back and see what you actually did and how it meshes with the simulated reality; far easier to see your mistakes (and there will be loads :) ) in replay than to catch them as they happen.

 

Bear in mind that there's no "difficulty" scaling for scenarios, nor campaigns, and the campaigns (apart from the tutorial one) are not primarily intended nor structured to teach you how to play in bite-sized chunks, as they often are in other games.

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Shamless plug:

 

A friend of mine and I are playing an open game (we read each other's threads on the board) here: http://community.battlefront.com/topic/119229-axis-cmbn-buying-the-farm-crowd-sourced-dar/ and here: http://community.battlefront.com/topic/119230-allies-cmbn-buying-the-farm-crowd-sourced-dar/

 

Lots of good tips and chat offered by many great people in this community.

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Well, Steel Panthers was quite detailed. In it's time.

Otherwise: Yes, start with the tutorials, play a few scenarios against the AI and then, move to PBEM playing, when you feel comfortable with the mechanics. From there, it is "Training, training, training". And be prepared to get your bum kicked a few times.

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All the suggestions above are excellent.  Just wanted to emphasize one of womble's.  

 

<Snip>  and read the manual, cover-to-cover once. <Snip>

 

Some people aren't readers but if you are or can make yourself read the manual this suggestion will go a long way to establishing a firm foundation upon which to build your understanding of the game.  I keep a copy of the newest PDF game engine manual (v3.01 as of this typing) on my desktop.  I use the PDF tools to highlight in the manual and make notes in the margin (Just like we did back in the day with real books).  Then when I am trying to understand some aspect of the game I refer back to the manual and the search tool on this forum.    

 

   

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  • 2 weeks later...

For your first game (too late for that I'd suppose...), select the simplest difficulty level. Play it. Then, re-play it from the start. The difficulty levels don't increase the TacAI's aggro or change force levels: it affects arty delays and comms/commmand and control. After a few play throughs at the easiest setting, you should be very good at winning that battle with few casualties. Then, boring as it may be, try it again, but at the higher difficulty. That is where the game shines. Don't be afraid of "Iron". You will SEE the information flow, the spotting, the isolated friendlies: most of this is not available at lower difficulties (or is ignored).

 

Each battle is very different the first time you play it. Don't waste these first impressions while still confused about how to command your units. That's why I suggest repeated plays of the initial (tutorial) battle.

 

Did I mention "Iron" is the way to play? ;)

 

Ken

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Did I mention "Iron" is the way to play? ;)

 

 

Second opinion: I think it's a bit of a stretch recommending iron mode to a complete beginner. The learning curve is steep enough as it is. Sometimes after years of experience it can be difficult to put oneself in the shoes of a newcomer.

 

Heck, I think I played the good part of a year before I started to get a hang of all the different reasons I sometimes couldn't target the enemy. 

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Stretch? Bah. That's why I said to start with basic difficulty...THEN try iron on the SAME well-practiced battle. That would give a familiar basis upon which to see the differences. IMO, Iron actually makes it easier to play. You can see what your troops see (information flow, contacts, etc.). Again, IMO. I certainly don't think a new player should shy away from it. The CM difficulty levels would more properly be called "realism" levels. In other games, a higher difficulty level means more enemy, tougher enemies, bigger bosses, etc.  Not so in CM.

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Hi guys 

 

I was reading a lot on the forum when i found a very very very interresting battle and game system from 

Scourge of War: Waterloo

Long time ago i have the first edit from Gettysburg but with bug and scratching pc that now the game sleep somewhere in his box... but what i see now is really realist really interresting... is this a mod from Gettysburg or is this a total new game?

I would like have this game.. can somebody tell me more about it where i can order it ?

 

Hopefully we will have the possibility with an editor of battle ...to fight around the Napoleonic erea and principaly in the Spain peninsular war and more...

 

Thank in advance 

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Hi guys 

 

I was reading a lot on the forum when i found a very very very interresting battle and game system from 

Scourge of War: Waterloo

Long time ago i have the first edit from Gettysburg but with bug and scratching pc that now the game sleep somewhere in his box... but what i see now is really realist really interresting... is this a mod from Gettysburg or is this a total new game?

I would like have this game.. can somebody tell me more about it where i can order it ?

 

Hopefully we will have the possibility with an editor of battle ...to fight around the Napoleonic erea and principaly in the Spain peninsular war and more...

 

Thank in advance 

You do realize you are on a Battlefront forum /subforum CM RT on a thread about purchasing a Battlefront game asking about a product produced by another company right?  Doesn't that strike you as odd considering that company has their own website.  This is really inappropriate.

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Yes sorry i saw this game in a video following a video from Combat Mission just saying i am a big fan from Combat Mission and have almost all games and modules but i understand my mistake and pay attention for the next time and apologies a second time my behaviour

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  • 2 weeks later...

Some people might want to shoot me for this but I've found telling new players to be a bit of a save whore while they are learning the game to be effective.

 

It can be highly beneficial replay certain actions again and again to refine tactics and discover how those tactics are implemented though the user interface.

 

It also reduces frustration for newer players. If you make a bum move and lose half your armour you just reload and try to think of a tactic that would gain you a better result. You can compress hours of scenario experience down to a few games and make the learning experience as fun as possible.

 

You then move on to the school of hard knocks. ;)

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<snip>

It can be highly beneficial replay certain actions again and again to refine tactics and discover how those tactics are implemented though the user interface. <snip>

 

This is a very valid method and good idea for learning game mechanics, becoming familiar with the user interface and establishing your TACSOPs.  I still use it to update and train with my TACSOPs after identifying a weakness in a PBEM.  It is a never ending cycle of fun. :)   

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Some people might want to shoot me for this but I've found telling new players to be a bit of a save whore while they are learning the game to be effective.

 

It can be highly beneficial replay certain actions again and again to refine tactics and discover how those tactics are implemented though the user interface.

 

It also reduces frustration for newer players. If you make a bum move and lose half your armour you just reload and try to think of a tactic that would gain you a better result. You can compress hours of scenario experience down to a few games and make the learning experience as fun as possible.

 

You then move on to the school of hard knocks. ;)

This is really excellent and something my very impatient self should do more of...

Bobo

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