Do you save and reload often?

[Bulletpoint]

I was just wondering, do you save and load repeatedly during a single-player campaign to avoid high casualties or just to complete each mission better?

I try not to, as I think it would be too easy if I knew the location of the enemy forces.

Sometimes I find that I spend the better half of the allowed time for the mission advancing tactically through a completely empty part of the map, and if I played the map again, I could just breeze through that part, call down mortars on known machinegun-nests, avoid AT-guns etc.

[tuhhodge]

Only when the game has done something 'gamey' or I got distracted and forgot to do something before ending the turn. I try to be honest with myself. If I made a bad decision, I live with it.

[tdogg]

I admit I have had to on rare occasions, usually it's due to me insisting on playing some large scenario in RT and missing something like a unit left in place too long and getting wiped out by arty. I try to let things play out as much as possible though.

[Erwin]

I really hate having to do that. However, if I feel the game system is what is beating me, then, yes.

When one can't seem to win using reasonably proficient tactics and one has to have extra intel as to what to expect just to win (especially in a Campaign) - it sucks, but replaying is sometimes the only way. But, that is also bad scenario design.

[Michael Emrys]

I only play single player and I mostly play QBs. Lately I have gotten into the habit of saving and then calling for a ceasefire in order to check on the progress of the game, casualty count, etc. I do not look at the map though, so I am not gaining much intel on the enemy that way. You need to understand that I mainly use the game as a research tool to understand how some tactics worked and others didn't. So sometimes knowing what is causing casualties and how many is important to me.

Michael

[Sublime]

^psh ya right Emrys. You just hate losing because in some sort of way it makes you feel wrong

[Holman]

When I play single-player, I too often give in to the temptation to reload a bad turn. It's easy to do, and usually you can think of a reason to justify it to yourself (e.g. "I'm trying to practice tactics / test the school solution / etc."). But it definitely undercuts the game's realism.

I wonder how many people who complain about the AI actually *never* reload a turn...

[Rambler]

Yes, all of the time in single player campaigns/scenarios. Sometimes reloading five, six, seven times before I get an acceptable outcome. I don't buy into the stigma that reloading is some form of cheating. Personally, I like to see if I can win with the least amount of casualites and the largest margin of victory in order to get the max amount of points. It becomes more of a puzzle that way, and I like puzzles. If something doesn't work, reload, try again with a different tack.

[Ithikial_AU]

In CMx1 days never felt a need, but I do it sometimes in CMx2. Especially in campaigns where I think my casualties are going to make follow on missions a waste of time.

I think with the power of arty and the HMG buffs more recently mean the likelihood of seeing whole squads disappear in the span of a minute turn is what encourages people to reload. But what's the point of continuing a standard company level attack if you suddenly lose pretty much a whole platoon in 60 secs to off map arty fire before making real contact with the enemy?

House rules I use:

- If something 'gamey' or unintentional happens. "Why did you lot run into the street before entering the house" kind of moments.

- If you lose most of your force suddenly to off map arty making progressing a campaign a waste of time in the long term.

- You stick by the second result!

[Michael Emrys]

^psh ya right Emrys. You just hate losing because in some sort of way it makes you feel wrong

Do not assume that I am leaving the game to reload a previous turn in order to alter what I have done. I almost never do that. Almost. And if I do, it's for reasons along the lines that Rambler offers.

Michael

[altipueri]

Save and Reload or Rage Quit. Probably in equal quantity.

[agusto]

Only when the game has done something 'gamey' or I got distracted and forgot to do something before ending the turn.

+1. I reload a save game when things like that happen to me:

http://www.battlefront.com/community/showthread.php?t=108942

I try to be honest with myself. If I made a bad decision, I live with it.

I find that it is actually much more fun to live with a bad decision than to play the same part of a battle over and over again.

[Bulletpoint]

One thing that can for sure make me reload is trying to position a tank close to a hedge, only to click on the far side of the hedge by mistake - as vehicles don't "snap to grid", this means the tank is now heading on a long detour straight into enemy fire.

Oh, or when a squad refuses to assault a house by the back door, but instead run all the way around the building and get decimated in the process...

[General Jack Ripper]

I only save to resume playing where I left off, I never reload a save game if things go poorly. I think losing is part of the game, and one should learn from the mistakes as well as the successes. We don't learn to be better game players by stacking the odds in our favor.

[ferpa1967]

The matter is that for the people watching the battle as a puzzle and used to save and reload no battle is too hard, meanwhile for those used to living with their mistakes become very hard finishing a campaign .

[Wodin]

Guilty as charged...esp if I make a rash decision and rush into something..if it goes t#ts up I will reload and do the sensible thing I should have done in the first place. Also if the TAC AI does something crazy. I only play single player and would never do it in a multiplayer game obviously. Also I tend to do it more when playing a campaign rather than just a single scenario. I've learnt alot about patience and recon from Bil's AAR's and find if I play the way think Bil will play it a rarely have to do a reload. I always know when I'm taking a risk though and lots of times it was a very stupid thing to do..again rushing to much.

[A Canadian Cat]

I only save to resume playing where I left off, I never reload a save game if things go poorly. I think losing is part of the game, and one should learn from the mistakes as well as the successes. We don't learn to be better game players by stacking the odds in our favor.

+1 to that. Come on you guys are you men or kids?

I usually play head to head with the occasional QB to try out an idea or equipment and the odd campaign (never finished one against the AI - b o r i n g). If I get pasted by a mistake I take it in stride and either adjust plans to compensate or adjust goals to reflect the new reality.

[Wodin]

Funny enough I do learn by reloading..as I then can see and understand what I should have done to be more successful..again I only do it when I know I was being stupid by rushing or if the game does something silly.

[Erwin]

"I only save to resume playing where I left off, I never reload a save game if things go poorly. I think losing is part of the game, and one should learn from the mistakes as well as the successes. We don't learn to be better game players by stacking the odds in our favor."

Agreed. But then, what do you do when you've gotten most of the way through a hard campaign and you just can't win a scenario to move forwards?

[altipueri]

I usually play drunk. It's amazing how careless you can be with other mens lives.

[fatehunter]

I reload all the time. It does not take away from the game. Because I just love to find out the perfect way to deal with a situation.

I also play email H2H, so I get the other side of the coin too.

Both ways are fun and interesting, and why I play this game.

[Vinnart]

I try to follow the rule of reloading only when the AI does something totally stupid like taking a bad pathfind right into getting killed perhaps on it's own, or by me forgetting to plot it better to do what I intended. Sometimes if I have a few different ways to go about something I will reload, and experiment with different tactics. When playing RT there are no second chances, nor are there in a PBEM so it keeps it real no matter what.

For someone new learning the game I recommend reloading to learn what works, and what does not till they get more experience. This is what I did to learn the game when I first started out. It is a good way to train.

[Erwin]

But, we really need to discourage "tricky" scenarios which one almost has to replay in order to discover the "key" to winning. Scenarios should be winnable by using reasonably sensible tactics the first time through.

While I agree that replaying is useful for when you are learning, speaking as an experienced player who has played through every available CMBN campaign, I now absolutely hate being forced to replay scenarios just to find the trick to winning.

My concern is that "tricky" scenarios are being used to substitute for the paucity of new scenarios and campaigns that have been produced for each succeeding CM2 game module/family (whatever the hell they are called...).

[sburke]

My concern is that "tricky" scenarios are being used to substitute for the paucity of new scenarios and campaigns that have been produced for each succeeding CM2 game module/family (whatever the hell they are called...).

I know you didn't intend it that way, but I'd suggest reading stuff like that a few times before posting. Having seen how hard these guys work, it is a pretty insulting comment.

[stikkypixie]

Not often enough, I still lose