How often do you take full advantage of your tactical options?

[Sergei]

Do you ever forget some of the options that CM games offer? I know I do, no matter how good I'm generally at taking advantage of the game mechanics. But sometimes you just forget.

For example, dismounting a tank crew to go to the upstairs of a building or under a tree to scan the battlefield with their binoculars for a couple of minutes before driving their vehicle around the bend. Of course this requires you to know the immediate surrounding area is relatively safe (nothing sucks more than losing a tank crew to some enemy scouts) but sometimes it can be much safer than exposing your tank.

Or how about smoke? Some tanks have smoke shells, others have smoke launchers, and some infantry squads or HQs have one or two smoke canisters... and I'm not too great at remembering to use them when it could be helpful. When I do remember it, I make sure that I target the right point for the smoke drift to help me the most, but sometimes I just completely forget.

I also used to be good at assaulting houses in CMSF but quite frankly I've forgotten some of the tricks. Like you give a waypoint at the front of the building with a pause and a target order inside the house, they will stop there to lob some 'nades in and then enter, at which point they will automatically cancel that target.

[Michael Emrys]

Do you ever forget some of the options that CM games offer? I know I do, no matter how good I'm generally at taking advantage of the game mechanics. But sometimes you just forget.

I confess, officer. I did it.

Especially if I haven't played for a while, I forget the little techniques I had previously worked out to make things go smoothly, and I kick myself for doing that. Often my first game on returning is a real shambles and a bitter re-learning experience.

*sigh* Such is life, and such is virtual war as well.

Michael

[Daroc]

I didn't but now that I know about the 'nade thingie I'm going to use that.

I like the dismount scout routine - I don't think I would do it with a tank crew.

[slysniper]

As for the smoke, I forget the wind direction and waste it at times. Someday maybe they will add a wind arrow into the game for aid (It drives me crazy everytime I place smoke).

Such a natural thing that is such a challenge at times in the game.

As for assaulting building, I forget to do it because we are playing in more open Terrain now. seldom do I find it is needed. That is one where it is needed when you cannot bring fire to bear on the target at range. We are in Russia now, unless there is a city, most shacks are not lasting long as cover, because they are blasted out way before my infantry gets there

[Lanzfeld]

Good topic Sergei!

It all boils down to patience....or sometimes my lack of it. I need to take a step back and suppress more before I "finish" them. I need to act more "realistic" as if I were those troops. Not just run into the meat grinder.

As far as nades? My guys never really seem to use them when I want them to. WE REALLY NEED A GRENADE BUTTON MUCH LIKE A SMOKE BUTTON.

[Sergei]

Here's another thing that I find hard: when I have armoured infantry, I realize it's good to tell my infantry to grab a healthy share of the ammo carried by their halftracks. Though because ammo acquires are final I like to leave some ammo back, depending on what I plan for them, so either the halftrack's MG can burn it in a support role or I can give them later to a platoon that has been engaged in hard combat.

Just too many times I drive those halftracks into mines or lines of fire and their ammo reserves go to waste. It always pains me to lose a vehicle with full ammo complement, too bad you can't acquire ammo from non-burning wrecks.

[Oddball_E8]

Here's another thing that I find hard: when I have armoured infantry, I realize it's good to tell my infantry to grab a healthy share of the ammo carried by their halftracks. Though because ammo acquires are final I like to leave some ammo back, depending on what I plan for them, so either the halftrack's MG can burn it in a support role or I can give them later to a platoon that has been engaged in hard combat.

Just too many times I drive those halftracks into mines or lines of fire and their ammo reserves go to waste. It always pains me to lose a vehicle with full ammo complement, too bad you can't acquire ammo from non-burning wrecks.

Hahaha I'm completely the opposite... I constantly overload my troops with ammo that I'll never use.

I've gotten better at just putting ammo on the units that'll need it (MG's that I'll use for supression or SMG squads that'll be used in multiple assaults) but I suspect most of my troops get fatigued long before they should

[agusto]

When i havent played for a long time i often lose the feeling for what is the 'right' amount of surpressive fire. I either do excessivley, burning through ammo at unsustainable rates, or i forget doing at all, getting my men killed quickly the unsurpressed enemy units.

[Trooper117]

Some good points here chaps... thanks.

[MikeyD]

The worst is when you utilize your 'tactical options' then forget you had! Three turns later you decide to advance your men right into your own artillery barrage. Ooops!

[Michael Emrys]

A little early senility there, Mikey?

Michael

[MikeyD]

Not early, right on schedule, actually.

[slysniper]

Good topic Sergei!

As far as nades? My guys never really seem to use them when I want them to. WE REALLY NEED A GRENADE BUTTON MUCH LIKE A SMOKE BUTTON.

Amen to that. Agree to the fulliest

[c3k]

Grenade button? Nice. I imagine a USB device, about 4" square, 2" high, with a friggin' huge red "mushroom" button on the top. Plug it in, and whenever you mash it, the unit selected will hurl a grenade where they're facing.

BFC accessory store: get on it!

[slysniper]

Hahaha I'm completely the opposite... I constantly overload my troops with ammo that I'll never use.

I've gotten better at just putting ammo on the units that'll need it (MG's that I'll use for supression or SMG squads that'll be used in multiple assaults) but I suspect most of my troops get fatigued long before they should

Hey, only two things you care about having in combat: ammo and water.

I try to load my men with enough to last through a couple of firefights, not everything in the truck.

Then I let the trucks carry some of the original load, because you never know which units will fight and win without dying or using up the ammo. But some do and then I have a little left to resupply them. And if I lose the truck, the loss is not so great.

[Baneman]

Hey, only two things you care about having in combat: ammo and water.

I try to load my men with enough to last through a couple of firefights, not everything in the truck.

Then I let the trucks carry some of the original load, because you never know which units will fight and win without dying or using up the ammo. But some do and then I have a little left to resupply them. And if I lose the truck, the loss is not so great.

I pretty much follow this pattern with the exception that I usually empty 1 or 2 trucks/HT's. Those are the ones that take the risks, running up to where there might be enemy.

I am more solicitous of the ones that still have ammo in them.

[Badger73]

Good topic Sergei!

It all boils down to patience....or sometimes my lack of it.

<snipped>

Very true for me as well. Every time I rush AFV's into action, they all create a narrow black vertical smoke screen! Then every time I restart from game save and just let them wait when defending or delay until the situation is better developed for attacking, they perform admirably.

'Tis not my pixletruppen's poor performance that's at fault here!

[MikeyD]

I try to load my men with enough to last through a couple of firefights

Of course if you're talking a Russian SMG squad there's no such thing as ammo for more than a couple firefights. That PPSh burns through ammo like there's no tomorrow. Which, considering my poor generalship skills, is often the case for my unfortunate troops.

[sburke]

Grenade button? Nice. I imagine a USB device, about 4" square, 2" high, with a friggin' huge red "mushroom" button on the top. Plug it in, and whenever you mash it, the unit selected will hurl a grenade where they're facing.

BFC accessory store: get on it!

Personally I would love the option of telling my guys to chuck a grenade over the crest of a hill, into a house etc. however I wouldn't quite want it to work like a smoke grenade. Smoke grenades only get thrown when you say to, I would not want to hinder the tac AI. Secondly the AI because it is a manual option and it doesn't know when to use it, never uses smoke. It would really suck if the AI couldn't chuck grenades.

[womble]

Personally I would love the option of telling my guys to chuck a grenade over the crest of a hill, into a house etc. however I wouldn't quite want it to work like a smoke grenade. Smoke grenades only get thrown when you say to, I would not want to hinder the tac AI. Secondly the AI because it is a manual option and it doesn't know when to use it, never uses smoke. It would really suck if the AI couldn't chuck grenades.

Agreed. I can't see a reason why you couldn't have the option of ordering a specific grenade attack, on top of the AI's current decision-making algorithms, but personally I don't find my guys being shy with their potato-mashers/pineapples. Perhaps that's because the fellows in question are usually Assault split teams split first, who start off with more than a dozen of the things, rather than symmetrically split teams who share out the 'nades and so might think they're a bit more scarce. Or even worse, teams left after you've split an AT team out of the squad first; since the AT team scurries off (giggling) with all the grenades, any teams left, even if they're split Assault/Fire will be very short on handgrenades, and so perhaps more reluctant to use them.

[Bulletpoint]

I can't get the "pause and shoot close by before rushing in" tactic to work. At least not with any real reliability.

What happens is that some enemy soldier will open fire with his MP40 anyway, no matter how suppressed his squad is supposed to be... not sure if it's by design or a bug.

[Other Means]

I make each and every turn a small miracle in co-ordination, resource optimisation and tactical efficiency.

Then people start shooting at me

It's really not on.

[Baneman]

I make each and every turn a small miracle in co-ordination, resource optimisation and tactical efficiency.

Then people start shooting at me

It's really not on.

Wow, I recognise that technique - so akin to my own. If only my opponents would co-operate !

[Michael Emrys]

If only my opponents would co-operate !

They just don't understand the philosophy of the game. Thus they fail to develop its full beauty and potential. Am I right?

Michael

[Placebo]

I also used to be good at assaulting houses in CMSF but quite frankly I've forgotten some of the tricks. Like you give a waypoint at the front of the building with a pause and a target order inside the house, they will stop there to lob some 'nades in and then enter, at which point they will automatically cancel that target.

I will have to try that, I have lost count of the number of pixeltruppen that have wandered into buildings and been gunned down by unspotted/unsurpressed enemy!!