First Campaign Recommendation

[jamxo]

Hi all,

Would appreciate if anyone has recommendations on what order to tackle the campaigns in CMSF2 (I guess in terms of difficulty, but also interested if there is a good narrative order as the fictional invasion unfolds).

Just to note I'm a long time user of the WW2 titles so I'm familiar and sufficiently advanced with CM gameplay and general planning/combat tactics, but basically new to the modern era titles. After rewatching Restrepo this weekend thought I'd delve in, and have successfully completed the training campaign and a bunch of single scenarios to start to familiarise myself with all this high tech gear..

Thanks!

[danfrodo]

Hi Jamxo, I have only played a couple of the full campaigns in SF2, having come from WW2 like you.  I really like the Highland Games.  It's british forces but as the campaign progresses you get some american units to fight along with.  Note that it's a long campaign, 16 battles.  The battles are all winnable, some harder some easier

[Ultradave]

I like Highland Games as well, and there is a point (scenario 10 maybe, you'll know when you get there because there are instructions), you get to choose between heading south of Damascus, with British forces alone, or to head to downtown Damascus in joint ops with US forces (you command both). What you can do is make sure you save right at the beginning of the "choice" scenario, give it an easy to remember name, and then when you've completed one, you can reload that save and take the other path as well.  Gives you a LOT of scenarios to play that way. 

Dave

[jamxo]

19 hours ago, Ultradave said:

 What you can do is make sure you save right at the beginning of the "choice" scenario, give it an easy to remember name, and then when you've completed one, you can reload that save and take the other path as well.  Gives you a LOT of scenarios to play that way. 

Dave

Thanks both, I guess I’ll give Highland Games a go then, and thanks for the tip with regards saving before it splits.

[Erwin]

For Red vs Red, Zawiya Uprising is highly recommended.  Probably the best/most fun campaign I recall playing.

[mjkerner]

What Erwin recommends, plus The Road to Dinas. Lately, all I play in SF2 is Red on Red with various mods. Syrian Regulars and Spec Ops are the government forces, and Uncons, Syrian militia, and reservists are the oppo. More of a challenge as government troops than any of the NATO forces.

Edited March 29, 2021 by mjkerner

[Erwin]

Be aware that Road to Dinas, while being extremely good, is also very difficult.  I would not advise an inexperienced player to try it.

[mjkerner]

Yes, that’s a fair point. But jamxo, you could used the campaign scenario extractor (it’s a mod, forgot its name but I think Mad Mike made it) and try various scenarios without the fuss and worry of playing through the whole thing. And you can do that with (almost) all campaigns in all the titles. (There are a few campaigns for which the extractor doesn’t work for some reason.)

 

[jamxo]

Thanks all, I'll grab those campaigns too, and cheers for reminding me @mjkerner about the campaign extractor, I have that already so a nice option to play around with some individual scenarios. I'll start with some NATO campaigns first and then I guess move to some of the Red V Red ones roleplaying as the situation once the NATO forces start to withdraw.

I have to say as someone who has always been really interested in WWII military history (and therefore loved and only focussed on CM WWII titles since the original CM Beyond Overlord demo was released) I finding SF2 a real thrill, everything is so fluid and fast paced and the tactical possibilities seem endless (maybe even more so after the last few months mainly fighting in Normandy bocage!) So many interesting vehicles too.

On a side note: Getting into a whole new CM title and seeing how many campaigns and scenarios there are to explore, then realising I haven't even touched Black Sea, and what with Cold War and Fire and Rubble on the way, sheeesh I feel like I'm going to be enjoying this series for decades to come haha

[jamxo]

Two missions done in the Highland Games campaign and really enjoying it so thanks again all for the recommendation!

[JulianJ]

@mjkerner Happy Easter MJ! And everyone else!  How do you play Red-on-Red?  There's not many scenarios, that I know of.  I tried some QBs but they didn't work our very well. Do you create a scenario? 

[Erwin]

I cannot recall what comes with the game.  But, you can d/l many Red vs Red (and other) scenarios and Campaigns from CMMODS or Scenario Depot.  I must have close to a thousand CMSF scenarios and over 50 campaigns in my folders.

[mjkerner]

What Erwin said above, JulianJ, and aHappy Easter to you too! I make my own scenarios or, more often, I take an existing scenario and change out the NATO forces with Syrian Army types. Also, I have exploded every Red on Red campaign, which will give you quite a few scenarios.