Gamey Solution to Desorby Op?

[ThomasZ]

I have struggled with this one most of the night, am I a bad person either morally or spiritually? Should I be sent back to turn based games and the solutions to enemy opportunity fire (i.e. a light fast cheap unit to draw fire!).

Here is what happened. I played the Desorby op as the Germans and was soundly defeated on the first day. Bruised by not bloodied I opted for a night attack and reviewed my objectives. The briefing gave conflicting messages. On the one hand the operation is an "Advance" so I know that the key to victory is to get to the edge of the map. On the other hand the briefing says to "take the town" even though their is no victory location there and I know it's SWARMING with Ammie armor.

Thus my evaluation gives me a strategy. A company of infantry reinforced with armor will advance to contact on the left flank and hold. Once that action begins I will thrust the majority of my force through a gap in the trees on the far far American left.

The computer had only screening forces out this far (if that) and by the time he noticed the bulk of my force was way over on his flank he had little time to charge tanks out of the town and toward my waiting panthers. The op ended shortly after with a total victory for me as I'd managed to get almost a company of infantry to the far right corner of the map.

Now ordinarily I'll take any victory I can get. However I can't help but think the AI did something wrong here, and deployed very little to nothing in the forest that my main thrust cut through. I think he was setup to defend the town in force (which makes some sense if you consider the terrain and the operation briefing). Yet I knew I didn't have to take the town to win so I went by.

What I'm asking here is as follows:

1. Was my solution "gamey"?

2. Wouldn't the operation make more sense if their was a victory flag in town? Even better a series of victory flags.

3. Should this op really be an "advance" since judging from the mission briefing the real goal is to take the town.

Any an all comments are welcome and I look forward to getting them.

[MichaelU]

Here's a comment. Why don't you post this in the scenarios section.

Here's another comment. How about a spoiler warning.

[demoss]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by MichaelU:

Here's a comment. Why don't you post this in the scenarios section.

Here's another comment. How about a spoiler warning.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I suspect anyone with half a brain would realize that a thread entitled "Gamey Solution to..." would contain spoilers.

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-Doug

[MichaelU]

Granted it's fairly obvious that the post could contain spoilers, but it should still be in the scenarios section and should still contain a spoilers warning, particularly for those of us who don't have half a brain. I've seen a few posts about gamey tactics and one on problems with this scenario. I thought this might be a way to get round the scenario specific problems, but quickly realised this wasn't the case and skimmed over it.

[This message has been edited by MichaelU (edited 07-14-2000).]

[Wild Bill Wilder]

Not gamey at all, Thomas. You want to get to Bastogne. You tried the flanks, the enemy was not ready, you penetrated the line. That is military tactics as they should be.

Perhaps objective flags would have been a solution.

Of course even the scenario designer is helpless here after the 1st battle. He must trust that the AI will put units where they should be.

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Wild Bill

Lead Tester/Designer

Combat Mission-Beyond Overlord

billw@matrixgames.com