Darwin Posted October 18, 2000 Share Posted October 18, 2000 I've found that it is hard for me to be "up" for most matches and only really play well when I get a good thrashing for my impertinance early in the game or when my opponent states how much they will enjoy defeating me, etc. Another thing I've noticed is that my games seems to follow a rythm, either I'm kicking ass all over the place or all of my games are going to poop. It seems if I have one game that I really want to win and get pschyed for I do well in all my concurrent games but once I finish the game I got "up" for I relax and all my games go downhill. How to get away from being under another players thumb... Sometimes it seems as though regardless of relative abilities one player just has the others number. Good players pull newbie moves in frustration and get whacked. It is difficult to step away sometimes, but each game is new. There is nothing in the code making one players units superior to another players units of same type. If one can seperate the game from those proceding it and just follow sound tactics, do what you know to be the right move even when your anxiety screams otherwise, you have a chance. I guess I don't have anything specific to say upon these issues but for me they are the part of the game I think about most and I was hoping to hear others thoughts and opinions on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chupacabra Posted October 18, 2000 Share Posted October 18, 2000 I'm personally a big fan of psychological warfare To use a recent PBEM game as an example, I held the VLs, but my guys were pretty cut up. I'd made some silly mistakes, but through some luck and some purchasing choices that worked out for me, I'd hung in there and hurt my opponent as well. But in fact, he had enough men left in the end that if he'd pushed hard, he could've kicked me off one of the VLs and forced a draw. The key to the game, I think was that all my squads were vets, whereas the majority of his were regular. My opponent saw my guys dishing out more casualties than they took, and I think he got frustrated. Once I saw that he was getting frustrated, I did everything I could to encourage it Long story short, and this may sound kinda wishy-washy, but I think attitude makes as much of a difference as what you've actually got on the map. If you think you're gonna win, you'll have a better shot of doing so than if you think you're getting cut to pieces and there's nothing you can do. ------------------ Soy super bien, soy super super bien, soy bien bien super bien bien bien super super. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterNZer Posted October 18, 2000 Share Posted October 18, 2000 Ooo you sneaky bugger! That's me yer talking about. Hmm I doubt i coulda forced a draw.. the only surviving platoon was already pretty shagged from a random passing tank of yours that nailed one squad. and those evil tanks of yours! grrr PeterNZ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chupacabra Posted October 18, 2000 Share Posted October 18, 2000 If you'd pulled out of town and attacked the guys in the woods, you probably could've kicked them out. You had some arty left, right? If not, then nevermind, you were screwed ------------------ Soy super bien, soy super super bien, soy bien bien super bien bien bien super super. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbaro Posted October 19, 2000 Share Posted October 19, 2000 The key to surviving a war is staying out of it, so you that succomb to to other causes. Perhaps that is the real Prozac reality. Staying up for life let alone war or even wargames is a probamatical matter. Just check the institutions devoted to refilling the cups that dried up rather than ran over. But, for the humdrum among us for whom these exercises may represent all manner of psychological functions other than supporting one's potential longivity or well being, we should not be too surprised to see reflected in our approaches, the various feelings we bring to the rest of our lives. We are surprised that the sting of conflict does not uniformly grab us by the adrnaline and fill us with anticipations of victory. It is perhaps because we have a deeper knowledge than the intellectual, that it is in the end only a game regardless of what a fine one it is. I have a sneaking suspicion that the professionals have a little less of that trouble than the civie types. The relatedness and utility of the game to their bread and butter and that of those close to them, along with the fact that their reputation, their career, their lives, those of their buddies, and the nation are involved in their grabbing up every shred of understanding of things military, should help keep the doldrums at bay. At least until the over-saturation, to which we all succumb to some degree at times, dictates relief. One source of relief is to use the editor to make scenario designs. Even the play necessary to testing the designs takes on an altogether different aspect. Then there are those off topic exercises - - - some of them even not on this forum or even the handy, nearby computer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Aitken Posted October 19, 2000 Share Posted October 19, 2000 Reading books about the Second World War, whenever I hear about a shambles or a defeat (particularly those on the Germans' part resulting from Hitler's stubbornness and irrationality), I suddenly have the urge to fight a battle and do it right. In other words, I have an underlying reason to want to fight, beyond just having nothing better to do. That said, however, I tend to get caught up with the technicalities of the game – I'll spend ages choosing or organising my forces, and leading them into battle, and then I'll get pissed off when they start to get shot up. I think I'd be good at administrating an army, but I'm not sure about commanding it in a fight. =) I usually want to fight in an organised manner – and organisation helps, but it's initiative and decisiveness that wins battles. There are elements of battle which interest me, and which I think are very important to the outcome, which Combat Mission isn't able to simulate. For example, a force that gets shot up, in reality could pull itself together, reform, pick up weapons and ammunition and get back into action – whereas in the game, units are like batteries – they run down, and become useless. I'm in two minds about this – on one hand, it's the kind of realism you can only get from reality, and which you can't expect a game to simulate – but on the other, it's exactly this kind of detail which makes the difference in war. Quite often when I'm playing a game, I like to read into it more than is actually there – instead of just playing to win, I try to imagine what it would be like and what I would do if it were real. I think that sums me up as a player – I'm not much of a competitor, I'm more interested in using the game as fodder for my imagination. David ------------------ Guderian's anger was monumental. He struggled for words. "To say that the troops are to blame – look at the casualties!" he raged. "Look at the losses! The troops did their duty! Their self-sacrifice proves it!" Hitler yelled back. "They failed!" he raged. "They failed." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col Deadmarsh Posted October 19, 2000 Share Posted October 19, 2000 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Long story short, and this may sound kinda wishy-washy, but I think attitude makes as much of a difference as what you've actually got on the map. If you think you're gonna win, you'll have a better shot of doing so than if you think you're getting cut to pieces and there's nothing you can do. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Which reminds me of a quote somebody once said: "If you think you can or think you can't, you're right." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxx Posted October 19, 2000 Share Posted October 19, 2000 Playing CM, like any active human process requires constant decision making. There was a great book i read a while ago called 'The Inner Game of Golf'. All the author dealt with was the psychological aspects of the game.. absolutely no mechanics. How to get 'up' for the game and to remain 'up' no matter what. How to weigh various criteria and discard usless information. This model could be applied to playing CM - or life in general Seems to me - in life, in sport (more so team than individual), in career, in war, yes, even in dating! The winner is generally the one who wants it more. *puts on helmet, dives into foxhole* *hide mode ON* -Maxx ------------------ The only thing new in the world is the history you don't know - HS Truman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L4Pilot Posted October 19, 2000 Share Posted October 19, 2000 Or in another fashion, one of Murphy's Law's of Combat: When both sides are sure they're about to lose...they're both right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M. Bates Posted October 19, 2000 Share Posted October 19, 2000 Don't let the buggers get you down. As long as you have a tank, you have a chance. If your tanks are gone you are a Dead Man, however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxx Posted October 19, 2000 Share Posted October 19, 2000 M. Bates I'd have to respectfully disagree on the armor point - first time my brother played (he's a vet of desert storm) I watched the entire battle to answer any questions he might have. He promptly lost all of his armor (2 shermans i think) and faced a Pz IVG and a StuG. Long story short - with careful play he took out the German armor with bazookas, and got a DRAW. I was impressed, and i think me watching added the psychological factor (motivation) he needed. -Maxx ------------------ The only thing new in the world is the history you don't know - HS Truman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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