Henri Posted February 2, 2001 Share Posted February 2, 2001 What is the single most important factor tht counts for winning games in CM? Among all the debates on maneuver vs attrition, discussions on armor thickness and hardness and other all-important question, somthing is often overlooked. In my experience, the most important factor for victory is knowledge about the capabilities of one's and the enemy's weapons.I have to admit that this is personally my main weakness and the main cause of my numerous defeats (hey I gotta find a reason ) If you have never sent a STUH2 after a Sherman only to realize that it is an infantry assault weapon, or tried to fire your attached mortars at a hidden enemy positon only to find out that only FO's can do that, or sent a Stuart to knock out a Hetzer from the front, or maneuvered a German Rifle Company into a close combat fight against an enemy armed with submachineguns only to get wiped out, or done the opposite, engage in a long-range firefight with submachinegun infantry, then welcome to the club. Or maybe you preserved your Hetzer for the endgame battle agsint infantry only to find out that although it has HE, a Hetzer is practically useless agsinst infantry. I believe tht BY FAR the most important factor in a CM battle is a detailed knowledge of your units as well as the enemy's. There is no point in doing fancy maneuvers to get a 2:1 superiority against the enemy's rifle infantry if you have to engage them at long range with submachine guns. Two-to-one odds or not, your infantry will be massacred.Just try running a fast-moving Puma around a Sherman in the open in order to try to get a side or rear shot and see your Puma go up in smoke as you learn that the Tiger's slow turret rotation is not the Sherman's. Sure all the information is there in the game, you only have to select a unit and press return to see all the details. But the art of war is how you fit in all that knowledge TOGETHER. I have noticed that the very best players know the strengths and weakenesses of every unit in the game to an incredible level. They know that a Sherman Firefly can take out a Tiger from the front with the first shot, whereas a standard Sherman will bounce shot after shot off the armor,barring a lucky hit.They know that an 81 mm FO can not only direct area fire onto an unseen enemy, but that they get twice as many mortar rounds as an 81 mm mortar on the ground.They know that a Hellcat can shoot a helluva lot faster than a Panther, but that it is dead if it is hit by the Panther, so if they bring a pair of Hellcats against a Panther, they have a high probability of killing the Panther and a better than even chance of not losing one Hellcat. Pitting strength against weakness is not only bringing more units to bear on weak enemy areas, it also means to bring the APPROPRIAYE weapons to bear under the most advantageous conditions. If I had to make a list of factors in decreasing importance for winning in CM, here is how it would go: 1. Knowing your units. 2. Knowing your enemy's units 3. Understanding the effects of terrain 4. Luck 5. Understanding tactics and strategy. The last 3 are practically useless without the first two. I guess that's why I lose most of my games... henri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisl Posted February 2, 2001 Share Posted February 2, 2001 Don't forget knowing the strengths of your various HQ units--it can make an enormous difference in a toe-to-toe firefight, or make the difference whether you sneak around the flank undetected or not. ------------------ "If you can taste the difference between caviar on a cracker and ketchup on a Kit-Kat while blindfolded, you have not had enough aquavit to be ready for lutefisk." (stolen from some web page about lutefisk) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Clark Posted February 2, 2001 Share Posted February 2, 2001 Gotta agree that knowledge of the enemy is always a good thing. Straight from Sun Tzu... know yourself and the enemy. I already knew this lesson, but relearned it the hard way in CM... wondering why those three Hetzers were chewing up my platoon of Infantry Tanks... ------------------ "Fear is for the enemy... Fear and Bullets." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gremlin Posted February 2, 2001 Share Posted February 2, 2001 I agree about wholeheartedly about unit knowledge, and as my mental store of it has increased, so have my victories--though it's hardly the sole factor. (Anyone relatively new to CM may want to follow the link in my .sig below to my Boot Camp articles, two of which cover AFV capabilities and uses.) ------------------ New to Combat Mission? Visit CM Boot Camp at Combat Missions for tips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Treeburst155 Posted February 2, 2001 Share Posted February 2, 2001 I agree with Henri 100%. Study the units in the game, make frequent use of the black info box until you just about know it by heart for every unit. Treeburst155 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CavScout Posted February 2, 2001 Share Posted February 2, 2001 Originally posted by Henri: What is the single most important factor tht counts for winning games in CM? Simple really. Avoid playing Slapdragon and his AAA battalions! Seriously, good post Henri. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chupacabra Posted February 2, 2001 Share Posted February 2, 2001 I think I'd put terrain analysis as most important. IMO a dominant position can make up for a lot of mistakes. But yes, all five you mentioned are vital. Good post. ------------------ 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...
The_Capt Posted February 2, 2001 Share Posted February 2, 2001 Your list is backwards. Units, equipment, terrain and the enemy all drive your understanding and use of tactics and strategy. Taking the different factors (1-3 and a healthy dash of 4) and using them in context of a strong understanding of tactics (or employment) is vital to winning. Last thought.."You beat your opponent not his troops". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PawBroon Posted February 2, 2001 Share Posted February 2, 2001 There is also another method if you know your way in and around Hex Files. That Cheat Code change your GreyHounds into HellCats in any QB, Scenario or Operation... This is still a work in progress since it's only for the US and concern just those two types of Vehicule/Armor. Exit the game completly after ending it with a surrender. Using a Hex Editor (UltraEdit32 for example) open your autosaved game and scroll down to line 00002e70h. It should look like: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 0D 00 08 02 DE 00 00 00. The number 08 02 represents your GreyHounds no matter how many or where they are. Change 08 02 to FA 99 to get them changed into HellCats. I'm working on a way to restore all knocked out armor to their previous state. A Reg file had been sent to MadMatt's CMHQ for people to apply that Cheat without tweaking in an Hex Editor. As we Frogs say, "I'd rather be dishonest than schooled"... ------------------ You are not Obsessive-CMpulsive, you are Allied-Retentive. Mark IV [This message has been edited by PawBroon (edited 02-02-2001).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col Deadmarsh Posted February 2, 2001 Share Posted February 2, 2001 Pawbroon, Why are you posting this stuff? All it does is jeopardize the integrity of the game. Why would you or anyone else for that matter want to do petty things like fix files to give yourself an advantage? This is really sad. ------------------ Youth is wasted on the young. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aka_tom_w Posted February 2, 2001 Share Posted February 2, 2001 Note to Self: "Don't engage Pawbroon in PBEM" Has he figured out how to cheat at TCP/IP yet? -tom w Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spook Posted February 2, 2001 Share Posted February 2, 2001 I'm working on a way to restore all knocked out armor to their previous state. A Reg file had been sent to MadMatt's CMHQ for people to apply that Cheat without tweaking in an Hex Editor. Uuuuummmmmmm.....if this "cheat" method could be utilized in multiplayer games (I'm not certain if it can), then why would Madmatt post it? [This message has been edited by Spook (edited 02-02-2001).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hiram Sedai Posted February 2, 2001 Share Posted February 2, 2001 Pushbroon is Joking scuse me while I state the obvious once more. ------------------ Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction. - Blaise Pascal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col Deadmarsh Posted February 2, 2001 Share Posted February 2, 2001 Didn't sound like a joke to me... ------------------ Youth is wasted on the young. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoePrivate Posted February 2, 2001 Share Posted February 2, 2001 Originally posted by Hiram Sedai: Pushbroon is Joking scuse me while I state the obvious once more. Lol, it appears even forum 'veterans' are susceptible to *initiation* ploys, especially from misunderstood Poolers. [This message has been edited by JoePrivate (edited 02-02-2001).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruno Weiss Posted February 2, 2001 Share Posted February 2, 2001 When I win, it is because of superior knowledge of tactics, strategy, and equipment. When I lose it is on account of my opponent was gamey. ------------------ "Gentlemen, you may be sure that of the three courses open to the enemy, he will always choose the fourth." -Field Marshal Count Helmuth von Moltke, (1848-1916) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Big Time Software Posted February 2, 2001 Share Posted February 2, 2001 Good post Henri. As surprising as it might sound, tactics/strategies need a full understanding of your units and the enemy's in order to work consistantly. Of course, anybody can get lucky However, everything is in degrees and not a straight out list of what is more important. For example, someone who knows units better BUT doesn't have a good tactical flair, will most likely lose to someone that has good tactical skills but less of an understanding of the units themselves. The point is, however, that the player that knows BOTH the units AND how to use them will be the person to beat. The way I look at is is this... Two guys are going to make a set of shelves. One has a detailed knowledge of which tools are needed and how each is used. The other guy doesn't know the intricate details of the tools, and might not know of the best ones to use. Now... if the first guy has a blueprint and the understandinng of how to translate that into action, the second guy is going to come up short else being equal. But what if both guys were just given a verbal description of the shelves and told to go for it? Which would you expect to "win" by making the better set of shelves? The guy with the better understanding of how shelves are put together. And that could be EITHER of them. And then ther is luck. The skill levels are close, but the first guy has a better understanding of the tools AND has a blueprint to work off of. The second guy has a modest understanding of the tools and no plan. An hour into the race to finish guy one has a critical tool break on him. There is no chance of getting a replacement, so he improvises. Unfortunately, it might not be enough to beat the other guy either in terms of speed or in terms of quality. Bad luck for the first guy means the second guy might have a chance of winning which might otherwise not have happened. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PawBroon Posted February 2, 2001 Share Posted February 2, 2001 Originally posted by JoePrivate: Lol, it appears even forum 'veterans' are susceptible to *initiation* ploys, especially from misunderstood Poolers. Thanks Hiram. If some of you buggers could just stand still and breathe in bag for 5 minutes you'd probably notice that my magic cheat comes with an Alt+U at the begining. I did a Cut&Paste from a PC Cheat Codes web site and put some gross exageration in it. Glad to see some of you think I could change lead in gold and resurect dead GreyHounds. Needless to say you naive "Go for the Ploy", there is NO such saying in France: "I'd rather be dishonest than schooled"... [Edited cause I got beaten to the deadline by Steve by a whole 120 seconds. BTW have I told you that I know of a cheat that could travel you back in time and change the turns outcome?!] ------------------ You are not Obsessive-CMpulsive, you are Allied-Retentive. Mark IV [This message has been edited by PawBroon (edited 02-02-2001).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Capt Posted February 2, 2001 Share Posted February 2, 2001 Patton once said " The one who wins is he who gets there fastest with the mostest" (I am paraphrasing) He probably should have added " He also needs to know what to do with his mostest when he gets there...Oh and he really needs to know where "there" is and with luck he won't run into the other guy with his own ideas on the way" That about sums up my advice on how to win at CM use it in good health. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henri Posted February 2, 2001 Author Share Posted February 2, 2001 Originally posted by The_Capt: Your list is backwards. Units, equipment, terrain and the enemy all drive your understanding and use of tactics and strategy. Taking the different factors (1-3 and a healthy dash of 4) and using them in context of a strong understanding of tactics (or employment) is vital to winning. Last thought.."You beat your opponent not his troops". I absolutely agree with the last statement (being a former chess player), but I don't understnd the other paragraph.It seems to me that a player who has almost no understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the units but a good understanding of tactics (let's say Alexander the Great popped out of the past) has practically no chance to win against an opponent who doesn't have a very good grasp of tactics, but who knows for instance that a Hetzer has a paper-thin side, a kick-ass cannon and a front armor invincible against all but the most deadly guns, and so on. That's why I put knowledge of the units'capabilities at the top of the list. Of course this understanding includes not only what the units ARE, but also what they can DO. And indeed, as you say, understanding how all this fit in together (and being able to do it, which is an art) is what makes a REALLY good player. Henri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PawBroon Posted February 2, 2001 Share Posted February 2, 2001 I've got it!! Here is the URL to the ACTUAL page (The Cheater's Guild): http://www.cheaters-guild.com/cheat-display.asp?category=FileHacks&GameName=People%60s+General And the ACTUAL cheat (People's General): You Can use this Cheat for all Campaigns and Scenarios. In the 1st Campaign save the game before doing anything else. Exit the game completly. Using a Hex Editor (like Ultra Edit-32) open your saved game and scroll down to file 00002e70h. It should look like this beside it : 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 0D 00 08 02 DE 00 00 00. The #'s 08 02 equal 520 prestige points. Change 08 02 to FA 99 to get 39418 prestige points. You can change it to more or less prestige points but I use FA 99 for a start. So I guess you can play me Tom W... ------------------ You are not Obsessive-CMpulsive, you are Allied-Retentive. Mark IV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CavScout Posted February 2, 2001 Share Posted February 2, 2001 Originally posted by Henri: I absolutely agree with the last statement (being a former chess player), but I don't understnd the other paragraph.It seems to me that a player who has almost no understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the units but a good understanding of tactics (let's say Alexander the Great popped out of the past) has practically no chance to win against an opponent who doesn't have a very good grasp of tactics, but who knows for instance that a Hetzer has a paper-thin side, a kick-ass cannon and a front armor invincible against all but the most deadly guns, and so on. That's why I put knowledge of the units'capabilities at the top of the list. Of course this understanding includes not only what the units ARE, but also what they can DO. And indeed, as you say, understanding how all this fit in together (and being able to do it, which is an art) is what makes a REALLY good player. Henri I agree with Heneri. Being the best hole digger (tactics) in world does you no good without the shovel (unit capabilities). However, a guy who knows what a shovel does and has it can simply dig the hole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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