Col Deadmarsh Posted January 31, 2001 Share Posted January 31, 2001 Most people would agree that CM is a tactical game in that what you do on the battlefield starting with the first turn is considered using tactics to attain victory over your opponent. It's my understanding that tactics include moving men, firing arty, advacing with tanks, sneaking up a flamethrower, etc... Strategy (in other wargames) from what some grognards told me was the planning that goes into the overall battle. What exactly then is entailed in this planning? Choice of units, what routes to take on an attack, etc? Am I to assume then that my overall plan and its components for the battle I'm about to fight is my strategy and how I carry out that strategy is considered my tactics? What is the difference between the two terms? ------------------ Youth is wasted on the young. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aka_tom_w Posted January 31, 2001 Share Posted January 31, 2001 From words like SAC Strategic Air command and Strategic bomber I figure Strategy is the BIG picture in makeing war and tactics is for little battles like fire fights. I think they are very simliar just that strategic refers to a bigger scale, like the size of a country and tactical refers to a smaller scale like the size of a Large battle field or a city or county. hence the term strategic nuclear weapon and (if you can believe this) "tactical" nuclear weapon for those smaller battles you had in mind. -tom w [This message has been edited by aka_tom_w (edited 01-31-2001).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueFalcon Posted January 31, 2001 Share Posted January 31, 2001 Your assumption is correct. Your strategy is your plan to achieve your objective, while your tactics are the means in which you attempt to achieve that objective. ------------------ Stay Alert!! Stay Alive!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Michael emrys Posted January 31, 2001 Share Posted January 31, 2001 Originally posted by Colonel_Deadmarsh: Am I to assume then that my overall plan and its components for the battle I'm about to fight is my strategy and how I carry out that strategy is considered my tactics? That's a pretty fair assumption. I've never been able to find anyone who could draw a sharp hard and fast line between strategy and tactics; they tend to phase back and forth into each other. One definition I've heard of is: "Tactics is the art of winning battles. Strategy is the science of arranging battles to win a war." Another I like is: "Strategy is big maps with pins stuck in them and people pointing at them with long sticks. Tactics is written on the back of an old cigarette packet with a broken pencil." But my current favorite, taken from a sig line (don't recall whether it showed up on this board or somewhere else) is: "Strategy is the art of never having to fight fair." Think about it. Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russellmz Posted January 31, 2001 Share Posted January 31, 2001 great definitions. here's some i like: diplomacy is the art of saying "nice" doggy until you can find a rock war: the untying of a political knot that would not yield to the tongue ------------------ russellmz, Self-Proclaimed Keeper for Life of the Sacred Unofficial FAQ. "They had their chance- they have not lead!" - GW Bush "They had mechanical pencils- they have not...lead?" - Jon Stewart on The Daily Show Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Michael emrys Posted February 1, 2001 Share Posted February 1, 2001 Originally posted by russellmz: war: the untying of a political knot that would not yield to the tongue Is that Ambrose Bierce? Sounds a lot like him. Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasoncawley@ameritech.net Posted February 1, 2001 Share Posted February 1, 2001 Yes, that definition (untying etc) is from Bierce's "Devil's Dictionary"... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grisha Posted February 1, 2001 Share Posted February 1, 2001 I think it was Svechin, a Soviet military theorist in the 20's, who said something to the effect of tactics are the steps from which operational leaps are made; strategy points out the path. Tactics can be as low level as in Combat Mission, basically squad to platoon level. However, tactics also encompasses the actions of up to division level in combat. Operations is generally at the level of Corps to Army, and cover military actions that contribute to the attainment of strategic goals. Strategy is at the government level, and is the method by which a country can attain its political/cultural goals. The term operations came into being after WWI by the Soviets. Thanks to Clauswitz, warfare had become a huge endeavor, requiring the total committment of combatant nations if they desired to persevere. Up until this occurance warfare was generally a limited affair, usually being resolved after a pitched battle, or two. When combining this new concept of total war with the Industrial Revolution, the result was WWI, a war too huge to conduct with existing military methods, as generals were still looking for that single event, the pitched battle, to end the war. Unfortunately, it took many 'pitched battles' before the Great War came to an end. The Soviets realized that another level of military planning needed to be added between tactics and strategy, so that battles would now be measured steps towards ultimate strategic victory. Hence, Operational Art. ------------------ Best regards, Greg Leon Guerrero [This message has been edited by Grisha (edited 02-01-2001).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olle Petersson Posted February 1, 2001 Share Posted February 1, 2001 Originally posted by Michael emrys: But my current favorite, taken from a sig line ...Hey, It's my sig ! Cheers Olle ------------------ Strategy is the art of avoiding a fair fight... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbramsOnPoint Posted February 1, 2001 Share Posted February 1, 2001 Strategy is what you use to get a date, tactics is what you do while your on the date. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonidas Posted February 1, 2001 Share Posted February 1, 2001 In terms of computer games, tactical games are those in which your initial resources are fixed. Strategy games are those that allow the players to gain additional resources during the game. Strategy games usually have tactical elements, but the overall game is usually won or lost on the basis of who was able to gain a significant resource advantage. This supply distinction is obvious if you compare a game like Myst to RTS games that involve building harvesting units. But I think it also holds true more subtly in more realistic and grognard-y strategy games like The Operational Art of War, where managing supply routes plays a big role. The problem is usually cast as how to get the supplies to the units at the front rather than how to generate the supplies, but the principles are the same. You've got a non-combat related task - supply line management - that determines the efficacy of your units in battle. We might see some strategy elements in future versions of CM, in operations. Suppose you had an operation in which you could gain particular reinforcements only if you manage to secure a particular objective. That sort of thing is quite common in TOAW. Then you start making a new kind of calculation - the comparison of the cost of attaining the objective versus the extra resources you will obtain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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