James Posted November 6, 2002 Share Posted November 6, 2002 Try playing with yourself, (no I dont mean that!) I mean try playing against yourself in a hotseat game. It may sound redundant, that it may not hold surprises knowing both sides dispositions and intentions, but you'll be surprised at the results. Take yourself on and play both sides to the best of your ability - you'll actually get a really challenging and exiciting solo experience. The opposition, you, will always be exteamly hard to beat, however hard you try to outdo yourself yourself will always out do you! Another way to do it is to act the roles of both the commanders and their suborninates from their point of view, even get into character deciding realistically just how each officer would act and react in the given situation, what orders they'd give and how they interpret orders. Its like witnessing the whole battle from the perspective simler to that of a very realistic warfilm, your both director and audience. In short you simulate the human side while CM handles the physics. Alright before you say it I know you cant beat a good tpc/pbem game. But this post is about solo play and solo play useally means ok experiences against a defending AI and pretty poor ones against an attacking one! For a new challenge give it a go, rediculous it may sound a hot seat against yourself is damm good. I've been playing myself for the past week, if I dont stop I may go blind, from eyestrain that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commander Posted November 6, 2002 Share Posted November 6, 2002 I tried this once but all my guys would do is sit there waiting for the other side to make a move... Actually, I am going to try it out. Thanks for the suggestion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lcm1947 Posted November 7, 2002 Share Posted November 7, 2002 You know, months and months ago I was going to try that but thought better of it so didn't but since you mentioned it I think I will give it a try just for grins. My one problem however is who do you root for? To answer my own question I guess the side that's losing. Thanks for mentioning it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunflower Farm Boy Posted November 7, 2002 Share Posted November 7, 2002 Each to their own, I guess....but that sounds about as exciting as watching paint dry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Dorosh Posted November 7, 2002 Share Posted November 7, 2002 Originally posted by Sunflower Farm Boy: Each to their own, I guess....but that sounds about as exciting as watching paint dry. Or living on a sunflower farm... Been tempted to try it myself, actually. Given the role the AI plays in such a game, it is probably eminently more satisfying than trying to do the same with Squad Leader et al., a source of frustration for me in the early 1980s.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted November 7, 2002 Author Share Posted November 7, 2002 Quick tips for those wanting to try: 1: its best suited to company sized engagements, up to about 1000pts max, remember your handling both sides. 2: Esp good are meeting engagements, probes, any fluid situation that the AI normally finds difficult. 3: VLs are of secondary importance when your simulating a certain situation or role-playing the desisions of chosen officers - the actual situation is more important than game points. 4: The opposite is true when playing against yourself as a game rather than a simulation. 5: Keep an open mind, use your imagination and beware of schosphenia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commander Posted November 7, 2002 Share Posted November 7, 2002 I think it would be an excellent way to try out tactics and be able to see what they look like from the "other" side. As an example, just how far does the sneak command get you before your sneaking unit is noticed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pvt. Ryan Posted November 7, 2002 Share Posted November 7, 2002 I just played a game and here is the AAR: Me: Soviets: I rule!!! Me: Germans: I suck!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franko Posted November 7, 2002 Share Posted November 7, 2002 I used to do this with every BOARD wargame I ever owned...why not try this? F Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrNoobie Posted November 7, 2002 Share Posted November 7, 2002 interesting i will try as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawyer Posted November 7, 2002 Share Posted November 7, 2002 I guess I'm missing the appeal of this approach. Most of the fun in CM for me is outguessing the AI or other guy. Since you know the human tactics on both sides, you would have perfect knowledge to block feints, advances, surprise arty, etc. If you didn't use this knowledge to make your side perform better, then you would just be play testing to see what happens with the game AI. So why not just play the AI in the first place?? The only game variable I can see in playing myself would be the AI actions that no human controls. Seems to me that trying to outguess an imperfect AI is still more interesting. [ November 06, 2002, 07:27 PM: Message edited by: Lawyer ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadow 1st Hussars Posted November 7, 2002 Share Posted November 7, 2002 I tried, but my opponent was much too gamey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loki Posted November 7, 2002 Share Posted November 7, 2002 I don't think I could try this. If I put myself in the commanders shoes I would need a drink before battle. I'd naturally have to do that for both sides. Add to that fact that I'd also have to have a drink for all my subordinates. Point is, I doubt I'd remember who won the next day and have to try again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruno Weiss Posted November 7, 2002 Share Posted November 7, 2002 Definately an antisocial type Woof woof! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herr Oberst Posted November 7, 2002 Share Posted November 7, 2002 Another alternative is to play historically. One-half a turn a night. On a "German" night, try to be cold and calculating, and wear a monocle. On a "Russian" night, you have to be drunk on Vodka before you watch a movie or issue orders... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snarker Posted November 7, 2002 Share Posted November 7, 2002 I'm 9-9-1. Or is it 9-9-2? Hmm, how many times would I count a tie? I've hit the NFL's goal - ultimate parity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunflower Farm Boy Posted November 7, 2002 Share Posted November 7, 2002 Or living on a sunflower farm... Beat yourself silly Michael. After you've finished don't forget the excitement of mailing a letter to yourself and replying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou2000 Posted November 7, 2002 Share Posted November 7, 2002 Dont wishing to post a 'patch/cm3 wishlist' .... But i think this mode of play would work there was a feature whereby the AI controlled a percentage of each side (say 25%/50&/75%) and the remainder were under human control. It would also add quite a bit of unpredictability to single/multiplayer games .... you would have to control your units as best as you could whilst there are other actions taking place that you have no control over ... however you could provide cover/support etc. It could also reduce 'borg spotting' if you only see enemy detected my your units, or those spotted by units you are in radio contact with. Did i explain that right .... or do i need another 'wake-up coffee' Lou2000 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeatEtr Posted November 7, 2002 Share Posted November 7, 2002 The opposition, you, will always be extemly hard to beat, however hard you try to outdo yourself, yourself will always out do you! LOL, that struck me funny! The ultimate idea for solo play down below. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | V Must be over the age of 21. Sit down at your computer with a shot glass and a big ole bottle of your fav liquor. Get absolutely ****faced and fire up CMBB/CMBO and play 1 turn of hotseat with yourself. Now just do the same thing the next night as the other side. Odds are that after your 18 hour nap u would have completely forgotten what u did the night before. [ November 07, 2002, 05:43 AM: Message edited by: MeatEtr ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaegerMeister Posted November 7, 2002 Share Posted November 7, 2002 All the obvious jokes aside, i agree with lou200, it would be good if Battlefront guys could segment the AI control, so that you could play just the part of a tank/infantry platoon or company commander and let the Ai control the rest of your forces. You could limit the views to just camera 1, so your really on the ground with your men. This way, you would have your own orders to carry out and/or could help out the rest of your force if they got in a pickle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firefly Posted November 7, 2002 Share Posted November 7, 2002 Originally posted by Franko: I used to do this with every BOARD wargame I ever owned...why not try this? FThat's the problem for us old boardgamers, as you and MD say, we spent far too much time playing solo, because of the unavailability of opponents. The great thing about computer wagames was that we always had an opponent, even if it wasn't a very good one. I suppose it might appeal to people who didn't spend most of the seventies and eighties pushing cardboard counters around all by themselves . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markgame Posted November 7, 2002 Share Posted November 7, 2002 Originally posted by Firefly: I suppose it might appeal to people who didn't spend most of the seventies and eighties pushing cardboard counters around all by themselves .Ahem, that would be the sixties, seventies and eighties for some of us. Tactics II rules!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firefly Posted November 7, 2002 Share Posted November 7, 2002 Originally posted by markgame: Ahem, that would be the sixties, seventies and eighties for some of us. Tactics II rules!!! Always nice to meet someone older than me - there's so few of them around. In the sixties I was pushing Airfix miniatures around by myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boo Radley Posted November 7, 2002 Share Posted November 7, 2002 I tried this several months ago and it didn't work too well. I couldn't try anything sneaky because I knew what the "other side" was doing. If my Americans were attacking with such and such units on their right, I made sure I had enough for an adequate defense on my left. That kind of thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilhammer Posted November 7, 2002 Share Posted November 7, 2002 I was watching "A Bugs Life" last night. Just before the movie starts, a short film runs about an old man playing himself in Chess. Very funny, a little sad, and very clear that you might just be insane doing this. =========================== Seriously, this idea is not new. In Ye Olde Days of board wargames, one might say most playtime was done doing exactly this. solitaire play on both sides. To make it work (I am in fact insane:)), you need to run a couple of games or more and then play them out of sequence with gaps, in order to hopefully forget some of the details of the other side in each battle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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