what kind of a "commander" are YOU?

[Itael]

I was wondering what is the general "play style" that you guys implement as virtual commanders.

Mine certainly changed in the past year...

I used to be very cautious, I treated each soldier with maximum care. If my troops died I took it personally and I found myself reloading a saved game here and there - especially if a lot of my guys died because of a bad tactical decision I made.

However recently I tried to think more as a "General" and less as a "Squad Leader", it's a war and it's bloody, and soldiers do die.

Sometimes casualties are unavoidable in order to accomplish an objective, and completing it with no casualties at all is just unrealistic.

Playing with this new "approach" I find myself much more successful overall - it doesn't mean my soldiers are now cannon fodder, but I certainly reach my objectives faster and deliver a stronger "punch" in the stats when the battle is complete.

So, how do you play? How much do you "care" for your virtual troops?

And last but not least, do you think real commanders take the same approach?

Is it essential to think of the "big picture" or to preserve life as a top priority?

Itai

[Field Marshal Blücher]

I don't really think of anything that I do in terms of play styles, personally. I just try to put myself in the commander's shoes and say, "if I was in this position in real life, what would I do?" There's always a balance between taking casualties and completing the mission objectives.

[Elmar Bijlsma]

I've gone the other way. I used to take huge risks, but have stopped doing so.

Getting objectives is pretty low on the list of priorities when fighting a battle. I try to engage the enemy on my terms and at my own pace. If I press my attack before half the time has passed and 1/3 my MG ammo is depleted, I'm rushing. Suppressive fire all the way! This sometimes sees me miss an objective or two, but on average I'm far more successful this way.

The very low casualties are a big help score wise in any case but better then that, finishing with about the same amount of troops and vehicles as you start with means you can apply the whoop ass throughout the scenario instead of seeing your firepower slowly diminish as the casualties mount. The increasing overmatch in forces as time ticks by will typically see scenarios end early in total victory as the last enemies will be swatted like flies.

Unless I'm playing as Syrians. Then my subordinate are pretty much fooked.

Their limitations in a stand up fight sees them oft used as one shot weapons.

[Rustman]

As in real life, it is all METT-TC dependent. There is no cookie cutter answer to style that wins in every situation. It all really comes down to setting up the fight on your terms maximizing your strengths and undermining theirs. Sometimes that means immediately utilizing an overwhelming maneuver force emphsized by violence of action....other times, tactical patience is the key..deliberate, careful, well covered and timed maneuvers.

[De Savage]

Hard question... Hmmm....

Surely I'm not cautios, sometimes I'm too careless and lose my precious vehicles in mindless rush.

I love arty and I trust that firepower will bring victory. I try to manoveur my commanders and/or FOs to best spotting positions available. Then I will hammer my enemies with quick and deadly accurate arty fire. Sometimes I use longer, lighter fire to suppress enemy positions. This gives my assault troops easy time approaching target area. Just before assaut I use heavy arty/mortar fire and bring my vehicles closer too.

[dan/california]

I have certainly noticed that if you rubble a building, a lot less fire comes out of it.

[Bulgaroktonos]

In CM:SF I'm usually a company commander...

I prefer caution, and care a lot about the lives of my men but realise that sometimes people die. That said, I usually try to respond to all threats with overwhelming firepower, which is why I love playing Marines.

[gunnersman]

As unrealistic as it might be, some scenarios are tested and retested over and over again and require a level of conservatism before you can actually get a picture of the enemy situation and then push hard (speaking in terms of an attack scenario).

When I say unrealistic, what I mean to say is, being on the attack may not always be as demanding as many scenarios (with good scenario designers) tend to be. If you rush and are careless, you will lose your *ss. If you take your time at first and get a picture before any bold moves, that will help things along.

It all depends on the defense type (defense in depth, rear slope defense, etc)

[Other Means]

Over cautious at first then panic in the final 15 minutes when I'm most of the map away from the objectives, leading to mounted APCs being rushed forward with no covering fire and all my arty falling around the men as they dismount into withering, unsuppressed enemy fire and friendly airbursts before they turn into crosses or exclamation marks around the burning, exploding wrecks of their only way out of there as the heavy armour that could have done them some good is either mercilessly pounding the target I gave them 20 minutes ago or is leading the charge and looking like a electromagnet in a scrapheap as they are ablated down to the chassis.

Promotion is on the cards I feel.

[kipanderson]

Hi,

I am a very cautious, very careful commander who believes every digital life matters… also very slow.

I run out of time in almost all scenarios… hence I tend to go into the editor just whack on more time to a game before I even play it. I normally need twice the time allowed by the designer.

All good fun,

All the best,

Kip.

[laca25]

Over cautious at first then panic in the final 15 minutes when I'm most of the map away from the objectives, leading to mounted APCs being rushed forward with no covering fire and all my arty falling around the men as they dismount into withering, unsuppressed enemy fire and friendly airbursts before they turn into crosses or exclamation marks around the burning, exploding wrecks of their only way out of there as the heavy armour that could have done them some good is either mercilessly pounding the target I gave them 20 minutes ago or is leading the charge and looking like a electromagnet in a scrapheap as they are ablated down to the chassis.

Promotion is on the cards I feel.

Ha, ha, ha........ this put a smile on my face

[ScubaSam]

I tend to move a lot slower than the designers intended as well... usually run out of time long before all the objectives are complete. Sometimes, though, it works well, you get a real "sense of urgency" and end up advancing at a fast pace but still clearing positions effectively - one platoon gets contacted, gets supported by MGs / Arty, advances through, consolidates, and before they've even finished another platoon has leapfrogged them and continued the advance.

Theres a lot of multi-tasking in it and it fries my brain, but there is something satisfying to making a very swift leapfrog advance across the map, as long as you don't mind double clicking your platoon HQ and "quick" moving your guys into the unknown...

[MarkEzra]

It's not about deliberation or throwing caution to the wind. I've done both with and without success. The Game certainly makes me think more. Perhaps I'm gaining a better tactical judgement as a result.

[George MC]

Over cautious at first then panic in the final 15 minutes when I'm most of the map away from the objectives, leading to mounted APCs being rushed forward with no covering fire and all my arty falling around the men as they dismount into withering, unsuppressed enemy fire and friendly airbursts before they turn into crosses or exclamation marks around the burning, exploding wrecks of their only way out of there as the heavy armour that could have done them some good is either mercilessly pounding the target I gave them 20 minutes ago or is leading the charge and looking like a electromagnet in a scrapheap as they are ablated down to the chassis.

Promotion is on the cards I feel.

Man after my own heart!

[Field Marshal Blücher]

Over cautious at first then panic in the final 15 minutes when I'm most of the map away from the objectives, leading to mounted APCs being rushed forward with no covering fire and all my arty falling around the men as they dismount into withering, unsuppressed enemy fire and friendly airbursts before they turn into crosses or exclamation marks around the burning, exploding wrecks of their only way out of there as the heavy armour that could have done them some good is either mercilessly pounding the target I gave them 20 minutes ago or is leading the charge and looking like a electromagnet in a scrapheap as they are ablated down to the chassis.

Promotion is on the cards I feel.

Hero of the Soviet Union!

Seriously, I've done this WAY too much.

[Kat Johnston]

Over cautious at first then panic in the final 15 minutes when I'm most of the map away from the objectives, leading to mounted APCs being rushed forward with no covering fire and all my arty falling around the men as they dismount into withering, unsuppressed enemy fire and friendly airbursts before they turn into crosses or exclamation marks around the burning, exploding wrecks of their only way out of there as the heavy armour that could have done them some good is either mercilessly pounding the target I gave them 20 minutes ago or is leading the charge and looking like a electromagnet in a scrapheap as they are ablated down to the chassis.

Promotion is on the cards I feel.

Made me burst into laughter!

I, er, try not to do that too much. As a (Blue) commander I prefer to put my trust into large amounts of suppressive fire, dismounted infantry and "reconnaissance by impenetrable armour over the frontal arc."

[BillyR]

Tried both and am rubbish at both. Too cautious and I run out of time. Too fast, and men and machines are falling by the wayside.

I try to get high ground to get a picture, but I'm just too damn slow.

One thing I am good at it seems is rushing an APC into an area, dropping smoke, dropping troops into a building and reversing out...then the boys are stuck!

I simply don't seem to be able to play this right. I love the game (by the way, apart from the damned annoying sound, the Challengers are absolutely stunning) but am just not cut out to lead hence my real life lack of promotion I guess :-(

[Ricochet67]

Like many of you, I begin cautiously and end up racing for the objectives before time expires. Despite not achieving all the mission goals, I frequently win because the enemy surrenders. Elmar summed it up best when he said:

The very low casualties are a big help score wise in any case but better then that, finishing with about the same amount of troops and vehicles as you start with means you can apply the whoop ass throughout the scenario instead of seeing your firepower slowly diminish as the casualties mount. The increasing overmatch in forces as time ticks by will typically see scenarios end early in total victory as the last enemies will be swatted like flies.

[MeatEtr]

Words I hate to read in the briefing "You can't blow up this or that building." (penalty points if you do) So whats the first thing I do? Yup, blow the hell outta the building and be penalized. Since there's a very good chance there's plenty of enemy in there.

[SlapHappy]

I tend to like to play the same way...slow and deliberate. However, that seems to work best in WEGO mode vs. Real-time where turn-based play is more efficient time wise.

Unfortunately, I prefer playing real-time...which is an interesting dilemma.

Lately, I've tried a hybrid approach where I issue several commands while in paused real-time mode and then let things play out a bit before making adjustments. That way I can intervene at a time of my own choosing rather than being fixed by the one minute increments. A LOT can happen in one minute.

This is where the DELAY command comes into it's own. If you practice you can coordinate several units together using the above methodology.

This could also possibly be a method for an "Iron Man" type of play where you are required to plot long-range orders for your troops and then maintain a hands-off until several minutes of play have passed. This would represent a higher-level commanders inability to immediately influence events on the battlefield. Of course, it puts you more at the mercy of the TAC-AI, which could spell trouble .

[ScubaSam]

I got great satisfaction by planning a platoon attack, in real time, with the game paused - used the delay commands to co-ordinate the whole thing, so the squads advanced in bounding overwatch etc, then one assaulted the enemy trenches while the other squads provided support. Basically like using the assault command on a platoon.

Was great fun to set all this up, then unpause and watch it all unfold, hands free. Even better fun when it actually worked, mission complete Almost made me want to play WeGo

[Vinnart]

Read Sun Tsu and the Art of Modern Warfare by Mark McNeilly, History Channel recenty had a special on it. It gives the primary essentials for how to conduct warfare. The princibles can apply to wargamming, and it helps to make you a better "virtual commander.

Lots of good answers here, some are appliying these principle whether they knew it or not like choosing where and when to fight on THEIR terms. Just like in reality you have to expect casualties, but I try to command as Sun Tsu would along with using sound modern doctrine like softening up a target, and having overwatch in place before going on the attack.

The AI is too easy to beat So, look forward to pbem meeting engagements WW2.

"Be like Water" - Bruce Lee (another good principle for commanding)

[Waycool]

Other Means hilarious.... we must have gome to the same battle drill school LOL>

[theFightingSeabee]

I'm a cautious player as well. They key thing that I've been able to use more effectively the more I play is knowing when to be cautious and when not to be.

Always use extreme caution. But if you find a weakness, sometimes you need to just strike as hard as you can.

I've also learned that rushing in to the objective during the last 10 minutes is not a great strategy. Sometimes I just have to go without the points. Points ain't gonna bring my boys home!

[Apocal]

I've recently tried my hand at rudimentary fire planning. I simply drop JDAMs on anything that looks like shennanigans at the scenario start, and have artillery rolling through threat areas on a fixed schedule.

I waste a lot of fire support, but I waste a lot of enemy too.