Monster Video AAR / Tutorial for Newbies

[dakuth]

AT TIME OF WRITING, THE VIDEO IS STILL UPLOADING. I AM POSTING THIS NOW AS A TEASER OF WHAT IS COMING!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkGOLp3W3Qs

Weighing in at 2hrs and 40mins I have recorded a play through of the tutorial mission with a focus on first-timers. In this mission I was able to cover off everything from camera controls and UI quirks to scoot-and-shoot waypointing techniques.

As I played through the scenario I found it broke up into 4 chapters that defined the theme of the lessons. Within these chapters I covered off topics as they arose. Many of these "lessons" were simple tips and tricks I've learned through extensive forum lurking, and some I've learnt myself, and some might be wrong! :confused: Other lessons were examples on how to correctly execute some manoeuvre, such as assaulting a building. As such many of the lessons overlap, such as when I would show how to assault a building included in that are lessons on overwatch and friendly fire.

So the way the video is structured is it broken up into 4 chapters, and within those chapters I have timestamped the various topics I cover. Find the topic you are interested in and start watching from there. The information may be covered off quite quickly, or I may wax lyrical for sometime covering off sub-topics as they arise. As mentioned - there is often overlap. The video is best watched from start to finish due to the way it is structured, but I understand that since this "tutorial" is approximately the same length as Saving Private Ryan it may not be practical for everyone! Therefore - jump to the timestamp or timestamps that interest you and watch for as long as you like.

Bolded topics are the main topics. Unbolded tend to be sub-topics or tips.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkGOLp3W3Qs

0:00 - briefing: analyse friendly and enemy forces. Review Objectives.

Pre-battle

9:08 - preparing your attack: Analyse forces, anaylse terrain, develop plan, execute pre-battle moves/setup

10:20 - Icons, selecting units, army structure - teams/squads/platoons

13:45 - C2 network

16:35 - stats - leadership, experience, morale, tiredness

18:30 - jumping between units in a platoon

19:30 - tank platoons - radio contact

20:20 - anaylse terrain

20:30 - Camera controls 1 - 9

21:20 - develop plan

21:40 - reserves

24:05 - Combined arms tactics - tanks and infantry

25:25 - AT guns vs Tank tactics

Setup phase / first turns

28:40 - First turn orders

29:25 - The different movement commands - quick/fast/slow/etc

30:40 - Recce (reconnoiter)

31:25 - splitting teams

32:10 - Cover arc as "hold fire"

34:30 - Prepared artillery bombardments

37:40 - Calling artillery

42:40 - 60mm vs 81mm vs 105mm

43:50 - placing waypoints/artillery missions near hedgelines/walls

47:00 - The different types of hedges

48:10 - artillery bug to be aware of

48:50 - rejoining teams

50:00 - All paths

51:00 - giving further commands at waypoints

51:50 - peeking through bocage

54:40 - relative spotting

57:30 - initial contact and minor mortar tactic discussion

Assault

1:00:35 - Planning an assault on a building

1:02:30 - tank buttoned vs unbuttoned

1:03:30 - Overwatch and building assault theory

1:05:10 - Overwatch options

1:07:40 - Assault timings

1:08:20 - Target light in an assault / friendly fire

1:10:25 - Giving commands for an Assault

1:11:30 - binoculars matter

1:12:25 - regrouping on waypoints

1:12:40 - line of sight from a waypoint

1:13:40 - Forcing the use of grenades (for building assault)

1:13:55 - The Pause command on a waypoint

1:14:40 - MG area suppression

1:18:05 - Reinforcements

1:18:30 - The tacAI cancelling orders

Fighting through bocage

1:20:20 (also 1:17:30) - Bailing out of a tank

1:22:30 - Tank turning speeds

1:23:50 - buddy aid

1:27:30 - the sounds of gunfire

1:28:20 - The pros and cons of a house

1:29:40 - targeting a unit

1:30:30 - blasting through bocage without engineers

1:31:30 - Ammo cookoff

1:32:40 - Direct fire mortars

1:32:40 - Cowering to break line of sight

1:34:30 - Enemy Artillery spotting rounds

1:35:25 - Scoot and shoot or firing limited smoke rounds

1:36:00 - Wind effects

1:39:00 - buddy aid

1:42:20 - buddy aid in action "medic"

1:43:50 - permanent morale and fitness penalties

1:46:15 - infantry screen for tanks theory

1:47:45 - trading and collecting ammo

1:49:30 - low hedges. Hedges tanks can cross

1:50:20 - more buddy aid

1:51:10 - the use of the hide command to break line of sight

1:53:10 - tank statistics - ammo/damage

1:53:30 - losing tracks (going slower reduces chances of throwing tracks)

1:54:10 - using enemy equipment. surrendering

1:55:15 - American doctrine for bocage assault

1:58:05 - Bocage assault in action

2:00:40 - Forcing the use of grenades

Mopping up

2:01:40 - German infantry squads with MG42s

2:08:00 - More bocage assault. The assault movement command

2:08:00 - Area fire

2:11:00 - Buttoning up tank commanders

2:12:20 - Buttoned up tank vs Panzershrek

2:14:30 - bailing out of tank

2:17:45 - committing reserves

2:17:50 - tanks on roads and mine concerns

2:19:30 - another example of overwatch maneuvor. How to choose your assault squad and overwatch squad

2:21:00 - Errant spotting rounds. calling for arty, then spotter dying.

2:24:10 - judging your opponent by incoming fire and fire superiority

2:26:20 - Buttoned up tank vs Panzershrek #2. Example of why tanks should not lead attacks

2:29:30 - Tank TacAI taking evasive moves

2:30:45 - recrewing a tank (can't recrew a different tank)

2:31:40 - buddy aid tip

2:32:15 - careful placement of waypoints near obstacles (bocage)

2:33:30 - surrender and objectives

2:35:30 - recrewing a tank

2:40:00 - semi-deployed machine guns

2:37:00 - After Action report screen

If you are comfortable with the game, I have no doubt you will find this quite boring. If you are new to the game, and in particular are finding it quite hard I think you will find it very enlightening, if you invest the time to watch it.

I admit my credentials are not the highest, but I have been able to defeat most scenarios I have tried against the AI, with Elite difficulty, gaining Total Victory. So my lessons here, if applied as I demonstrate, should grant you success.

[hm_stanley]

...still being processed... how did you get a 2hr video on Youtubey?

[dakuth]

Yes, I expect it'll take another 8 hours. If it's not uploading happily when I get home from work, I'll be breaking the chapters up and uploading them one at a time.

As to "how" - youtube just allows it now. Limit is 20GB afaik. You might have to be a member for a while first, or some such.

[dakuth]

Damn. My upload failed, which is ok. I'll get it this weekend - but that means the link will be wrong. I did not realise that this forum does not let you edit posts, or I would never have preemptively posted.

Can a mod please delete this thread and I'll start another one when I get the upload completed?