So when is the right time...

C

Chrisos

Guest
Hi guys,

I have played about 5 CM2 battles against the computer now. I have also read and watched allot about CM2 tactics. Most of these I have managed a draw or victory - mainly because I have a solid understanding of combat through reading books on the subject and playing a bit of CM1.

So, when did you guys feel ready to take on a human opponent? I think I don't quite understand the nounces of the game yet eg how best to use artillery spotters etc...

Anyway, I'd love to hear your views on how you got started.

Cheers,

Chris.
 
Welcome, Chrisos!

In my case I never felt ready, but took the plunge into H2H play by joining FGM and signing up for the Operation Overlord Campaign in March 2012. Fredrocker strongly encouraged me and I'm grateful that he did! I had never played a human opponent in a comp game before that, after about 12 years of playing various games...mostly IL2 Sturmovik (I never played CMx1 games--first CM game purchased was CMSF in '08/'09). Like you, I had plenty of "practice" reading about combat for\ 40+ years, and playing boardgames and miniatures. Take the plunge, though...by playing a human, and especially when you have teammates relying on and watching you like in the Overlord Campaign, you learn things quickly. And it wasn't so much learning tactics, but how the game mechanics help you implement those tactics. I learned to split teams more (I now do it all the time, unless it's a move to contact on a covered route), learned how better to judge arty calls, and a lot of the minutae of the game. One quick example...I never used smoke much if at all playing the AI, but I got in a fix where I really needed to use it to get some men into a key position in one of my first H2H matches. I had no arty or mortars, just a fusilier company and 2 Pz IVs. They had only 3 smoke shells each, and I wasn't sure how much smoke was generated by each shell, or how quickly they would be fired off, etc. So I set up a test, discovered they would fire all 3 in succession--which wouldn't work in the situation I was facing, so experimented and figured out that I could target the first shell, make a very short movement order, target the second from that Waypoint, give a target order for the next one, and repeat the process for the 3rd shell. I was able to cover the frontage I needed that way. I would probably never have bothered to figure something like that out if I wasn't playing a human.

Besides, the anticipation waiting to get the turn back from your opponent to see how it turned out is delightfully excruciating!

Take the plunge, you won't regret it!

mjk

P.S. Forgot to mention, you will learn a lot by watching what your more experienced opponents do as well.
 
Hello Chrisos,
The saying "no time like the present" applies here. :) I suggest getting dropbox @ dropbox .com to share files and then we can get you the latest H2HH (head to head helper)
Then ask for a game here. I would be happy to play you and chat between turns and answer questions.

For my first experience I just jumped into PBEM( I asked my opponent to do the set up) and my biggest problem was buying troops and armour for whatever situation was presented. But I learned.

Cheers
 
You will never be fully ready. You will find that all the books you read on tactics and all the games you played of CM1 are pretty much useless. Yeah, your basic tactics apply but that is common sense stuff. MJK sums it up pretty good. You will play and you will get your ass kicked. That is a given. Some of the guys that have been around for some time here know the ins and outs of the game pretty well. They will kick your ass. We have all been there and it will get hell of frustrating. Just remember it is a game and takes some time to learn what to do against a human opponent. Playing against the AI will pretty much do nothing for you. Throw all that out the window and start playing human opponents to really learn the game. A human is quick to make you learn the hard way. This allows you to learn very quickly as you will get tired of getting whooped.

So...Now is the best time for you to start playing humans. Just do not get frustrated "if" you find yourself getting pasted by your human opponents. You may surprise yourself and really flip the script on everyone by kicking their asses.

I am up for a game. Pick a scenario that is suitable for H2H and let me know.
 
Definately try it. The thing is you will learn the most about troop setups, what works and what doesn't, how to employ particular weapon systems or learn some cool unorthodox ways to use them only from live opponents. I was very lucky to play agains some very good opponents and that helped me immensely. Even if you lose, you'll do better in the next battle.

Apart from the learning factor, there is a particular rush that you get out os such games, out of the whole unpredictability and cunning of your opponent which the AI just does not provide :)
 
Wow, I wasn't expecting such a plethora of responses!

Consider me encouraged up! thank you for pushing me along everyone.

Probably not the right place but here goes anyway....

I have the following stuff:
  1. Dropbox up and running
  2. V2.12 installed
  3. CMBN and Arnhem (but not the commonwealth pluggin)
I'm not sure if this is considered good our bad, but I can play 1 or 2 moves per day during my lunch break and maybe another in the evening. Weekends are more difficult.

If the above sounds reasonable I'd like to accept "Hang Fire" on his offer since he mentioned support between turns.

So, what next? How do we find a suitable map that neither of us have played? I'd prefer something with approximately per side. Does any one have any suggestions?

Thanks again,

Chris.
 
Now.... back on Jan 1... lets play... I will give you confidence with the way I play
 
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