Combat Mission Basics: Firefight 2

Now with more bullets.
Combat Mission Shock Force 2 is out on Steam on the 1st of September: store.steampow...
#CombatMission
#CombatMissionShockForce2

[@jackcoleman1784]

I'm amazed at how high the level of quality of these tutorials is. Most of the time CM tutorials are plain text and struggle to elaborate but not the case here. The ending is particularly well done building anticipation for the next video and causing veterans to immediately think about what they would have done. I thinks it's obvious you're probably going to expound upon different types of fire support in the next video but I honestly eagerly anticipate you making in depth videos on different C2 situations and how they play out with different command structures.

[@realQuiGon]

Yeah, the C2 stuff is what makes this game really stand out!

[@GreyKnightInvio]

Thank you for these spot on tutorials the manual explains it but having someone actually break it down and give visuals works better

[@radarradarovic2076]

Man I love these videos. Keep 'em coming. Especially since I was waiting for about two years to get CMSF2 on sale. With Steam this just might be possible. Perfectly timed

[@Gamerfrede]

Its already on sale on their own website, only 42$. You also get a Steam key

[@radarradarovic2076]

@@Gamerfrede Nice. Thanks for telling me

[@Gamerfrede]

@@radarradarovic2076 np, though the steam key will be released on 1. Sep. So we still have to wait for that

[@VynalDerp]

I immediately looked for the third video and then was shocked this was uploaded 19 hours ago.... I need more of this. I might end up buying Combat Mission... The big price was a turnoff (costs more than Arma 3) but the working tactics and mechanics might actually be worth it :)

[@HaydnHaendel]

It's a game with a rather steep learning curve. But, once you figure out how to use the interface at its full potential, it's... like Arma. As in, once you've tried it you're never going back to CoD (or other RTSs in our analogy) ever again.

[@VynalDerp]

@@HaydnHaendel I just played the demo and I was hardcore dissapointed in it haha. I hope it doesn't represent the game as a whole. I ended up trying both real time and turn based, and I can certainly say there is nothing more frustrating than watching my infantry staring at the enemy as they rush towards them without engaging (despite the fact they, according to the game, spotted them) and yet the AI is able to instantly engage without issue. I have never been in a fight which my guys fired first, unless I gamed it and checked out the perspective from the other team and kept the enemy meta suppressed with a tank or something, and yet when I am the one who is doing the attacking the AI seems to always get the first shot off when my guys are running at them and they spot eachother at the same time. The same sort of things happened with tanks... I recall losing 2 or 3 tanks in one turn because enemy tanks (T-64s) came around a corner and instantly started targeting my tanks while they just sit there like dumbasses taking fire in spite of the fact they are staring straight at said T-64 and the game claims they are the ones spotting it. Was definitely not fun to play and made me want to play something like BECTI in Arma instead. Could easily load up RHS and have the same setting, set up BECTI mission settings in the editor on a map like Takistan and I essentially have a ghetto Combat Mission set up lol. If my impressions hold on the final product I will probably buy Armored Brigade instead, I was genuinely impressed with that game when I tried it, and even though I was upset with some of the mechanics.... the mod support let me fix that myself and I had an amazing game experience.

[@HaydnHaendel]

@@VynalDerp I'm sad you had a bad experience. To be fair, I've gotten my ass handed over to me so many times I lost count. Best advice I can give you is to look up some of Hapless let's plays of the campaigns, so you get a feel for _how_ your units do perform on the field. Combat mission isn't a RTS, it's more akin to a full simulation so doing the basics pays off - and doing even minor mistakes (ex: running into combat instead of stopping to spot) can add up real fast and end up in a platoon wipe. Take a deep breath, look around a bit, then give the demo another try, and see if the end result is better.

[@SprikSprak]

Not sure but might be the context of the spotting is why they didn't react first - if your infantry are sprinting the tac ai is less likely to take cover and fire when it spots an enemy and indeed it is less likely to spot since they're busy running as hard as they can. For tanks it might depend on the type of tank - CM models the equipment, armor and crew veterancy pretty extensively so if an enemy tank got the shot off first it might have better targetting computers, night sights, etc. If it was a T72 that got the shot off before an Abrams though when it was spotted first that would be odd. Incidentally the armor modelling on vehicles is one of my favourite features in CM - once lost an Abrams because it climbed a small lip and an rpg managed to scoot under it's frontal armor and kill the driver.

[@VynalDerp]

@@SprikSprak well, I've noticed something odd - in the demo, my troops often wouldn't even stop to fire when using the move, slow, or hunt commands, but in the latest Firefight video, I've noticed his units stop and shoot despite using the Quick command. I'm starting to suspect the tac AI is either dumbed down in the demo or something is wrong with it. I'm not sure, it could just be bad luck or something. Trying the game out in real time generally resulted in me having a hundred times more fun. When I advanced to contact I could easily pause and order my men to Target the unit they just spotted (and yes, I know they spotted it because I selected the unit and it shows enemies that unit can see and yep, they are the only unit in the army that can see them). Doing this generally means both parties fire on each other at about the same time, and the fight is generally dependant on whoever has the better troops (usually me, because blufor). In some instances though I noticed that when doing it when I'm playing opfor, I would often end up winning engagements I totally wouldn't have without real time targeting. I recall in the Syria bank map, in turn based mode my guys would stand in a building and stare intently at British troops running across a road and maybe one guy would fire one shot (if lucky), but in real time and ordering the unit to target the Brits would result in *everyone* opening fire and the Brits getting pinned down in the street. Can you imagine being a part of a squad of 8-10 ppl all staring at one road for hours, and when you finally see enemy contact only one of you opens fire despite everyone looking in the same direction? Yeah, idk, I feel like the game is conditioning me to use the Tac AI as little as possible.

[@Spider-Too-Too]

we could really use a traveling overwatch movement command, so instead of dashing and stop with "assault" command, they will run in quick speed and stop to provide cover

[@willv3462]

I'm learning a lot about the game, but a lot of this is great because I'm just refreshing basic tactics. Really clear, understandable.. Thanks!

[@granapriego]

Great video by the way. I was waiting in front of my machine for it to release. I could not believe it when it was delayed.

[@TheBooves]

Excellent explanation of the relationship between enemy, ground and tactics

[@SturmgeistMD]

Did the Syrians in the compound hold fire by using the 'very short targeting area' method you showed in a previous video, or is there an actual 'hold fire' command?

[@usuallyhapless9481]

Yep, short target arc to hold fire and a "Hide" to... well, hide.

[@SturmgeistMD]

@@usuallyhapless9481 Thank you!

[@yourdadsotherfamily3530]

Love the series mah doode! I would play combat if it wasn’t 129$ :/ but def earned a sub from all the awesome combat shock force footage

[@DK-pz6qq]

Very useful analysis.

[@Wolfman2598]

can't wait to be playing this on the 1st!

[@Spider-Too-Too]

i hope it will be cheaper

[@d.c.6065]

According to another comment, it's on sale at the BF website, but you don't get the key until the 1st.

[@Wolfman2598]

@@Spider-Too-Too you think its over priced on steam for what you get?

[@Spider-Too-Too]

@@Wolfman2598 i didn't get it on BFC site because i already own SF1 and dlcs. there is no reason for me to buy it again if it isn't for a cheaper price and graphic update

[@Spider-Too-Too]

damn, cmsf 2 is running so smooth and the calculation on turn base mode is so fast

[@Shaz337]

One thing you missed was how the face command actually works. Took me a while to realise whatever location you click on is the direction they will face rather tan that’s the direction to face from the base of the infantry.

[@s2korpionic]

Pretty concise.

[@leeponzu]

You should release this as a scenario. There could be a lot of different defensive plans.

[@usuallyhapless9481]

It's on my to-do list ;)

[@hmabboud]

I want the third episode soon please :)

[@sproge2142]

Hey Hapless! Wonderful as always! Quick question, when I asked you for hints on what to expect in the near future you responded "sand, WW2 unit guide, more sand, WW1 War Room, even more sand, Basics, sand...", is Basics and "sand" the same thing? Just wondering if the Africa Corps dream is still alive XD

[@usuallyhapless9481]

Well, unfortunately I didn't see CMSF2 coming to Steam so the schedule has pretty much gone down the pan. I think I'm probably going to squeeze one more Firefight in to try and give new players a good base to work from and then get back to the aforementioned "sand" plan.

[@sproge2142]

@@usuallyhapless9481 awesome, I've got my fingers crossed!

[@Philhamm]

@@usuallyhapless9481 I'm leaning back in my chair, tenting my fingers and pretending I know what the "sand plan" entails

[@buckplug2423]

I have one question of tactical nature - what was the point of using bounds in this scenario? With the enemy squad suppressed by the 240, was there a need for additional firepower from the squad? It'd seem more sensible to me to simply push the squad as 1 unit, closing in as quickly as possible (with regard to distance) and killing the enemy. Perhaps that has to do with the German/Soviet school of infantry - which I'm more in touch with as opposed to the more firepower-centered, more careful American school - but I really don't see the reason to use bounds in this situation, short of maybe poor cover in the desert.

[@nafsiammara]

So what am I supposed to do about ammo supply? If it takes that much ammo to provide maximum security to destroy one unit, how can I really do anything and not end up with an army of pistoleers?

[@usuallyhapless9481]

The chances of you having an infantry only force in CM and having to attack across 500m of open ground is pretty slim. It's vehicle mounted heavy weapons, mortars and artillery that are going to to the vast majority of the work.

[@nafsiammara]

@@usuallyhapless9481 Getting my head around resupply from vehicles now. Still having issues with AI either over-firing or not firing enough, firing with wrong weapons etc, but at least I can keep them going now.

[@michaelwestmoreland2530]

I was about to ask what the value of simulating spotting and communications that well is, since if YOU see X, functionally all do, and then it hit me. The TacAI, right? What they're aware of via spotting and comms adjusts the mid-order TacAI behavior?

[@RayLovesToMakeMusic]

Nice storyboard, Hap.

[@Spider-Too-Too]

is there a cmsf discord?

[@fb2551]

Everything I do with infantry is always countered with artillery. Which makes sense but it's led me to become less confident in my infantry orders. I need help 😂 Edit: playing on black sea.

[@Rokaize]

Oh well Black Sea has the most lethal artillery with the amount of laser guided guns out there. But you should probably try to move quicker then. If they have enough time to paste you with artillery then you are probably sitting still too long. Either way, there’s a reason why artillery in real life is responsible for most deaths in war, and sometimes you’re just going to lose guys to it.

[@viki5563]

what is this map?