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Beginners tutorial

OldnSlow

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Hi guys,

As a beginner to Command Ops, I was wondering if there was a tutorial dialogue to accompany the tutorial St. Vith scenario?
I have looked in vain in the game manual.

Cheers.
 

Rosmarus

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There is but for some reason it has not found its way to CO2 (as of yet)
Behind that link you will find video tutorials made by Dave for the previous installment of the series. Even though it is for the CO1 version of the game those videos should be completely usable save for differences in the UI.
 

OldnSlow

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Thank you so much chaps! I will definitely be busy for some time :)
 

MarkShot

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I wrote very extensive guides for HTTR and COTA. The game series sequence was:

RDOA -> HTTR -> COTA -> BFTB -> CO2

Now, the UI has been updated with each release. But for the most part, each UI update is a superset of the prior release. Also, my tutorials and tips spend a lot of time dealing with games concepts and how to play. Thus, applicability to CO2 is probably 80%. I say 80%, since there were three key additions that do impact general game play:

* Mixed mode movement. The road network became a lot more important.

* Supply simulation. Keeping your supply line open is important; the magic 3am Santa in your ammo clip doesn't happen anymore.

* Fatigue. Modeling of this kept improving.

Beyond that I hope you will find these tutorial of some use. Despite the variation in UI, it's like the difference between Mexican and Puerto Rican Spanish ... you'll still be able to make your way around.

You will find tutorial concepts, AAR, and tips how to play:

http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=554123

http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=554121

http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=977049

Good hunting!

PS: I think I was a member of the Beta Team for about 10 years or so. Almost long enough to learn some of Dave's Aussie English! :)
 

OldnSlow

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Thank you very much MarkShot. Heaps of info for me to work with. Now I just have to find the time! o_O
 

simovitch

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Hey Mark - glad to see you around still! You were an old time beta tester back when I was still lurking on the fence 10 years ago trying to decide to buy HTTR.
 

MarkShot

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Howdy, Richard,

How have you been? The new UI looks great. My problem is that I got my last PC 8 years ago and got a really smoking OCed machine just a few months; custom built here Taiwan. (They have a street for everything here in Taipei: furniture, aquariums, PC components, etc...) So, after much deliberation, I settled on a reliable builder and the configuration. Still had to spend a lot of time on the software environment as they mainly build you the hardware you want here. (no labor charges)

I cannot really say all my games are new (in the sense released); perhaps CO2 is truly the newest. BUT I JUST HAVE SO MUCH FANTASTIC STUFF TO PLAY!

At moment, I have been learning: VP4 (more pool than the PC game), CMx2 (CMBN/CMFI/CMRT), GTOS, and SOW. I have more games than time, I am afraid.

* And yes Dave did try to get me to reenlist yesterday. :)

PS: Oh, I forgot to mention having this new machine, I am kind of drawn to the more 3D games given all its power! :)
 

Metalogic

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I wrote very extensive guides for HTTR and COTA. The game series sequence was:

RDOA -> HTTR -> COTA -> BFTB -> CO2

Now, the UI has been updated with each release. But for the most part, each UI update is a superset of the prior release. Also, my tutorials and tips spend a lot of time dealing with games concepts and how to play. Thus, applicability to CO2 is probably 80%. I say 80%, since there were three key additions that do impact general game play:

* Mixed mode movement. The road network became a lot more important.

* Supply simulation. Keeping your supply line open is important; the magic 3am Santa in your ammo clip doesn't happen anymore.

* Fatigue. Modeling of this kept improving.

Beyond that I hope you will find these tutorial of some use. Despite the variation in UI, it's like the difference between Mexican and Puerto Rican Spanish ... you'll still be able to make your way around.

You will find tutorial concepts, AAR, and tips how to play:

http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=554123

http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=554121

http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=977049

Good hunting!

PS: I think I was a member of the Beta Team for about 10 years or so. Almost long enough to learn some of Dave's Aussie English! :)

Hi Mark, the information in those links looks really useful, but the links to the PDF download versions don't seem to work - is there any possibility of re-uploading the PDFs to somewhere that's accessible? Thanks
 

MarkShot

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I have those PDFs zipped up about 20Mb. I will put them up on my business server this weekend. Already 2am here.
 

MarkShot

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Metalogic,

Which HTTR? The standalone game, the BFTB DLC, or the CO2 DLC?

Roads became far more important in the later two.

Example: In HTTR Standalone you could set a road block in the woods. You could delay the enemy, but not stop them as they could go off road and slowly bypass. But in later releases, they either took out your road block or they weren't going anywhere.

You may ask how can one company really shut down a road against a determined force as opposed to just delay them? The answer is arty. Arty is the great equalizer. Sometimes what you can spot is far more important than what you can kill. :)
 
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MarkShot

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COTA: I once was under observation by a dug-in company in an elevated tree line. I didn't know they were there until the end of game AAR. I was desperately trying to coordinate an attack. But the enemy kept raining HE and metal down on my FUP.

Let me tell you, everything was all FUPed up! I was unable to kickoff the attack.
 

Metalogic

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Mark - I have the CO2 version of HTTR, is there a scenario in that equivalent to the "Eindhoven - Para Rescue" scenario you describe in your tutorial? Are some of the original scenarios from RDOA and the original HTTR missing in the CO2 version? Thanks
 

MarkShot

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Mark - I have the CO2 version of HTTR, is there a scenario in that equivalent to the "Eindhoven - Para Rescue" scenario you describe in your tutorial? Are some of the original scenarios from RDOA and the original HTTR missing in the CO2 version? Thanks

I am sorry. I haven't personally looked. But I don't believe you will find a 1:1 mapping between the four games and the Operation Market Garden scenarios.

In any case, I suggest you start with a smallish scenario. By that I mean short and a limited number of units to command.

Now, I believe Dave did make the CO2 UI sortable by number of units.

Previously, I had produced complexity spreadsheets for HTTR, COTA, and BFTB to help people find what they wanted to play. (The actual standalone games; not DLCs.)

If I have a chance, I will try to put them up on my server for you. They may still be useful.

I suggest you do two things with order delays:

(1) Don't play; just issue commands to HQs with order delays turn off. See the AI do its stuff. It will give you a feel for the game mechanics.

(2) But then when you play for real, play with "Painfully Realistic". It is one of the aspects that make this game like nothing else out there. It adds a dimension to combat that nothing else does this well: time.

I have no service experience. My background is management of systems development and operations. I can tell you managing groups and projects feels just like this game. You set some goals, and then, must step back and let things play out. If you are at everyone's desk once an hour with your hand in their work; failure is guaranteed.
 

cavan

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Markshot's guides are really helpful. Always kept handy on my iPad.
 

MarkShot

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Ha ha ha ... the guides were produced long before there was an iPad. I've given my old iPad2 to my mother-in-law and got an iPad Air 2 this year.

When we lived in the USA (and ran a business), we used to have a multi-function color ink jet and a color laser. Now, we only have a multi-function color ink jet. With the iPad, there is no reason to ever print manuals. Not only that, but I can put YouTube tutorials on it (via a download) app have handy stuff to watch when we travel to visit family.

---

I told Dave that I have a dilemma. I have BFTB but have never really played as I didn't have the hardware for it (just got a new hot PC). Now, I, also, have CO2. But I have never skipped a game in the series. Their seems to be something very heretical about skipping over BFTB. Right now, I am 25% through the CO2 manual. (Yeh, I know my name is on the front of it, but I still want to read it from cover to cover.)

Lastly, I have to admit that I am addicted. This new PC has gotten me addicted to 3D battlefields, since it is just so glorious to see. But I know I will play CO2 ... unlike almost all my other games, they have an optimal scenario size. This series does not suffer from that limitation, since you can scale your participation based upon the forces involved ... it is one of the most flexible systems I have ever seen. Fell in love with it when I got RDOA around 2000.
 

cavan

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"...the guides were produced long before there was an iPad"

I came to the system late. Nevertheless, a memorable job done, a resourse I return to often & a great help easing me into the system.
Cavan
 
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