Matrix Games Forums

 Forums  Register  Login  Photo Gallery  Member List  Search  Calendars  FAQ 

My Profile  Inbox  Address Book  My Subscription  My Forums  Log Out

Recommendations for Beginner

 
View related threads: (in this forum | in all forums)

Logged in as: Guest
Users viewing this topic: none
  Printable Version
All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> Command: Modern Operations series >> Recommendations for Beginner Page: [1]
Login
Message << Older Topic   Newer Topic >>
Recommendations for Beginner - 8/9/2015 8:07:33 PM   
Stardog765


Posts: 160
Joined: 8/12/2010
Status: offline 		Good afternoon all,
Just wanted to get some input here.
I am just starting to try and get into this intimidating sim after owning it for years.
I am a big time lover of Janes Fleet Command but after all of these years it is really showing its age and looking for make the move to Command.

Being a noob at this sim I am pretty intimidated by the complexity I see in some of the videos that I watch, mainly in having to select weapons load outs and things like that for individual weapons platforms. I am comfortable with tactics and things like that but not all of the little details sometimes.

Two Questions:

1. In most scenarios do you always have to micro-manage little details or are there defaults usually that you can go with?

2. What series of scenarios would you recommend for a beginner that deal with mainly surface and sub operations as opposed to air situations?

Thank you for any input you can offer.


Post #: 1
RE: Recommendations for Beginner - 8/10/2015 2:22:18 AM   
HalfLifeExpert


Posts: 911
Joined: 7/20/2015
From: California, United States
Status: offline 		I am relatively new myself, having logged a little under 20 hours in CMANO over the course of 8 months or so.

There are a number of scenarios that are not very complex in that they are small scale and have small numbers of units.

Of these, I would recommend, other than the tutorials:

Battle of Chumonchin Chan, 1950
Battle of Latakia, 1973

These two are from the official scenario list, the ones that come with CMANO. They are both dedicated Surface Actions (i.e. Ships vs Ships)

The first is in the Korean War, but in terms of combat style is very similar to WWII

The Second is a revolutionary engagement from the Yom Kippur War, when the Israeli navy engaged and crushed a Syrian flotilla with Anti-Ship Missiles (AShM). It was the first time ever two opposing fleets engaged with AShM.

I would highly recommend downloading the Community Scenario Pack, not only because of the now well over 250 scenarios in it (the base game has less than 50), but some of the community scenarios are really good for new players.

Specifically I would recommend the following from the Community Scenario Pack

Uncle Mark's Tutorials (particularly 1 and 3)

Tanker Wars, 2017

Gulf of Tonkin Incident, 1964

Four Ounces can move One thousand Pounds, 2016


Others will recommend others, as I have only thoroughly played a handful of the well over 300 scenarios (both official and community), and ones I have mentioned are ones that I have particularly enjoyed, with my personal interest in Surface actions.

Also I would say that you are probably going to want to play with the Mission editor a lot. I assume you know what I mean by mission editor, as it is different from the scenario editor (making your own battles). The mission editor really cuts down on the micro managing.

And or course Baloogan's tutorial videos on youtube are of great help, they can be accessed from the help tab in-game!

< Message edited by HalfLifeExpert -- 8/10/2015 3:28:06 AM >

(in reply to Stardog765)
Post #: 2
RE: Recommendations for Beginner - 8/10/2015 2:58:51 AM   
Stardog765


Posts: 160
Joined: 8/12/2010
Status: offline 		HLE thank you very much for the thought out reply and taking the time to make it. I will put those on my list for sure.

I know a little about the mission editor but will have to dig into how to use it to lesson micromanagement. Thank you for the tip.

I do enjoy surface stuff but really love sub operations. Especially cold war era.

I have been watching Baloogan's stuff as well. So very helpful.

Thank you again!

(in reply to HalfLifeExpert)
Post #: 3
RE: Recommendations for Beginner - 8/10/2015 4:06:50 AM   
HalfLifeExpert


Posts: 911
Joined: 7/20/2015
From: California, United States
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Stardog765

HLE thank you very much for the thought out reply and taking the time to make it. I will put those on my list for sure.

I know a little about the mission editor but will have to dig into how to use it to lesson micromanagement. Thank you for the tip.

I do enjoy surface stuff but really love sub operations. Especially cold war era.

I have been watching Baloogan's stuff as well. So very helpful.

Thank you again!



Your very welcome. Yeah, once you understand the basics of the mission editor, you should be ok. In principle it is a simple concept and procedure. In a nut shell, it's:
Select mission type

Name the mission: you can name whatever you want, for example, if you have the Frigate USS Reuben James and want to send it sub hunting in an area, call it:
"ASW Patrol-USS Reuben James" or simply "ASW 1"

Select the units you assign to the mission

set the specifics as laid out in the menu etc.

It is explained very well in the manual, if you don't have a print copy I suggest printing out the chapter on the mission editor. There should be a printer friendly version of the manual in one of the forum stickies.

There are a number of submarine scenarios as well, even some of submarine espionage in peacetime. Once you download the Community scenario pack, I would just spend 10-20 mins browsing through the scenarios to see which ones appeal to you.

I can think of one right now, called "Trapped Under the Ice,1999" from the official scenarios, where you command a US SSN in the arctic, in an alternate 1999 where the Pristina Airport Standoff escalates, and you have to find and sink a Russian Typhoon SSBN before it launches. It's fun cat and mouse under the ice.

< Message edited by HalfLifeExpert -- 8/10/2015 5:18:17 AM >

(in reply to Stardog765)
Post #: 4
RE: Recommendations for Beginner - 8/10/2015 10:55:22 AM   
Vici Supreme

 

Posts: 558
Joined: 12/4/2013
From: Southern Germany
Status: offline 		It's a little hard to find the best scenarios for the perfect learning process. I think one of the most important factors is that you have to invest some time in this sim... ...a LOT of time....

I can recommend you the following scenarios to beginn with:

Operation Guardian, 2013 (Very very simple ASuW scenario.)

USS Baltimore SC1 - Typhoon Hell, 1983 (More complex ASW scenario, but still with some learning progress.)

Hope this helps!

Supreme

_____________________________


(in reply to HalfLifeExpert)
Post #: 5
RE: Recommendations for Beginner - 8/10/2015 12:55:14 PM   
Stardog765


Posts: 160
Joined: 8/12/2010
Status: offline 		Thank you guys. I appreciate the help. I have a nice little list of them now.

I do not have the printed manual but have thought about upgrading to the boxed version to get a nice manual. Im a sucker for a nice manual :)



(in reply to Vici Supreme)
Post #: 6
RE: Recommendations for Beginner - 8/10/2015 2:02:37 PM   
renders


Posts: 1208
Joined: 8/13/2013
From: italy bologna
Status: offline 		it's my impression or I know you sir? available to help you!

_____________________________



(in reply to Stardog765)
Post #: 7
RE: Recommendations for Beginner - 8/10/2015 2:30:15 PM   
Stardog765


Posts: 160
Joined: 8/12/2010
Status: offline 		hey there Renders! Yes sir, tis I.

I appreciate the offer. How you been brother?

Just getting some recommendations from these fine people here too. You were on my list of people to bug :)


(in reply to renders)
Post #: 8
RE: Recommendations for Beginner - 8/10/2015 4:02:38 PM   
SeaQueen


Posts: 1451
Joined: 4/14/2007
From: Washington D.C.
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Stardog765
1. In most scenarios do you always have to micro-manage little details or are there defaults usually that you can go with?


It depends on the scope of the scenario. In bigger scenarios, I micromanage less. I tend to tweak a few doctrine settings in the beginning, and the rest of the time focus on mission level settings. In smaller scenarios, involving just a few platforms, I fiddle with stuff more.

quote:


2. What series of scenarios would you recommend for a beginner that deal with mainly surface and sub operations as opposed to air situations?


Make your own. That way you're always focusing on the navies, regions, and conflicts that are most interesting to you. Go into the scenario editor, create two sides, drop a few platforms into each side then play it and see what matters.

First try a sub versus a sub, then an MPA versus a sub, then a surface ship and helo versus a sub, then bring it all together with a few surface ships, a helo, and an MPA v. a submarine.

As time goes on you might find yourself creating gigantic theatre-wide scenarios involving multiple aircraft carriers, land based aircraft, submarines, and ballistic missiles.

(in reply to Stardog765)
Post #: 9
RE: Recommendations for Beginner - 8/10/2015 4:05:16 PM   
Stardog765


Posts: 160
Joined: 8/12/2010
Status: offline 		Thanks SeaQueen,
I appreciate the reply.

Yes I am starting to mess with the editor some. I found a video that explains a little about making dynamic missions so if I can create on that is small force on force and maybe make the positions dynamic with each play that would be good to practice with.


(in reply to SeaQueen)
Post #: 10
RE: Recommendations for Beginner - 8/10/2015 11:50:38 PM   
Casinn

 

Posts: 343
Joined: 7/27/2013
Status: offline 		You learn something everytime you play, I wouldn't stress too much about trying to learn it all from the get-go. Dive in! ;)
You don't need to micromanage a lot if you don't want to, but your success will be better with some. Seaqueen has good advice there about slowly making more complex scenarios of your own to mess around with.
Remember you can play them in gods eye/editor as well, to see better how things are working.

(in reply to Stardog765)
Post #: 11
RE: Recommendations for Beginner - 8/11/2015 12:34:30 AM   
pjcoia

 

Posts: 30
Joined: 12/29/2014
Status: offline 		As someone who was recently in your position, Stardog, I will second SeaQueen's suggestions of using the editor to create a few limited scenarios. The mechanics of this sim are the key parts to understand and it can be better to do that in a contrived setting. I started with the same: sub vs sub and then added things later. It also can help to start with some more modest forces, i.e. non-US or USSR from late 70s to mid-80s. Personally, I used ANZAC vs regional neighbours.

Air is the most complicated aspect, I found, and played many scenarios where I got completed annihilated. I would say that other than stand-off naval attacks, I still struggle with air power. It may also be that the complexity of air warfare stretches the AI as well, so more micro-management is needed by the player as aircraft on missions can sometimes do stupid things. For example, they often intercept on full power, even if the enemy is beyond the range they can reach without hitting Bingo fuel, so you can end up with no air cover by the time the inbound bogeys arrive! The lesson is that missions need to be very thoughtfully created and then monitored.


(in reply to Stardog765)
Post #: 12
RE: Recommendations for Beginner - 8/11/2015 2:17:49 AM   
Stardog765


Posts: 160
Joined: 8/12/2010
Status: offline 		Thank you guys. I really appreciate your input. I am going to play some of the suggested scenarios, the tutorials from the community scenarios pack and my buddy Mr. Renders taught me how to make a small sub v surface group scenario that randomizes the starting positions of the forces within a patrol area. So that will be very helpful.


Thanks again all. What an amazing sim and I have just scratched the surface. Overwhelming very easily.

S!

(in reply to pjcoia)
Post #: 13
RE: Recommendations for Beginner - 8/12/2015 12:39:19 AM   
ScottGridley

 

Posts: 33
Joined: 2/19/2008
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Stardog765

Good afternoon all,
Just wanted to get some input here.
I am just starting to try and get into this intimidating sim after owning it for years.
I am a big time lover of Janes Fleet Command but after all of these years it is really showing its age and looking for make the move to Command.

Being a noob at this sim I am pretty intimidated by the complexity I see in some of the videos that I watch, mainly in having to select weapons load outs and things like that for individual weapons platforms. I am comfortable with tactics and things like that but not all of the little details sometimes.

Two Questions:

1. In most scenarios do you always have to micro-manage little details or are there defaults usually that you can go with?

2. What series of scenarios would you recommend for a beginner that deal with mainly surface and sub operations as opposed to air situations?

Thank you for any input you can offer.






I was just like you six months ago. I had let this gem age in the back of the hard drive fearing the complexity and finally plunged in. Just like swimming, once you're wet, the water isn't that cold, and you have no interest in getting out again!

My strategy was to pick one scenario (stand up, 2011) and play it repeatedly. Literally a dozen or more times. I was shocked how the outcomes were very different each time. I started with a basic simple strategy, but started adding complexity - first changing some loadouts on my aircraft, changing when elements would launch, adding exclusion zones around my naval assets, tweaking where my tanker orbits, etc. Very rewarding and learned skills that could easily be applied to other scenarios. At the end, it didn't feel like micro-managing any more, it was easy.

My point, however, is that these scenarios are meant to be replayed! There is no one right way to do it, and the way that worked last time might not the next! You can micro-manage (or not) as much as you prefer and be successful however you approach the challenge. To me, the key is to play the way that let's you have fun, and not try to fit someone else's ideas on whats right into your play style.

_____________________________

---IGNIS UBI PARATUS

(in reply to Stardog765)
Post #: 14
RE: Recommendations for Beginner - 8/12/2015 1:15:07 AM   
Stardog765


Posts: 160
Joined: 8/12/2010
Status: offline 		Scott thank you for the reply. I am enjoying the challenge just taking is slow.

I would also like to find scenarios or campaigns that are air only as flight sims are my background really so that will be fun if its possible.


(in reply to ScottGridley)
Post #: 15
RE: Recommendations for Beginner - 8/12/2015 5:34:55 AM   
wild_Willie2


Posts: 2934
Joined: 10/8/2004
From: Arnhem (holland) yes a bridge to far...
Status: offline 		As an air only scenario try "Iron fist", you play as Russia and have to destroy the Azerbaijani forces within two days. This scenario is very manageable as it only has a limited number of AC but you'll need to integrate fighter sweeps, SSM strikes, fighter escorts, AWACS, recon, aerial refueling, jamming and suppression of air defenses to finish this scenario wile limiting your losses to 1-2 AC (you can even win loss free once you've mastered the game). It's a very good scenario as it gives you an entire range of Russian weapons and planes to work with so there are many different ways to play this scenario.

Enjoy.

W.

_____________________________

In vinum illic est sapientia , in matera illic est vires , in aqua illic es bacteria.

In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is strength, in water there are bacteria.

(in reply to Stardog765)
Post #: 16
RE: Recommendations for Beginner - 8/12/2015 8:31:00 AM   
Gunner98

 

Posts: 5508
Joined: 4/29/2005
From: The Great White North!
Status: offline 		Would suggest 'Uncle Mark's tutorials' if you haven't done those yet.  Also for Carrier operations I enjoyed 'Russian Civil War I ~ III' as a great way to learn about operating a Carrier Air wing, opposition is a bit stiff at first but causes you to plan through your strategies.

As was mentioned the Mission Editor is your friend and removes the need for quite a bit of micromanaging. 

B 

(in reply to wild_Willie2)
Post #: 17
RE: Recommendations for Beginner - 8/12/2015 4:29:44 PM   
SSN754planker


Posts: 448
Joined: 10/2/2013
Status: offline 		If you want some reading material...try my booklist click on the link in my sig.

_____________________________

MY BOOK LIST
ST1/SS SSN 754

(in reply to Stardog765)
Post #: 18
RE: Recommendations for Beginner - 8/15/2015 12:49:46 PM   
Tomcat84

 

Posts: 1952
Joined: 7/10/2013
Status: offline 		Am mostly an air war guy so dont really know too much about surface scenarios, but for Air I will of course recommend one of my own

It's DCA-MiniEx. It's a quite simple scenario. It's air to air only, and defensive. So no worries about tankers, SEAD, strikes etc, just a simple defend your land against enemy airplanes that are attacking. Default loadouts are good so no worry about that. It is included in the community pack or you can find its thread here: http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=3763171

If you want a bigger challenge you can try my scenario Frisian Flag, which has you attacking multiple enemy targets defended by enemy aircraft and also enemy SAMS. It's also in the pack and its thread is here:
http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=3490799

Have fun!

_____________________________

My Scenarios and Tutorials for Command

(Scenarios focus on air-warfare :) )

(in reply to SSN754planker)
Post #: 19
RE: Recommendations for Beginner - 8/15/2015 3:54:51 PM   
Stardog765


Posts: 160
Joined: 8/12/2010
Status: offline 		Tomcat, awesome that sounds great.
I will definitely check that out!

Thank you

(in reply to Tomcat84)
Post #: 20
Page:   [1]
All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> Command: Modern Operations series >> Recommendations for Beginner Page: [1]
Jump to:





New Messages No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages Locked w/o New Messages
 Post New Thread
 Reply to Message
 Post New Poll
 Submit Vote
 Delete My Own Post
 Delete My Own Thread
 Rate Posts


Forum Software © ASPPlayground.NET Advanced Edition 2.4.5 ANSI

1.172