some help with complex missions

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some help with complex missions - 11/20/2015 11:04:37 PM

Gneckes

Posts: 212
Joined: 6/22/2015
Status: offline

So, I'm trying to move up in the world of CMANO and tackle some of the more complex scenarios, such as Iron Hand, Lightning Strike, Fei Lian...

However, when looking at a significant amount of units under my control, I go into full "deer in the headlights" mode.
I believe I'm capable of setting up missions well enough, but I'm having trouble with the "grand strategy" and with coordinating multiple missions.
Any advice?

Post #: 1

RE: some help with complex missions - 11/20/2015 11:21:00 PM

Tailhook

Posts: 293
Joined: 1/18/2015
Status: offline

Beat the enemy's air forces in the air where you have an advantage (not over his airbases, SAMs, etc). Push him back (including destroying Air Defenses) until you can do something about airfields, if applicable. This gives you the breathing space to focus on your other objectives.

Lightning Strike is different because Pakistan is neutral-ish, so you're not supposed to initiate hostilities. And you do have a lot of units but you really only need a handful if you do it right.

(in reply to Gneckes)

Post #: 2

RE: some help with complex missions - 11/20/2015 11:23:08 PM

Gneckes

Posts: 212
Joined: 6/22/2015
Status: offline

All good advice, and thanks for that. However, it isn't really what I was looking for.
I guess I should have made my question more clear: I'm struggling mostly with the organisational side of things.

(in reply to Tailhook)

Post #: 3

RE: some help with complex missions - 11/20/2015 11:34:28 PM

FTBSS

Posts: 201
Joined: 8/25/2014
Status: offline

Use 1x time scale use pause feature look around select most of the message popups click to center when popup appears so you can see where it is happening.

try and coordinate your attacks on airfields as soon as possible killing aircraft on the ground less dangerous than when they are shooting back. set up cap and let ai handle the fleet defenses. Use offensive ecm aircraft and mald when available is a tremendous force multiplier.

when all else fails play in editor mode import a Ohio ssbn and nuke them all and let god sort them out:)

(in reply to Gneckes)

Post #: 4

RE: some help with complex missions - 11/21/2015 7:00:07 AM

Rory Noonan

Posts: 2816
Joined: 12/18/2014
From: Brooklyn, NY
Status: offline

I'm working on this too. I actually found that NI5 Beware the Badger was a good scen to branch out from my comfort zone of small scenarios into something that I practically can't micro and complete in a reasonable time.

If I'm reading your question right, things that helped me get organised were:
Naming reference points
Renaming units or groups (Keflavik Orion 1 means a lot more to me than 123 Sqn 1 or Red 1)
Taking a couple of mins before starting the scen to go through every single doctrine, emcon and WRA setting for the side, thinking about what I want my units to do and any exceptions I'll need to make in the future.
Consolidating multiple units like SAM sites into either a group or a single mission--for example rather than clicking each radar site and managing their emcon individually, I assigned them all to an AAW mission and managing them that way.
Using open-ended intercept or strike missions as protection for your assets, e.g an ASW strike set to min 0 max 35nm, and an air intercept with 200nm max range. This way if a threat gets through, your units will protect themselves to an extent without your input.
Using 'inactive' missions and 'activation times' allows synchronising missions. For example I might set up a strike with a fighter sweep set for activation at 1500, SEAD patrol st 1515, strikers at 1525, and a final rear-guard type CAP to clean up pursuing fighters at 1530.

Hope that's helpful. Out of those I think renaming things to make the names meaningful and using delay activated missions make the most difference when it comes to big scens.

What techniques have you been using?

(in reply to FTBSS)

Post #: 5

RE: some help with complex missions - 11/21/2015 3:59:09 PM

Gunner98

Posts: 5508
Joined: 4/29/2005
From: The Great White North!
Status: offline

If I understand the original post correctly there are really two layers to your conundrum:

1) Mechanically, how do I manipulate and coordinate dozens of units simultaneously. Some the suggestions above are good and there are many more on the forum.

2) Tactically how do I achieve victory with a wide array of units and capabilities at my disposal and probably a similar suite on the opposing side. That's the part of the game I truly enjoy, and it requires that I apply a bit of discipline to game play by using a simplified version of a military planning process:

1)understand you mission and tasks. What do I really have to do and what can I ignore as a distraction or secondary effort
2)understand your enemy, here it is worth taking the time, coaming the briefing for clues, cruising the net to understand capabilities etc. This may take some time and require an in-game effort to localize how the enemy is deployed in the scenario
3)understand your own forces. Take your time (it gets quicker with experience), crawl through the database, internet and any other references you might have available. Get to know your units a) this ship is ASW focused, this one is an Air Defence unit, b)this load-out is good for SEAD, this AC has a better bomb load, this one has limited range, therefore I'll need tanker support or move my carrier forward. Etc
4)come up with some options - and the beauty of a game is you can try them all out, consider the advantages and disadvantages of each
5)decide on a plan based on your chosen option, perhaps modified by some elements of your other options

Once you have a plan, you will need to figure out how to organize yourself with many of the vital but more mechanical tips provided here or elsewhere in the forum.

Or you might just want to dive in and try a scenario several times, intuitively doing what I describe above. It's a game, whichever way you chose, it gets easier with time and it should be fun.

B

(in reply to Rory Noonan)

Post #: 6

RE: some help with complex missions - 11/21/2015 7:00:26 PM

magi

Posts: 1529
Joined: 2/1/2014
Status: offline

^^^ pretty good advice� Not bad at all�

The game boils down to managing assets and capabilities in space time� To complete a mission successfully��
To do so you have to have an understanding of the oppositions� Intent� Disposition� Composition�
Then it becomes tactical� Where you leverage your assets again theirs to your advantage�
The process can be pretty involved� Studying their capabilities etc. etc.� But that is the intellectual fun of this game� Totally cool�

(in reply to Gunner98)

Post #: 7