Make this game for accessible, redux

[Duck Doc]

There was a thread which has just been closed about making the game more accessible to newcomers. I wanted to post on it but now cannot so, I thought it might be helpful to describe my experience with the game.

I have 256 hours on Steam with the game and more hours on the Matrix edition after a recent switch. I have been at it off and on over the years. I am just now getting comfortable managing my assets and have barely graduated beyond the tutorials and a number of the small scenarios. I recently began to feel comfortable enough to take on larger ones like The Mighty O scenario in Northern Inferno and feel reasonably competent as I do it.

I have been careful to try to use method in assigning my assets. It is my brand of 'doctrine' and I am starting to read about actual and historical naval doctrine to see if I can apply it to the game. It makes more sense to me to have a method of organization and maneuver which will contribute to success rather than managing the game like a real-time-strategy type game. The game, at least for me, has a very steep learning curve but the learning is entirely easy and doable with the various tutorials and the smaller scenarios.

I know some will consider me slow and wimpy in my approach but I know how intimidating it can be for a newcomer to approach the game or even watch a video of a veteran doing one of the monster Command Live scenarios. Please do not let what appears to be too much complexity put you off as a newcomer. Start with the tutorials and watch a lot of YouTube videos about the game then go on to smaller scenarios and, by the way, have fun. It is well worth the investment. It is one of the finest gaming experiences available.

[cscrutinizer]

You are me. I'm at the 200 hour mark myself, and like you, I'm just getting comfortable with scenarios outside the tutorials. I'm still having the missions v. micromanagement debate with myself, but I'm starting to use missions more than micromanaging assets, except for submarines. Seems like anytime I try to run missions for subs, it never works out well for the sub.

My biggest problem with managing the game is lack of patience. I still don't do enough recon and preparation prior to launching strikes, leading to the inevitable death of my forces and the humiliation of my leaders, but hey! my inevitable defeat comes later and later in the game, so progress?

I can't say enough good about the people who've taken time to write and publish tutorials. If those weren't available, I think I would still be wandering through a maze of twisty passages, all alike.

[stilesw]

Wes,

And you would have to carefully watch out when your weapon started to show a blue glow!

[Primarchx]

What you're seeing here is not a game issue, per se, but managing assets in modern warfare.

[HalfLifeExpert]

ORIGINAL: Duck Doc

I have 256 hours on Steam with the game and more hours on the Matrix edition after a recent switch. I have been at it off and on over the years.

I've got just under 600 hours logged on CMANO via Steam, and I'm still not comfortable with a lot of the available scenarios (in particular the entire Fury series).

Why? Because I understand both my own limitations and the great real complexities of modern warfare.

As Primarchx said above, it's not a game issue. It's the realities of what CMANO is trying to simulate, as it is, well, a simulator.

There are some improvements that can be made, but on the whole, it's mostly how real warfare after WWII works.

[MH-60Deuce]

If I remember I think after 10 or 20 hours I was able to play every scenario comfortably and having my "serious fun". No prior H3 or similar experience. But I´ve experience with military sims and strategy games.

What really helps is understanding basic principles of naval and aerial warfare, how anti-submarine-warfare works, what plane and what ordnance is made for what mission, basic active/passive sensor principles. I do not know this often too but take a moment to check the database, problem solved.

From then it was learning and refining by doing. You notice your AI doing something which is not in your intent, you check the doctrine window, fix it, and learn. You lose units, you learn, try to avoid it next time.

I am also not the man for overcomplicated solutions which then fail. I know there are guys that try to micromanage every bullet, unit, and waypoint flight height, that is fine however I never would aim for in CMANO as thats not my definition of how higher command philosophy. For me it is also to tedious to spent hours on micromanagement and doing million clicks so I try to automate alot and keep most operations pretty simple, I do not plan every detail of every strike mission but often just give one F1 key target/target box and let the AI handle the attack. I do not micromanage every engagement or sonobuoy deployment but simple create a mission and let the AI handle it. I even sometimes set units or complete battlegroups on "engage opportunity targets ON" and sent them into enemy territory. Watching the show with pretty pleased results.

Sure the AI can´t compete with a human brain but the AI enemy your fighting faces the same limitations. It takes a while to understand on how to work with the AI but I must say, complexity-wise CMANO has one of the best AIs I´ve seen in this genre. True achievement given the fact that we talk about real time and almost zero abstraction here. It definitely has improved alot over the years.

[Roby7979]

ORIGINAL: Duck Doc

I know some will consider me slow and wimpy in my approach but I know how intimidating it can be for a newcomer to approach the game or even watch a video of a veteran doing one of the monster Command Live scenarios. Please do not let what appears to be too much complexity put you off as a newcomer. Start with the tutorials and watch a lot of YouTube videos about the game then go on to smaller scenarios and, by the way, have fun. It is well worth the investment. It is one of the finest gaming experiences available.

this is the right spirit!

[SSN754planker]

Way back when i first played this sim, one of the main things that dropped my jaw to the desk was the database. It was like having 3 or more different volumes of Janes reference books in the sim. The complexity of the sim since then has gone up a few notches since then, but thats the way it should be. Its the ultimate military whiteboard. You can take parts of it and master a bit at a time, but you'll need to grasp all the systems and tools eventually. id say a majority of "playtime" in this sim is planning. Just like real life.

I believe a lot of people look at this sim as a game and wonder where the flash bang graphics and 3d models are at. The most we will have are the 3rd party DB images, which i highly recommend everyone download and install. And they see things move in real time and things take time and a play session isnt over in 15-20 minutes. Im usually still deep in planning and setting up CAPS and AEW's and all that 30 minutes in. This is a sim to study, and to practice and game out what i pick up from a multitude of online sources and books.

My booklist below is a great way to start with learning the ins and out of this sim.

Should there be a demo