Help needed with Ambush Tutorial

Shock Force 2 brings you to a hypothetical conflict in Syria between the forces of NATO and the Syrian Army. Play either on WeGo or Real Time in an incredibly detailed and realistic 1:1 tactical simulation.
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JWW
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Joined: Sat Aug 12, 2000 8:00 am
Location: Louisiana, USA

Help needed with Ambush Tutorial

Post by JWW »

Okay, in Ambush Tutorial, a Stryker platoon in a build up area starts dismounted in buildings in an L-shaped ambush position with the Stryker vehicles in reserve. They are waiting for a group of Syrian irregulars with technicals (pickup trucks with various weapons) to come down the street and enter the kill zone.

I've started this scenario three times and that never happens. Each time in the first turn the Syrians spot the ambush almost immediately and open fire and never enter the kill zone. I've only played through the first two turns before quitting, not exactly a rage quit, but an attempt to figure out what I'm doing wrong.

I have tried various means to hide. That is, using the hide command on all my dismounted elements, and setting a circular fire arc of about 10 meters. My idea was to stay hiding until the Syrians entered the kill zone and then kill them. Those two things seem to be what the manual recommends for an ambush.

However, the Syrians always spot me immediately even when hide command and circular fire arc are used.

So I have questions.

1. Am I hiding in the wrong way? What do I need to do to hide properly and allow the Syrians to enter my kill zone? I've considered moving my units into the next building out of possible line of sight and then moving them back in after the Syrians move into the kill zone. But I haven't tried that yet. So what am I doing wrong. Is it possible to lure the Syrians into the kill zone?

2. Or is that the point at all? Is the problem actually to deal with an ambush gone wrong? That would be okay with me, except the scenario is called Ambush Tutorial, so I was expecting to be able to execute and embush.
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OldSarge
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RE: Help needed with Ambush Tutorial

Post by OldSarge »

I found similar issues to yours. I think that even when your troops are hidden they keep popping up for spotting, so become immediately visible. C'est la guerre! [8D]

I did move a squad, the 1st squad, to a rear building which had a keyhole to a back alley that OPFOR tried to use. Caught them flat footed in the open for 34 confirmed causalities! Without a single friendly casualty or wounded!



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JWW
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Location: Louisiana, USA

RE: Help needed with Ambush Tutorial

Post by JWW »

It is an interesting scenario. I played it through fully 3 times and got a total victory each time. I also played it once without giving any commands to the US forces at all and got a total victory. Remember, it is called Ambush Tutorial. So the only challenge it to try to maximize your kills and minimize your casualties. I kept tweaking things trying to get a better ambush within the setup given in the scenario. And although the opfor enters in the same manner each time, it played out just a little differently each time, and I had to make a few slightly different moves each time. I was able to get a great ambush as some of the technicals tried to rush down the street on the last play through, with one squad taking out too technicals in a matter of seconds. I did that by moving one squad away from the street at the start and then moving them back as things developed. And the timing was just right in one case.
ErissN6
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Location: France

RE: Help needed with Ambush Tutorial

Post by ErissN6 »

Yeah, I still try to achieve the zero KIA success (with none striker down), I must have launch this scenario 50 times.
IIRC, the fewer was 4 dead.
ch53A/Dvet_slith
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RE: Help needed with Ambush Tutorial

Post by ch53A/Dvet_slith »

I just played this scenario and received a total victory where I suffered 2 dead and 5 wounded. What I did to achieve this was to face my infantry teams to the south(rear of the building they are in) with overlapping Circular target arcs then hide them.

I did the same thing to my machinegun and headquarters teams(rear of the building), to the west, I think, overlapping Circular target arcs with a hide order.

About mid-way through the scenario when most of the enemy ground troops, that tried to back door my infantry teams, where dispatched, I then changed the machinegun teams and headquarters team target arcs to a pie shaped field of fire all the way down the street from where they entered (east?) to finish off any vehicles that were hesitant to come down the street. This has been my most successful mission ever.
JWW
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Location: Louisiana, USA

RE: Help needed with Ambush Tutorial

Post by JWW »

ORIGINAL: ch53A/Dvet_slith

I just played this scenario and received a total victory where I suffered 2 dead and 5 wounded. What I did to achieve this was to face my infantry teams to the south(rear of the building they are in) with overlapping Circular target arcs then hide them.

I did the same thing to my machinegun and headquarters teams(rear of the building), to the west, I think, overlapping Circular target arcs with a hide order.

About mid-way through the scenario when most of the enemy ground troops, that tried to back door my infantry teams, where dispatched, I then changed the machinegun teams and headquarters team target arcs to a pie shaped field of fire all the way down the street from where they entered (east?) to finish off any vehicles that were hesitant to come down the street. This has been my most successful mission ever.

Yes, I used that procedure, hide and I gave them a south facing covered arc, and that works well, but the enemy still continues to see my MGs and Hqs at the end of the street, or are they just using area fire on the building? Does the AI do that?
JWW
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Joined: Sat Aug 12, 2000 8:00 am
Location: Louisiana, USA

RE: Help needed with Ambush Tutorial

Post by JWW »

This was my last play through. I messed up and pushed a Stryker too far forward to try to pile up more infantry casualties. I got some, but then I lost my Stryker. This is also the one where I got a great ambush on some technicals by moving one squad a building over from the street at the start and then moving them back when the technicals appeared ready to make a rush. It worked perfectly. That last image is what I had been working for from the start.

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guanotwozero
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RE: Help needed with Ambush Tutorial

Post by guanotwozero »

I've also failed to lure them into the killzone as originally intended - it could be that's the point, or maybe since the scenario was built a few engine tweaks have made it harder to successfully hide.

Mirroring above, I quick moved my northern unit down the main street and into the first alley, thereafter to the diagonal building. This seems to be enough to bring the opfors in closer. I also moved one of the Strykers up on my left flank to cover the vulnerable side route to the HQ building; that paid off as it caught a couple of technicals trying a flanking manoeuvre. As the battle developed, I moved my other Strykers on the flanks to the diagonals, as that had by then become the killzone. Still took a couple of casualties, but otherwise complete victory.
ErissN6
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Location: France

RE: Help needed with Ambush Tutorial

Post by ErissN6 »

ORIGINAL: jwarrenw13the enemy still continues to see my MGs and Hqs at the end of the street
To divert fire on the MGs, I bring a striker at their side, but just showing the right half side of the vehicle at the corner street, and every turn making it go and reverse, as it will be targeted by rocket teams.
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