(Review Completed) [SP] Abandoned Armies

[Mikero]

Sorry about the toughness of the Abrams.  They are just standard issue, I have done nothing with them, but I could weaken them if the general consensus is that they are too tough.

Not on. I garantee you a light airplane ride from Kuala Lumpur to me: You get in the damn thing and repair it. 2 most likely, 3 at best rpg's will see you in your Jim Jams and tucked up in bed for the night. This I should know, I used the bl**dy thing in first go at this mission. No matter what the specs say, the ofp engine as minumum is interfering here if you aren't. It was smacked so hard and continously with missiles I moved it half way round Larche, to little effect. If 'them' is involved, I won't be repeating the experience.

[Mikero]

Episode 7

St Louis or bust

Must have done some deal of damage to this side, they must have been weakened at Larche. I've no evidence, but I think that.

It's 10am, rainy more than misty, I walkrun my squad towards St Louis, In my greed on the 1st Larche attack I snaffled the truck, now, I'm a foot soldier with no transport. This suits me, I play better when not terrified.

Am plotting my next move, if something doesn't give in St Louis. I'll head into Trinite and hopefully crush anything convoy. I'm a bit off balance with no machine gunner in my squad, but let's see what happens.

run thru the fuel station, all crushed buildings no opposition. My choice to destroy the M2 jeeps seems a good one, nothing's going to surprise me up the rear.

I spot the tent area in silhoette. This'll be where they are.

Savegame. 5 left again.

Oh no, how stupid. I run smack into the centre of 9 enemy warming their tootsies by the fire (if there was I fire, too dead to find out). Armed with a useless M21, no chance.

retry: Im on north road crawl in, get the guy alone in center of town two AT guys happen to patrol at same instant, get them, my squad start doing their job, we're more or less 'ok' I'm using the tactic learned, keep away from bushes, clear view, raining hard.

HOW StUPID

convoy trucks. Of course there'd be convoy trucks I'm lying in the goddamn middle of the convoy route, you IDIOT. A spectacular firefight ensues, I dont survive. Retry:

What todo? #2 starts telling me, bmp ahead (I'm on north road). I lie down well away from St louis tents. I'll smack this convoy 1st. Bmp 500 bmp 1000, the buggers aren't coming up this road. Ook? Transport noises in my ears, their NOT coming. Oook? Oh yes, of course they turn off to airport road. Now I want St Louis more than ever. Nothing then will come back up that road alive.

Circle higher, sniper stuff, long session of hit two, run like hell, go back, hit two, run like hell. I'm timing this against lack of transport noise, then, #2 does what I want a #2 to do, he whacks a vulcan i did not see. Run son, run very hard this time.

I hold up in a forest and medic evry1 that needs it. At one point the tent area came alive and my hit 2 tactic failed, my squad cut down everything that came their way. They did the same thing in the earlier bit with unloaded troop trucks but were just over-run.

I'm going back in. There might be a few stragglers, but St Louis is mine and I've learned the limits of what my squad can do with enemy in force.

[Mikero]

@THobson

Gozilla the tank

you have repair scripts running

[THobson]

I'll take that as a question.  No
But...
the M2 jeep patrols and all the vehicles in the convoys (including the APC and Vulcan) are repaired when they return to their base (this is fair), and very occassionally enroute when the OFP engine has screwed them up - not often (also fair I think).

The armour groups are not repaired by me at all.  But I have put in a Support groups for each side (repair truck, ammo truck fuel truck bmp ambulance)  The OFP engine will send these to support units that need them.  As far as I can tell the OFP engine uses these as a one shot action.  I don't recall seeing them used twice.

If you damaged an Abrams and later found it un-dammaged, the support group repair truck is the only explanation, assuming it is the same Abrams that is.

My tactic with Abrams is to use mines and/or satchel charges.  I will occassionally take them on with tanks providing I out number it and I have at least one Abrams of my own and I can get the first shot in.  In my current run though I have and Abrams and a BMP full of infantry on the way to my position - I know because I have not survived the last couple of times.  I have 4 AT soldiers, a fully manned/womanned T80 and an Abrams with me as the gunner waiting for them.  I don't feel too confident we will get out of this unscathed.  I never take them on when all I have are foot soldiers unless there is no option.  If I have to I try to get all my shots to hit the turret in an attempt to kill the gunner.  Nasty things.

Love your story

[Mikero]

>love your story.

that is appreciated, thank you. I *know* how much you gain from this type of feedback.

Episode 8

Post St Louis onslaught

Turns out going back in was harder, and more exciting, than thought. A rather annoyed troop truck was with the Vulcan and they had got out. They were all in aware mode by the time I spotted them at far end of town. A very good exchange followed, good in the sense that the enemy were nasty and smart using flanking movements, hide in the bushes and other tactics to drop us. They were smart enough not to charge. My squad did equally as well. When this choreograph goes well, you dont mind a reload or two. Did notice Mikero (me) is indeed half right as MacGuba said, in rain (which it was) my squad and enemy could see through it considerably further (about 50 meters my guess) more than I could. Yet to test if mist has the same 'problem'

Lost my medic. This normally means a restart for me, can't function without em. I hadn't saved in a very long time, it meant restarting the episode. Also, this game had plenty of promise: plenty of mash tents and transport, that if we got hit bad, we'd *prabably* not have to crawl our way back to Goisse to fix it. I was interested to see if the game would replace him later, so carried on. Way out of my normal play paramaters.

Simple choice from St Louis, attack airport, attack Trinite. I chose Trinite, I'm walking the south road, I WANT a convoy to come up to me. Time 10:30 rain, then no rain, fairly clear. Chopper noises overhead. Savegame 3 left (i copied the user/temp am not confident of lack of medic)

Enter unnocupied Trinite, no enemy beforehand, move to South side and start laying those AP mines everywhere, figuring it will be the Southrons if any, who come peek a boo. At the instant I lay the last ap,  the northron convoy makes it's appearance!

I'm outblasted outgunned outmanned. Retry or flee? Retry.

I wait out the appearance of the Northrons. 1 bmp, 1 ammo, and 1 troop carrier destroyed. No further activity.

I figure I've finished the rest of North's convoys since these same vehicles were reported to me much earlier at St Louis in opposite direction. Figured only one convoy per army.

Time for the south. Rather than use AV/AP I decide to run the south road to houdan. If it looks real bad news, I'm going to backup up into Trinite and ambush them. Rain. no rain. choppers. My squad behaving strangely, as they always do, in presence of vehicles, lots of 'where are you's"

500m from Dourdan i spot the tents,dead civils and what appears to be only two walking AT sentry. They go down with sniper rifle and M2 Jeeps make an appearance moving into, then west towards Arudy. I leave them be, I'll collect them on my way back. Have hatched a plan to go as far South as Houdan to keep promise to girl, then attack airport. I figure if I do this, remaining convoys if any will have made their appearance. Have got no sense that either side is attacking other, this is surprising me. Got bushwacked coming into tents. 2 more enemy lying down in ambush positions (one in nets). There were NOT looking for contact lenses, restarted and checked again, they had a bead on me/squad all the way in. Restarted again after testing this.

Checked signposts. Now curious to know how many are lies, these weren't.

No chopper sounds. Mo rain to speak of. 11am. Skies overcast.

walk road to Houdan, halfway there sound of convoy. Turns out I'm in very bad position because I'm too close to ridge of road. It leaves enough time for the troop trucks to detect me and unload. I wont repeat that mistake. Squad knocks out every vehicle, all of them, while I'm fiddling with goddamn slippery than wet mouse controls trying to reload rpg and planting the bastards instead, i lose two precious ones this way, ultimately get killed by enemy soldiers while trying to reload m21 and planting another instead. I LOATHE THIS THING. I LOATHE LOATHE LOATHE IT. EVEN WORSE, I discover later I'm the only poor bastard in my squad that can actually use them. Pointless my view only, I can't run back and reload from ammo crates fast enough to make any sense of them. and choose mines (for squad) instead.

So badly mauled, I have to restart from pre-trinite savegame. Am sorely pissed with this ap/av stuff.

[Mikero]

episode 9

Trinite Encore

same experience as last time, took out Northrons as before, walk down to Dourdan, similar not same. 2 walking sentrys spot me early. Net guy charges too (or never gets to nets, not sure). Tent guy this time is INside tent. But i'm prepared for that.

Dourdan -> Houdan

Arrived much 'earlier' in Dourdan, (my guess) than before, great deal of vehicle noise, no lag. Die twice with M2 Jeep's coming at us from south (Houdan). Again, a surprise for me as I thought they were using beach road, not as it was, a full line-of-supply run. Why is everything obvious in hindsight? These guys change from dullards to deadly in seconds. Squad slaughtered.

3rd try, M2's and T80 thingos from Arudy. All were present all the time, 3rd time, they made there presence 'felt'. Serious rethink. Flee would be best option (back to Trinite) , Im wrong AGAIN coz i dont do it.

4th try: I try wait them out around Dourdan tents.

The wait is terrifying, can't see, can only hear two mechanised groups getting closer, buildings block my view. Quick splat at vulcan one pop at a T80 then I'm back in familiar territory planting AP/AV again. Retry.

5th try, race for NE mountain.

400 meters, jeeps race through Dourdan at tremendous speed. Little wonder we can't splat them with rpg any other time. They move like mosquitoes. The tanks have moved to block North road. I thought, wrong AGAIN, that they were on their way to crunch the Northrops. Pop the vulcan because it's the nastiest bastard in the pack at long range, I get lifted off my feet and land in Houdan from the T72. Woe is me.

Retry 6

I plunk the AP's in centre of town hoping to nab at least one mosquito then race for the NE mountains. Explosions behind, and then confirmatory secondary sound of two exploding jeeps (not tanks). I keep running, lag drops off, they've given up. I backtrack in time to see convoy coming in from south. One of them triggers an ap, the nasties unload, I wait for them to load up again and use a cheatsave. Basically knock them to pieces by targetting ammo truck, my squad deal with vulcan as it tries to flee (2nd retry), stragglers running about Dourdan pinging at us, we deal with them, 3rd try, Aggressive ai soldiers coming over hills from SW, 4/500 meters they get a few of us, me included before i spot what the hell's going on, Wasn't expecting this.

I back up to a savegame from just after knocking convoy to pieces. The dynamic changes slightly as T72's and friends take an interest instead. My squad do their best, but we're back in deep doodoo again. Hit retry and flee towards beach. I SHOULD HAVE REMEMBERED THIS WOULD HAPPEN. Like everytime before. Where are my brains.

I reorganise and start back towards the smoke columns in Dourdan, think maybe trinite's a better idea, we'll see. I decide to keep on mountain in my move west as the tanks wont be able to get up here easily. I keep checking the valley below and sure enought a squad of 7 are searching it. Sniper rifle knocks out 4 of them and title text tells me they're now fighting each other. Interesting. I pick off the remnants and head in, there's a limited amount of small arms fire coming from Dourdan North. At first I think the tanks have gone, and There she is, a T80 waiting for me at the Tents. I'm suspicious the others are about, I fire anyway, and sure enough my body ends up somewhere in the sea. Retry:

There's evidence that the hit on the ammo truck caused some really bad news for someone, either that, or they really are fighting each other. There's bodies littered all over south Dourdan. I start scouting for the T80's friends, a gunship is doing some awful damage somewhere, it's too far away to know where exactly. In the meantime a lone survivor of some squad comes a bit too close and we ping him.


The T80, T72, Vulcan start to move down the valley where the dead squad is (due east Dourdan). we're in a perfect spot high on mountain, they can't get at us, except that vulcan. I wait my chance in the rockline and take him out, the tanks are confused and start rolling back, i nab the T72 and sometime later the T80 is finished when i order the squad to attack it. They more or less hit him at once with three laws. Not bad.

Bullets start pinging the mountain, nothing serious, unless you get hit, i scan, and there they are, coming up south from Houdan, I suspect it's the squad I first saw on SW hills of Dourdan, they mean buisiness, I use up my few remaining M21 rounds and race for the forest. Back to Trinite for us. I've learned the lesson, never stick around.

[Mikero]

episode 10

Trinite Encore en Troisieme

I've lost it as a General. blown it bigtime. Events are just sweeping my little squad along. The lag is building, I don't mind it, it's adding atmosphere. I'm in forest, I'm heading for Trinite to re-arm, we're all seriously short weaponed, sure enough a squad's entering Trinite ahead of me, I pick the worst bozo moment to be in the worst place on the Island at the worst possible time. If I have to crawl to mountain hideout, i'll do it, right now we'll watch and wait.

I'm trying to adapt plans asap, Houdan's out, no point passing thru Dourdan again. Larche taught me how quickly the flies will gather, looks like the airport may have to be it.

The squad that entered Trinite is coming back, it's not really after me, but I let the squad knock out what I can see thru my unarmed sniper rifle. Most are pinged, start collecting what I can, then I hear the Godzilla Tank behind me at the forest we just came out of. No way, even worse, another squad is coming up from Dourdan (I *KNEW* not to go back there). I put everyone in alert mode, not danger, to get them moving fast and wing it straight through Trinite, I'm going nowhere near godzilla ever again.

I pause just long enough to rearm M21, and get my law people armed only when I spot a dead AT directly at 12o'clock, if they go anywhere back near Godzilla they'll end up permanently "where are you". We're out of here.

I get into forest other side, squad is pinged at but the enemy aren't really after us, we race up mountain, only chance against tanks.

All goes quiet I can more or less pick out La Trinite at 800 meters a few stragglers searching it. Have to re-arm, have to think, can't have enemy pushing the agenda. It's either mountain hideout or Larche, both, are as far away from Godzilla that I can get.

Earned another save game, god knows how we came out of that one, this game at least gives a fighting chance against terrible odds. They don't hunt you to extinction. I've gotta keep remembering that. There was no enemy airport side of Trinite, I've hurt Northrons bad, they've holed up.

Savegame 3 left, and a strong cup of tea.

[Mikero]

Episode 11

Base Camp

I decide to move back to camp, I'm under armed, there's hell everywhere, can't risk another squad in another town. The chopper or choppers are having a field day. Their knocking enemy troops off, but then i hear some tanks go up, If it's godzilla, my entire squad will join that chopper's army. Can't tell on mountain ridge if it's airport, Trinite, or way back south where all this booming is coming from, or all three.

Luck for me, I did a serious amount of collecting at Vigny, the mule Jeep remains full of goodies.

I can hear remote small arms fire, very sporadic, think it's coming from Arudy south and Larche north. The panic subsides I rethink. The last thing I want to do is finish off the North, am going to take a liesurely time down to Houdan, my orginal objective. The armies can battle it out as much as I need them to without me. I want the last remianing M2 jeeps, two from memory. I want the choppers to finish off all armour, everywhere.

#4 has never fired a single shot. I'll kill him myself at end of game, #8 is gone, #5 the woman, keeps running out of ammo. I know which is my weak flank.

time is 11:45 sky is blue, no mist, no rain. Transport would be dead before getting in them.

savegame 3 left

Houdan or bust


I drop down to Arudy, cross over and move west to mountain to observe Doudan / Hourdan. i remain a curious moth.

Sniper wounds #7 and squad takes him out from 200 meters, i never saw him. This is new. Heal 7 and 2, 2 i couldn't heal at medicine cabinet at base camp. Give #3 the M21. Sounds of M2 gun in Dourdan 1km away, then an explosion. It's still going on, and WE are still alive. it also means Northron remains stronger than expected.
Move up into treeline cover, new tactics needed now, open areas mean death from now on.

Another sniper south, I ignore him for now, small arms fire in Dourdan, I ignore that, I want the mountain above Houdan.

Something really vicious going on at Chapoi, suits us fine. 3 man at-ease patrol walking down from top hamlet above Houdan, I wound them, then the mist closes in. Pop a lone sentry 1st hamlet above Houdan. Take out 3 returning sentries. Unpleasant sound of Vulcan shredding Chopper. Hope you got Godzilla first, son.

Nearly got bagged coming into 1st hamlet. My strong left flank did it's job. I was protecting my right. Now getting deeply nervous, it's payback time where the buggers start coming at us. It is of course pouring from the heavens, change of tactics, quick, clear, open views, if i can't get it, we're out of here.

Clear view, no movement, I race into Houdan, as I do so am thinking escape route if anything goes bang : it will be Dourdan, snipers will be attracted to noise in mountains, I'm not going back there. Keeping my squad on stay alert, I want them fast, flexible. This is change of underwear time.

Cutscene:
Info content enormous, most salient points for me at this stage of game were that trucks never stop here, girls in Chapoi and One chopper each, that's vital, essential info. Diction was not quite as good. This is a *very* tough ask. Voice actor holding two dialogs, but the deserting Russian was mumbling.

Quickly turned my new #8 out of safe mode.

I'm going back to Dourdan, I'm marauding, I'll get back into Trinite when it suits me and the airport's on my list. I first have to be satisfied that the north / south armies have stopped shooting each other.

Savegame 2 left

[THobson]

mikero:

Keep at it this is wonderful stuff.  What you are describing is exactly the type of mission I hoped I had made.  Except for the difficulty with the tanks an mines.

One chopper each,

I think it was something about each side having one chopper in the air all the time.  Amounts to the same thing....at first.

I'm off to bed now.  I look forward to your next episode.

[Mikero]

Episode 12

Back to Dourdan head north.

Glorious sounds of armour exploding dunno where and don't care. Another one goes bang, and if I'd turned round I'd see my squad grinning, coz I am. Sutiably painful noises of various enemy ai getting smacked by other ai, and we hit road ridge above Dourdan. Two remaining soldiers come out of the pouring rain at us, they go down, we survive, and apart from wetting myself, no harm done. It is Pouring, so I dont feel any worse.

Devastation in Dourdan is very great, death everywhere and a lot of upturned wrecks. Remain convinced I did most of that damage. The fuel station seems intact, but it could have been the cause. Scout thouroughly for four M2 jeeps. Find them all. dead. Decide it's safe to take truck in Dourdan Nets, drive thru to Trinite, no enemy, all silent all rain. Devastation pretty appalling here too but this is all down to us. No sign of Godzilla, nor any of his friends. I hope they've gone to a large wreckers in the sky.

Decide to chance it into St Loius.

Devastation not quite so bad, a single burned out vulcan. Vicious things. Check the signposts to see if little fingers have been fiddling. Not this time either, except a curious reference to Lolisse again. Can't shake the feeling there's civilians, those that survived, beginning to peek out of windows.

Can't get a single thing right in this game, i turn the corner and there's dead enemy everywhere. Trucks, the lot. No armour though. Pity.

End of the road folks, we're walking.

Save game 1 left

[Henderson]

I'm back for another round.

When you last left me, or where I last left you, , I was back at base preparing for my next move. I decided to take # 2 and 6 with me in the civil truck south towards Arudy so I could do a quick raid and grab a 5T truck that could carry my whole squad. I saw the 5T truck through the fog and a squad of soldiers walking through the fog. Little did they know these would be their last few moments on Earth as I sped towards them. After I killed them all I disembarked and ran towards one of the AT soldiers to loot their bodies, only to be sniped by an invisible guy that I couldn't see but saw me. Grrr.   I fortunately had a save before I got out. I went to go run him over only to get shot by ANOTHER sniper in the bush in the dark that I couldn't see!!!

"Bah," I said. I just decided to skip getting those RPG soldier corpses guarded by the super snipers that I can't see and are everywhere and just decide to take the 5T truck. I safely take the truck and take it back to base, then order my people to board it. Hooray, they all get on board! Now it's time to head to La Trinite. I barely miss the convoy and push on. I find a safe spot a little east of La Trinitie to park my truck, behind some bushes. I tell my squad to stay low and halt, because I'm going to scout the town, alone....

I quickly enter La Trinite, seize the Ural Ammo truck, and run back to where my squad is waiting. Hehe, it seems all my ammo troubles are solved now. I take this time to arm my squad with all the necessities. Everyone except 7 is armed with Bizons. 7 is armed with a M60. I also made sure to stock up my 5T truck with extra weapons and ammo, no telling when I might see an ammo truck again. I looked out, and decided I should try to ambush the Southron convoy. There was fog yes, but not enough to stop me from trying. We ran down the hill just as the convoy came down the road, so I flanked from behind and in a matter of seconds, that whole entire convoy was in flames. Good shooting by my men if I do say so myself. Much better then my first try, I'll tell you that.

But now I'm thinking, "I just blew up their convoy, should I run? Or should I stick around and ambush them?" I scout south a little, and I don't see anything coming up the road, so I fall back slowly, watching the way from Dourdan. After a while I turn and beat it back towards my truck. Once I'm there we rearm on AT rockets and I plan my next move.

The northron convoy seems like a good choice, last thing I want is it popping up on me if I attack. As I moved I heard something moving, so I was on guard. But, they saw me and I got killed, so retry. This time I waited at my truck to see if they would start fighting each other. Sure enough I hear a tank fire and something blow up. Seconds later I get the, "They're fighting each other message." The firing seems to pick up now, La Trinitie now seems to be an unhealthy place to be. I'm so far east that they shouldn't really bother with me, but I can't take any chances.

After looking at the map for a few seconds I decide Larche is a good target. It's close to my home base and I'll be striking at the Northrons. I started to move out, making sure to full my truck with extra laws and MGs. Everyone boards up and we move out. I drive carefully cross country, watching out for any inf or armor, towards the lodge. We reach the lodge with no contact with the enemy, though I heard firing in the backround. I choose to save here then move on Larche.

I disembarked just outside Larche and move in carefully. Dropped one baddy in the fog and another that came to check things out. I moved towards the tents and then I got ambushed. No problem, had a save game there. I try again, and the two go down easily, followed by two more coming through the fog who my squad takes out, followed by ANOTHER two more coming through the fog that my men take out again. We begin to crawl in carefully, I don't want to take any chances. I easily kill another baddie to my left who is looking up. We advance into the town, it seems quiet. We clear block by block. I see three guys in the fog, I kill 2 and the other ran off. When I looked for him I couldn't find him. Then I hear 4 say that a Soldier is history, so I guess he got him.

Larche is now secured after this little skirmish. This should hopefully put the Northrons and Southrons on more even terms. If not, Saint Louis is my next target. I got into my truck and started to RTB. As I was riding back I got shot by a Vulcan from 1000m away, in the fog!!! How the?! Hmmmm, luckily I still had a save near. I was more careful this time and waited just in case the Vulcan was coming after me. This time I found out it was an armor patrol, a t72, Abrams, and Vulcan. They had my truck covered. It was them, or my driving ammo dump.

I chose them, so I decide to flank around with 2, 6, and 8, my rpg men, and take them out. First to go is the t72, I didn't even have to give the order before it's gone. Next is the vulcan, I took it down in one hit. And last of all is the Abrams. 4 rpgs later and it's gone! I did it! I defeated the armored task force!! Larche is a Heroic Victory. Not only did I destroy the garrison I destroyed the armor they sent to reinforce it. To top it all off, I get to keep my mobile ammo dump/5 ton truck! Andropov is definately going to be hurting now.

I got the heck out of Larche, I really didn't want to stick around for a round 2. As I was escaping up the hill to the lodge, I got ambushed by infantry and killed. Next retry I decided to drive around them and made it safely back to the lodge.

*Whew* Longest playthrough for me on version 1.10, and it was pretty fun watching events unfold unscripted, and all before 8:30 gametime!

[Mikero]

@henderson

sagely nods head in agreement, ho ho ho, been there dun that, only to find i haven't been there better and didn't do it as well as you did. I think I hit the doodoo fan somewhat sooner and more often. <huge grin>

I know *exactly* where you are game time and spatial. The author is an evil man. Laughed aloud at your description of the mobile ammo dump. Oh yes, it hurtz. Every goddamn choice we make has umm err a benefit and a cost with this mission.

[Mikero]

Epsiode 13 Unlucky Number

The Airport

Just too big to compress in a single reply, need to break it down, sorry for that. The materiel has significance to the author of what came in and what didn't. I am dissappointed that he hasn't added smell of burning corpses but will let that be for a moment.

I walk my way towards the south gates using the road bushes in column formation, more or less, deeply suspicious of ridgeline, 10: 1 on there's snipers up there. 100:1 on there's more than one. Had a very small taste of them around Arudy, they were miles from Chapoi and protecting it. This is the airport it's meters away.

Dead soldiers litter the road and sides, seems like hundreds but probably fewer than a dozen or so. The atmoshpere feels like a begin mission in itself. There's a long dead bmp ahead, a silouetted tank, no smoke no flames. Bit of crunched armor here and there. this was a fight I missed (thank god).

Single M2 gunner in his post, single AA soldier at the gate. Hope so anyway. Other nest has been swiped. The AA makes no attempt to get in nest, but is deadly alert. So are two guys at south building (undamaged).

No lag. Raining hard, time is 1340

I get my squad back into wedge formation. They're relaxed, they've gone into splatter formation where they alternately cover left and right. Generally means I've missed nothing. Another two nasties at small building on sothern end of runway prone and alert. Down they go. One is a black op. That's odd.

Sometimes the ai can astonish you still. I did a 3d view to check my squad, and there-they-were. The ai nasties were copying my tactics and coming in at 6'oclock. They may have been southrons. I let the outcome play its' course, in otherwords a retry was coming up. I just watched as they did what a human player would do. My squad fought it out just as nastily and I hit retry half way thru. Amazed.

Quick dash to the M2 nests at gate, put #3 in the other and waited. Was going to do this anyway, so wasn't really a cheat (well not really, OK!). Noticed wrecked MI24 on hill.

Really hated the thought of that hillside. Had to choose between a quick assault up runway to kill general, or, a protected crawl on beach side of airport. Chose the beach I wanted nothing unpleasant on that flank at least, it was my weakend side with dumbed troops.

Good decision, took out 3 sleeping enemy on beach side, an ak47 , an m16 and an AA guy (retry involved). Glorious sight of a wrecked godzilla near houses. Two in fact. No smoke, long dead. Noise of vulcan splatting something. This means they're busy. The south is inadvertently helping me. Another two AA in houses, I'm getting closer. Wreck of an apache? is on runway. General grouping of transports in complex appears undamaged. Can't be certain on that.

Mist is thick but not nearly as annoying on this eastern flank.

If a blackop is so far away from his general, and vulcan is spitting, the North is finished, the southrons will be all over me,  will have to run hard as can when time comes.

Great position where I am, mist has no significance I'm so close to buildings. Taking out M2 gunners as I edge around. Sniper a few more officers, a medic, all are slowly getting mauled. Then and of course, whatever's in the south runway has crawled up to do me in. I cheatsaved myself into a hopeless corner. I can't get over wire fence, can't back away. It's various degrees of goodnight, thank you for playing as I bungle more and more. Reload St louis.

[THobson]

I just got up and had a quick read before the start of my day.  Stunning stuff.  Thanks guys.

The author is an evil man.

;D

[Mikero]

Episode 14 less than lucky

Airport II

No changes to previous entering southern gates, I ignore knowledge of 6 o'clock southrons to my cost later. Convinced Beach side is my option. Change tactic and single file my people along beach side, inside, wire fence.

it's working. Just enough shrubbery to hide me in the lead as we stealth-crawl our way forward pinging as we go I have single backup sniper, #3. Following events happen in various retry cheatsaves, no order, not sequences of "and then":

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A missed AT soldier at south gate gets #7.

Sniper panics and breaks cover 50 meter bush to left of us. Dead on his tippie toes.

2nd sniper in same bush not detected till too late. The author is an evil, evil man.

We collect sniper gear one is an SVD, nasty noises from M2 gunner

6 o'clock southrons make their appearance at this 'most inconvenient moment'. They aren't after us!!!! they are for god in heavens sake, copying our tactics. Holy moley shmoley, where does this engine leave off?

They detect us at same time (as I recall and can be very wrong) snipers appear on hillside, or, M2 blapping. The M2 i had of course 'killed' twice before. My squad magnificent, we are, in effect a line formation, not column, and everything goes down thud.

Really bad bastards come at us from the buildings. Ook? THEY ARE COPYING US!!! single file, along the fenceline. No hope in hades of getting sniper as he crawls, hidden from view thru bushes 12 o'clock. The loathsome rat is copying me, how dare he. Blood everywhere as my squad cannot get a bead on him, nor the Mgunner covering him. Not an m2 gunner, an Mgunner crawling in sync. I need to go outside and scream, scare the cats, come back in and toss my tea at the dog (who at least appreciated me)

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All above scenarios repeated on cheatsaves till I get to front buildings. #5 wounded bad. She's been a very bad girl again and done great damage, she's down to her handgun.

#2/#9 take out remaining T72 or Bradley inconsequential which it was, ammo truck(s?) go up. World in flames. Sporadic interference from combination of black ops / officers / medics general riff raff as they charge out of building / transport area and trip over us. Nothing overwhelming, one's and two's separated by deep pauses. If Andropov was there he's dead, and if anything was there, it's deader than dead. Flames and smoke everywhere.

Deep pauses mean i've hung round too long. Didn't learn did i? Sure enough snipers waypointing their way down hillside. All they needed was one big bang sigh. 2 down, 3 down, 4 down and so it goes. Desperate cheatsaves to get them first. squad intact from furious cheatsaves. squad are squealing hurt, low ammo, low morale probably.

What to do? Black op at extreme south >intact< building, bundles of black op here. This author has never put the kitchen sink in because he can, black ops have significance. What do to? 2 o'clock in flames, 6 o'clock surely dealt with? No, that southern building, I back up, this is a feint, this is where they wanted me to be, you total bastard, back south you go mikero. Stops, thinks, not possible. Andropov's at that goddamn marked fuel station. Of course, of course, of course. THAT is a long way, crawl your way in here, get truck to the north road if i can.

Swap to m16, later a bizon, blast my way up to mash buildings riddle the area with 60 round bizon, riddle everything again, use up 3 magazines, grenade everything,  Title text cuts in Andropov is gone. I never saw him. I was wrong, AGAIN!

Crazed dash on stay-alert to heal re-arm, half squad cut to pieces by single blast from Bradley, two splats at T80 from remaining squad then they're all posted awol into the sea.

Restart from cheatsave, Andropov dead, heal, rearm, all is quiet.

For now.

Fido, Give me back my lunch.