JaSmAn

@Lindi yes, it's that mission I'm referring to. It may have just been my impression, but I felt we were just getting hammered by an endless stream of BMPs. We had about 7 guys, no MAT, no Vortex, one medic. So 8 guys including me as ASL. I heard yesterday that the guys managed to finish the mission and they did it by just driving the trucks into the town aggressively, not caring about getting shot. What I wasn't sure about, and now I know, was whether BMPs kept spawning or if they were there from the start. My best guess now is that there were probably 3 or 4 when we got there and 2 or 3 additional ones spawned when we remained pinned down. Maybe we were just unlucky with the spawning ambient AI. With the benefit of hindsight, I would modify my tactics. My base plan was to go along the road/beach to keep our right flank clear. I was confident we could deal with two or three (i.e. "a few" BMPs). I wanted to lead with the infantry and follow behind using the GMG. I never expected to have to deal with 5 or 6 BMPs with a squad of 6 guys carrying 2 AT tubes! Knowing what I know now, my new plan would be to head to the high ground, into the woods and draw fire from the BMPs so we can ambush them. Reload AT, move 200 metres and repeat. Live and learn......

Sorry @Lost Bullet but I don't understand your message - do you mean that "a few" can be more that 3 or 4? Something between 6 or 10? Is there any logic to this mechanic? For example, "there's a 20% chance of spawning between 5 and 10...." or something like that. Just trying to understand the system, if there is one. Also, does that mean that the AI could spawn a BMP every 120 seconds? I'm hoping that understanding this will keep me from walking my squad into a death trap.... again. Thanks.

I'm hoping someone can explain the Gauntlet enemy spawn mechanics. Twice it's happened to me now that the enemy seems to have an endless supply of BMPs. According to the mission brief, there should be "a few" of them. So we load up some AT, get to the AO, kill three BMPs and start our advance. Next thing we know there's another, and then another, and then another. So we all get smashed, load back up thinking, "OK, one last one to kill. Let's flank it and go around," only to find another two or three BMPs in the AO! What the....? Can someone explain? Many thanks in advance.

I don't think it's needed. It's not that hard, just jot it down on a note pad when you are in charge. Also, when there are few players on the server you many times have to switch between transport and CAS, and having to reslot pilots every time would be a pain. Keep it simple, I say.

Sorry to see Bystrica go because I was planning a mission there, but very excited to see the new maps! Keep up the good work maintaining a fresh experience on AWE.

Yes, @Copey gave a shout out to all of us on the mission last Saturday. I'm sure he will add the event to the news page soon enough. Sorry I will miss it!

Haha, shoot, you're right. I thought this was for Tut's upcoming one next week!

Will miss this one but good luck!

Benjamin, Thanks for the game night. Clearly you put a lot of work into this mission (I'm trying to make my own and it's not easy). A few comments/suggestions from me on how you could improve them. I was supposed to be JTAC/2IC, but I ended up in an Armoured Command role. Essentially, my job was to tell the three armoured units where to go and pass on their requests, etc. It was my first time playing this role and it was ok. However, with only three armoured units there were some very long periods of silence and watching the map. I didn't get any feedback from my commander, so I didn't know how well I did the job, but I didn't really get shouted at much, so I guess that's a good sign. All in all I had fun. However, with only three armoured units I don't think you need separate JTAC and Armour Command, you could just merge the roles. I certainly didn't feel like a 2IC at any point. 1) You didn't give the forces any way of protecting themselves from air attack; the armour paid dearly for it. I read in your game post that people should expect to get killed, and I guess that was part of the mission design. However, this leads to frustration, because our armour manoeuvred, got to a good position and then got slaughtered by enemy air. I think you need to balance the enemy air threat with some way of defending against it. Command clearly got so frustrated that he picked up a stinger himself and shot down a Hind! 2) Being next to command there was a big level of frustration with the lack of contact with Zeus. Unfortunately this is inevitable, because Zeus has such a huge part to play. I would suggest that for future missions you have someone who can help you (ehem.... volunteer here) run the Zeus or a co-Zeus, who can handle some of the more mundane requests like "Arma physics" or "need a replacement vehicle". In worse case, if you need to leave then the mission can continue. 3) This goes for all games, not just yours, but the orders suck. Even being next to command I barely had any idea what was on and what the plan was. It was just "tell them to go here, tell them to go there"... why? what's the point? what will they do after? what should we expect when we get there? do we have any intel on enemy forces? what could kill us? This is not a criticism of the mission itself, although there was really very little briefing from you at the opening. I think people are rearing to go, but having them just plow into a hail of fire is only fun for the first 5 times you die without having a clue what killed you. I think anyone writing a mission should start with a good level of information for the command. Then command can tailor their approach, use better tactics, balance their forces, etc. And just think, with all that enemy air, how much fun someone in a AA tank could have had! All games should come with a 5 Paragraph Ops Order. 4) Reinserts - always have a plan and tell command what the expectation is. Hob had to use Charlie as a makeshift logi. Not ideal. Anyway, my 2c. It's hard to make a mission and yours was very good. On a minor note, I agree with people that the lack of medics detracts from the game. Too much time is spent running back into the AO. It gets boring. JaSmAn

Just to revive this thread.... If any new guys want to join and have an informal training/ask questions find me online around 9:00 pm UK time tonight or tomorrow.

Exactly what I mean, TLs remind your crew to FOLLOW THE RULES, damit.

I would also add that TLs and SLs should make it a part of their briefing - no taking enemy weapons without approval. I will do that from now on.

I disagree it is unrealistic: In Time of Need U.S. service members need to be prepared to win in battle despite overwhelming odds. Soldiers engaged in combat operations need to know how to correctly employ the foreign weapons when required, such as when a soldier’s own weapon is rendered inoperable or a lack of ammunition requires him to use the enemies’ weapons — not only to survive but to defeat the enemy. Col. James Coffman was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross after a lengthy battle on Nov. 14, 2004, in Mosul, Iraq, while assigned as the senior adviser to the 1st Iraqi Special Police Commando Brigade. At one point, an enemy round shattered Coffman’s shooting hand and rendered his M4 rifle inoperable. After bandaging his hand, the colonel picked up AK-47s from commando casualties and fired them with his other hand until they ran out of ammunition. Then-1st Lt. Brian Chontosh was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions while assigned to the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force in Iraq on March 25, 2003. When his unit came under fire from enemy fighters occupying a nearby trench, Chontosh began to clear the trenchline. After his own ammunition was depleted, he twice picked up discarded enemy rifles and engaged the enemy. When a Marine following him found an enemy RPG launcher, Chontosh used it to destroy yet another group of enemy soldiers. When his audacious attack ended, he had cleared more than 200 meters of the enemy trench, killing more than 20 enemy fighters and wounding several others. Source: http://armedforcesjournal.com/know-thy-enemys-weapons/ My proposal would be SLs and TLs are responsible for making sure this is kept to an absolute minimum. I always ask my TL if I can pick up an enemy weapon. If he says no, I wait until I can rearm.

90% chance I'll join. Would love a Bravo SL (or equivalent) role.

Got it. Will try it out tonight. When is in coming to AWE?

I've grown to love the abuse. I hope he doesn't change to the second any time soon!

Having recently started taking SL roles and having more experience now as a TL, I'd like to add my 2c. I'm starting on the premise that AW's mission is for people to have fun (so much fun that they spontaneously donate money and bring their friends). So, starting from the bottom up: Fun for the foot soldier is having a clear mission and having plenty to shoot at. I also think you you enjoy getting shot at, no point taking pot shots and never hearing a bullet fly near you. If you are Vortex you want to be flying for a purpose, whether CAS or transport. If you are MAT/HAT you want big metal things to shoot at and if you are Logi, well you want something to do. Medics, of course, want people to get shot or blown up. That to me means that a TL has to make sure that his/her units get stuck into the mix. He should of course make micro plans to keep them safe(ish), no point dying in 10 seconds. But sometimes sacrifices need to be made. Think Saving Private Ryan, TL Tom Hanks sends his guys to take the machine gun emplacement. The medic dies. Micro mission achieved. One man down. Fun. TLs need to be quick on their feet. They need to be able to see the micro battle area and make good decisions. Bad TLs are the ones who don't do those things or give unclear orders. We can all name a few. However, it is very important to encourage TLs to make decision on the field, give them ideas and allow them to make them their own. "TL, perhaps we can throw smoke at the building and then storm it?" Let's assume now you have a great TL (there are many in AWE). The SLs role should be to make sure the Teams have fun. No sense an SL telling them to take a position on a hill and shoot from 800m with a 10km crosswind. That gets boring quickly. Same for telling a MAT team to shoot from max range, or getting Vortex to sit at base waiting for reinserts and do nothing much else. So, make sure that your TLs are given challenging tasks, give them clear orders but discretion to decide changes at the micro level, guide them, pass them information and pass their requests on to the higher echelons. SL should keep awareness of the situation rather than get himself shot right away, but he shouldn't be so far away that he can't tell what's going on. I agree with a lot said above that SL level is where we are most lacking. I don't yet have a lot of experience as an SL, but one thing I always do, and unfortunately have never been on the receiving end of, is request feedback from the TLs and even the troops. This allows you to learn their playing style, what they liked and didn't like, and tailor your game. In real life I spend a lot of time on leadership matters, and something that always comes across is how poor people are at tailoring their leadership to suit the situation. Some SLs just shout and swear. When they don't get results they expected they just shout and swear some more! On the subject of Zeus, one thing that bothers me is when you are in the middle of the battle and the SL jumps on Zeus, looks where the enemy are and then makes a plan. Perfect intelligence is no fun. It removes the fog of war and makes everything predictable. SLs should not Zeus and vice versa. (It's ok to fix things like bugged vehicles, etc.). Now, the last level up. PlatCo. Hard job. You have to make sure everyone has fun and has a piece of the action! The first and most important thing is that PlatCo. understands all his assets and doesn't just jump in to making a plan without that knowledge. He also needs to think what will happen in people join in during the mission. I'm nowhere near being a PlatCo, so I can only speak from what I've seen rather than experienced myself. The good ones pass on lots of information to the SLs, make the mission very clear, and deliver short but specific sets of orders during the mission. Maybe unconsciously, but they send SLs into the fun. Just my thoughts.... fire at will.

That goes without saying, @Colsta. It's the rest of us I'm worried about.....

I ended up using one without realising it. It appeared as a spawn point and I selected it, but I didn't realise until later that it was actually put down by someone. I'm not a fan for regular Gauntlet or Zeus missions. I think part of the fun is reinserting into the AO. The only time I would advocate one is when there are no pilots available.

OK.... I didn't really get what was going on at the time, but I respawned in the building on your rally point - there I was thinking the whole time it was an "official" respawn, which is why I then asked Copey to move it closer. It now all makes sense. You lay down a respawn point where you want it. Have to make sure you save your loadout. Otherwise you are like me, you respawn with the basic gear. Oh, and I watched the stream afterwards and Bravo vehicle was hit by a frikkin Hind's rockets! We had no chance of surviving that first contact. Should have gone off road earlier. Live and learn.

@MoonFire do I want to watch this video or am I going to hear you swearing at me? What's the rule on deploying these rally points?

I am looking forward to some features, but I don't think Arma needs more jets. Radar will be a good addition. If only Bohemia could work on the AI. Now that, I would pay for!

Just to be clear, no complaints about the work we got and how it played out. Zeus did a great job of keeping us busy with plenty to shoot at. Loads of fun was had by all Bravo!

I'm sure there is no hate... And don't get me wrong, I'm loving it!

@Miczils I am not sure what you said there......