11-16-2015, 06:37 PM
Compilation of after action reports from last two coop nights:
Watchmen tank mission:
In my previous (Phantom's) tank mission I managed to get my tank locked because I fragged friendly infantry team and got myself labeled as enemy. This time I actually survived almost to end. Co-operation with Manuel inside tank was smooth and it was lot of fun to be a gunner. We have had discussions of using AI as a tank crew, and personally I would have preferred 3 human players inside tank. At least in this mission there was plenty to do for everyone. Commander scans targets/assigns them, gunner does killing / additional scanning, driver does whats told. Even a small delay due boneheaded AI can be costy.
Example why communication is a good thing:
We had taken lot of casualties, including Doveman's tank (our leader). We knew there was still active enemy AT/Tank out there, as Alwarrens tank was destroyed just a minute ago. I spotted two infantrymen in thermals, and one of them had a launcher! Far away, rainy, and I can't ID uniform on visual mode. One of them starts to prepare a launcher! I had a faint recollection of remnants of friendly infantry being still alive. Manuel sends interrogative transmission hastily, and just I was about to eliminate obvious threat as self defense, McGregor announces they are friendlies!
Winter's ground
I wasn't 100% happy how mission turned out from authors point of view, but some experiences from grunt on the ground. Start was a moment of panic as 1 shot would kill you as lot of us had no vests, and some didn't even have uniforms. I was one of those. I made a mad rush to cover behind a sand bag and spotted one VDV soldier at point blank range. Rapid fire from Glock and 115gr JHPs (or other comrade) takes the threat down. No frags, smokes, and a mad rush from sandbag to sandbag to find a better weapon.
After the initial wtf-panic settled, we handled the action at point X-ray pretty well. Den was very quick to react to new task at point Yankee and realized the enemy mortar threat before they could adjust fire for effect.
Someone spotted the mortar team at fuel station 900m away and we eradicated it with long range gunnery and counter-battery fire from our own mortars. Enemy flankers hitting us from north were quickly detected and dealt with. We witnessed destruction of friendly outpost by enemy rocket artillery (ominous) and were sent to reinforce logistics platoon. I have to correct a certain speculation. Our team was not technically lost. It was a Tactical Combat Detour © and Den wanted to check situation at Point Uniform just to be sure : P During this escapade at back seat of Humvee I finally understood the concept of alternate channel of TFAR radio after 3 months of coop nights. Zen moment in winters darkness.
Things at logistics platoon were grim. No survivors, and strange noises in the night (lack of sleep) with a disturbing sight at the supply crate. It was no huge surprise that we had to hold the area and defend command truck. Mines and explosives were set smartly to obvious chokepoint between two big rocks, and it knocked one tank out of action! One enemy tank got stuck at far, and I had to JIP as Zeus to unfuck the situation. However, enemy tank commanders had reported of strong resistance at the objective, and now those Grads started to fall down on the cursed timber mill and enemy attacked your position under cover of smoke. I was observing it from the sky, and I think you guys did good job. Your optional task of delivering ammo truck to Steel Rain gave you some good karma and rewarded you with Mk19 Humvee. I watched it shred a full VDV fireteam which was about to hit the command truck with RPG! I likely remove this, as it was a tad overpowered for the mission scope.
I also rewarded you one firemission for completing alternate task and Den provided the battery coordinates, noticed the first hit was off and corrected fire for effect. Perfect. However, at this time, B-on-B disaster was narrowly averted. Bravo team was searching for the enemies at target area which was completely obscured by fallen trees, and Den called Steel Rain (aka me) to fire for effect precisely to that area. You noticed this in time, reacted, and Den aborted the firemission millisecond before I was about to copypaste some 155mms to the area.Â
Thanks to my group mates and good leadership from Den for lot ot fun. Unfortunately some bugs disrupted the mission flow and killed Alwarren on a runway (still not sure wtf happened there).
Coop 13 Rite of Spring
My Grand Vision and actual mission were at dire odds. My idea of 1 hour short and simple SnD operation turned into 2h marathon or boredom and bizarre horrors for the crew (Sphoenix and me) of Poorly Mobile Metallic Trashcan, which in some organizations is known as BTR-70. My fine idea of using the PMMT as force multiplier turned out to be a sadistic joke. Why didn't I convince Variable to give us BMP instead : )
Jesting aside, its mobility was quite poor, and the gunner's view is very narrow and has no zoom but seriously blame is on operator (me) and not the tool. You have to work around the limitations. That said, it didn't help that the vehicle was witched and our AI was phase-shifting back and forth inside the vehicle hull and I had to watch his ass in front of my gunner optics 1/3rd of the mission.
I've been to BTR-60 in rl and it is really cramped inside with ..well..Russian optics.. so this is likely somewhat realistic representation of the vehicle, but in this mission, we were not able to support as I had planned. We had some view of the village, but without proper optics we weren't able to really pick any targets. HMG might have been useful once infantry spots targets and commands..say.. 'HMG fire on the building marked with blue smoke, small bursts through walls' and use it as a giant shotgun platform, but it didn't realize this time.
I had lot of difficulties estimating the dimensions of the vehicle through gunners optics and I wasn't able to direct driver as I should have. Getting a working hull down position was a pain. Have to practice this more. Millisecond after being visible, we ate RPG ending my suffering. At least Phoenix made it. Sorry Outlaws, vehicle wasn't really helpful for Alpha : /
I have no idea how it was for infantry and CAS, but this wasn't one of my better missions.
Dronewood by Outlawz
This was awesome mission. Locate drone, download data, destroy. Simple concept, and lots of tense moments in dark forest filled with enemy patrols searching for us. I don't know how it was implemented, but it really looked like AI teams were really searching for us, and following our trail.
Lots of intense firefights and I had to resort to using pistol at least two times in the mission due intense ammo consumption. Great mission and leading from Variable and good teamwork!
Watchmen tank mission:
In my previous (Phantom's) tank mission I managed to get my tank locked because I fragged friendly infantry team and got myself labeled as enemy. This time I actually survived almost to end. Co-operation with Manuel inside tank was smooth and it was lot of fun to be a gunner. We have had discussions of using AI as a tank crew, and personally I would have preferred 3 human players inside tank. At least in this mission there was plenty to do for everyone. Commander scans targets/assigns them, gunner does killing / additional scanning, driver does whats told. Even a small delay due boneheaded AI can be costy.
Example why communication is a good thing:
We had taken lot of casualties, including Doveman's tank (our leader). We knew there was still active enemy AT/Tank out there, as Alwarrens tank was destroyed just a minute ago. I spotted two infantrymen in thermals, and one of them had a launcher! Far away, rainy, and I can't ID uniform on visual mode. One of them starts to prepare a launcher! I had a faint recollection of remnants of friendly infantry being still alive. Manuel sends interrogative transmission hastily, and just I was about to eliminate obvious threat as self defense, McGregor announces they are friendlies!
Winter's ground
I wasn't 100% happy how mission turned out from authors point of view, but some experiences from grunt on the ground. Start was a moment of panic as 1 shot would kill you as lot of us had no vests, and some didn't even have uniforms. I was one of those. I made a mad rush to cover behind a sand bag and spotted one VDV soldier at point blank range. Rapid fire from Glock and 115gr JHPs (or other comrade) takes the threat down. No frags, smokes, and a mad rush from sandbag to sandbag to find a better weapon.
After the initial wtf-panic settled, we handled the action at point X-ray pretty well. Den was very quick to react to new task at point Yankee and realized the enemy mortar threat before they could adjust fire for effect.
Someone spotted the mortar team at fuel station 900m away and we eradicated it with long range gunnery and counter-battery fire from our own mortars. Enemy flankers hitting us from north were quickly detected and dealt with. We witnessed destruction of friendly outpost by enemy rocket artillery (ominous) and were sent to reinforce logistics platoon. I have to correct a certain speculation. Our team was not technically lost. It was a Tactical Combat Detour © and Den wanted to check situation at Point Uniform just to be sure : P During this escapade at back seat of Humvee I finally understood the concept of alternate channel of TFAR radio after 3 months of coop nights. Zen moment in winters darkness.
Things at logistics platoon were grim. No survivors, and strange noises in the night (lack of sleep) with a disturbing sight at the supply crate. It was no huge surprise that we had to hold the area and defend command truck. Mines and explosives were set smartly to obvious chokepoint between two big rocks, and it knocked one tank out of action! One enemy tank got stuck at far, and I had to JIP as Zeus to unfuck the situation. However, enemy tank commanders had reported of strong resistance at the objective, and now those Grads started to fall down on the cursed timber mill and enemy attacked your position under cover of smoke. I was observing it from the sky, and I think you guys did good job. Your optional task of delivering ammo truck to Steel Rain gave you some good karma and rewarded you with Mk19 Humvee. I watched it shred a full VDV fireteam which was about to hit the command truck with RPG! I likely remove this, as it was a tad overpowered for the mission scope.
I also rewarded you one firemission for completing alternate task and Den provided the battery coordinates, noticed the first hit was off and corrected fire for effect. Perfect. However, at this time, B-on-B disaster was narrowly averted. Bravo team was searching for the enemies at target area which was completely obscured by fallen trees, and Den called Steel Rain (aka me) to fire for effect precisely to that area. You noticed this in time, reacted, and Den aborted the firemission millisecond before I was about to copypaste some 155mms to the area.Â
Thanks to my group mates and good leadership from Den for lot ot fun. Unfortunately some bugs disrupted the mission flow and killed Alwarren on a runway (still not sure wtf happened there).
Coop 13 Rite of Spring
My Grand Vision and actual mission were at dire odds. My idea of 1 hour short and simple SnD operation turned into 2h marathon or boredom and bizarre horrors for the crew (Sphoenix and me) of Poorly Mobile Metallic Trashcan, which in some organizations is known as BTR-70. My fine idea of using the PMMT as force multiplier turned out to be a sadistic joke. Why didn't I convince Variable to give us BMP instead : )
Jesting aside, its mobility was quite poor, and the gunner's view is very narrow and has no zoom but seriously blame is on operator (me) and not the tool. You have to work around the limitations. That said, it didn't help that the vehicle was witched and our AI was phase-shifting back and forth inside the vehicle hull and I had to watch his ass in front of my gunner optics 1/3rd of the mission.
I've been to BTR-60 in rl and it is really cramped inside with ..well..Russian optics.. so this is likely somewhat realistic representation of the vehicle, but in this mission, we were not able to support as I had planned. We had some view of the village, but without proper optics we weren't able to really pick any targets. HMG might have been useful once infantry spots targets and commands..say.. 'HMG fire on the building marked with blue smoke, small bursts through walls' and use it as a giant shotgun platform, but it didn't realize this time.
I had lot of difficulties estimating the dimensions of the vehicle through gunners optics and I wasn't able to direct driver as I should have. Getting a working hull down position was a pain. Have to practice this more. Millisecond after being visible, we ate RPG ending my suffering. At least Phoenix made it. Sorry Outlaws, vehicle wasn't really helpful for Alpha : /
I have no idea how it was for infantry and CAS, but this wasn't one of my better missions.
Dronewood by Outlawz
This was awesome mission. Locate drone, download data, destroy. Simple concept, and lots of tense moments in dark forest filled with enemy patrols searching for us. I don't know how it was implemented, but it really looked like AI teams were really searching for us, and following our trail.
Lots of intense firefights and I had to resort to using pistol at least two times in the mission due intense ammo consumption. Great mission and leading from Variable and good teamwork!