Episode 18
Chapoi west
We park up, at the crop / farm area west of Chapoi. #5 immediately takes out a Vulcan that's in the area.
I'm in repair truck with #2/4 as they were quite hopeless at driving the thing
I get into T80 and with all other vehicles emptied, we 'walk' our way towards chapoi. T72 comes up over lip of ridge and he dies, whacked by one blast from the T80 and 3 from the squad!!!
I inch forward towards lip, mist is very thick, no more than 50 meter view. I get near lip and am taken out by a T80 or 72 from forest other side of chapoi. There is NO WAY i can see him. As commander, he's not even showing up on radar. I reload check again, this vehicle at least can see thru mist. I cannot, all out, retry, we're crawling in.
I assume I could have played this with #5 and crew manning the T80 'she' would have been on even footing with the other tank, they would have 'seen' each other. I chose, and will choose in future, not to play any vehicle. I wish now I had walked the southern road, it would have been a series of fantastic firefights and cunning vs cunning. Am not sore about the game, just sore with myself. This was a blunder.
As it turns out, the crazed dash to south was a strategic magnifico, In effect I've left half / three quarters? of the southron army falling in mountains and / or, on their way to the airport. This knowledge, I shall use later, to get very very very far away and come at them from elsewhere. I will use truck transport to my benefit in future, i can outrun any patrol in the mist(s). Can't wait to do this on next try of game.
More notes:
1st time I tried this game where I attacked Chapoi 1st (in effect) the southron army down weapons and walked, or stood where they were. They were walking OUT of chapoi, to at least as far as the fuel station, perhaps further. Northrons on the other hand all congregated in the airport buildings and unlike southrons, but hands behind head. Both effects were maginificent. THe southron choreograph gave me the impression of soldiers going home to mum / family (which clearly wasn't the case but that was the effect). The Northron choreograph gave the effect of enemy coming to join me if only I knew how. These both, are formidable sequencing in terms of player appeal.
I really was confused with Airport General. The game / author convinced me, he had fled.
1st time thru I attacked airport from north. The mist was the single most effect. This time, from south via beach fence, the mist played no effect at all. It had no significance. All good stuff.
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I crawl in to west side chapoi, detect a burnt Bradley, We're taking out the odd M2 gunner in the vehicle area and a few agressive singles, no evidence of enemy in strength. Chapoi leads north to that minefield town, I *know* snipers will be on mountside. Very distressed, I make best use of mist to crawl my way in, if mist lifts, snipers will kill us all. I'm biased towards right flank because priority is M2 gunners, but any chance i get, it's 9'oclock for me and the squad. Can't fight these guys when odds are too large, I need wide open areas when mist is about, any sign of re-inforcements, we're out of here.
Have interesting exchanges with a few singles, including snipers, not pleased with some enemy IN sandbags, but there you go. At some point I lose #3, few annoying pieces follow with the broken bush problem Eg, you can never see thru them but they dont exist line of sight wise for enemy and you're always hit.
Leap in the Vulcan and re-arm it, I chose it because it was the one in front (clear view). Take out a few nasties but then the T72 which I most definitely cannot 'see' and neither can my squad, hits me from 350 meters (I saved game and ran to him to check this) I accept he may have seen vulcan tracer. Retry:
Couldn't get squad into any of these vehicles, (a bradley, a vulcan, a Godzilla) they flat refuse.
Get in a great spot to snipe the general's body guard (between buildings looking directly at church). Knock em all out. Squad doing a reasonable job. Get them to stop, lie down, because they're losing it when armour is around, going awol.
A Godzilla arrives with a Bmp, the bmp goes, one or two pathetic shots at the godzilla, then most of the squad are swiped, one at a time (the godzilla is incredibly innacurate). Godzilla came in becuase I'd picked off a T72/Vulcan some time before, this choreograph I accept. He's not there becuase I'm in Chapoi. Several retries to essentially keep out of its way, not much joy. Snipers in hills pick off a few of me, again, unconditionally cannot 'see' them. Cheatsave and run to them to check this fact.
All in all, I've had enough, The mission is a masterpiece, no doubt at all about that. I get into familiar territory of at least trying to kill off Godzilla because all other choices are now closed, and end up planting AP/AV. This is the last straw for my game play. It's not that I can't learn new tricks, it's like fighting one handed, your right arm is now, effectively useless, like holding a rifle with left hand only. You dont have time to scroll down, it's become a non-functioning part of game immersion. My left hand cannot, effectively move, slide, crawl and, additionally "R"eload. Quite some spoiler. Please give me my mines and satchels back.
So, I stop the mission here. I'm tired, emotionally exhausted in fact. Tough ask to play this mission and report it at same time. Much tougher than expected. I've learned a lot about me, in the process. Have an inkling now of why the author nearly gave up on this magnificient creation. It drains you.
Let's go for a walk, Fido.
Topic: (Review Completed) [SP] Abandoned Armies (Read 264005 times)