Command Ops 2 Tip – Play slow
Revisiting the Battles for Normandy using Bie’s excellent ‘XXX Corps’ Right Pincer”
I learned something interesting about Command Ops 2 recently, that I never really appreciated despite logging 400+ hours on the STEAM version of my game (admittedly a lot of that time is devoted to designing scenarios).
Playing scenarios over many in-game days at regular speed builds a nervous tension that can be palpable and hard to replicate in any other digital wargame that I have played (CMANO, Flashpoint do a good job of this too).
For one thing, slower play causes you to absorb the game rather than react to it. You can see units’ fatigue rise as the fighting progresses, you watch units suffer casualties, fall low on supply or not move fast enough for your liking. That slower cycle also gives you time to evaluate what is happening and plan accordingly, which is really the strength of this game in my opinion.
Command Ops 2 also has an effective night and day dynamic, with the darkened screen and fewer visible units when the sun sets. Just imagine a nail-biting scenario in Normandy after the Allied landings. You are the German commander, entrenched in Bocage country waiting to receive a massive attack. You can’t make decisions about the disposition of your troops because you are waiting for dawn and some decent visibility. Time drags on and the tension rises.
Which brings me to a free scenario worth downloading…
“XXX Corps’ Right Pincer”
I am playing a final D-Day scenario, in honor of the 75th anniversary, made by “Bie” in the CO2 STEAM workshop called “XXX Corps’ Right Pincer,” covering the four days of fighting in Normandy from Jun 10-14, including the Battle of Villers-Bocage.
I recently played the John Tiller Software’s Panzer Campaigns’ scenario for Villers-Bocage, enjoyed it greatly but found it less satisfying because it didn’t come close to the historical result and was less tactical than the Panzer Battles game (which I also played but didn’t blog about).
This CO2 scenario is a zoomed-out view of the same battle, same real estate and encompasses more time. The scenario designer “Bie” has done an amazing job with the map. The graphic tones are perfect, and the detail finely given. He has also created new terrain types not in the original game like “Bocage.”
The screenshot above shows my German defensive line at the start. By the end of the first day, the extreme left objectives will phase out and the new German objectives of Noyers, Point 213 and Villers-Bocage will appear on Day 3.
By Day 2, the attacks are escalating along my front line, and my right flank is starting to bend inward. I am shifting units from my left to my right, but my defensive buildup is slow going, as I am having to break contact, reorganize and then shift my men. I am playing at regular speed and watching attacks develop over time and the tension is building. I know how the historical attack develops and so I am cheating a little with the disposition of my troops, waiting for the historical hammer to fall.
And because I am playing slowly my strategy expands from a handful of predetermined moves and reactionary moves, to a series of speculative moves; probes and counterattacks you wouldn’t see and be able to develop at a faster speed.
As I said, playing slowly is “new” for me, as I haven’t played at regular speed since I first purchased CO1 Battles from the Bulge. I was always too busy to take the time, which is a real shame now that I look back at the hours I’ve devoted to the game, because the game is better when it isn’t sped up.
Back in April, I polled game speed on my “Command Ops Fan Site” FB page and realized the way I approached the game was different than most, which is when I decided to start playing the game on regular speed again.
Since then, I have played a handful of scenarios at this speed, including this Bie scenario. If you don’t normally play Command Ops at the regular speed, do yourself a favor and give this Bie scenario a chance and take your time.
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