Hi, new here
 

Hello,

Just noticed about this game some days ago, after 1 hour researching or so, I decided to buy it.

It feels complex and there aren't too much information newbie-friendly. In fact, I have no idea where to start and what to take into consideration, but well, over time I hope to learn.

Regards ;)

Re: Hi, new here
 

Start with the tutorial scenario and the write up in the game guide about it

Re: Hi, new here
 

Yes, I did it yesterday but...

1.- Seems outdated, in manual talks about bombardment screen for patrol at the end of the 1st turn, but ingame it's disabled in first turn.

2.- Once you start to move you start to receive fire everywhere and this is not explained AFAIR in manual (type of weapons, and so on....).

Didn't had the time to review all the manual (for example, I see I can disable a weapon, but, why do it? is one of the hundreds questions I have) and so on....I hope to read it in next days.

Re: Hi, new here
 

When we started work on this 20 years ago the game system was well known and popular and we wrote the manual with certain assumptions that the people playing the game already knew how the basic game worked and we were explaining the new items we added so we never considered that everything would need to be explained ( I don't think it was in the original manual either....some things you need to learn by doing ).....add to the fact we NEVER thought we'd be doing this for 20 years and introducing it to players who were not familiar with "SP" at all.

Others on the forums may have some input into this to help you as some of them may have been in the same boat you are now but keep plugging away at the tutorial and read the guide and I'm sure it will become more clear. But after you get a better idea how the tutorial works I would suggest you try some small battles in the late '40's early 50's to start...jumping right into modern day tank warfare where there is little room for error or you are dead is not the best time period to first learn the game

I have made a note to check the game guide for that bombardment screen reference. A few years ago we restricted some battle types to access to the bombardment screen until after turn 2 .

Re: Hi, new here
 

Best read the underlined EDIT I made after you read it.......

Re: Hi, new here
 

Try to grasp the basics first, most of which are obvious if you put yourself in that situation.
The faster you move the harder it is to detect units & the less accurate your shots are. Being suppressed also effects accuracy & detection.
Coming to grips with how units function when they are under AI control takes a bit of learning, it will suddenly come to you.
They do take threat level & the chance to hit into account.
Example a squad with an RPG that has a range of 10.
It will open fire at different ranges dependant on the situation.
If its stationary it fill fire at a greater range than if its moving as the fire is more accurate.
In good order or suppressed the same applies as suppression effects accuracy.
It might well open fire versus a tank at greater range than an APC because the tank is more of a threat.
Armoured vehicles work the same way a tank if it is capable of killing its target will open fire on another tank at a greater range than the APC as its not a threat.
With vehicles in particular learning what the different information covers will let you understand what they do & why they do it.
Penetration vs armour gives you an idea of the treat level involved.
Things like Giros, Fire Control Laser rangefinders affect the accuracy of the shot, higher is better. When you grasp these facts you have a good idea why units react as they do. Try getting an idea of a units capabilities once you do you can predict how its likely to react.
2 identical tanks except one has a better giro, the better giro will make the tank more accurate when its moving.
A better range finder will be more accurate at range.
Better fire control makes hitting moving targets easier.
Bit daunting at first but you will get a light bulb moment.

Re: Hi, new here
 

Yes. If you come in cold the learning curve for this game system is quite steep, even daunting or forbidding at first. But as DRG says keep plugging away on simpler, historically earlier scenarios and you should get the hang of it. In an attempt to halfway answer your queries:

1)The Tutorial is a Meeting Engagement, so BOTH sides must wait until Turn 2 to plot (indirect) artillery/air bombardment, airborne or spotting (air recon) missions (the Tutorial for WINSPWW2 includes this info, but apparently not for WINSPMBT). There are 3 types of battles--assault/defend, advance/delay,and meeting engagements--in which defenders, delayers, and both sides in "meeters" cannot plot in Turn 1. This partially reduces the advantage that artillery has in the game (as it did historically and today) against enemy units in the open. (There are also "overload" penalties for too much artillery as a proportion of your force, but better cross that bridge later when you come to it.)

2) You're being fired on by unseen enemy probably because you're either moving too fast and/or you don't have stationary infantry with good LOS (line of sight) on enemy units firing at you. Infantry are your best spotters so when attacking, advancing or in "meeters" get some infantry either ahead or on high ground to spot while other units advance. Vehicles--even "recon" vehicles--don't spot very well, and they make great targets for enemy fire.

When advancing try to stay low so it's harder for the enemy to see you. And while there are exceptions, generally speaking DON'T LEAD WITH TANKS! The basic idea is to get infantry ahead in covered terrain (rough, trees, buildings, etc.) where they can more safely keep an eye on what the enemy's doing. (In the SPMBT Tutorial you've only got one infantry scout, an LMG and one or two TOW teams, so it's not exactly a typical order of battle.)

3) One main reason to turn off a weapon is to preserve ammo. Why waste bazooka or tank cannon HE on soft targets when small arms or machine guns will do the trick? Just don't forget to turn it back on for "opfire" (opportunity fire) during the opponent's turn. You never know what might turn up, so better be prepared...

Hope that helps, at least a little. Welcome to Steel Panthers, and may your gaming be rewarding--and fun!

Re: Hi, new here
 

There are "let's plays" of both WW2 and MBT on Youtube these days. They might be worth a look.

Re: Hi, new here
 

Another thing is some modern technology really changes the games (and real life battle) dynamics.

When Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs) are introduced in the 1970's they make everything everyone knew about armored warfare obsolete overnight (just ask the Israelis in 1973).

A few years after this Thermal Imaging (TI) turns the night into day and makes fog and smoke largely irrelevant for those that can afford it (ask the Iraqis in 1991).

More recently active countermeasures on armored vehicles have turned the dreaded (to tanks) ATGM into a non-threat ... the first time, or two, one is fired at them.

Learning what certain technologies can do, when they become available, who has them, and how to counter (or at least mitigate) them forces you to adopt entirely different tactics at various points (or vs various opponents) between 1946-2025.

Re: Hi, new here
 

Welcome! All I can add is read the manual (there is a ton of useful info in there about the game and tactics), read through this forum (lots of useful info in the various topics), and if you think you like the game now, just wait until you really learn how to play it ;)

Also, buy the World War 2 version, even if you're not into WW2, as I find it's as fun to play as the Modern version.

Steves308

Re: Hi, new here
 

Thanks to all for all your comments. I hope to start enjoying this game soon. :up::up::up:

Re: Hi, new here
 

"Pewpewchewchew"'s videos on "Organized Chaos" (Scenario #1) for WW2 and "Viet Village" (Scenario #41) for MBT are definitely worth a look. He raised a few eyebrows among some of us "experienced" players when he won the first one without using smoke, only HE from a couple mortars, while employing MGs as fire support against entrenched Poles. (The standard procedure is to use mortars/artillery for smoke until your regular infantry squads get close, then switch to HE. Seems he preferred to keep an LOS to the enemy trenches so his MGs could hose them down. Sorta like Rommel against the Rumanians in WWI.) Shows how there's more than one way to skin a cat, as it were.

The second one is a kind of training scenario to teach the basics, with nothing but infantry. Forget exactly how he does that one but IIRC he was also successful. His site is at:
https://www.youtube.com/user/Pewpewchewchew

Re: Hi, new here
 

[quote=jivemi;838990](The standard procedure is to use mortars/artillery for smoke until your regular infantry squads get close, then switch to HE. Seems he preferred to keep an LOS to the enemy trenches so his MGs could hose them down. Sorta like Rommel against the Rumanians in WWI.) Shows how there's more than one way to skin a cat, as it were.
QUOTE]

It's almost 3 years since I've played the scenario, but I've done it in more or less the same way he did (the reason was the same, I want my MGs to have the LOS to truly shine), though I did use smoke a couple of times, though smoke created by my infantry, not mortars.

But I agree with you, there are usually more than 1 way to finish a scenario. And that is what makes the game so enjoyable.

Re: Hi, new here
 

The real trick is to create a scenario that does not play out the same way twice even if you do make all the same moves...... the game does that routinely anyway with combat result variables but yes..things like this where there are multiple ways to achieve the same end makes for a scenario that people can play over and over and those are the golden ones.

I have often thought that a tutorial campaign would be nice were each battle introduced progressively more complex tactical problems to solve that on completion would teach all the lessons that need to be learned to get the most out of the game. I also believe new players should avoid large complex scenarios.....it's too easy to get " lost". Try a reinforced company battle in the early decades before ATGM, a coy of infantry and a plt of tanks with a couple of mortars in a meeting engagement on a 20x30 map and use the random map generator with urbanisation set to 3 and trees set to 2..that gives a nice map to play on usually and won't overwhelm a new player to the game......however, that might not be enough excitement for some new players....everyone has to find their own way.

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/attac...1&d=1499973961

Don