Hate how Campaign progresses without player input!

[Commie]

I hate how unlike in OFP, there is very little interaction at times by you in the campaign. Missions seem to progress whether you are there or not. Take the Delores bridges mission for example:

I get the flash message and blow the bridge. Blast a couple of T-72's, and get ready to join the ambush. Imagine my surprise when as I move towards the ambush area, I see that the other 2 bridges are still standing and I get the 'Retreat' icon to leave the mission area. Undeterred I keep going to the ambush area and see 2 BMP and one T-72 standing around. Eventually I nail them and go to the base on top of the hill, a few dozen US dead and some 4 trops standing around. They did the ambush without me and so all I needed to do was camp by the bridge and go home! Not only this but it went badly and I had no influence as even the cople minutes run from bridge to ambush point wasn't enough to get there in time.

Another example is the mission where you take the TOW Humvees into action. As we move towards the objective, enemies blow away the Humvees, and kill all my squad except one. I jump out in time and go prone trying to get my bearings. You'd think such a disaster would end the mission but no! 10 seconds late I get the message that the Defence is successful and we can go forward!

Now I know don't want to be hemmed into replaying a mission because of some arbitrary design that says I need 50% of my units intact to proceed etc. and the mission i described i had a fun time as a lone wolf sniper taking out the base then the tanks. But this isn't my point.

I just remember that in OFP I could CHOOSE to stay behind and let others take the flak if a mission was hairy,and run for my life if they failed! http://forums.bistudio.com/oldsmileys/tounge2.gif

Here often the decisions as to what engagement to take part in or hide from is often not in my hands and that blows.

[Dr. Mojo, PhD]

I feel the opposite. It's about times things went down without you there. In that Dolores mission you're talking about, I spent a good half an hour hunting a T-72 (and then her crew) around the city -- first to harass them and then for my own survival. I got to the ambush point with nothing but smoking wreckage left -- it was pretty sweet, actually.

[Commie]

Well then why do I need to play the game at all then?

The point of playing a game is to be a part of the action!

I'll give another example. In the Airport Defend mission you get a radio message that the Royal Forces have been overrun and that I have to get into the Strykers and stop the SLA from breaking through. Before the Strykers leave the airport compound I get a message saying all enemies have been destroyed, mission accomplished!

Now I don't know about you, but if I'm TOLD by the game to do something and it gets done 30 seconds later when I don't even have time to get my squad in the vehicle to take us there, I don't think that enhances my gameplay!

But you're right about not even needing to play to succeed. In the Helo mission after this I crashed non-fatally on takeoff, and still was told that the mission was a success!

Seems that to win the game one just needs to sit in a corner and wait.

In OFP especially in the infantry battle missions I never got the sense that I was the reason we won. Often I would take a few shots then hunker down till the smoke cleared.

It's ok you not having an impact on a battle, but not ok to be denied even a choice when in the briefing you are told to do this and that in the first place!

[Frederf]

[quote]The point of playing a game is to be a part of the action!
[/quote

The point of a military simulation is to realize that you aren't the main character from a Medal of Honor game!

[McNools]

It's true that some missions is bugged to that you win even though you shouldn't, but like Frederf said, this is a military sim, it's "many good troops saved the day", not: "a lone private took care of everything by himself".

[Commie]

Wrong Frederf, if that were so, then why do they tell YOU in briefings and orders to do this or that? They don't tell YOU unless they want YOU to do this! When I'm told to 'Board Stryker and head to (x) to destroy enemy armour' then I assume that command is asking ME to do this because there is nothing else available! Yet just as I jump into the Stryker the game tells me that targets are destroyed!

It's nothing to do with 'being a lone private to save the day' as I'm in charge of a squad of infantry!

[Blanco]

There's a nice enterable burned out building on a hill with lots of windows, take yoru AT weapon and nail the tanks from there.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/blanco2/Dolores.jpg
You can take out at least 3 tanks from there and a few soldiers.
But watch out, an enemy can enter the buiding and take you from behind. (with 1.05)

[derfalpha]

I agree with the OP.

[kerosene]

Another example is the mission where you take the TOW Humvees into action. As we move towards the objective, enemies blow away the Humvees, and kill all my squad except one. I jump out in time and go prone trying to get my bearings. You'd think such a disaster would end the mission but no! 10 seconds late I get the message that the Defence is successful and we can go forward!
I loved the tow misson. Are you talking about the night misson early on in game where you counter an SLA offensive?

I turned the headlights off and used NV and had some of the squasd in one of the M2 humvees at the base. I drove and ordered the gunner about. It was pretty easy.

The bridge misson isn't perfect though.