Basic questions

[iaidoka]

Hi all,

I bought the game yesterday, having no experience in this sort of gaming before. FYI, I was so impressed by the reviews and discussion on this site that I thought why not.

Anyway, first impressions are that the game looks deceptively simple but after 5 mins or so into the 1st training scenario, you very quickly get the idea that there is a lot to know and do.

I am not too computer savvy so forgive me if these questions are a little dumb arse. If I download the latest patch, will it contain all relevant updates or do I have to download earlier patches as well? The version of the game I have is, I think (doing this at work and can't quite remember) 2.07.

The manual that came with the game is OK but is printed too small and not in colour which makes it difficult to follow some of the explanations etc, is it available as a PDF anywhere for easier viewing?

When they talk about a unit's personnel and anti personnel fire power, I presume the former is actual number of soldiers etc, what is the latter figure related to. How does the idea of greater firepower fit in here (I understand it is a more complicated concept taking into account terrain, weather etc etc)? How do you take into account the AP FP?

I played out Scenario 1 and achieved a marginal victory which surprised me because a. I did not really have much of a clue what was going on and b. the scenario did not exactly unfold as the manual described. For instance, my units took Groesbeek very quickly with very little resistance and I also took the bridge in the far north (name escapes me) with the units going through Jonkers. I think I did something wrong there as the fighting was really fierce and my mortars got routed. The AI is very impressive.

When you are plotting movements with waypoints, taking scenario 1, it says to send the 3.505 Bth HQ north to Jonkers to prepare for the attack on the river crossing but do so in a way that avoids other enemy positions so that the element of surprise can be utilised. When plotting movement, I kind of did so along the edges of woods, some tracks etc but stayed clear of roads and was approx 1 to 2 kms away from enemy positions. Is this a sensible approach?

I am looking forward to playing the game and learning more about it. I love the airstrike and bombardment capability and the sounds are a good laugh as well.

Thanks for any help and please excuse stupidity on my part.[&o]

[Grouchy]

Aloha and welcome to HttR.

Before you play again I would recommended to update. The patch will contain the Manual in PDF format.
You need to install patch v.2.179 first and then apply the v2.286 patch.
More info about AP FP is at page 94 of the manual.

[Golf33]

ORIGINAL: iaidoka

the scenario did not exactly unfold as the manual described.

Hehe, it's pretty tricky to write tutorials for a program where every game plays out differently.

As Grouchy says, run TrueUpdate and your game will patch itself automatically. You might need to run TrueUpdate twice, once to get the 2.0.77 patch and once to get the 2.2.86 patch.

The stickied 'tips and tricks' thread contains some good information, and there is also *ahem* a Strategy Guide available for download from the matrix store - this thread here has some folks' opinions on whether it was a good buy or not:

tm.asp?m=620276

Regards
33

[Bodhi]

As you seem to be a newcomer to wargames, I think you'd benefit from having the Strategy Guide. IMHO, it's well written and contains some background reading that may be useful to you. It comes as a PDF via download, so you may want to factor in printing costs if you want a hardcopy. If you have the budget, I think you'll find it $15 well spent.

Here's a copy/paste of the info on the order page:

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Description


The Airborne Assault: Highway to the Reich Strategy Guide is in two parts. The first part contains information on understanding the game and improving your play, and the second provides the historical background to the battle for players who are unfamiliar with it. Part one includes military organisations and capabilities, the chain of command, the principles of war, and conducting basic operations in the game; standard military planning processes and how to apply them to the game; how to put a plan into action in the game and how to cope when the unexpected occurs; a series of useful hints and tips to help both new and experienced players fine-tune their play; a quick-reference guide to the major weapons and vehicles in the game and their capabilities; and a detailed Order of Battle for the historical campaign showing the command structure for both sides. Part two includes a detailed account of the course of the battle, an analysis of key events, and hints for players on winning the historical scenarios.

KEY FEATURES:

• Basic Concepts for players totally new to military organisations and capabilities, the chain of command, the Principles of War, and how to conduct basic operations in Highway to the Reich;
• Planning processes to get you started on the road to victory, essential for beginners and useful for old hands;
• Fighting the Battle which shows how to put the plan into action and when to deviate from it;
• Useful Tips for players who are familiar with the basics and just want to pick up some useful hints to fine-tune their play;
• Weapons and Equipment, your quick-reference guide to the major weapons and vehicles in the game and how they perform in battle; and
• Detailed Order of Battle, a list of all the units in the game in their usual command structure.
• Part Two includes a detailed account of the course of Operation Market-Garden, historical analysis of the key events, and some hints for players attempting the Historical Scenarios in the game.

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[iaidoka]

thanks for the help guys. I patched it and printed the manuals at work on a colour laser printer so they are a bit easier to read. Yes, I will definately check out the strategy guide.

I have played Tut 1 a couple of times now, lost a couple and won a couple (marginal victories only though[&:]). Every time I have played this tut, my guys have trouble heading north and taking the Honinghutie Bridges. I have not actually achieved that obj yet. The victories come from achieving most of the lower scoring objs. Played Tut 2 for the first time last night and got a decisive victory. Good fun when the Grenadiers come charging in and the Germans go all ape shit.

Cheers

[EricGuitarJames]

There are plenty of resources on these forums for newcomers to the game. Check out my AAR on the 'Mook Right-Hook' scenario located in the AAR section above - it will give you an 'interesting' view of the game[:D] as well as some clues as to what not to do! If you're familier with the history of the Market-Garden operation, try some of the 'historical' scenarios and use the appropriate tactics/strategy. It'll give you a good idea of how historically accurate the game is as well as teaching you more how to play it.

[iaidoka]

Thanks all for your help. I bought the Strategy Guide and have printed it out. It looks very good and the reviews in the guide thread certainly do it justice. Now all that remains is to spend hours of fun on the computer.[:D]