Projekt K

If you hit a few trees, then you've crashed (try it a real jeep a few times and I suppose it will be the same...) and the jeep is no use - it's better to go on foot anyway. Use the F2 and F3 keys to choose soldiers. Engage is useful if you want to generally tell them that they should attack, whereas Target tells them to attack a specific enemy target. There is a lot of advice on this mission elsewhere in the Forum, so I won't write any more here. Look back through previous posts, and the most important thing is to tell them all to Keep Low and even Go Prone as you make your way. Good luck.

Hmmm.... Just trid the mission again and my tactics are not working. Usually snipe all the enemy then steal the tank. Well, now they're shooting me very efficiently. Can get the Spetz natz, but someone always shoots me when I got for the tank. Even when I wait a while. Strange how it changes.

Read the replies to your last post and be also be more patient. F1 and F2, then tell then to hit the dirt and crawl all the way, then kill three Spetz natz, and crawl home. p_K (Edited by Projekt K at 3:54 am on Nov. 25, 2001)

The two companions are quite useful, I find, as they do a good job of taking out any enemies who decided to find out who's shooting at them from the trees. Just keep them low. I usually kill all the Spetz Natz, then just pick off all the soldiers wandering around, including the crew of the Shilka (I think it's a Shilka) - the BMPs usually head off to investigate the soldiers killed in the area between the two forests if you go back and knock a few of them off. I've killed the Spetz Natz, but never actually finished the mission, as when everyone in the camp is dead (or sometimes before) I sneak in and steal the tank (T 80, I think) and go around the place blowing things up and machine-gunning the remaining troops. A tank or BMP always gets me eventually - mostly with one shot. Shouldn't be too hard to crawl back after the hit, though. I've never had any problem with the two men under my command, though. Definitely play the campaign first, but remember that you have to press F2 or F3 to select one of your men before you'll get the optional commands. Good luck - the tank is on the far left of the camp if you feel like making use of it. p_K

Ireland has some of the most expensive charges for dial-up access anywhere in Europe, and yet I have to say I was quite happy to spend a few hours downloading the updates (and a few missions, etc) on 56k (well, 44k). I believe that OFP was released here before the US, so that seems to be some compensation, and as far as I'm concerned (same with ANY software, drivers, etc.) I never feel that I've bought a completely finished product - I always expect to download patches, etc. This seems to me to be an advantage - things get fixed, our friends in Ceska Republika keep supporting OFP, and we have a game which improves. OFP was actually one of the only games (besides Bladerunner and Grim Fandango that I really was glad I'd bought). An upgrade CD would be a pain - it's bad enough having to take such good care of my original CD because of FADE: I find it reassuring to know that anything I ever need to patch the game can be found online (rather than having to obtain a CD - even a magazine costs about $8 here) whatever happens to my hard drive or whatever, and that even if CM and BIS disappear for some reason, that somewhere someone will have the files. Having said all that, I wish that Ireland would catch up with the US and give us even the option of cable or ADSL (could have ISDN for about $250 installation, $50/month + normal internet charges for the phone call - not to mention 2Xcharges for 128K speeds - that's obviously not really worth it...) Anyway, three cheers for Bohemia Interactive. [Diky ! OFP je skvely !] p_K

I think I should have been court martialled - three of my own men..! But maybe getting back by boat made it okay for some reason. The first time I played the mission I managed the Hind with a few AA as well, and so I expected to do so again, but never managed to down it after that - had to leave it to one of my men. Every time I drive anywhere I get taken out by tanks. It's a funny old war. I have to admit that the unpredictability of OFP beats games like Hitman or whatever, where there does seem to be a right and a wrong way to do things. I see your point about the tanks, though... Same with shooting that soldier (there's always one) who insists on running off somewhere, or crawling so slowly that he's always asking "Where are you?"... I tend to like the BIS missions, as they definitely seem to slow my machine down a lot less than most of the user-made ones. At least it seems that way to me.

Finally - after 2hrs 8mins (not incl. retries, etc.) I made my way back to the Hospital base (after finding myself forced to shoot the driver and gunner of the boat - I console myself by believing that they refused to follow orders). There were a few canny tank crew hiding in Lamentin, but they didn't last too long - they seemed to prefer running away. Final stats (and no boasting here, as many will have done better, but I was happy with the mission) were: T80 2XT72 2XOFFICER BMP2 2XRPG SOLDIER 2XMACHINE GUNNER GRENADIER 11XCREW PILOT HEAVY GRENADIER 2XSOLDIER But also 3XSOLDIER friendly fire (the two in the boat plus one I must have shot earlier and never realised it, although I think I remember it as being a case of shoot first ask questions later). Got 5 stars, which I was pleased with. The boat problem is irritating after having gone to the trouble of playing the mission, though. Must be an error. I think it was quite an enjoyable mission - a lot happening at different stages (even if the ambush was rigged). Prefer Battlefields, though. Proves that you can't leave your troops to think for themselves. Have to tell them everything.

The sniper got me twice after the initial assault. Takes you out fast if you're using a LAW on the enemy armour. So next time I kept ignoring orders to fall back into formation and went to find him after the first attack. Waited by the ammo crates until he appeared with his comrade and shot them nice and quick, then took his rifle and dealt with the Spetz Natz, etc. I liked the mission. Great atmosphere when you're running at the enemy in such numbers. Obviously behaves very differently each time you play it, too, as some seem to have been left with no armoured support, or with their squad gone, whereas I was lucky in that most of my side was alive after the first attack.

I've been playing it all day, retrying over and over (finally succumbed to the Save utility as I found myself getting bored with repeating the earlier stages). Runs fast (Athlon 1.4 Ghz/ 256 MB) but it is tough. The squad seems to behave erratically, and have to be told to everything - they seem unable to take out any tanks, and the Hind took Number 9 all the AAs he could find, leaving me with pilots still out there, I think. Took care of the second wave of infantry by hiding in a building over by the ammo crates and taking them all out from a distance, while the rest of my men hid in the bushes. The tanks were destroyed with mines laid all over the place in the little time I had before they showed up, and with a few LAWs. Equipped all my squad with C. Gustavs and LAWs, but they just don't seem to have it in them to attack heavy armour. Well, it gradually got dark as I got the remaining men together (only 6 now) and picked up some NV goggles. So tried to make it back to Provins (all earlier attempts to use the vehicles for a quick getaway after the infantry were gone ended with tanks around the place destroying us) on foot - running into either tanks or infantry en route and being shot even when careful and crawling the whole way. So I'm glad to hear that a boat will arrive if I take care of the one or two soldiers hiding in the town. I know there are a few tank crew and infantry there, but had decided to just head elsewhere in case any more tanks showed up. I don't agree that the mission is a mess - it is a bit too difficult for me, but it does keep you alert. I wish the Vulcan would last a bit longer - the Hind takes it out wherever I put it, but I suppose that that's what I'd do if I was up there in the sky choosing targets. I liked Battlegrounds a lot, though. Played it through a few times, deciding to sit the battle out by stealing a Dragunov from a Russian sniper and taking my time with the enemy. Okay, enough from me - just glad to hear that there's another way to escape Levantin. Hope it works. Now, back to tracking down those troops in the dark. Projekt_K