I just can't get hold of this game

[Hotdog]

To start, I am a veteran of the ARMA 2 series - it has shaped the way I approach shooters as a whole, so if anyone thinks I am playing RO2 with the "run and gun" mentality of arcade games, you are wrong.

I have only clocked 33 hours since buying the game in July but have barely progressed past how I played in my second or third week. Am I wrong for using my ARMA mentality with this game? Is it possible I am trying to be too slow and calculated?

In all honesty (I am levelheaded and calm right now), I don't find this game to be nearly as tactical or "realistic" as people want it to be. It seems a lot like a Battlefield game - the only difference being one-shot-kill ballistics. The levels are small, extremely fast paced and don't really leave much room for planning, even on the fly.

So, am I doing something wrong? Am I just not good at the game? Is it too hard for me? I understand the mechanics of playing as infantry fine, but so far 70% of this game has left me very disgruntled. The problem is the remaining 30% has been too fun to forget about.

 

[BlackLabel]

When i started *back in the days of yore, 2006* i found myself only playing rifle and moving REALLY slow. Later on you will find what avenues you can take and how long people need to go back to certain spots and *more importantly* where they come from.

So your approach is fine. You will get faster later on. The newer MCP maps all provide alot of phantastic flanking opportunitys, so dont be affrait to venture off the crowd and go to the other flank.

NEVER charge through the middle. As far as planning goes. If you have experienced TL/SL1 you will find that things useally go a bit more organized. Lately its more like herding cattle

The problem is the remaining 30% has been too fun to forget about.

in Ro2 or RS ?

 

[Mormegil]

Compared to ArmA, it is arcady and fast. Compared to CoD / BF, it's realistic and slow. This game tries to strike a balance, and I think it does a pretty good job at it.

If you do want it to play slower, I suggest going to the Classic servers. I'd be there, except they're not very populated when I play (and I like 64 player servers). The lower population of Classic may even be better for a slower game, as the maps will be less full, and you won't come face to face with the enemy as much. Essentially making the map feel bigger.

Plus Classics slower movement mechanic, less zoom, fewer automatics does a great job at slowing the game down, and making it more tactical. As a matter of fact, why the hell am I not playing Classic more (the answer is I love Campaign mode on the TWB servers)?

 

[chuy]

It is fast paced because of 4 words: Lock-downs and World War II.

Lock downs FORCES your *** in the cap while ARMA takes a modern warfare approach which is slower paced. What makes HOS fast paced is that your in WW2 fighting a full out war and in combination with lock-downs, makes it fast paced.

I have seen Invasion 1944 mod for arma and i can tell you that it upped the paced a bit.

 

[Fishsticks]

To start, I am a veteran of the ARMA 2 series - it has shaped the way I approach shooters as a whole, so if anyone thinks I am playing RO2 with the "run and gun" mentality of arcade games, you are wrong.

I have only clocked 33 hours since buying the game in July but have barely progressed past how I played in my second or third week. Am I wrong for using my ARMA mentality with this game? Is it possible I am trying to be too slow and calculated?

In all honesty (I am levelheaded and calm right now), I don't find this game to be nearly as tactical or "realistic" as people want it to be. It seems a lot like a Battlefield game - the only difference being one-shot-kill ballistics. The levels are small, extremely fast paced and don't really leave much room for planning, even on the fly.

So, am I doing something wrong? Am I just not good at the game? Is it too hard for me? I understand the mechanics of playing as infantry fine, but so far 70% of this game has left me very disgruntled. The problem is the remaining 30% has been too fun to forget about.

The problem you will find with R02/RS is even though you want to play in a tactical realistic manner the game mechanics permit run 'n gun behavior with little to NO penalties. Apparently everyone in WW2 europe was a Biathlon olympic gold medalist ...meaning everyone is a perfect shot 200 yds out after a dead 1:00 sprint from standing position. If your not run 'n and gunnin your losing!

Simply put you will be at a MASSIVE disadvantage if you play like ARMA..... Another reason playing at a slower more tactical pace does not work is because you only get 20-25 minutes per map...if your not rushing cap points you will run out of time as an attacker and lose. (another glaring fault of this game)

With that said you just have to adapt to the play style..its a hybrid I guess you could say. Spawn die spawn die spawn die really tends to get old after a bit though with everyone being an expert marksmen.

 

[Hotdog]

Sometimes I consider playing Classic servers but then I notice how sparse they are - but maybe that might make them more fun. As a side note however I think Realism just reaches my threshold of what I think is tolerable in terms of limitations.

Lately I've just been playing as a machine gunner when it's available for my side, but I can only find a 2-3 minute before my window of support disappears because my team is either being violently overrun or going for a new objective.

 

[HH89LF]

If you are looking for another realistic game, other than ARMA, I'm not sure this will ever satisfy on the same level. If you are searching for another game and don't mind concessions, I think RO2 is loads of fun.

I have realized that RO2 requires you die, and most of the time a lot. The win condition/design is essentially an arbitrary order to die. So, I blend some slow movement into contact and then asses the situation. From there I usually end up taking risks because its the only way you can take or hold a cap point. You have to stick your neck out, and that is why you die. (Lots of other reasons of course) I never get top three on teams, but I do consistently stay up around 10. So I'm not claiming to be an expert. I also never play TL/SL, which get a lot of team points.

 

[Mike 78]

The problem you will find with R02/RS is even though you want to play in a tactical realistic manner the game mechanics permit run 'n gun behavior with little to NO penalties. Apparently everyone in WW2 europe was a Biathlon olympic gold medalist ...meaning everyone is a perfect shot 200 yds out after a dead 1:00 sprint from standing position. If your not run 'n and gunnin your losing!

Simply put you will be at a MASSIVE disadvantage if you play like ARMA..... Another reason playing at a slower more tactical pace does not work is because you only get 20-25 minutes per map...if your not rushing cap points you will run out of time as an attacker and lose. (another glaring fault of this game)

With that said you just have to adapt to the play style..its a hybrid I guess you could say. Spawn die spawn die spawn die really tends to get old after a bit though with everyone being an expert marksmen.

This...

 

[=GG= Mr Moe]

There are also servers that run custom settings that are usually populated in the evenings EST and most of the weekends such as the RGN custom server. It has many classic settings that slow things down a bit to a reasonable pace.

 

[Grenator]

The levels are small, extremely fast paced and don't really leave much room for planning, even on the fly.

This old line again. Here's the news: that's how infantry combat in the game's setting is supposed to be. And the scale is spot-on in HoS (in RS it's more arguable). It's Arma that mixes up the scale, placing 3.42 people per sq.km. At best.

Levels are often small, yes, but they are also realistically small (note that I only mean TWI-made maps).

 

[ccmm7]

To start, I am a veteran of the ARMA 2 series - it has shaped the way I approach shooters as a whole, so if anyone thinks I am playing RO2 with the "run and gun" mentality of arcade games, you are wrong.

I have only clocked 33 hours since buying the game in July but have barely progressed past how I played in my second or third week. Am I wrong for using my ARMA mentality with this game? Is it possible I am trying to be too slow and calculated?

In all honesty (I am levelheaded and calm right now), I don't find this game to be nearly as tactical or "realistic" as people want it to be. It seems a lot like a Battlefield game - the only difference being one-shot-kill ballistics. The levels are small, extremely fast paced and don't really leave much room for planning, even on the fly.

So, am I doing something wrong? Am I just not good at the game? Is it too hard for me? I understand the mechanics of playing as infantry fine, but so far 70% of this game has left me very disgruntled. The problem is the remaining 30% has been too fun to forget about.

RO2 is a but too fast for my liking.

I'd say definitely buy Red Orchestra: Ostfront and download the Darkest Hour mod from steam.
They're much more tactical and slow paced and the core of the community is a historical realism unit called the 29th Infantry Division (on Darkest Hour). They're great to play with and the community is just so much more mature in general. Of course the graphics are dated, but I still play both the game and the mod occasionally and have more fun with it than I have with RO2.
RO2 is still great though, but if you're looking for a more realistic and tactical game from the glory days of WW2 shooters definitely buy RO:O ($10 and on sale for $1 sometimes) and download Darkest Hour mod (Western Front mod).

 

[Temporary]

Played OFP, ArmA and later ArmA II. Only tried the Arma III Alpha/Beta once for the neat stances.

Played RO1, DH (RO1 mod), RO2 DDE Beta, RO2 and RS.

You're clearly having an inadequate approach to standard ("Realism") RO2/RS if you're playing it like a tactical shooter (slow and planning). It is normal if you come from a game like ArmA II.

Unless you're playing it with the "Classic" mode, and/or on much larger mapping-contest-winning maps, you have to play it like a slightly more tactical BF3: run'n'gun, learning the map layout over and over until you know the 2-3 paths/spots used by the enemy in each area.

Trying to play it slowly won't be adequate, as death is rather meaningless in RO2/RS (in comparison to other tactical shooters):

• Spawns are so close to the front line it is not uncommon to be shot in the next 5 seconds after your spawned.
• You can spawn on your squad leader.
• Spawn waves are every 18-to-23 seconds, which mean that on average you only wait 10 seconds before spawning.
• Any enemy can sprint toward your position, or around your position, in less than 5 seconds, making slow tactical approaches (securing perimeters, etc) pointless as anyone can nullify this in an instant.
• Transition delay between sprint and firing stance is very short, and command to fire is registered during sprint (you can hold "fire" and just only release "sprint" to fire very rapidly).
• Sprint, even on 1 meter, resets your free aim to the center.
• Sway after sprinting (even sprinting without any remaining stamina) isn't a problem at all under 50 meters (= very rarely an issue).
• Level design is limited by the performance issues, UE3 engine and the game design. Which mean much less flanking possibilities offered to the players.
• Etc...

Try playing it like the first (PC) Medal of Honor, or the first two Call of Duty - especially at close range/indoor, and you'll see that the game plays much better that way: it's more fluid, more logical, more "balanced", feels more fair.

If you want a tactical shooter gameplay, you have the 'Classic' game mode and/or the "Countdown" game type (one life per objective, limited amount of respawn waves available for the attackers, teams swap after each round), sadly both are rarely played.

 

[Moskeeto]

If you want a tactical shooter gameplay, you have the 'Classic' game mode and/or the "Countdown" game type (one life per objective, limited amount of respawn waves available for the attackers, teams swap after each round), sadly both are rarely played.

Speaking of one-life game types, there's also the new Search and Destroy mod. I have an event scheduled to play it tomorrow so try and show up if you want to see some more tactical play!

http://steamcommunity.com/groups/CGT_Mod#events/1913189833433592707

 

[lazerBAR]

Sometimes I consider playing Classic servers but then I notice how sparse they are - but maybe that might make them more fun. As a side note however I think Realism just reaches my threshold of what I think is tolerable in terms of limitations.

Lately I've just been playing as a machine gunner when it's available for my side, but I can only find a 2-3 minute before my window of support disappears because my team is either being violently overrun or going for a new objective.

The game is so much better with the Better Realism Weapons mutator, it makes weapons and such much more believable, as well as Dibbler's mod. However you will still have to have quick reaction since most of the game is set in very URBAN combat oriented maps, meaning you need very good reaction time. Personally my favorite map is Coldsteel because its a nice urban environment that isn't so linear.

 

[Hotdog]

This old line again. Here's the news: that's how infantry combat in the game's setting is supposed to be. And the scale is spot-on in HoS (in RS it's more arguable). It's Arma that mixes up the scale, placing 3.42 people per sq.km. At best.

If you really want to argue this point we can - WWII wasn't entirely fought with people stacked on top of each other and as another poster acknowledged, the game engine struggles to maintain a barely decent draw distance. Bridges of Whatever or a similar map tries to be "large" but can't render blades of grass past 30 yards.

These points might contradict part of my argument, but they do not invalidate that principle that this game as a whole has a severe problem when it comes to lack of variation.

Also: you're wrong about the scale of ARMA and it's very possible you're confusing it with a particular mod that came out in 2012 and completely ruined the foundation of the game.

I was incorrect about my in game hours. It's 38, not 33, and the only game on my roster to top that is ARMA 3 (the game I downloaded Steam for). So I clearly enjoy what I'm playing on some level, and whatever element that is keeps me coming back for more every day.

But I think one of the reasons I wanted to start this topic was to constructively address the serious balancing issues and flaws RO2 actually has. A lot of elitists here parade this game around like it's God's gift to the FPS genre; the throw around other arcade shooter titles as being inferior when in reality this isn't that many steps ahead.

I suppose I'll keep playing until I get better.

 

[Temporary]

[...]

But I think one of the reasons I wanted to start this topic was to constructively address the serious balancing issues and flaws RO2 actually has.

A lot of elitists here parade this game around like it's God's gift to the FPS genre; the throw around other arcade shooter titles as being inferior when in reality this isn't that many steps ahead.

I suppose I'll keep playing until I get better.

Well, there's fanboys for all games - hell, there's even hundreds of fanboys of War Z who will send death threats to anyone who dare point out the bugs/the obvious DayZ-scam it is.

...

Tripwire Interactive, in order to sell copies, branded RO2 as the "ultimate WW2 realistic game", and targeted teenagers/young adults who saw Enemy at the Gates and Band of Brothers, and were still waiting for BF3 to be released.

TWI attracted a certain kind of population, who felt like RO2 was the "cure" to the Call of Duty franchise, whose previous gaming experience didn't included tactical shooters or simulations.

...

Unless you play on Classic servers, Countdown maps, or Search & Destroy*, you'll have to keep "run'n'gun" in mind to be successful.

...

*@Moskeeto: I played it during the previous test, it was quite fun

But to me it's really really sad to see that we need to mimic Counter-Strike to get more than 10 people worldwide to play a one-life game type on RO2. Countdown exists since September 2011, yet it's never played because most players don't like that kind of gameplay ; then we add bombs and bomb sites, bam ~50 players overnight.

 

[MonkeyWithAGun]

no you're absolutely right. i find CoD:WaW crouch only servers to be more methodical and tactical than RO2.

As much as people hate to admit it, this game is about as realistic as Brothers in Arms. It has some realistic features (ie ballistics, weapon functions, etc), but none of them come together and mesh well enough to make this game very 'tactical'. Conversly, it has some out of place unrealistic features (ie unlock system, nearly 100% accurate snap in aiming, etc) that totally destroy any semblance of realism.

Map design is also a big issue in my opinion. The maps are very mediocre and poorly designed; out of all the maps i'd say there may only be 1 or 2 decent ones.

Regardless, does this make the game bad or not fun? not at all. Sometimes i feel like playing a semi-mindless shooter (not full retard like CoD or BF) and RO2 delivers on that sense. I enjoyed the classic servers but theyre very few in RO2 (and located 10 planets away) and entirely non-existant in RS. I dont regret my purchase, but i wish i didnt preorder it and waited till now to pick it up for like $10 on a sale

 

[=GG= Mr Moe]

Sometimes i feel like playing a semi-mindless shooter (not full retard like CoD or BF) and RO2 delivers on that sense.

Thanks for the laugh

 

[Hotdog]

So far...

Pros so far:

- Decent cover system, although it seldom actually makes the game easier for you
- OK weapon selection
- Great sound; not from the guns themselves but distant shots and ambience, a quality I think either makes or breaks a game
- Tank gameplay is rather unique and complicated, forced to be done correctly
- While levels are small, their design is good, and full building interiors allows broader tactical approaches
- On rare occasions, when you’re not instantly killed, there is some truly intense and standoffish firefights to take part in that temporarily redeems the gameplay. People in front of you get their limbs blown off by grenades, tracers emerge through smoke and in a last-ditch effort to survive you’re shooting your way out of narrow corridors with a handgun while artillery shakes everything around you

Cons:

- Ballistics system a breath of fresh air but ruined because it is completely redundant. Levels are small and even that aside I have made extreme long range headshots without adjusting my sights from the standard 100m
- Weapon variance ruined by the fact that 90% of the servers I join leave me in the rifleman position
- Stealth spoiled by my character shouting at the top of his lungs to no one in particular
- I’m not against an upgrade system, I think it’s unique, but when the benefits are as steep as someone having extra powerful scopes or triple sized ammo belts, I feel like uninstalling
- The aiming deadzone forced on you in Realism mode is truly infuriating, and despite attempting to be believable it doesn’t change the fact I am sitting in front of my computer and the hip shooting perspective is one hundred times more unpredictable than reality
- There is no consequence for running up to an enemy squad and firing from 5 yards away; it is encouraged
- As someone else pointed out, a major mechanic for this gameplay model to work is you need to die. The reinforcement requires the average player to die every 10 seconds and then wait another 15 to rejoin the game. And while spawning on a SL is interesting, it shouldn’t be able to happen everywhere

 

[Floyd]

The problem you will find with R02/RS is even though you want to play in a tactical realistic manner the game mechanics permit run 'n gun behavior with little to NO penalties. Apparently everyone in WW2 europe was a Biathlon olympic gold medalist ...meaning everyone is a perfect shot 200 yds out after a dead 1:00 sprint from standing position. If your not run 'n and gunnin your losing!

Simply put you will be at a MASSIVE disadvantage if you play like ARMA..... Another reason playing at a slower more tactical pace does not work is because you only get 20-25 minutes per map...if your not rushing cap points you will run out of time as an attacker and lose. (another glaring fault of this game)

With that said you just have to adapt to the play style..its a hybrid I guess you could say. Spawn die spawn die spawn die really tends to get old after a bit though with everyone being an expert marksmen.

This pretty well hits the nail in the head, imo.

Which is fine if you like it, but out of the box realism is just too arcade for my tastes. Server customization helps....a lot. The key is to find the servers with the settings you like and with enough players on at the times you can play.. Most of the clans that played RO:Ost for years have dissolved and/or given up the RO ghost.

Unfortunately times change. From my perspective, the majority of the newer generation of PC fps players don't seem to have that spirit of hard work and adventure into the unknown that the older generations PC only players had. Its stock or go home for most of them. Then, too, server admins are so scared of losing their fickle client base (the newer generation of PC fps player), they won't venture to try anything new (and possibly even more intense/exciting).

It is what it is.