[Sun] 07 Oct 2012 (Debut of ASR AI)

[audiox]

Into the sea
Charlie 2, AT.
So, this thing won't hurt me if i shoot it accidentally whilst trying to group chat right? Gooooood.
How i survived that is beyond me.
That Fer actually brought me -more- of them after i blew the first up in my face just goes to show how much the occasional bribe of a case of turnips can accomplish in our Brave New World.
I managed to score some kills, which is uncommon for me. ConcreteOtter did a good job keeping us safe and sound. And i survived all the way to the end.

Rolling
Bravo 2, AR.
So, this ConcreteOtter managed to keep me alive the previous mission? Methinks I'll latch on to him like the beaureaucracy on the heroic industrial labourer.
The factory was an interesting place. Luckily, not a single proletarian was harmed in the taking of it. I was, though. No wait, oh dear. Re-education-camp it is.
Seeing the IFVs blow up made me a bit uncertain about our chances. Never having played this map before i managed to maintain at least some sense of optimism. And lose some of my legs. (Thanks Medic-guy! I salute the new dawn of the cybernetic mecha-soldier, i just wish my new legs could make more of a "zzzt" sound.)
We got shot up in the forest, bad. Forests in themselves tend to be a bad idea to parse. Forest, plus an upwards hill charge was tempting fate.
The ASR AI thereafter did it's thing as i charged gloriously down a hill and into a machine gun nest. Not many cpu-cycles needed to get me out of the game.

Blackfolk Down
Alpha 3, AT.
Most of it can be said with a poem.

Running around, shooting things that can't see me.
I hope they don't
Tell me to let my nvg's be.

Skillfully guided by Ferrard we made our way through the city. And met mostly friendlies after the initial long range shooting from the hillside by the airport.
I survived. Twice in a night. Hmmmmm.

I don't know about the new AI. I honestly haven't encountered the old one enough times, (and with enough situational awareness.....), to know what turns out differently.
It was fun to play, that's about all i can say! So thanks for taking the time to set it all up.

[Ferrard Carson]

As I'm reviewing the video footage and putting together the videos, let me just add a few things to my AAR:

Wolfenswan, I sincerely apologize for being a difficult element leader during Into the Sea. I was frustrated because I didn't feel like I had time to work out the proper response to what seemed to be a horrible tactical situation, and I wasn't on the same page with you in terms of commander's intent, so I didn't understand how you were attempting to employ Alpha. As a result, we went somewhat cowboy on you, which is not how it's supposed to work out, and that was entirely my fault. Looking back at it, I feel really terrible about the way I reacted to your orders.

When it comes to Rolling Matryushka, let me just say, thank you Charlie, for being a great squad to work with. You guys pushed my bounds of Individual Initiative just about as hard as I pushed Joseph-Sulphur's limits, and that's the way I like it!

And Pirate, you did a pretty good job leading Alpha for a first-time SL. It's a pretty complex task, even just juggling comms. But for the most part you kept us cohesive and cooperating as we cleared the city, and that's no easy feat. If you want an easier command experience, try Fireteam Leader on for size. If you want to avoid the scourge of battlefield promotions, make sure to take the second or third fireteam in a squad. By the time command has devolved to those elements, the situation is FUBAR anyways

Videos will arrive Soon(tm)

~ Ferrard

[Ferrard Carson]

Videos have arrived!



~ Ferrard

[Issus]

Into the Sea
Bravo 2 AAR
Quite possibly the most fun I've ever had in a mission. We had a great fireteam comprising of Dan, Skabooga and kataras, and gelled quickly as we made our way down a wooded slope towards the first town. We soon found ourselves taking suppressive fire and grenades, and I discovered my role for this particular outing was to be the "comic relief". To begin with, I accidentally dragged kataras's corpse into a tree whilst trying to loot it, leaving only his arms and legs visible (it's what he would've wanted *sniff*). I then managed to balls up the actual looting itself, taking only the M136 launcher and not the rocket. Thankfully, the discovery that our AT was purely decorative provoked laughs rather than swift Party justice, and we were able to take out the few soft vehicles we encountered with rifle fire.

Hearing via chinese whispers of the horrors Alpha were facing to the north, we prepared to advance on the lumber yard, only to be taken out by a dastardly local protecting his front yard with an automatic weapon. At one point I ended up staring down my sights at the culprit as he took aim at me. We both fired at the same instant and I was hit, but his rifle also fell silent. I like to think I got the better of that particular contest, but it's more likely I missed and he went back to a peaceful life gunning down aphids with his AK.

Luckily my squadmates were kind enough not to drag my injured body into the middle of a tree, and we cleared the lumber yard. Stationed at the north-west entrance, we could only watch in terrified fascination as the rest of Bravo were engaged by at least one tank, with much frantic missile-launching and occasional explosions. Drama over, we walked back to our former positions only to find an enemy squad was in the process of a counter-attack. Cue 3 minutes of firefight that we won but never felt in complete control of, especially as BSL then ordered us to charge across the open field that we had just punished the Russians for using. Fully expecting to die, it was with a mixture of relief and anger that we greeted our glorious leader changing his mind when we were about 3/4 of the way across, our frantic U-turn being accompanied by cries of "God damn you, Draakon!".

Back to the lumber yard, we loitered by the arms cache before realising that people were placing satchel charges around us. Just enough time then for a last charge against the fortifications that had eaten Alpha, before the Party decided enough was enough.


Rolling Matryoshka
Charlie 1 AAR (With Wolf, Mamba and Harakka)
Again, another awesome fireteam, in which I was most definitely the weakest link. As I was still haunted by watching my fireteam being slaughtered in an ambush during the last run through, I spent a lot of my time providing rear security as we moved north through the dense woods. Harakka was on fire, but I impressed myself by taking down a few enemies in the uncomfortably close-quarters fighting we often found ourselves in.

Alas, all awesome things must come to an end, and ours came at the Barn of Death, situated at the foot of the Slope of Doom. It's all rather a blur, but I remember foolishly trying to drag the injured Wolf out of danger on our initial charge, only to be shot myself. The painstaking crawl to the safety of the barn wall was horrible, and the relief at not bleeding out before I was patched up was immense. I was shot twice more, witnessed the terror of a danger-close mortar strike, saw many brave souls run out into the town and never return, before we were all ordered into the barn for a glorious last stand.

Healed so many people that I lost count. Emptied 7 magazines from two weapons on suppressive fire out of a smoke-concealed door. Just when Strang was about to order us out of the back for one last charge, a ninja AI appeared and managed to shoot us all again.

Preferring to die with sky over our heads, the last three survivors (Strang, Dannysaysnoo, me) tried to crawl to victory. Sadly, by this point all of my blood had run out, and my body was running on its last reserves of Party loyalty alone. After berating Danny for refusing to share his blood with the rest of us, I finally expired in the dignified manner of a "turtle rolling onto its back". Still at least I made it outside, and therefore won a bronze medal in the Glory Olympics.


Blackfolk Down
Bravo 1 AT
I think this mission has been recounted enough elsewhere, so suffice to say Wires was a great FTL and jRides and SearchandDIE were a pleasure to soldier with. My abiding memory is of chasing a fleeing warlord, desperately trying to get the "Capture" option to appear on my menu. As it turned out to be just a particularly cowardly enemy soldier, I can't think back on that protracted pursuit without hearing Yakety Sax playing over the top of it.

[vorrin]

Hi!

Sorry I didn't make a full AAR, as I was fairly busy straight after the session on Sunday (which in fact I had to leave mid-mission, sorry about that) and am generally somewhat lazy on the writing side.

As Fer rightly requested though, I'm here to confirm that the new AI was loved by all, as far as I can see (ie. everybody in the slotting channel during the first , long mission, Warrozo that commented on it just now, and so on).

Have a nice rest of the week, and possibly see you next Sunday.

[SuperU]

My first video from rolling


Blackfolk down, excuse my loud mic, it makes me sound like I am yelling!


As a quick note this AI mod is fantastic, and I am looking forward to see it in action on other missions!

[Black Mamba]

Man I laughed so hard when we were all chilling, waiting for the two other squads to get their shit together, and I could hear Fer "I don't care, just gimme my fucking ammo, right now".
Party logistics, baby.

[fer]

Man I laughed so hard when we were all chilling, waiting for the two other squads to get their shit together, and I could hear Fer "I don't care, just gimme my fucking ammo, right now".
Party logistics, baby.

Terrible things happen to me when I am handed an MMG; it's fortunate that the Party has a wonderful rehab facility. Charlie was a super squad in that mission, btw.

Except for Tigershark's fireteam. Obviously.

[Ferrard Carson]

SuperU, I need to figure out just why the hell that every now and then I can't hear anything that you say in TS or on VON. It doesn't seem to be on every map, like I could hear you fine on "Into the Sea," but I couldn't hear your side of the conversation or your TS chatter during "Rolling," and there was that confusing bit some weeks ago in Vanguard. There's too much hilarity from you for me to be missing all this! Also, some good info I could probably have used >.>

And Special Tactics Charlie Squad is Best Squad!

~ Ferrard

[SuperU]

SuperU, I need to figure out just why the hell that every now and then I can't hear anything that you say in TS or on VON. It doesn't seem to be on every map, like I could hear you fine on "Into the Sea," but I couldn't hear your side of the conversation or your TS chatter during "Rolling," and there was that confusing bit some weeks ago in Vanguard. There's too much hilarity from you for me to be missing all this! Also, some good info I could probably have used >.>

And Special Tactics Charlie Squad is Best Squad!

~ Ferrard

You just don't love me enough! During rolling I did no TS3 chatter, all my yelling was restricted to VON which only fer and other unfortunate people close to me could hear!

However during vanguard this was an issue, we may need to schedule a mic check before the next FOLK!

My second video should be up, once we start to move on the objective I try and use tigersharks teachings on bounding and such! I apologise for my loud mic, needs some tweaking!