Over the past few months a friend of mine and myself have been playing through a number of campaigns co-operatively using Drop Box. It really is a lot of fun. Playing co-op requires you to be willing to fight side by side with a friend who has a very different fighting style. I am more aggressive and he is more cautious (or perhaps more methodical). If anyone wants to know how to make this work, I would be happy to post a short step by step guide.
The most recent campaigns that we completed are "For King and Country" and my own creation, "Operation Coup de Main". We are currently fighting through CMBN's Operation Undergo and CMRT's Rattenkrieg. Playing co-op does not take any more time than H2H PBEM. We have used the same system to play through large single scenarios and have done so with "Bloody Buron Overhaul".
Carpe vitam.
Yes please! This sounds interesting!
HOW TO PLAY COMBAT MISSION CAMPAIGNS (or Scenarios) C0-OPERATIVELY
BEFORE PLAY BEGINS: First you and your playing partner hold an O-Group to allocated forces and discuss strategy. This assumes that you have both already read the Campaign introduction as well as the first scenario introduction before coming to the O-Group. Players can communicate verbally via any method they want. We use my friend's Discord voice channel.
1. Player ONE deploys and gives first commands to his units and immediately SAVEs the game. He does not press the Go button.
2. Player ONE sends the Save file to Player TWO via DropBox.
3. Player TWO loads the Save file, deploys his units and assigns their orders.
4. Player TWO presses the GO button, watches the action and immediately after SAVEs the file. He does NOT press the Next Turn button.
5. Player TWO sends the Save file to Player ONE via DropBox.
6. Player ONE loads the Saved file and immediately REPLAYS the action.
7. After Player ONE replays the action he presses the NEXT TURN BUTTON.
8. GO BACK TO STEP #1 (but of course, ignore the 'deploy' text)
Carpe vitam.
@kandu I'm sorry I'm confused are player 1 and 2 splitting up the force and both making moves from the same side?
Yes.
For example: My friend and I just completed playing Operation Coup de Main. This is normally a single-player campaign playing the British vs German AI. Playing Co-op, both players are British. IN the first scenario (the glider landing) I took the teams from the first glider and my friend took the teams form teh second glider. As others landed, we simply assigned the team to whomever needed it most.
As the campaign progressed to larger number of troops we simply allocated the various platoons to each other.
So yes, we divided up the friendly force at start and allocated proper 'areas of operation' and specific 'tasks' to each player.
Carpe vitam.
@kandu That sounds like a lot of fun! I'm in next time you're looking for a partner! Thank you for explaining it too me!
@kandu I think you could make a small business with this concept in the form of fast track coaching new players who want to speed up the learning curve as a form of mentorship.....
I'll keep you in mind. BTW, I know I've asked you before, a long time ago, but where in "the great white north are you?" I grew up in Sault Ste. Marie but am now in London On.
Carpe vitam.
@kandu Well I'm happy to answer that (cough cough) I've moved over 150 times in my life and now I'm East of Winnipeg in a church I bought to live in.
I grew up outside of Montreal and lived all over Ontario including Missasauga, Ajax, Oshawa, Toronto and Welland.. That and my 20 plus years in Vancouver till 2021. I even lived in 3 different address on the same street there... So its nice to settle down finally with the right woman and I have a 6 yr old daughter at age 55 lol....
ps Ive moved to Vancouver 4 times in my life lol...
This does sound like a fun variant, but I can see potential for frustration if the players weren't able (willing?) to coordinate their actions effectively.
Have you experienced anything like that?
For me personally that potential problem is exactly the reason why I like playing co-op; i.e. the lack of personal control. In fact my current playing partner and friend is slow and cautious while I tend toward bold and sometimes careless. Isn't that what real life shared command situations are like? You and I have to surrender 'total control'. 😀
Carpe vitam.
@kandu I think it be an interesting way to play a tournament as well....
Split a Battalion up with A player for each company... Per side..
My regular playing partner and I have played a 2 vs 2 co-op game. Trust is required and diligence to take your turn promptly. It went smoothly and was fun.
Carpe vitam.
For me personally that potential problem is exactly the reason why I like playing co-op; i.e. the lack of personal control. In fact my current playing partner and friend is slow and cautious while I tend toward bold and sometimes careless. Isn't that what real life shared command situations are like? You and I have to surrender 'total control'. 😀
Sounds realistic, and fun.
I would be up for giving it a go, though I haven't tried multiplayer yet.
Probably a good way to learn a thing or two.