General Strategies for New Players

[Kissinger]

Hey everyone,

Cruising through these forums for the first time, it did not take long to realize how deep the strategy of this game goes. To be honest, for a new player - it can be more than a bit overwhelming.

So I'm asking on behalf of myself, and all other new players, if someone can post a general guide of basic (and I mean, REALLY basic) strategic knowledge of the game.

The only way to get better is with stepping stones... and so far I can't quite see how to get to there (calculating launch times, trajectories, and AA rates of fire to integrate into super complex and detailed strategies) from here (having bombers nuke the ground from left-clicking instead of right-clicking a destination .)

Any helpful tips that I can use - at my current skill level - would be appreciated.

- Kissinger

[kudayta]

Really basic stuff? Ok.

1. Group your stuff together (To defend everything is to defend nothing). This means silos, navy and airbases. You can spread out a bit with radar, but don't go hog-wild with that.
2. Hide your stuff. Don't place all of your silos along the border in EU vs Russia. Don't place your entire navy in the middle of the Atlantic in EU vs NA.
3. Don't just open up one silo to launch randomly spread nukes across the enemy. And for god's sake, don't waste silo nukes on the enemy's navy (that just gives away the position of your silo, and has a very low probability of hitting anything). In other words, group your attack as well as you've grouped your hardware.
4. Launch subs from outside the enemy's radar coverage, and have some ships and planes around them when you do to ward off enemy fighters and bombers.
5. Fighters regenerate throughout the game, in airbases. Reload your carriers with those. Bombers do not regenerate. Use them wisely.
6. Keep moving. Guys and gals will exploit your closely packed hardware with nukes from bombers, so keep them guessing as to where your fleet actually is.
7. Don't just take the shortest path to the enemy's homeland. Mix it up a bit. Launch attacks from multiple vectors simultaneously, launch from rarely used or seen vectors, camp in your home waters and put up a moving wall of fighters to intercept his attacks then counter-punch, etc.

[Groeteschele]

Instead of Strategies for New Players I advise to learn tactical knowledge first (that Kudayta actually wrote). Difference between good and bad players isn't made primarily on strategic but tactical level. Strategy is a cherry on a cake and can't win you a game without your tactical skills (greetings to Tom Busch). Read through the forum, you'll find tons of knowledge for practising.

[Kissinger]

Instead of Strategies for New Players I advise to learn tactical knowledge first (that Kudayta actually wrote). Difference between good and bad players isn't made primarily on strategic but tactical level. Strategy is a cherry on a cake and can't win you a game without your tactical skills (greetings to Tom Busch). Read through the forum, you'll find tons of knowledge for practising.

What's the difference? I thought "tactical" and "strategic" were synonymous?

@ Kudayta - great stuff! That's already helpful!

[trickser]

Strategic are decisions which make you win a game. Simplified example: Nuke the cities and gain more points then your opponent.
Tactical are decision which makes you win certain situations. e.g. Kill more ships of an opponent then he kills of you. Tactics are kinda tools or methods. If you play only vs players with weaker tactics you can easily win your games without actually understanding what made you win. Visa verse all strategic planning on how to get points are futile if you cannot at least get a tie in naval encounters.

btw Specs are often great strategists (as they have superior overview) but that doesnt mean they can actually play.

[Schubdüse]

btw Specs are often great strategists (as they have superior overview) but that doesnt mean they can actually play.

Thank you very much! One of best remarks I have read for a long time in this forum.

[thesonarchicken]

Oh man, I sure arrived late to this game. Just struggled through Tutorial stage 7. This game is kinda deep and yeah, the tips here seem helpful.

[paktsardines]

Welcome... I thought for a moment you were going to sell me a kitchen...



(sorry, in-house joke).

[busybody101]

How about one massive pre-emptive strike using your subs and missiles.

[Deadcows]

How about one massive pre-emptive strike using your subs and missiles.

How about you try that against me?

[busybody101]

[quote="Deadcows"][quote="busybody101"]How about one massive pre-emptive strike using your subs and missiles.[/quote]
How about you try that against me?[/quote]

It would work theoretically. Minuteman missileers only have one to two minutes to get their missiles out of the ground before enemy missiles arrive. Missileers are trained to get their missiles out of the ground and the missiles programmed within a 60 second time frame. If subs are used they would have a matter of minutes. I have been around too many SAC bases in my life time and quizzing some these underground warriors. I was at Malmstrom AFB for the celebration of the activation of the Minuteman Missile last July . It was great. There were Airmen to Generals there from the 60s and the 70s. Truly an awesome sight.

[MAdMaN]

It would work theoretically. Minuteman missileers only have one to two minutes to get their missiles out of the ground before enemy missiles arrive. Missileers are trained to get their missiles out of the ground and the missiles programmed within a 60 second time frame. If subs are used they would have a matter of minutes. I have been around too many SAC bases in my life time and quizzing some these underground warriors. I was at Malmstrom AFB for the celebration of the activation of the Minuteman Missile last July . It was great. There were Airmen to Generals there from the 60s and the 70s. Truly an awesome sight.

Defcon is a game based on a movie. Just because something happens in real life it doesn't mean it'll work in the game.

[busybody101]

It would work theoretically. Minuteman missileers only have one to two minutes to get their missiles out of the ground before enemy missiles arrive. Missileers are trained to get their missiles out of the ground and the missiles programmed within a 60 second time frame. If subs are used they would have a matter of minutes. I have been around too many SAC bases in my life time and quizzing some these underground warriors. I was at Malmstrom AFB for the celebration of the activation of the Minuteman Missile last July . It was great. There were Airmen to Generals there from the 60s and the 70s. Truly an awesome sight.

Defcon is a game based on a movie. Just because something happens in real life it doesn't mean it'll work in the game.

That is why I said theoretically.Theoretially means maybe or maybe not.Yes, the game is based on WarGames but we should incorporate some real life nuclear strategy. I would wait until the other opponent fires first so we can get a location of his missile sites. In real life,the SEWS(Shared Early Warning Satellites) provide information to USSTRATCOM the location of missile launches and their location and put them out of commission and shares that info with our allies. They did this during the first Iraq war in 1991. They have at least 5 satellites covering the planet.

[Siсiliаn Ноundd]

I know there is a lot of this stuff spread out all over the forums but has anyone made a "real" attempt to make a thread that has really good true information. Know what I mean? I mean I would be willing almost to go around the forums and gather all the information and put it on a thread or get it all and make a separate website? Like a FAQ? We have a "unofficial FAQ, but maybe something better?

[Laika]

Idea is nice, but I'm too lazy to

go around the forums and gather all the information and put it on a thread

It's really a ton of work. And don't forget about recordings, including them would be important too.