Does CA have tutorials and missions ?

IN DCS a plane helo usually have interactive tutorials and some instant action missions together with single missions and sometimes a campaign.

How is it with CA in this regard ? How do you learn to use it ?

Well you don't perform a cold start on CA assets :smilewink: I believe you can find tutorials on YouTube, and yes there is a bunch of regular missions in the module.

How do you learn to use it ?

I learned by watching YT videos, these are some of the ones I liked the most:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFtNdz4UYM-qNdMi5k3ODn0l50NRn6OnZ

IN DCS a plane helo usually have interactive tutorials and some instant action missions together with single missions and sometimes a campaign.

 

How is it with CA in this regard ?

Very weak.

There are no interactive tutorials and IMHO, if you are not already familiar with the mission editor, it can be hard going.

There were a couple of standalone US and Russian scenarios to play and IIRC a A-10C version but I'm not sure if they've been updated to the 2.5.x map changes.

I played the US scenario once but as there's no way to save, I had to load and fast forward a track and then 'take control' to continue my session a second night.

I think the assumption is players will use time acceleration in the scenarios as ground combat/movement takes much longer than an airstrike, etc.

How do you learn to use it ?

• watch a couple of youtube videos/read the manual

• Create a mission with a ground vehicle and some targets

• drive around and shoot stuff up using WSAD, etc. to learn the FC3 like controls

• progress to the included Scenarios to practice controlling AI units pathing, fire position, etc.

The new campaign also introduces CA piecemeal and presumably would get a bunch of small updates over the next few months.

There are no interactive tutorials and IMHO, if you are not already familiar with the mission editor, it can be hard going.

The mission editor ? What has CA to do with that ? Is CA about creating own scenarios ?

My impression has been that CA is some kind of strategy game within the DCS framework.

The mission editor ? What has CA to do with that ? Is CA about creating own scenarios ?

As it only comes with a couple of scenarios, I'd say you need to be willing to learn the ME and add your own if you want to computer stomp but that isn't what I meant.

CA ai unit route planning/orders, waypoint setup, ROE, etc. are fairly basic (not as advanced as ARMA 3's), you can't drag/select a group and shift click a series of waypoints like in a RTS.

Rather you select a unit - add waypoints for road, cross country, pathing etc. and set ROE. Although the GUI is slightly different to the ME, the process of controlling units and their limitations are similar to setting up routes and waypoints in the ME and knowing it, helps (less stuff to learn).

My impression has been that CA is some kind of strategy game within the DCS framework.

CA has potential (i.e. when used with MOOSE) but it lacks many 'quality of life' GUI improvements found as standard in modern (1990) RTS's because it's based off the mission editor.

IMHO CA works best for MP game masters who want better control of the AI or for a MP player JTAC who wants to talk-on/lase (it's what CA was designed for).

It's possible to play vs other players/the AI and I know of players who find it enjoyable but I found CA slow and micro intensive compared to other programs.