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How to Win Man vs World (Veteran difficulty)
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Author:  jonwong [ Tue Nov 13, 2018 2:32 am ]
Post subject:  How to Win Man vs World (Veteran difficulty)

I'm writing this as I replay the campaign. Going through the Veteran difficulty highlights a whole host of game imbalances, bugs, and broken game mechanics in this game.

I'm posting this here for Osumia Games and RWR community. Pls do not post this on Steam forums. I want people to buy this game. Whatever bugs and incomplete features I mention here would make RWR cost $40 at least. I envision RWR 3 to have these features at $60.

So, let's start with the playthrough and the bug/problem reports.

In short, this game has no stealth. RWR is purely a MOBA experience (not a true open world game) for the vanilla campaign, and a cheese challenge for Man vs World campaign. However, the cover system is superb simply because it follows faithfully the rules of physics and projectile trajectories. Even a AAA game like Company of Heroes 2 doesn't have a real cover system, though simulated remarkably well for fantastic playability.

For easy reference, let's name the Man vs World hero Lambo Ghini.

FoV is Broken

You can often shoot at enemies you can't see (hidden by FoV). The calculation for FoV possibly uses point sources rather than model (all polygons) physics.

Use the map to spot enemies via colored blobs. This also further highlights how incomplete/broken the FoV system currently is.

There Is No Stealth

Once AI bots are alerted, they have 360 degrees FoV. There is no way Lambo can sneak up on an alerted bot, even after disappearing at length behind cover.

Even when not alerted, AI bots have a slightly larger than 180 degrees FoV, and the range for FoV is substantial enough to make a screen-size area with 3 AI bots too overcrowded for stealth.

For more background info: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1612&start=10#p18717

Always Behind Cover

Even when Lambo is running to the next objective, he runs from cover to cover.

The thing about cover is a real-world physics we might call width of exposure. When you're next to cover, the gap through which you shoot is wide for you, but that same gap which enemies must shoot through to hit you is extremely small from a distance.

In short: The soldier behind cover has a dramatically heightened chance for survival.

Tank traps don't even require you to stand up to shoot through them. Sandbags require standing to shoot over.

Never run out of cover even when grenades come. Grenades do nothing if a cover is between them and you. This only works if you properly suppress the enemy (explained a couple of sections below).

The edge of every bullet-proof object is also a cover. Though not ideal, the width of exposure concept is still very much in play here, and enemy fire will often hit the object rather than you.

Wait Behind Cover

Worth repeating again: There Is No Stealth In RWR.

Wait behind cover, and enemy AI bots will come running out of their own cover to try and hit you. That's when you shoot them.

Lead Your Shots

Yes, this is a tall order given how fast-paced the game is.

Still, you must lead your shots, or you will wait too long for enemies to stay still.

You must still wait for your crosshairs to close up for more accuracy before squeezing off your shots. Even when leading your shots, accuracy counts. Your led shots could be so wide that the leading is very off.

Suppress The Enemy

Single shots from an assault rifle will suppress the enemy. Might I also add that this is absolutely fantastic AI design! Your single shot is either a kill shot (preferably) when the enemy runs out of cover to get a line of fire at you, or a near-enough shot that gets all enemies running back behind their cover.

The reason is that the AI is actually very smart and correct here: AI bots will attempt to grenade you out of your cover.

In this way, you get to keep your cover and keep picking off enemy bots as they very regularly come out of cover for you.

Stay Out Of Grenade Range

The previous section leads to this. A common ideal situation to aim for: Enemy AI bots are behind their cover, and you are behind yours. Make sure the distance between the 2 lines of covers are greater than grenade range, or the AI can easy grenade you out of your cover.

Stay Out Of Point Blank Range

You could arguably win an exchange if the enemy bot is rounding a corner. But more often than not, a point blank shot is 100% accurate and will hit a stationary you.

Never close with an enemy holding a shotgun.

This rule highlights a key problem with the accuracy mechanics in RWR. There is literally no accuracy recovery duration once a soldier stops from a full sprint. This is the reason why many battles go "Wha? Was I shot?" when some AI bot rounds a corner and pops a quick shot at you. Full accuracy.

If RWR had a longer (more realistic) accuracy recovery duration, battles would become more tactical as many bullets will miss. The game pace is still solid fast with all those bullets squeezed off in panic. But the key to winning battles becomes a matter of tactics: a soldier watching an approach will always have an advantage in squeezing off accurate shots. This then highlights yet another problem with RWR: the lack of defensive maneuvers.

RWR totally lacks defensive maneuvers. (This pertains to vanilla campaign, not MvW.) You set up a whole line of miniguns? Your AI bots will promptly leave them and push forward and get massacred, leaving said defenses unmanned. Vanilla campaign and even Pacific is purely a MOBA, not an open-world tactical game. PvP would be, but then the game is comprised of human intelligence, and RWR is just an empty shell of a platform.

Return Fire After Receiving Fire

The only way to force an accuracy recovery duration for the enemy is to get the enemy to squeeze off shots.

This rule pertains to the case where you have an imperfect cover that is merely the edge of a bullet-proof object. Once the enemy fires, run slightly out of cover and squeeze off your own shots.

There is no accuracy recovery duration related to soldier movements!

Never Go Prone, Just Dodge Bullets

Mobility is key. Believe it or not, you can actually dodge bullets.

The enemy bots always lead their shots. This is why they seem so much more accurate than human players. You can use this fact to doge their bullets at a distance.

Diving to prone when fired upon will just get you shot by the AI bot's led shots. The AI bots always lead their shots with deadly accuracy.

  1. Run away from the shooter, get more distance between you.
  2. Zig-zag to the left and right of the shooter as you run away.
  3. Aim for cover as you run.

The point is to change directions in 90-degree turns. That will keep your speed at a full sprint. Never do a 180-degree turn, because that will put you at a full stop.

Always Dodge When Shot At

Of course, sit still if you're behind cover and the shots obviously cannot reach you.

If you're not safe behind cover, never sit still for a firing exchange. Of course, dodging bullets only works at a distance, so always keep as much distance as possible between the enemy and you.

The reasons you should always dodge bullets are:

  1. You should always be in cover anyway.
  2. It's surprisingly easy to dodge bullets at a distance.

TOWs Avoided At Adequate Range

TOWs fire rockets that can insta-kill Lambo. Avoid them at very very long range.

This means Airfield sector in Virgil Island has to be taken from the west. Killing the soldier at the TOW still allows another soldier to man that TOW, so attacking Airfield sector from the southwest is a death sentence.

TOW has fantastic sight range, so use as "binoculars" to scout around.

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