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This is the eighty-second in a series of posts on the Vietnam War. See here for the previous post in the series and here to go back to the master post.

It’s been a good three months, maybe even more, since I found myself flummoxed while trying to get a user-made CMANO scenario going. At long last, I finally got it up and running and it is beautiful.

Finally! I’ve got it!

As I suggested, I was able to get this scenario through Steam and then set it up into my non-Steam installation. The horrors of finding it in the first place and then downloading it aside, once available it was straightforward to get running.

The scenario has detailed instructions to help the player focus on the choices that are supposed to be available while following the protocols and doctrines where expected. Aspects of the scenario, such as the movement of the naval task forces, are controlled by the computer. Thus the player is not tempted to get “creative” with implausibly ahistorical actions.

The scenario is, for me of course, hard. Even before the first alpha strike of the morning, I’ve managed to lose a plane or two. I’m also a bit fuzzy on what needs to be controlled by me directly and how. For example, I’ve wasted quite a number of bombs by having them dropped onto moving targets from 30,000 ft.

This scenario, more than most of the others I would think, is designed to be played trial-and-error; played over-and-over so you can figure out what works and what doesn’t. Indeed, that seems to be the point of it all. How close can a radar-jamming aircraft get to the SAM site before you’re apt to lose it? I don’t know – try out some different tactics and see!

I obviously can’t comment on how much better the current iteration of the scenario is when compared to this last version for the old CMANO. I will say that I’m not seeing any obvious problems with it during my initial play and somewhat casual inspection. I don’t doubt upgrading to CMO would improve things across the board but I’m just not ready for that level of commitment.

The soundtrack of the 60s

CMANO doesn’t play me a soundtrack. Did it have one and I turned it off or did it come this way? I neither know nor care. However, I decided that the long periods I’ll be spending loading up my aircraft and waiting for things to happen could use some music. I also decided it should be period music. I made two song lists assembled from my digital music library; one for songs that might be played in 1968 (including a lot of 50s stuff) and then another for songs recorded between 1969 and 1972. I’m amazed just how many songs I have that fit this second category (123, if I let my computer do the talking). That seems like a lot.

Anyway, back to the bombing. I will carry on, my wayward son (1976).

Continue on to the next article in the series, coming after I’ve bought myself a brand new game. Return to the the master post, here.