This game is so needlessly difficult because of the controls

[TheNaturalUFC]

For anyone who just started playing Commandos: BEL (the first game in the series), anyone else feel that the game is needlessly difficult because of the controls and having to do every single little action manually?

For some reason it reminds me of the first Resident Evil games in movement. Perfect example is Mission #2. You have to cross a river to get to the other side, which is patrolled by an automatic machine gun boat every couple minutes.

Basically you have to use your marine to cross the other side, and can take two guys along with you, which should be the simplest thing in the world, but the process is so grinding and painful. The steps go like this for me:

1) Take the marine to the river bank, make sure he faces the correct direction, then click on the boat icon to inflate the boat. If you're in the wrong direction or not out far enough the boat can end up on the ground. Go in the boat with the marine

2) Right click and reticule the two guys you want in the boat and click on the boat to move them there. This can be a pain in the ♥♥♥ to figure out which guys are which that you want in the boat, and the problem if like at the start of this level, all 5 guys are bunched together, so you could reticule 3 or 4 guys at the same time and mess up and end up with a guy on the river bank you have to move back because he'll get shot and end the mission.

3) Once all three guys are in the boat, you would think its simple to get across, but you have to click on the marine's icon to move the boat - even if you reticules all three guys in the boat INCLUDING the marine, you can't move it. It has to be JUST the marine selected to row the boat.

4) Once you get to the other side, reticuling the guys to get them all to get out of the boat doesn't register. So you have select each guys icon one by one to get out of the boat and then click on their picture to get out. This is a pain in the ♥♥♥ if you can't remember who is who in the boat with you.

5) Once they're all out, click on the marine and the hand icon and click the boat to deflate it. This also can be a pain because the marine can bump into the other guys next to you and get blocked from doing this. Then the same problem of reticuling a specific number to get out of the way pops up again.

Something so simple is such a pain in the ♥♥♥ in this game. I understand I need to learn the hotkeys for everything, but this game has a rep for being so difficult but so much of it is needless.

Even simple things like gunning down an unsuspecting soldier stealthily can be a pain in the ♥♥♥ because if you have your gun drawn you can't move to the opposition.

In the middle of a strike that needs to be quick and precise, you can get mixed up, have your gun drawn, then have to get rid of it, then run to the guy, then draw the gun from the list, then click on the guy to kill him - instead of just simply having your gun or knife drawn and click on the guy and just having your guy run into action in range and take him out.

Argh. I need more practice, but does anyone have any tips to make this easier?

[MystMan]

Originally Posted by TheNaturalUFC

2) Right click and reticule the two guys you want in the boat and click on the boat to move them there. This can be a pain in the ♥♥♥ to figure out which guys are which that you want in the boat, and the problem if like at the start of this level, all 5 guys are bunched together, so you could reticule 3 or 4 guys at the same time and mess up and end up with a guy on the river bank you have to move back because he'll get shot and end the mission.

All of your men can be selected with their assigned number on your keyboard. 1 = Green beret, 2 = sniper, etc. Try to do as many simultaneous actions as possible. You don't have to wait for one man to complete his command before controlling another. Save time by making multiple commandos move around at the same time. While the marine is running to the riverbank, select another man to make him run to the same area, and again for the third guy. When the marine reaches the river, make him inflate the boat, when that is done the other guys should have already arrived right next to him.
Do not use the mouse alone for this game, commands take much longer to perform moving the cursor around, use keyboard shortcuts. All the time. The game becomes significantly easier to control.

Originally Posted by TheNaturalUFC

3) Once all three guys are in the boat, you would think its simple to get across, but you have to click on the marine's icon to move the boat - even if you reticules all three guys in the boat INCLUDING the marine, you can't move it. It has to be JUST the marine selected to row the boat.

Just press 3 to select marine instantly. Row the the shore, make the reticule around the boat to select everybody and click on their potraits quickly to disembark them all, press 3 to select marine again so he can dis-inflate & take the boat, reticule around all 3 to hide behind the rocks. This is pretty much how the whole game series goes. Usage of keyboard short-cuts for quick commands and fluent motion control without pausing too long.

Originally Posted by TheNaturalUFC

4) Once you get to the other side, reticuling the guys to get them all to get out of the boat doesn't register. So you have select each guys icon one by one to get out of the boat and then click on their picture to get out. This is a pain in the ♥♥♥ if you can't remember who is who in the boat with you.

Make the reticule around the boat, you should see ALL the potraits of its occupants appear on your backpack at the same time. Quickly click on each potrait and they will disembark IF the boat is close enough to the shore.

Originally Posted by TheNaturalUFC

5) Once they're all out, click on the marine and the hand icon and click the boat to deflate it. This also can be a pain because the marine can bump into the other guys next to you and get blocked from doing this. Then the same problem of reticuling a specific number to get out of the way pops up again.

That never happened to me. The marine just shoves the guy aside who is blocking him. But if you want to make it quick, after everybody disembarks, you can quickly order them one by one to run behind the rocks. For example if the other 2 men are Green Beret and Sniper, press 1 and double click behind the rocks, press 2 and double-click behind the rocks and both guys will be running there in 2 seconds time leaving the marine plenty of room and time to get his boat.

Originally Posted by TheNaturalUFC

In the middle of a strike that needs to be quick and precise, you can get mixed up, have your gun drawn, then have to get rid of it, then run to the guy, then draw the gun from the list, then click on the guy to kill him - instead of just simply having your gun or knife drawn and click on the guy and just having your guy run into action in range and take him out.

Keyboard shortcuts. Learn them. All those actions can be activated/deactivated instantly with the push of a key.

[TheNaturalUFC]

Thanks, I know I need to get used to the hot keys. I did figure another easier combo way of selecting guys by holding shift and clicking the portraits activated multiple guys.