Jump to content
Special Upgrade 4 Tech Tips

Voxman

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    157

  • Joined

  • Last visited

    Never

 Content Type 

Posts posted by Voxman

    Wish List for CM3

    in Combat Mission Archive #4 (2002)

    Posted

    Hello Nik,

    That is an interesting idea, just make a WayPoint for the HQ to move to a target and the AI will plot the best course for the HQ and troopers to follow using the best terrain path.

    This would definitely improve the game play. Plotting the infantry moves can be tiresome in large battles.

    More input from others on this suggestion would be good !

    Originally posted by Nik:

    I think those things would be nice :

    - more detailed model of leadership with positiv and negativ effects (no one is perfect :D )

    - an order that makes the platoons follow the HQ without giving each one waypoints.So you have to setup the waypoints only for the HQ. Would make things easier for example in large battles.

    The folloeing thin might be to fantastic but....

    - try to combine airborne assault with CMBB or the following thing. Think about that combination.........

    0

    What the Rags are saying about CMBB

    in Combat Mission Archive #4 (2002)

    Posted

    Hi,

    I think you have some valid points. In fact, one reviewer was making fun of the way the soldiers looked.

    However, I am hopeful CM3 with the CMII engine will take care of the poor graphics issues.

    I have given up on Ampulmet's, they are pretty much useless as far as I can see smile.gif

    Originally posted by Rob Murray:

    Well after 2 months with the thing I can say that I'm not too happy with it. They ( BFC ) charge an arm & a leg for it and I spend 3/4 quarters of the time downloading either mods or patches. Case in point: the Sdkfz. Flak truck problem was not fixed with the patch. I had to download Mike 8 g's mod to fix it. The ampulmet or whatever the hell is still looks like a cigarette! Before anyone starts saying that I'm whining ( eg. Dorosh ) , I'm not!! For over $80.00 CDN I think that I have a right to expect better quality than this. :mad: :mad:

    0

    What the Rags are saying about CMBB

    in Combat Mission Archive #4 (2002)

    Posted

    Yes, I would like my Allied Airborne troops to be able to eventually acquire Laser Rifles and Light Sabre's!! smile.gif

    I am presuming that this reviewer is Young in age and enjoys playing fantasy games. He does not understand reality games.

    In fact, with Scenarios a player can continue on through different battles, just not with the QB.

    Regards,

    Voxman

    Originally posted by laxx:

    ------

    http://www.thediscworld.co.uk/combat2.htm

    "Unfortunately, whilst the game is undoubtedly more polished there are still some glaring omissions such as the lack of a proper campaign in the game. It would have been nice for example; to play through a campaign where you’re units are carried over to the next level gaining in experience as you progress. Another slightly annoying feature is the lack of weapon upgrades meaning you have to put up with whatever you’re given for each level. Apart from these problems Combat Mission 2 is still a lot of fun to play through if you’ve got the patience."

    Ratings: 71%, "Too Similar to the Original"

    [ December 02, 2002, 07:26 AM: Message edited by: Voxman ]

    0

    night game tactics??

    in Combat Mission Archive #4 (2002)

    Posted

    Snipers do that...that is one of their tasks to Scout. It is not gamey at all !

    They were used as FOs and could call in artillery too. Perhaps, this type of unit should be modelled into CM

    Originally posted by Pak40:

    </font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Warmaker:

    Hmmm... interesting way of doing nightfighting. A different approach...

    yes it's interesting but it's also a little gamey IMO. Sharpshooters don't run around with radios to tell their CO's where the enemy troops are.

    But in defensive situations it was common practice to have small listening posts with phones/radios ahead of the MLR.

    Maybe BTS should make a listening post unit?</font>

    0

    Brightness Issue in CMBB

    in Combat Mission - Tech Support

    Posted

    Using Nividia 30.82 and downloaded Powerstrip and the brightness issue was resolved using it.

    Now Powerstrip is not working.

    I tried downloading a newer version of drivers, then went back to 30.82 and Powerstrip no longer works. I uninstalled powerstrip and reinstalled it with no effect.

    Anyone know what to do ?

    Thanks

    0

    Scenario Making Questions

    in Combat Mission Archive #4 (2002)

    Posted

    Yes, I would like to anapologize to Boots and Tracks. Please accept my anapology that I called your scenario's 'crappy' and 'junvenille'.

    I think creating historical maps is good!

    But why not make some 'fantasy' maps!!

    Of course using one's imagination means the person 'could' be limited....as it seems to be the case here...

    So please accept my anapology and let's move on, shall we...

    Cordially,

    Voxman

    Originally posted by Panzer Leader:

    Voxman, you seem to have really annoyed some people with you needlessly inflammatory posts. My suggestion, if you really want to stay and learn and contribute, would be to swallow your pride and offer anapology. Lacking the courage to do that, simply re-register with a new name and watch what you say!

    0

    Scenario Making Questions

    in Combat Mission Archive #4 (2002)

    Posted

    Two things I would like to see in CM3 are the ability to Import QB maps with the setting that are selected in New Battle and lock them so they cannot be changed by a player. But still allow a player to pick their own troops.

    I would like to see bridges have the ability to automatically extend to the ground rather than have pre-set heights. I know it sounds easier than it is, but please keep it in mind. This way there could be very high bridges.

    Is there a tile for a railroad bridge ? Seems like there should be one, how else can I run a railroad over obstacles ?

    Thank you

    0

    Scenario Making Questions

    in Combat Mission Archive #4 (2002)

    Posted

    Hello Dschugaschwili,

    I did not realize a bridge could be blown up like that. Nice to know smile.gif

    I will take a look for the fountain mod in my tiles, not sure where it is now, but I will look!

    In regard to the units selected, if I select some barbwire and trenches for a QB Import Map, will this affect the point structure when someone is allowed to select their troopers manually ?

    What do you think about the idea of creating a MODDERS/SCENARIO developers separate forum ? Seems like we need a specialized forum!!

    Originally posted by Dschugaschwili:

    A couple of answers:

    First, the fountain mod must overwrite another terrain tile type. Taking a look at the file you replaced with the fountain may give you an idea what it was.

    You have to go into preview mode in the map editor to see the terrain and all units you included. Here you can also place them where ever you want.

    Bridges can be destroyed by explosives, including demo charges by engineers/pioneers, but stone bridges need lots of them to go down.

    Hope this helps.

    Dschugaschwili

    0

    Scenario Making Questions

    in Combat Mission Archive #4 (2002)

    Posted

    I think we me a Scenario makers forum!

    I downloaded a mod for a fountain and it appeared in a quick battle. But if I am using the Map Editor, is there a tile I can select for the fountain and a railroad bridge ? I do not see it.

    In other words, how can I select that tile.

    If I am creating a Map for a QB import, is there a way I can get defensive things like barbwire and trenches to show up on the Map so I can place them where I want ?

    Two things I would like to see in CM3 are the ability to Import QB maps with the setting that are selected in New Battle and lock them so they cannot be changed by a player. But still allow a player to pick their own troops.

    I would like to see bridges have the ability to automatically extend to the ground rather than have pre-set heights. I know it sounds easier than it is, but please keep it in mind. This way there could be very high bridges. If these bridges could be knocked down by pioneers, it would be good too.

    Thank you

    [ November 26, 2002, 06:03 AM: Message edited by: Voxman ]

    0

    CM - Mini Review

    in Combat Mission Archive #4 (2002)

    Posted

    http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/0211/24.gamesreview.php

    Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin updated

    Battlefront.com has updated its turn-based 3D World War II-era strategy game Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin to version 1.0.1. The new version sports "hundreds of enhancements" including more than a dozen new vehicle models. This is for the US version only. On the Mac, Combat Mission only works on pre-Mac OS X versions (it hasn't been updated for X yet).

    0

    CMBB Review

    in Combat Mission Archive #4 (2002)

    Posted

    Sound:

    Slightly better than average. Voice cues are dead-on and combat sounds are believable. The lack of music options is distressing. 7.5

    Not sure what they mean by "The Lack of Music Options is Distressing" What music ? The beginning ?

    I don't get it :(

    The guy wants some crappy music titles added ?

    Geeesss...

    [ November 19, 2002, 09:29 PM: Message edited by: Voxman ]

    0

    CMBB Review

    in Combat Mission Archive #4 (2002)

    Posted

    http://pc.ign.com/articles/377/377755p1.html

    Sorry if this link has already been posted smile.gif

    Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin Review

    Say hello to the new king of PC wargames.

    November 18, 2002 - Don't run just yet. I know you've been bored with wargames in the past. You'd rather be reading the Adams' family Christmas letter than trying to decipher another Order of Battle. You'd rather be worrying about whether those collection agents were serious about the thumb thing than puzzling out the armor facings on a T-34. And as much as I love the genre, I agree -- wargames of late have been pretty uninspired. There is therefore a real risk that some of you may lump Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin in with the rest. But those of you who dismiss this as just another staid and dry wargame are really going to be missing out.

    Set in the Eastern European Theater of the Second World War, Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin is the follow-up to the previous reigning champ of the genre, Combat Mission: Beyond Overlord. In June of 1941, the Germans launched Operation Barbarossa, their codename for the invasion of the Soviet Union. It grew in to one of history's largest and most significant series of land battles. 60 years later, Big Time and Battlefront.com have recreated these battles in a game that does justice to the scope and severity of the fighting.

    The game comes with almost 60 pre-scripted missions that display a commendable range. Everything from small infantry engagements in a dense town to massive armor clashes on the broad steppes of eastern Europe are represented here. Larger, linked battles are offered via the game's few Operations. These are linked battles across portions of a single map. As the front line shifts back and forth, the player will have to wrestle with new issues of supply and reinforcement.

    Since you can play each side in any of the engagements, you can also choose the battle type. Want to walk in to a German ambush in a small European village? You can do it. Want to stop enemy armor from reaching an important crossroads? Those are here too. The game also carries the player to battles all along the 2000-mile front of the war, stretching from Finland in the north to the Crimea in the south.

    The chance to run things on the defensive and assaulting sides of the battles greatly adds to the replayability. And the fact that the battles are drawn from across four years of the war means there's much more variety here than in the year or so simulated in Beyond Overlord. While battles like Normandy and Arnhem and the Bulge are the bread and butter of Second World War wargaming, it's nice to get a chance to see what this whole Blitzkrieg thing is about. Seeing more of a progression in terms of unit availability and theater selection is an added bonus.

    Barbarossa to Berlin is unlike other wargames in countless areas. Perhaps the most significant of which is its hybrid turn-based/real-time nature. Orders are first issued to all units in a paused mode. Once you've told every unit what you want them to do, the game plays out a full minute of real-time resolutions. You're completely powerless to affect the game at this point and can only watch as your units carry out their orders. Once this real-time phase is over, you have another chance to issue orders before the next real-time sequence starts.

    It's a wonderful system for several reasons. First and most significantly, it perfectly weds the contemplative nature of turn-based games (a feature that most grognards are comfortable with) with the striking immediacy of a real-time game. The excitement is even more expanded since you won't be able to adjust orders during the real-time action phase.

    Helmuth Von Moltke, one of the early architects of German war policy, once said, "No plan survives contact with the enemy." The dual nature of the action and orders phases makes this wonderfully apparent. You'll need to keep your orders flexible enough that your units can respond to unforeseen enemy action. And since changing orders results in a variable command lag, you'll want to keep your orders clear and concise. (The game models the poor communication of the Soviets early on by increasing their command delays.)

    Moving units is merely a matter of right-clicking them, selecting a command and issuing a destination or objective for that command. A few new commands have been added this time around to allow for greater flexibility and initiative. Units can advance under fire now, hopping from cover to cover as they approach an objective. Tanks can now "shoot and scoot" in which they approach one waypoint, search for targets and then retire towards a second waypoint. Tanks can also go "hull down" relative to the surrounding terrain thus minimizing their exposure to enemy fire. But the best and most useful command is the "advance to contact" command instructing your units to follow their movement path and stop at the first sign of the enemy.

    The developer's bold claim is that, if it works in real life, you'll find it works in the game. So far, I've found that to be true. Even something as normally straightforward as armor penetration receives numerous layers of added detail. The ballistics of the weapon are taken in to account first. These even include the shape of the charge, the angle of impact and the armor facing of the vehicle. This game also adds some new visibility concerns to the mix granting heightened spotting ability to units when and where it makes historical or intuitive sense. A sophisticated command hierarchy means you have to keep your units together somewhat to maintain their effectiveness.

    During both phases of the game, you can move the camera about and view the battlefield. Assuming that your government would spring for a map or two -- especially if they're bothering to give you a few dozen tanks -- Barbarossa to Berlin does away with the impenetrable shroud surrounding the battlefield. You can survey the entire field from high above or drop down to the level of your units and see what it looks like from their perspective. What you won't see are any enemy units -- at least until one of your own units spots them. There are even varying degrees of identification so a sound contact will show up as a simple button on the map. The real 3D terrain of the levels makes this adjudication fairly easy and requires the player be aware of intervening obstacles.

    The camera is fairly easy to use. Bumping the edges of the screen scrolls or rotates the map (a bit too quickly for my tastes), while a system of hotkeys snaps you to pre-determined zoom levels. I'd love to have seen an incremental, mouse-wheel-driven zoom but the nine or so levels included here offer just about every magnification you could want. The camera also responds to impacts during the action phases so, if you're close to an explosion, the camera will shake and vibrate realistically.

    The effects of the explosions are still just slightly canned but nevertheless much improved over the first game. In fact, the entire graphics palette has undergone a much-needed rehaul. It still fails to compete with the big names in 3D strategy (titles like Age of Myth or Warcraft III) but, for what it is, it's fantastic. The environments are much better rendered this time around with believable trees, time of day effects and realistically dense cities. While the vehicles look great, the soldiers are still a bit cartoony and suffer from stuttering animations.

    The sound in the game is impressive but not in a way that's particularly easy to notice or appreciate. While it's not a dig at the developers by any means, few gamers will appreciate the fact that various units each make unique sounds. "Hey, that guy's tank sounds slightly different from this other tank," I suppose is what the developers intended. You will notice that the different units have nation-specific acknowledgements however. Weapon sounds are likewise varied.

    I was a bit nonplussed that there's almost no music in the game. There's a Wagner-fied intro screen but that's it on the music front. I'd have loved the chance to throw a couple of Shostakovich or Marlene Dietrich tunes to liven things up a bit but, short of playing them somewhere else in the house, you're out of luck on that front.

    What did you think of Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin?

    The game supports two-player hotseat and LAN play which can be a blast. Separate action sequences and player passwords ensure that no one takes your turn or finds out where your units are. A PBEM version is also available but lacks the immediacy of actually playing against someone. The same old editor has been included as well so you can design your own missions pretty easily.

    The game's only available from battlefront.com so don't bother looking for it in stores. The gang at Battlefront are even offering a bundle of this game and the original Beyond Overlord for $65. For two of the best wargames ever on the PC, it's a real bargain.

    Closing Comments

    Wargames have long been a niche market. While early PC gamers were often of a mind to appreciate these types of games, interest in these titles has dwindled as gaming has become more mainstream. And as publishers have become more profit-minded, this poor-selling segment of the market has been seriously neglected. But as the Talonsofts and Strategy Firsts have diversified their catalogs, there's a real opportunity for other developers and publishers to cash in on this oversight.

    Enter the sequel to Combat Mission. Not only is it one of the greatest wargames we've ever played, it also takes everything that normally makes wargames so inaccessible and throws it right out the window. A slick interface keeps you focused on tactics while the level of detail and modeling forces you to adopt realistic strategies. Add to that the comprehensive range of units and scenarios and you have a game that you won't put down for years to come.

    For those interested in a game that's more involved than the current RTS crop or one that's less tedious than the usual wargame, Barbarossa to Berlin is a perfect fit. With all the new holiday releases coming out each week, we don't always have as much time as we'd like to spend with the games that we really, really love. The upside is that I'll now be spending my Christmas break trying to find new ways to breakthrough to Berlin.

    -- Steve Butts

    Presentation:

    It's a mixed bag with few frills but lots of depth. Though the interface and setup are a bit gummy in places, the detail is unbelievable. Love the manual. 8.5

    Graphics:

    While it's not as impressive as a lot of recent RTS games, the scope of what's been accomplished in terms of variety is commendable. 8.5

    Sound:

    Slightly better than average. Voice cues are dead-on and combat sounds are believable. The lack of music options is distressing. 7.5

    Gameplay:

    It's utterly captivating in a way that's hard to explain. The dual/hybrid format of the game is quite refreshing and utterly captivating. 9.5

    Lasting Appeal:

    Lots and lots of missions and a brand new scenario designer give this one exceptionally long life. 9.5

    OVERALL SCORE (not an average) 9.0

    [ November 19, 2002, 09:21 PM: Message edited by: Voxman ]

    0
×
×
  • Create New...