ToadMan

Actually those cracks are for the Paradox version of the game and aren't cracks to the BFC licensing so I guess you're pwned back.... BFCs licensing system is in fact nice and easy to use and much better than having some Disc checking tool. Anyway, come version 1.03 those cracks will stop working and by then the crackers will have moved on to Bioshock or something. TM

SecurROM eh.... Well the Sony stuff is probably right, but it could be something else - maybe there is something installed on the machine that SecurROM doesn't like. Things like CD/DVD drive emulators or even DVD burning/copying software can cause problems. As I see it there are 2 possible solutions : 1) Easiest. Return Paradox version, buy DL version direct from Battlefront (I assume the BFC Disc version would be OK too, but not certain). 2) Boot your machine and make sure there are no DVD utils loaded/running - try again. If no joy, then a bit of digging in the internet underworld will throw up some tools that can spoof the SecurRom protection. I should point out that these utils generally won't let you copy DVDs or run without the disc in the drive, but they might let SecurROM identify the disc successfully by masking any software that is potentially conflicting with it. If you're going to wait for Sony to do something, you may as well return the game to the store, since by the time that happens, it'll be cheaper to buy! TM.

Like everyone else has said, nice mission overall. My comments would be to reduce the US forces a bit just to make it a bit harder - as it was, I didn't need to dismount the mounted units and the already dismounted platoons weren't really used. In my play through (using Elite/RT) I got a US Total Victory (Syrian surrender), but I took a lot of casualties - unfortunately I can't remember the exact number - but I think I had something around 23 Casualties and ~7 Killed but those numbers may be wrong. Either way my two dismounted platoons got worked over during the initial advance which I thought would mean a loss, but it didn't. So may be the loss rate can be given a greater status - even if the other side surrenders. Good Work though! TM

I did smoething that (I think) Jaguar suggested just after release. That was to adjust the AI plan to Advance instead of Assault which has the AI moving more quickly to the objective. That made the AI a bit quicker and aggressive. However, this looks like another nice update to it so I'll give it a whirl - thanks. TM.

Giving up a bit easily there.... If it's not working for a few but working for the majority, then it's more than likely the few have a problem specific to their machines... At a guess, I'd say this is something to do with whatever sceurity system Paradox have used. I'd suggest you boot windows with no additional drivers or tools loaded (this is not the same as closing them once windows has already booted) and see if that makes any difference. Which reminds me XP or Vista? TM [ August 15, 2007, 10:36 AM: Message edited by: ToadMan ]

Well you left out some details e.g. WeGo or RT and is it cancel on a waypoint vs on a currently hiding unit. However, playing 1.02 earlier, I was able to unhide my inf. squad who were already hiding in Ambush just by hitting the hide button a second time. TM

This statement concerns me. If I'm reading you correctly, the people who programmed the game don't know what the symbols mean? That just seems weird, and I want to believe I misunderstood, otherwise there's a SERIOUS problem... </font>

But did you search the forum? Well it would have only partially helped anyway... To sum up, BFC were not sure exactly what that icon meant....However they deduced that it was there to show how well the spotting unit can communicate with the support unit. Although this wasn't stated I take it that a unit that is good at spotting and in good comms with the support unit can call the strike more accurately and more quickly. However, try testing that in the game and something weird is evident... If you choose a few different spotters for a particular support unit, you'll see that the cross changes colour, orientation and size. Sometimes it is a big green cross, sometimes it is smaller green cross, sometimes it's a red 'X' etc You'd expect that if the cross is Green, then that would indicate better comms than if the cross is Red. However, in my simple tests it seems this is backwards - if you check how long from calling the strike to rounds landing, it is quicker if the cross is red than green with the best spotter units showing a red 'X' and the "worst" units showing a green cross. TM.

There you go with that "let's look in the manual" crap Why can't you just do what everyone else here does and simply guess, lie or moan about how it's broken! TM

Steelbeasts - it is the best of it's kind because it is the only one of it's kind to be released in the last few years. That's not to say it isn't good - it is, but it is certainly not a mass market product. As for whiners - a game without whiners is a game that isn't being played by anyone... Patches - if you're boycotting patches then you're basically saying you no longer wish to play computer games. CMx1 had lots of patches and SteelBeasts has had its share. Patching is a fact of life - even for consoles. Since patches not only fix problems but also bring new content to games (see SteelBeasts) it is your loss, not just on CMSF but on every game. TM.

CM : SF is not only a wargame :- "At it's core, Combat Mission: Shock Force is a military simulation" From the CMSF Overview. As a simulation, they wanted to abstract as few things as practically possible. Personally I think this is a good thing. TM.

Looks like the TacAI is going to get yet another torrent of abuse TM.

I played this scenario last weekend so I don't remember the detail, but is it supposed to be played from the US side? I thought the mission brief was focused on the use of the ATGM to attack the US as they approach which I think should explain why the Syrian side seems dormant when played as US. As for routing and morale, I think that the Syrians become suppressed a bit too easily and/or the US not easily enough. I would say that after one or two casualties in a US squad, they should hit the ground, and one or two squads so affected in a Platoon, should equal a rout for the US platoon. For vehicles, I'd say for the US one vehicle lost would be a rout for that unit and probably carry over to any associated dismounts. What I'm getting at is that when the US takes casualties it should rout earlier, rather than getting to the point where one squad is left hiding in a ditch - it's too late to rout at that point. Of course, routing units have to have the ability to be rallied again giving greater importance to good order HQ units. The Syrians, well they're fighting "at home" and while they're less coherent, I think they're probably also a bit more likely to die for their cause and so not break quite so easily. As it is, when I've played as the Syrians they're usually pinned quickly and basically become uncontrollable while the US units in the same situation are still under control. Seems a bit back to front to me. TM.

I think the problem is that BFC have tried to make a simulation, while some people here wanted a wargame. Simulations are normally realtime - or to put it another way, non RT simulations of RT processes are usually impractical (see Acthung Spitfire or ASL for an example). Anyway getting back to the point, there is a LOS tool for units which can have a LOF and I suspect due to the moaning we'll get a LOS tool despite the lack of requirement for it and the time it will take that could have been spent on something more valuable. As for "fast paced RTS clicking" well personally I dislike RTSs just as much as anyone else, and CMSF doesn't strike me as similar to those games. If you play it that way though, I guess that's up to you in much the same way as you could play CC as a "fast clicking" RTS. TM.

Before the mission I decided to put pretty much all my guys through the front gate and roll to the barracks from there. Having made that decision, I looked at where the enemy would be holed up - the bunkers and building around the entrance were obvious places. So, I dismounted a Javelin equipped squad or two, levelled the bunkers and a couple of the buildings just inside the gate pretty much from the set up area, and drove in with strykers (carefully - using overwatch and smoke). Once there, I could get some guys into the buildings that were still standing with the strykers and MGSs suppressing the HQ building. We took some small arms fire but nothing major. I may have lost one (empty) stryker near the gate and a few casualties but had anough to move on the barracks. After that, the meat grinder just rolls down the road... I think waiting to spot the enemy in that particular mission is a bit too late - if there are obvious defensive positions then I'll hit them before I've seen anything - at worst this means progress will be quicker and at best, I'll have killed a few enemy and pinned some others. TM.