Badger73

Me too. I concur. I am much more interested with adding substantive combat units and OOB's within the game as more rewarding for the efforts required of the developers.

@lordhedgwich - you might find some success from the information posted to "Juju's Interface Mod for CMx2" at URL = http://www.battlefront.com/community/showthread.php?t=107782&highlight=Juju%27s I haven't tried it yet but others say that you can download Juju's Tweadked UI and get it to work with CMFI specific units and weapons by supplementing with Marco Berman's mod for Alternate Silhouettes and Weapons. 1) "Juju's TweakedUI v2.0 interface enhancement" mod at URL = http://www.battlefront.com/community/showthread.php?t=107580&highlight=Juju%27s 2) "Alternate Silhouettes and Weapons" by Marco Bergman at URL = http://www.battlefront.com/index.php...leinfo&id=2394 Within the CMFI "Z" data folder, I suspect one would load Juju's mod first followed by Marco's (i.e. zz_Juju, zzz_Marco). If you try this, please let us know how things turn out. Good luck and good gaming.

I've also noticed that negative countdown clock and found it somewhat confusing as well. Pak40's suggestions worked for me. 1) I heartily concur with the suggestion to "Save" game before you Cease Fire. 2) In my experiences, the enemy AI surrendered when all objectives were lost, became unachievable, and remaining unit's morale failed.

I have nothing to add to that.

@Gromit, exceptionally fine post! Thank you. Good food for thought on sentiments I share.

Gosh, I didn't realize that mortar sections could not use the HQ Support team radio for C2! It's exactly what I'm trying to do in my current game scenario where no one can call for fires through that comm link. It was driving me crazy! You're right; this makes no sense at all. I agree that it should be fixed. Does anyone know why the code works that way now?

Thank you. I completely missed that reference! It was way to "subtle" for me . . .

I agree. I spent three months playing the demo before purchasing the games. I found several YouTube tutorials to be much more helpful than the game materials. I had to see it done before I understood what was said. I also found these forums themselves to be invaluable instruction aids as well. @Imperial Sardaukar, you purchased a great wargame but give it a lot of time before satisfying yourself that you understand it very well. Good luck and good gaming!

I think you meant, "subtle" instead of "subliminal"; "subtil" auf Deutsch. Although "subliminal" is a good pun when referencing Superbowl television advertising.

I concur; mostly due though to the fact that CMBfN has been out a good deal longer. Designers and Modders have had almost thrice the time to add content to CMBfN than they have for CMFI. So, for now, CMBfN provides more game for your dollars. As time passes, that will leaven out. Enjoy your purchase! Good luck and good gaming.

Okay, so surveying what I think about CMx2 vanilla graphics: 1) They were good enough in the demo's to suck me into buying the games 2) Vanilla CMFI looks better than vanilla CMBfN to me. 3) I load all of Aris' graphics mods when playing and am very pleased with them. 4) The great majority of mods (except scenarios and campaigns) I use are the graphical ones. Graphics really enhance my ability to enjoy and immerse me in the game much better. However attractive graphics are, they provide absolutely no value to lousy games. ("One can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear".) As was better said earlier, CMx2 itself is a champagne and caviar wargame. The silver and crystal place settings only enhance what is already very good.

I'd solve it with standard WW2 period icons; the rectangles using unit type symbols and size indicators, (see http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/11-4/symbols.htm). Draw arrow for route of advance towards circle shaped named objectives. Avoid low level clutter. Keep it simple and specific to the briefing's operation order(s). Nice work!

Yes, indeed! DL'ed, installed, and played today. Great enhancement! Thank you.

Me too. This technique works for me but I would like to see how you show unit positions, phase lines, and objectives before saying more.

Well, my job here is done for today then. Time for beer. You won't regret your purchase, lordhedgwich. Good luck and good gaming!

@kohlenklau These are great questions for designers to consider. To me, the briefing creates a player's first impressions. The more succinct and well constructed the briefing, the better that first impression. More importantly, the better the briefing, the better players will be oriented when they play. Bad briefings produce a confused gaming experience. So, here are my opinions. 1. How important is the strategic map image? Its nice to have but not important of itself. Its a kind of appetizer before the main course. It should be legible and accurate to the scenario. 2. How important is the operational map image? More important that the strategic one. It provides the sense of where and when for game play purposes. Operational Maps that designate the units inolved are a game-aid for players who like to use the uniform mods with unit patches/flashes. 3. For the tactical map, do you prefer a 2D style or a 3D in-game screen-shot type? I prefer the 2D style. Its more like what my historical counterpart (the Second World War sergeant, lieutenant, captain, or major commanding) would have used to prepare for battle and plan his deployments. I very much liked the tactical maps in the mods, "At Another Crossroads" and "Gegenangriff Auf Huegel". 4. For the briefing text, what are turn-offs? Like perhaps too much wordiness or trying to tell you what to do? Conversational briefing turn me off completely. I'm so put off by them that I have to overcome the real prejudice of wondering whether a designer who can't write a sensible briefing likely can't design a scenario worth my while to play. "At Another Crossroads" includes an instruction saying, "that poor excuse of a hill"; an imprecise reference that confused me (my only complaint with a scenario I otherwise highly regard). My favorite briefings mimic the US/NATO five paragraph operations order comprising: a) Situation Mission c) Friendly forces / enemy forces d) Concept of the operation e) Command & Signal / Command & Control Briefing text turn-ons for me are those which apply sound military science. 5. What about the image you see as you first scroll through the scenarios? Is that important to set the mood or just indicate what side you might be fighting on? Its not important in and of itself but good ones really leave a positive impression. The more it captures the feel of the game the better I like it. Consider it another kind of appetizer before relishing the main dish. For me #1, #2, and #5 can be mediocre and I don't mind. #3 helps me orient myself and better get my head into the game. #4 matters most and annoys me most when poorly done. Good luck and good gaming!

This is impressive. Kudos to you for a great map and nifty situation. I look forward to playing when you're done. Thanks in advance for your labors on it.

Here is the Armchair General video specific to commanding Italians. The whole series can be found at http://www.armchairgeneral.com/combat-mission-battle-for-normandy-tactics-a-video-series This really is a computer wargame, not a video game about war; the two are very different experiences. Good video games entertain well. Good wargames explore and teach military science well. If the latter suits you, CMBfN and CMFI are two of the very best around! Hope you enjoy. "CM Ostfront" is in the works for 2014. Good luck and good gaming.

Unfortunately for me as well, I have to agree; great information, poorly presented. Makes me better appreciate the importance of really good editing. Despite that, still worth reading as an interesting info-dump.

Would not suggest that Battelfront sell any commercial entertainment software in China. Piracy and theft of intellectual property risks just aren't worth it.

Thank you for posting this. Look forward to reading it. Good luck and good gaming.

Done! Thank you for posting.

"They were too drunk to run away or fall down when struck or know to surrender when beat", has a long tradition in military history. It probably dates back to how the Egyptians beat the Canaanites at Megiddo. "Dutch Courage" comes from the battle of Waterloo when the British veterans were hard put to explain why those silly green Hollanders outperformed English expectations. Sometimes its true, other times not. That's the wonder of history in general.

Good observation and recommendation. I concur. +3 to Umlaut's suggestion.

As a forum member making another post, you could create a new thread in that other forum which includes the URL for this thread, then explain your posting there for a more general audience. Replies would be posted to that forum. Great subject to bring up and not a bad situation to do as a hypothetical engagement with other forces. Who knows, maybe CM's future CM-Ostfront will allow a mod for the Blue Division . . .