HerrTom

As best as I can tell, yes. There's one single explosion animation that's used everywhere, randomly rotated and limited to 28 (I think) frames. It's rendered on top of all transparency layers as well, so you see it on top of trees, through smoke, etc.  I'd love to have a lot more knobs to tinker with when making explosion mods (Ability to orient it normal direction of surface? A more detailed particle system? Render them behind smoke and trees?  Multiple explosion animations so we can make explosions for different calibre rounds? The options are endless!).  The sphere of pixel particles is also hard coded, so we can't mess with that.

But the old system is prehistoric. 
Real time multiplayer really does not exist to 99.9% of the CM playerbase. It is such a hassle. And even then, I've played a game where my opponent claimed we were desynched. 
The challenge lobby idea is good, but I remember the system offering me absolutely no information about the game I was going to play in. I don't even remember an option for map preview. 
Having to log in EVERY single time you enter the pbem+ screen. Even if you dont close the program. 

It seems that some people judge this game as "useless" or similar and give up trying to figure out how to play it successfully when the only reason to why it doesn't work for them is that they're too lazy to even try enough. 
It's just like someone who says a book is bad or stupid only because they haven't given themselves the time enough to learn how to read before they expected the book to contain easily understandable pictures.

I was on mobile so I wasn't able to type a lot but now that I'm home I can delve a bit.
1. I pre-ordered armored brigade. When it shipped the game came with very few units. Like, less than CMCW on release. Which is straight up embarrassing for a 2D game. It came with very few, and very limited formations. The largest formation you can buy in Armored BRIGADE is a company. And they don't even come with a commander. For instance. You want a mechanized company. You will get 12 APCs, 4 per platoon (there are no platoons), loaded with infantry. All of these APC's are in 1 formation. So you have a blob of 12 units and the only way to distinguish between them is a Steel Panthers-esque menu at the bottom. Your troops will be named A1,A2, for A company and 1st APC. These will all be grunts with no HQ. When you buy the HQ it will be totally unrelated to your troops. The HQ and regular troops are next to each other in the buy menu set up like this:


I believe I am running a mod currently, more on that later, but the infantry page is pretty accurate for how sparse the unit selection is in this game. Also you can see how the HQ's are separate. That's nice when you're 12 I guess, but not when you understand tables of organization.... This is a "brigade" game.
Also, note the 6 categories spanning from left to right. They are: Recon, Infantry, Mechanized, Armored, Support, and Air. You are so very limited with this game.
2. No campaigns with base game release, no scenarios, no free content was added to make up for the pathetic amount given with the base game.
 
3. The UI is pretty tiny and horrible. Little tiny buttons so you can look at their retarded art in the background. Buttons spaced out all over the screen just for this tiny button aesthetic. So much of the screen goes unused. Reminds me of Steam going full children mode with their UI a couple years ago. Form ALWAYS follows function.
 
In regards to the UI:
When setting up a scenario, the tools are very basic. You're able to plot some objectives with some parameters which is neat, but the setup zones are locked to one edge of the map, and have limits on how far they can go.
Daddy Armored Brigade says you're doing it wrong.


4. Every game must be saved before you can exit. wtf? Did I buy an Apple product?
5. The combat:
easily the least satisfying part of the game. I legit have more fun exploring the magnificent maps they made. More on that later.
You can't tell who the hell is shooting who, people are dying way too fast, vehicles taking fire from obscure locations off screen etc. It's just a friggen mess. That's the best way to put it. Maybe if the game had a we-go feature then the combat could be useable. But in real time, good luck controlling anything more than a battalion. Even a company you lose track of, **** starts dying all over the place and you can't really tell what's going on. This isn't a skill issue or anything of the sort. The 2d design of the game, and the overly fast paced combat makes this game unplayable.
The spotting is borg-like. There really isn't much hiding you can do in this game. I can't really describe it too much because I obviously haven't played this game in some time. Tanks pretty much act like they have thermals, being able to instantly pick up tons of targets as if they were playing a 2d game as well.
I just remember troops getting pounded on from 100 directions at once once they opened fire. The game has a truly dog**** spotting/combat model.
6. the maps
the game did something right. It came with 4 totally massive maps. I forget how large but I think 15x15km each? One was desert and was meh. But the other 3 it was obvious there were many, many hours devoted to. They remind me of Altis from Arma 3, massive, built up, but still plenty of fields and greenery. One was Fulda and I forget the other. So it was nice terrain to fight on, and the developers absolutely did not skimp on the map design at all. I have considered porting some maps to CM, since it would actually be super easy.
Edit: maps are 60x60km*
7. The mods
they are the only thing that makes this game exist. Within the first few months, a full grozny city map was released, along with a sister map of a nearby region. Soon thereafter the unit mods came in. I haven't played in a long time, but last I did there was a ww2 mod (Which seemed of the highest quality), and there were some modern mods too, even expanding the game's timeline; which originally ended in 1989. The mods added new everything to the game. They just couldn't expand past the categories given in the buy menu.
Or whatever.
It's really poorly done, there's not much else to say. It just sucks. They took a simple concept (For a modern game) and made it horrible.
 
I could go on about small things, so if you're curious feel free to ask. This is the basic reason why I shelved Armored Brigade (I own the physical CD).
It just sucks

Creative use of a bridge? What ya think?
 

I've been away for a bit, but I recently started enjoying the Dutch campaign. I'm loving the CV9035s, makes me really wish for a Swedish faction for one of these games!
This is not a CV9035

I hope this succeeds, as Combat Mission's in a rut, and competition drives innovation. The 'heroic, yet doomed' vibe is strong here, even though Combat Mission is also programmed by one man. Charles may be exceptional, but also an example of why small dev teams aren't automatically doomed to fail (see Seven Years War and Grand Tactician). There's not much game there yet, but in what little we are shown I reckon this new game already has better graphics and camera controls than Combat Mission, addressing two of the most glaring weaknesses in the series. That's not going to dethrone the aging Combat Mission from the top of the sparsely populated tactical wargame genre on it's own, but it's a fair start, isn't it?
Oftentimes in this forum I see comments along the lines of 'we don't want to forfeit gameplay in the name of graphics' as if the two things cannot exist together. It's a slippery position to take, and I reckon done so in defense of Combat Mission, which looks old. I think you can have both. And while I also am one that prefers gameplay over graphics -- I play Combat Mission as proof -- there's no escaping the fact that CM looks twenty years old.
But even if we ignore graphics, Combat Mission has changed little in all that time. The AI isn't really AI, the editor is curmudgeonly, the camera and controls are clunky, the campaign system is too basic, the update and transaction processes are archaic and the way content is generated too trying. I don't want Combat Mission surpassed necessarily, after all I've been playing since the CMBO demo, I want it to kick in to gear, address the weakness, innovate and modernize.
A successful competitor is not automatically going to affect the course of Combat Mission. Steve and Charles have their vision, which they've done well with. They may want to stay the course. CM is a great game. I'm a fan. An increasingly disillusioned fan, but one nonetheless. There are things CM handles better than other games (spotting, ballistics, command and control). What I hope is that those core strengths can be married to modern conventions and conveniences and if an upstart competitor is the catalyst for this change that's a win for all of us.

I have watched a few videos of this game by the youtuber Tonci87 and he sure enjoys playing Mius Front. It seems that the orders you give to your troops are a bit more advanced than what we have in Combat Mission, which seems to be a problem for some people that expect something like Men of War or similar, but that is possibly making the game feel more correct.
I have often wondered why there's no option to order the troops to walk in single line or on a wide formation in CM. And in CM there's also no option to order the troops to move forward and to tell them where to run if they are being shot at. When playing wego that kind of option isn't necessary but it could be useful for those that play real time.
If my laptop can play this game I'll try it out and I am sure I'll have fun with it. From what I have seen from the videos by Tonci87 it seems Battlefront could learn a lot from Graviteam if they decide to make a new game engine.

Yes, I see what you mean. I had to put the ATGM's in foxholes to prevent them from dying during the test 😁. The things is - you can't be sure everyone is dead and it's safe to move when the fire mission is over. But you can be (reasonably) sure that anyone there is suppressed if you move during the fire mission.

@Free Whisky has just released this excellent video on the use of artillery, showing the results of his experimentation: 
Some great stuff, such as how many guns of given calibers are needed to achieve a rate of fire which will suppress a given distance, the distances from impact at which units will be "pinned", the effects of regular smoke versus WP (regular smoke is better at obscuration), and the effects of weather conditions on smoke (turns out only wind affects smoke in CM, rain does not), and the efficacy of general versus personnel fire missions on infantry in the open, woods, buildings, and fortifications.

I've been away for a bit, but I recently started enjoying the Dutch campaign. I'm loving the CV9035s, makes me really wish for a Swedish faction for one of these games!
This is not a CV9035

I've been away for a bit, but I recently started enjoying the Dutch campaign. I'm loving the CV9035s, makes me really wish for a Swedish faction for one of these games!
This is not a CV9035

Don't worry @Artkin I can do my way alone, that already very kind of you to take time to explain in details there are already lot of infos on the forum from differents members to take the appropriated infos that we need, I know also about @HerrTomhe made already good things specialy with explosions effects and have always a good result.
 
JM
 

I agree his explosions look spectacular. 

I said I'd make an illustrated guide, and I did!  Hopefully it helps some of those who were asking me about it  
Step Zero is to download the Reshade distribution at the bottom of the page here: https://reshade.me/
Steps 1 through 8 are in my guide here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1LG9Og33Re95sPx4KyKtk98DjyUyK-Qcn
And my preset is here https://drive.google.com/open?id=1dQ5zgLkyS5RRI559yJG929QFs2YqnRdb
Hopefully the archive works, I didn't really do extensive testing on it.

Since this thread was revived and I've done some more reading I've been thinking about Soviet doctrine in relation to Combat Mission and other games depicting the Cold War.
It seems like western doctrine is an extension of Prussian doctrine when muskets were still around. Find the enemy, engage or surround them and destroy them. The enemy then sues for peace. Advancements in doctrine and technology all facilitate this strategy. I think we can see it in depictions of war through videogames as well. Combat Mission, Steel Beasts, War Thunder etc are all set piece, decisive battles where skill and technology are used to defeat your opponent. 
The Germans used this strategy in WW2 with great effect, especially in France where the French army was surrounded and defeated decisively leading to France suing for peace. Then comes the invasion of Russia. Germany had the better training and technology, defeated their opponent decisively and... nothing, the war continued. Russia won but you couldn't attribute it to training, technology or decisive battles using the former. Their decisive battles were not on the Combat Mission map but on the strategic map. Their enemies were not tigers and stugs but logistics depot's and control centers. 
This long rant leads me back to the original question of this thread "Does Soviet Tactics Work in Combat Mission". Is it fair or realistic to depict these set piece attacks against dug in forces like the Soviet campaign? From my reading, the Soviets wouldn't care about losing these battles because for every regiment destroyed in battle there would be ten more and if even one snuck past the defenses they could cause chaos in the backline and force the entire defense to shift. 
Is it fair to compare the T-62 to the M-60 or the Bradley to the BMP? It happens a lot on these forums but are they really meant to go toe to toe with their counterpart? 
Are the reckless charges of entire regiments into prepared kill zones poor tactics or can we see it a different way? If an American regiment takes a couple hours to plan an execute an attack is that not just as stupid as a Soviet regiment that uses simple drills to attack from the march with little prior planning?
Figured I would write this rant to start some discussion. Also, I do not have any sympathies for the Soviet or current Russian government. Just a history nerd.

Nathan,
I created a lot of tutorial materials for games back in the day.  I don't think there is much of a chance in selling training videos.  Why?
* Niche market
* Outdated game
* People still regard knowledge via the Internet as free unless it has been produced by a real production company with qualified instructors
* CM never was mass market or held the global and historical stature of chess
* Bad economy
Chess is about the only game people will spend lots of money on learning, and even those who create and sell courses must be highly ranked and known.  So ...
* I would just focus on the pleasure of promoting your favorite game
or
* If it is money you want, then pick a mass market game like a few of the Paradox titles or TW titles.  Then, you should spend time learning about marketing and promotion via social media.  Also, how you can make money?  YouTube affiliate, sponsors, selling merchandise, being and influencer.
---
Back to CMx1.  I think there are 2 distinct learning curves.  Ground combat concepts and game UI and mechanics.  I think it might be best to do 30 minute episodes and split them at the 15 minute mark; so people could focus and what they want.  The first 15 minutes should cover what combat tactics or strategy is to be illustrated in todays episode.  Then, you break at the 15 minute mark (or you could do 10&20 minutes) and the remainder you illustrate via the game teaching the UI and control.
Lastly, I think your pitch regarding the fictional Miller and the real Winters misses the mark.  Both characters are memorable for who they were, and only in part due to their expertise.  I have forgotten Band of Brothers, but Miller has a nutty mission, is overqualified, and loses half of his men.  Both might be good characters for an RPG, but their personas are totally irrelevant with regards to CM proficiency or most war games.  And after making the pitch, you don't really plan to teach the psychology of team management and command.  Your pitch should align with your product or content.
---
No offense regarding my comments, but I thought you wanted critical feedback.  I don't regret not charging for any of my game materials I circulated.  I became a better player for it.  Teaching always forces your skills to improve; and that is worth your time especially if you MP, because you will have more fun.  First, you must break it down, and then put it back together so that it can be analyzed and improved.  So, I gained by giving away freely, and I had fun interacting with those who were interested.
Money and having fun are two different things.  There are plenty of cases of YouTuber's who enjoyed something like a game, but became a slave to it, and stopped enjoying it or worse went into a panic as the community moved on to the next hot title and new content producers.  Some really crashed and burned, others just felt burned out.  Read up on the case of Arumba, CK2 and EU4 and his history with Paradox.  Whenever, you listen career YouTubers, they live in constant anxiety about THE ALGORITHM and being demonitized.  Make the wrong observation about COVID or Ukraine, and you too will be history.
Good luck.

Yes, and I do know this because it's been my job 🙂       (I'm not trying to be snarky with that so I hope it doesn't come across that way).
However, I'd counter that with the fact that Chernobyl released an absolutely massive number of Curies of radioactive material, more than would be released by a tactical nuclear weapon. Remember that nuclear weapon explosions are air bursts which maximize the blast and immediate direct radiation radius, while minimizing fallout (minimizing being a relative term, of course). So the immediate downwind area is the most prone to significant fallout. Doesn't mean it won't be detected elsewhere, but it would be more localized than Chernobyl, and detectably elsewhere, unlikely to be in the range of any health worry.
Also, I'd point out that Western Europe did NOT get "Huge Doses of radiation"  The typical dose in Westerly European countries was about 1/3 of the average yearly background dose for individuals. In comparison that total is still half what someone living in Denver, CO receives for yearly background (the difference being entirely altitude). Even Chernobyl, while measurable all over Europe, was of great effect more in the immediate area. There, the dose rates and contamination were severe. Apart from the 28 first responders who needlessly died from acute radiation exposure (there was nothing they could do, so their deaths were pointless), and a couple hundred who recovered, by far the major issue has been a large increase in thyroid cancers in the immediate area. This is entirely due to uptake of I-131, a short lived fission product. This is the reason that KI tablets are issued in areas near nuclear reactors. Floods the thyroid with good iodine so the I-131 is biologically eliminated since it has no place to "dock". Fortunately, thyroid cancer is among the most treatable and survivable cancers. There are other issues but on a much smaller scale.
I haven't seen the HBO Chernobyl movie (don't have HBO), so I can't comment on its accuracy but I do know quite a bit about what happened and why it happened due to my work, and the continuing monitoring, cleanup and sarcophagus replacement.
Dave

In all of the Soviet warplans that we know of, NATO was the aggressor. They still all involve the Soviets rolling over Europe (so going on the offensive), but the stated cause was always external pressures.

Whether that's purely for political reasons is another question - to steal the Falklands as something easy to work with, I'm not sure the leadership would appreciate a scenario which ran: "owing to your mismanagement of economic policy, your rule has become unpopular, so you're looking for a quick win to shore up the credibility of your regime". 

Point being that regardless of the real reasons why Soviet forces could rumble through Europe, the end result would look pretty similar, I think.

The question is, how exactly is using nukes going to give Putin a win though? It's not like there are massed formations where a well placed tactical nuke or two could take out a large chunk of the Ukrainian military. Its hard to see how battlefield nukes could have a big military effect, unless used on such a scale that reprisals would be forthcoming.
And don't forget that this war isn't a game fought in isolation. The aim isn't to 'win' be beating the enemy, getting the game over screen, and going to get some lunch. The war was started by Russia in an attempt to achieve certain political aims. That's probably shifted somewhat since plan A (Ukraine turned into another Belarus) failed spectacularly. The there are still real-world aims that Russia is intending to achieve through the use of force, and the question is whether using nuclear weapons (along with all the chain of consequent side effects and reactions) enable Russia to achieve those aims, or at least get closer to them.
And again, its hard to see a scenario where Russia's aims are advanced by the use of nuclear weapons.
That's leaving aside the issue of stated Russian doctrine on the use of nuclear weapons, which also rules out there use in Ukraine, barring the long off and extremely unlikely event of Ukraine posing a threat to the existence of the Russian state.

Source: "NVA- Anspruch und Wirklichkeit", Klaus Neumann (Hrsg), Verlag Mittler & Sohn, 1996

The following is taken from a write up I am currently working on for my blog. I figured I would post "episodes" here for some interaction before consolidating it all into one post for the blog. It comes from a playtest I did recently on a community made scenario. The small fight that occurred in the beginning of the battle was too good not to share, and is also a great opportunity to talk a bit about the Soviet Forward Security Element (FSE). I also wanted to provide everyone with a change of pace. The Black Sea forum is soaking up most of the attention around here these days, and I figured a break from that might be appreciated. So without further ado:
Visualized in Combat Mission: Killing an FSE
A Tactical Vignette

The Soviet Forward Security Element (FSE) is one of the most common task organized formations encountered by NATO forces. For the Soviets it is an important tool that helps fix an enemy defender in place and shape the battlefield to allow for a successful attack. For NATO it is the first significant Soviet tactical combat formation encountered and a harbinger for a larger dedicated attack by a motor rifle battalion (MRB). The stakes presented to both sides by the FSE are high for both sides. Initial success in a tactical engagement largely comes down to the success or failure of the FSE.
This vignette features some excellent US Army vehicle reskins, done by S-Tank on the CM Discord. He recolored and upscaled the resolution on every US vehicle in the game, and they look fantastic. They can be downloaded here, or for those of you in the CM Discord, a download link and preview image can be found the mod repository text channel.
Forward Security Element
The Forward Security Element (FSE) is a Soviet task organized formation that is approximately Company sized. It is also known as the Advance Party or Vanguard. It generally consists of a company of motor rifle troops (mounted in either BTRs or BMPs) and a platoon of tanks. The tank platoon is often made up of four tanks instead of the better known three tank platoon organization the Soviets use, because in motor rifle regiments the tank units tended to be plussed up. There is usually at least a battery of field artillery on call for the FSE to call upon and may also have mortar sections/batteries in support as well. The FSE is a fluid formation that can have additional attachments delegated to it, such as engineering units/equipment, air defense artillery, forward observers, and reconnaissance units. Generally speaking, the Soviet FSE is similar in composition to a US Company Team.

(This image doesn't agree with the forum software, so I recommend viewing it in full size in another tab. Apologies for that, a graphic artist I am not)
The primary role of the FSE is to make contact with the enemy and either destroy it if it is of a smaller size than the FSE or fix it in place to give the rest of the battalion time to deploy and attack through the enemy.
To better understand the role of the FSE, one must understand how it fits into the larger Soviet warfighting machine. In simple terms, Soviet tactical formations are like a conveyor belt. Way out in front are the regimental reconnaissance assets, but their primary role is not combat. They are there to make sure what is on the map exists in reality and other non-combat related tasks. The smallest formation is the Combat Reconnaissance Patrol (CRP) which job is to find the enemy. A tripwire if you will. The CRP is followed by the FSE, whose job is to put pressure on the enemy by engaging and destroying him or at least fixing him in place with direct fires. The FSE is followed by the MRB (also known as the Advance Guard) which has the weight in numbers and support to conduct a deliberate attack and keep momentum going. Following the MRB is the rest of the Motor Rifle Regiment (MRR), and behind one MRR is another MRR, etc.
Apologies for the resolution on this, it is a scanned and stitched together image:

There are a lot of good resources out there to learn more about the FSE and how it fits into the Soviet way of war on the tactical level. This video does a nice job of breaking it all down, as does this simple yet informative writeup. Other resources worth checking out are TRADOC Pamphlet 350-16 Heavy Opposing Force, and the Cold War Gamer’s excellent blog. Just a heads up, many of the links on the Cold War Gamer’s blog are no longer active, and I think the owner is no longer keeping up with his blog.
A German Town—A Fighting Withdrawal
For this vignette I am going to be focusing in on a small combat action that occurs during a larger scenario. To help understand why the combat action plays out, I will provide some context.
This fight was the result of me play testing a scenario made by Cousin Hubert (Bartimeus on the CM forums). This scenario is the first of a series he is working on at the time of this writing for a mini campaign. Hubert makes fantastic maps, scenarios, and campaigns, all because he wants to add to the CM community and provide us with quality content. His map making skills alone make him a massive benefit to the community. Anyone familiar with how tedious and frustrating the CM map editor can be will have an even greater appreciation for his work. His AI plans are also very well done too.
He is the creator of two campaigns for Shock Force 2, which can be downloaded here and here. He has also produced some fantastic large maps for Cold War, which can be found here. We are very fortunate to have amazing contributors such as Hubert!
Situation
On the 8th of April the Soviet Union launched a surprise attack on West Germany. Caught by surprise, NATO’s front line has collapsed, and friendly forces are now in full retreat. Communications with higher headquarters is severely deteriorated by enemy jamming and artillery fire, but they were able to inform us that a Soviet formation is headed our way and to pull out when able.
Mission
Fox Company must hold the town until intelligence and logistics personnel have finished loading M35 trucks with gear and sensitive equipment. These trucks are located at the fire station and industrial park and should be loaded and ready to go in approximately 40-50 minutes. Then the entire force must be withdrawn from the battlefield. Fox Company must withdraw as much of its combat power as possible and remain combat effective, as it will likely have to fight its way back to friendly lines. There are two egress routes on either side of the river to the rear of the town.

Enemy
An entire Soviet motor rifle battalion and all its supporting assets can be expected to attack us.
Troops
I am in command of a heavy combined arms company team, Fox Company. It consists of two tank platoons equipped with M60A2 Starships (the second platoon of tanks is due to arrive in approximately 5 minutes), and two mechanized infantry platoons mounted in M113A1s. In addition, I have a few support assets on hand, such as a self-propelled mortar platoon (three M125 mortar carriers, which provides all of my indirect fire support for this fight), two heavy machine gun teams (dismounted .50 caliber machine guns), two M150 ATGM carriers, three M48 Chaparral SAM tracks, and 8 M35 supply trucks. The company headquarters (CPT Duvauchel) along with the company FSO is present.
Terrain
A small town on a riverbank rests at the southern border of the map. There is single road bridge in the town that crosses the river, though there is also a railroad bridge and a dam that cross the river as well. North of the town are some plowed fields, a farm, a small inn, and light forests. A single MSR runs from North to South into the town down the middle of the map, and a railroad parallels the MSR on the West side of the map. The terrain elevation undulates slightly with approximately +/- 20m of change.
The weather is less than ideal. It is misty out, which reduces visibility. It is early morning and thus low light, further hindering visibility. The ground is damp, which increases the chance of vehicles bogging and becoming immobilized. There is a medium strength breeze blowing from the North.
Of note for this vignette, there is a small raised and wooded area just North of the town along the Western map edge. It is a forward position with good concealment and good sightlines (given the conditions) overlooking the terrain the Soviets are likely to attack across to get to the town. To its immediate South is a gentle decline that provides a covered route for friendly forces to fall back into the town. It is the ideal location to get early warning on Soviet movements and to conduct a delaying action. This is where our combat action will take place.



The Plan
The larger plan is to use the tanks and infantry to defend the town long enough for the M35s to be fully loaded, then to have everyone collapse back to the rear and take the Southern most exit point and leave the field. The infantry are dug into the buildings, tanks and M150s are in keyhole positions, and the mortars and Chaparrals are in the rear, standing by.
2nd platoon led by 2LT Tassin is occupying the forward position. Their task is simple: disrupt the enemy and fall back. The Soviets must conduct a movement to contact. They know we are in the town, but they do not know the specific layout of our defense. The opening phase of this battle will have the Soviets attempting to shape the battlefield in their favor. This simply means they want to discover where my defenses are while also establishing advantageous positions for themselves that support the attack going in. By disrupting the Soviets ability to shape the battlefield in their favor, I make my overall defense easier and I buy precious time for the supply trucks to load up and get out.
To accomplish this, 2nd platoon will occupy the forward position and lay low. This will allow them to ambush the Soviets if the Soviets bypass the forward position (Engagement Area Primary) or deny the Soviets the forward position while attritting the enemy at the same time (Engagement Area Secondary). If either of these engagements are successful it will hurt the Soviets early, giving me a crucial advantage and a nice time cushion.

The men of 2nd platoon are dug in. They have foxholes (as well as a handful of dummy positions) just inside the tree line along the Southeastern edge of the woods. They are equipped with the infamous (for its questionable reliability) Dragon ATGM, the venerable M72A3 LAW (Light Anti-Tank Weapon) M60 GPMGs, M16s and hand grenades. The platoons 4 M113s are waiting along the Southern tree line, ready to mount up the infantry for a mad dash back to friendly lines after engaging the enemy.
2nd platoons’ initial positions:

The men of 2nd platoon occupying their fighting positions. The men are keeping low (‘Hiding’ in CM parlance) to keep from being seen:

Instead of being dug in near the tree line facing North, 3rd squad is further back in the woods. They have taken up position in a ditch along a dirt road and are covering an opening in the forest. If the Soviets decide to attack these woods and take the position (which I anticipate) this small opening is an ideal killing ground:

The M113’s, ready to mount up and haul ass:

One engagement. Let the Soviets stumble into our positions, knock off as many as we can in the initial engagement, then break contact and fall back.
Up next is the fight itself!

My list:
Little things:
1) Follow road command
2)  Adjust fire mission length not just location.
3)  Better survival skills for routed troops (i.e. hide more, run less)
4)  SOP type order for what to do at first contact with enemy (important for turn based play).
5)  Ability to decompile campaign core unit and briefing file.  Important for being able to modify campaigns.
 
Bigger things:
1) Combat medics.  Dealing with wounded is not "optional".  An aidman is assigned to every platoon.  Also, the killed to wounded ratio needs to be tweaked.  The ratio seems way off.  Lastly, there should be incentive to try and save wounded in the points calculation.
2)  Be able to split squads in vehicles.
3)  Be able to use aquire command as part of order string, i.e. run to vehicle, aquire Javelin, come back.
4)  Shading to show what terrain a unit can currently see.  I.e. light areas would be potentially visible to Unit.  Would make it a lot easier than using the FIre command tool.
5)  Some sort of news feed to let you know when important stuff happens. For instance you might get a message that says "Stryker destroyed".  If you click on message it would take you to the right place on the map.  Would be extremely useful in large scenarios.
6)  Be able to see path that AI will take when clicking on end point.  
7)  Some sort of way to let the AI headquarters take over part of command.  Would involve accessing part of the AI plan for the scenario editor for a particular formation.
 

Thanks! I'm looking forward to it! Didn't mean to come across as aggressive by the way. You guys rock!