George MC

So ya use dubious tactics (charging HTs up into .50cal fire - you read how effective .50cal was/is?) then spit the dummy and blame the game? MG34 and MG42 did have AP ammo maybe not as effective as the .50 cal but still enough to take out the very lightly armoured US HTs. HTs pretty much are really only battlefield taxis - follow the tanks cross country,get the dismounts to where you want em then dismount em where they fight as infantry. HTs are useful for follow on support in mopping up but I'd be keeping em waaay back until such time as I know the enemy's AT capability is pretty screwed. But charging em forward like Tiger tanks is not the most effective way to use. Fun for your opponent for sure...

Here! Here Mord This CMX1 whining does ma feckin head in! I've spent a heap of time playing CMBB and designing scenarios for the same - nearly ten years in fact. It is/was a great game but CMX2 is a very worthy successor. Yeah I'm biased but hey I wouldna spend all my time on a game that did not deliver - CMX2 families of games (CMSF and CMBN) so far have done that - in spades, nay digger bucket fulls! But at the end of the day if CMX2 is not someone's thing - well they can still keep playing CMBO/CMBB/CMAK or try ToW or PCO - we've got such a huge variety of choice. Now in wargaming that is a good thing.

I'd posted a link to this over at the Orlovka thread in the scenarios section but thought it would give folks something to gaze at whilst they steel themselves for their next CMBN onslaught. The scenario is going Ost Front (just wanted to see what it would look like!). I'm still working the AI Plans and some final map detailing (the map itself is 3.5km x 3.2km) so it's proving a challenge Getting there though. Bollox - the link:

Using my navigation approach of verifying where you are by comparing four bits of info and making most of the contour/terrain info. Doing that the main piece of info that does not tie is the lie of the ground. If you like rear centre in the modern shot there is slight rise in the ground before it drops down, the slightl swells again. The shape is like shallow wave. Look at the WWII shot and terrain is flatter but is also rise up impercetibly to the hedgerow. So nope I would say they are not the same field.

Yeah an autosave would be useful - especially when in the scenario editor. Still I've developed the habit of saving often - especially when creating scenarios and when playing large ones. Very easy to exit the game (especially if in a hurry i.e. late for work!) and forget to save...

Hi Mord Just installed this bad boy Man some seriously great work there bud Excellent!

Not a screenshot but a wee video showing some of the action from a scenario I am working on. http://youtu.be/FJW2ot3QXOk

http://youtu.be/FJW2ot3QXOk Video link showing some of the action these screenies were taken from.

Good skills mate - spot in with your general plan. FYI German AI has three varied plans

It's on 'The List' - BFC had said they are keen but I can't say for sure when triggers will find their way into CMX2. Fingers crossed for sooner rather than latter. You are right it would add another layer of complexity and variation both in playing and scenario designing

Jings! I go away for a few days... Cheers for all the comments guys - really interesting to see how differant people play this. I'll respond to some of the main point raised. There are three differant AI Plans in this one - for both sides. For the US if I recall they attack down several differant centre lines, two of which are variations on a theme, one of which is a wide ball. The main difficulty I had with the attack AI Plans is co-ordinating stuff. Still it sort of works although one of my main gripes with the AI is it's propensity to keep coming on to it's death. Until we get triggers I think this is a game engine limitattion scenario designers just have to be aware of and work around. FWIW for the wide ball attack - if the German player is slow of the mark the US force can become a real issue as it then has space to fan out. If the german player (as you guys all seem to be) is quick of the mark or IDs this wide ball plan then you can catch the attcking force in a bottleneck. Badaboom - big badaboom. When I put this together I had thought of three main phases - recon/counter recon; advance to contact; close range fight for the objectives (with some surprises thrown in). So I'm pleased to see and hear that is how it generally pans out. I'm working on a large map with larger forces with the intent to create a multi layer scenario (recce; manouver; attack including long range tank duelling, PAK fronts and close range infantry fighting all at reduced battalion level). Anyways thanks for all the feedback - really appreciate it - andkeep your comment coming I'm enjoying reading em thanks

Hi Harry Long time no speak Doing well mate - hope life good with you? I'm still working on it. At the moment I'm just working out the AI Plans, then have to fine tune em. Re setting I think I'll keep it fictional and east. Along the lines of enemy units break through, armoured group sent to seal the breach. Still I'll check out your suggestion Harry and see what I can make work. @FRankster65 - I've got some shot - no real structure to em but I'll post what I have latter today.

Not correct bud The scenario designer can give the AI differant set-up options. Jts depends if the scenario designer has done that. If you wnat to see how that is done you can check out Busting The Bocage and play it in scenario author mode - you should see the AI set-up in differant ways. If I recall Busting The Bocage has three differant AI Plans for both sides. Or check out Huzzar - that has three differant US AI set-ups and attack plans. Could be the scenarios you have played the desinger for their reasons has not varied the set-up only how the AI reacts?

Just started reading it - looks very well researched

http://www.battlefront.com/community/showthread.php?t=97932 Sounds like it could be fun

Yup - if ya download Busting The Bocage from the repository you'll see an Easy company - small typo that slipped in at the last minute.

Well thank you sir! Glad you had such a memorable time with it. Yup the map took a while - one reason why Huzzar was an extended version of this map (with several modifications) as the creation of these maps in Normandy is very time consuming - all these bloody hedges! Plus the AI Plans took a while to nail down. I've played it myself (although not finsihed as our PBEM was broke during a chnage in an early beta) but yeah I feel your pain (I was the US playing against ASL veteran's Germans). Cheers to the others for the kind words Cheers fur noo George

Yup t'was me - is this a good thing or a bad thing

That's Ctrl alt del /D to toggle that feature on

I've just played through Shermans firing at Panthers and several shots went winging of the turret of the Panther. Also PzIVs engaging Shermans at around 800 - 900m - again several shots bounced of the Shermans turret - tohers penetrated. In some of the in-game scenarios at close range the chances of a hit doing damage are greatly increased. FYI there are several threads that debate this whole issue in great detail - worth trawling through. You might have to hunt but within there are lot's of interesting wee side roads and facts. http://www.battlefront.com/community/showthread.php?t=97176 http://www.battlefront.com/community/showthread.php?t=96518&highlight=armour http://www.battlefront.com/community/showthread.php?t=97353&highlight=armour

Sherman holed up amongst houses in Orlovka shooting Panthers and about to KO the PzIV in the previous screenshot.

Burning Panthers and a PZIV trying to spot where the Shermans are...

Cheers guys - just working on the 'Soviet' set-up Yeah your right Kip - I was playing about with the Panthers and had em taken out by side shots at 1000m! Never even knew what hit em... First Panther is nailed by long range Sherman fire.

I'm wading through my guys corpses in my PBEM with Sergei...

Totally agree bud - I'm still adjusting to WWII in CMBN. Odd as I've played CMSF since the very beginning but in some way I just accepted how stuff worked out. Now in WWII I'm really seeing just how differant it is in CMBN compared to my CMX1 experience. I'm loving it! At the moment I'm having a ball just playing the game