aka_tom_w

Perhaps I am just another overly demanding video game player(enthusiast) with NO experience or idea about how to design or code video games..... BUT Back in 1998 (7 years ago) Bungie released Myth (it was NOT a first person shooter) and it had full movie replay. AND IT WORKED! SURE it did not have tanks, only individual sword swingers and archers and such but it was a GREAT game (for an RTS title) with FULL MOVIE play back in a delightfully realistic full-blown 3D environment akin to the CMxx series. That game engine should be dissected, studied and retro-engineered thoroughly and completely! I know I know, I don't have a clue about how to make video games, but the Myth series was ground breaking at the time (7 yrs ago) for its stunning graphics and 3D environment if I recall correctly. Given that Bungie offered full motion movie replay (from any angle or viewpoint) 7 years ago and that CMx2 will be in development for at least 18 months, (more than that I would guess), there might be an expectation among many gaming enthusiasts here, that a full movie replay would be a WONDERFUL (if not overdue ) feature to include in CMx2. hint hint -tom w [ January 15, 2005, 08:01 AM: Message edited by: aka_tom_w ]

I think you can safely assume EVERYBODY wants the VERY best and MOST realistic Relative Spotting paradigm/solution/code/feature/design that you can possibly make workable and fun in within the context of a consumer level military simulation. OK so hand up .... "Who here does NOT want to see Borg Spotting (AKA Absolute Spotting) reduced or eliminated until is it is NOT such a gamey factor in the game play that it allows every friendly unit to see and KNOW exactly everything about the enemy force compostion and location that any single, lone, isolated (out of C & C) friendly unit knows? (that is a pretty standard definition of Borg Spotting I think generally agreed upon by most, yes?) your comments? anyone? -tom w

Oh YES! this is the single biggest factor and question mark for me too!!! And what of the discussion around ideas from players that might be helpful in the new CMx2 engine.... please oh please tell us more about how you plan to eliminate the borg spotting and introduce some form of relative spotting (WITH memory for units so the AI remembers what it has seen!!! Holy cow that sounds ground breaking and revolutionary for a consumer war game simulation in an of itself irrespective of full movie play back or all the other new (possible) features!!!) thanks for the comments Steve! -tom w

I played it as the Allies against the Axis AI It was FUN A shoot out like the good old CMBO days It would have been FAR more Challengeing against a good Human opponent but I enjoyed playing FAST against the AI and there was no waste time waiting for moves. I played it out in about 60 -70 minutes last night I won with a %68 win rating ALL the Axis vehicles were destroyed and I held all the flags and the Axis AI was forced to surrender I lost lots Hellcats though I only had 5 hellcats and 1 greyhound left fully functional at the end. For my money that was ONE FUN scenario It was the MOST fun I have had playing CMAK It sort of reminded me of the fun you could have with the CMBO demo scenario's. (it was bigger in scope YES but it was fun. The AI did not really provide any form of tactical challenge BUT the Panthers seemed HARDER to kill than in CMBO. I was thinking that the Hellcat might KO some Panthers with frontal shots and that NOT all kills would have to come from the rear or flanks. BUT it appeared that the Hellcats had to get dangerously close (I think less then 500- 600 m is that right?) to score a K-Kill from the frontal aspect. I had sort of forgotten about this part a had a few too many Hellcats killed while engaging in frontal to frontal tank duals while hull down at any range over about 600- 700m. I think at some point I would like to try it again with a shrewd human opponent. Good FUN Scenario You should try it (I would guess that you could EASILY win this scenario with EITHER side if you played the AI because you need to be smart to win if you are playing this one. Either the Axis or the Allies against the AI should let any half decent player win because the tactics needed for victory in these conditions aginst the AI are not known to, or unavailable to the AI for this scenario. (As you might expect in these condtions IMHO)) BUT that is not a bad thing Its STILL FUN TO WIN. he he -tom w [ January 13, 2005, 07:26 AM: Message edited by: aka_tom_w ]

Trading the German Half tracks for gamey 37 mm Flack Death Mobiles would bring a WHOLE new Level of "gameyness" to this already GAMEY (but FUN) scenario. (is the Allied (USA( Quad .50 cal) Halftrack available in this game? (CMAK? ) if so I want to tradea couple of Grey hounds for the the Quad .50 cal HT's because they are FUN!! yeah but....... it is ready yet? -tom w Obviously I meant a hedgehog formation. Considering the Hellcat's far superior mobility, I believe that the Panthers will get flanked far worse if they attempt mobile defense. I suggest the Germans trade the halftracks for 37mm flaks. Those will annihilate the kitties. </font>

has it been posted/released it yet? -tom w

Will they ship to canada? (YES) They ship internationally and they are currently out of stock on that War Movies item. Has anyone from outside the USA had these DVD's shipped to them? -tom w [ January 11, 2005, 01:00 PM: Message edited by: aka_tom_w ]

I am hoping there will be something FAR more ingenious and "satisfactory" than simply "invisible flags" to make this happen. We are talking about CMx2 here, and seeing as it is a WHOLE new engine written from the ground up and keeping in mind that, as has been mentioned, units will have "memory" of past events (yes no? is that a done deal?) within the framework of a single game, I am truly hoping that some form of SOP orders can be issued to specific units. I am confident that the good and kind folks at BFC (some of them actually being scenario designers them selves) WILL see to it that the defender's options for setting up a scenario and designing a scenario will give the AI in the ALL the oppotunities and advantages possible by allowing as much latitude as technically possible in the programing of the units and "terrain" with SOP's of the mission or scenario, so that a wise and shrewd scenario designer will have ALL the tools/options needed to "HINT" the AI in the direction or "mindset" (if possible) intended by the designer of the scenario. I am thinking here specifically of those defend scenarios BUT all the same tools could be employed for a GREAT attack or assault scenario as well. I am guessing that the NEW engine will have something FAR superior to invisible flags to let scenario designers invest LOTS of time and energy into creating GREAT and wonderful challenging scenarios that will let the AI in the game live up to its FULL potential when is it appropriately "hinted" or programed (units with SOPS to recon or defend or hold at all costs or RUN and retreat at the first shot, off the top of my head) by the scenario designer. Maybe I have my hopes up way TOO high BUT I know they have said they like to make games that THEY actually like to play and if programing units with SOP orders so as to enable the FULL potential of the AI is something they think they (the Designers Steve and Charles et. al.) would like to play with then I hope we can look forward to something truly Revolutionary, ground breaking and innovative! Let's see what they come up with a year from how.... -tom w That would be a big help for the AI. Instead of getting up (leaving a perfectly good defensive or tactical position) and walking around, they could stay put and guard their assigned area (without the visible give-away flag to blow their cover). Ken </font>

this is STILL a GREAT IDEA and I hope we see something like it in CMx2...... "Hoolaman Member Member # 12153 posted November 28, 2004 05:36 PM ------------------------------------------------------------------------ It would be good if scenario designers could use SOPs, designate areas of advance and lay out a few different options for the AI to produce more realistic behaviour before the AI calculations even come into it. It is possible to prod and coax the AI to attack through sensible routes now by making trails of flags or using no flags or putting reinforcements in strange unexpected places. If this could be factored in to the game properly through the behaviour of AI, the work would be half done. If you think about how a human plans an attack, firstly they will identify where the enemy will be likely to deploy. Then they will split their forces to advance through planned routes, to deal with the areas that he hopes the enemy might be in. If they see enemy units, they will try to assign them to a likely formation, and note that formation on the map. If the AI responds to all these factors, and identifies enemy units as "blocks" just like a human, then that might help simplify tactics."

bump I wanted to re-read this thread in light of the latest CMx2 AI "hope its BETTER" thread. -tom w

OK Greyhounds and Hellcats THE PERFECT Gamey combo for the Allies! he he he (ANY good Allied player should be able to beat the AI with this deadly combination this scenario) Against a GOOD Panther Tank Jockey the scenario would be challenging I would guess.. BUT I LOVE the Hellcat! 40 to 18 ODDS that GOOD for the Hellcats (better than 2 to 1) I suspect I could win this one with the Hellcats I just wish I had more time to play. (I think the poor Kitty's would be out numbered ( + 2 to 1) and not have much of a chance to win to be honest) How many flags? any infantry? Air craft? Arty? what year is it set in? it sounds fun and interesting -tom w [ January 10, 2005, 12:32 PM: Message edited by: aka_tom_w ]

yes thanks That was it! I did think I read somewhere on the board here a long time ago that somebody "official" at BFC commented that the CMx2 game engine would be a comparable quality to those images shown at that preview site for Wartime Command... They do look nice and It SURE would be GREAT to play a nice looking BFC game with GREAT game play and historical realism that will provide a tactical and strategic challenge AND look provide those kinds of stunning visual and that level of graphic detail at the same time! I'm sure Steve and the gang realize we are ALL looking forward to such a joy! thanks! -tom w May be is it Wartime command battle for Europe 1939-45 by Codemasters ? preview summer 2005. www.codemasters.de/wartimecommand/ </font>

OK then! That sounds Great Thanks for the update and all the news especially this part: "the new graphics capabilities of CMx2 is on par, if not superior to, anything you guys have played thus far or are likely to in the next year. It's amazing what can be done with a fresh slate, radically more powerful hardware, and years of experience " -tom w

For Some Reason the P51 Mustang comes to mind... Or the Corsair Was there not ONE decisive Allied WWII fighter that was supposed to have turned the tide? What about the B17, produce in LARGE numbers yes? I am not sure of the "exact" meaning and nature of the question? -tom w

Um OK That is all well and good and it is GREAT to hear from Steve ...... BUT no one seems to be interested in confirming (or denying) the Dec 31 2005 "deadline" for the expected release of the first CMx2 game. (the First of many we are told ) So can we expect a release by the end of this year? Maybe this is not really an important question, because it would seem that it was only a little while ago that Moon said they would have 'something" ready to ship by the END of 2005, and no one has contradicted that since then. I can wait a year for the NEXT BIG THING AND it Better be BIG! I am VERY sorry to post this and YES my expectations may be way too high BUT over the Christmas Vacation I set up an OLD OS 9 Mac Desktop and played a few games of CMAK for fun, .... BUT I also witnessed more than a few New (current) video games on the Play Station and the X-Box and I was BLOWN away by the graphic Detail. NOW, don't you all freak out on me for this "not so fair" comparision BUT I looked at CMAK and I looked at Crimson Skies and I was in complete AWE! As much fun as CMAK is and as GREAT a tactical challenge as it does (without question) provide I was totally seduced by the "eye candy" beauty and detail of Crimson Skies and some other car race game that came with the X-Box in a game 2 pack. I was not even interested in playing I just sat there watching my 14 year nephew play Crimson Skies and I was STUNNED by the detail and beauty of the graphics. NOW, I guess I assume, all X-Box and Play Station games are this lovely, and yes I understand CMx2 cannot really aspire to these lofty heights of graphic detail or beauty, BUT I am REALLY REALLY hoping that after this long a wait (18 months?) we willl in fact have some thing VERY visually STUNNING to look at!! NOW I have NO doubt the good folks at BFC will NEVER compromise GREAT game play for good graphics so I am not suggesting that I am concerned in any way that the game play we have come to expect will be lacking in CMx2 BUT I sure do hope visiuals and the graphic presentation WILL ALSO be cutting edge and state of the ART, (EVEN a year from now when this thing FINALLY gets released!) JUST about EVERY other computer game out there, any type on ANY platform that has be been released in the last 6-12 months has GREAT Graphics! in fact they ALMOST ALL have STUNNING graphics! YES I know ALMOST all of them are CRAP and they are lousy and NOT fun to play if you are a wargamer and looking for a tactical challenge, NO doubt about that. BUT They sure ARE pretty! AND yes I mean ALL of them, JUST about any game you can think of looks more visually attractive and "current" then CMBO CMBB or CMAK's dated graphics. I am however hopeful because there has been a post on this board somewhere with a VERY favourable comparision between what CMx2 "should" look like and a game current in production that has released a few preliminary screen shots that did look VERY pretty. I am thinking of screen shot of a European town and a stone a rock bridge over VERY nice looking water in a River below in from a competitors game currently in production I think. Can anyone remind me of the post or the reference or link to that game, which I cannot remember the tittle off? thanks All the Best -tom w

Off the top of My head my first reaction was the German 88 mm round. I can't think of any better AT round than the German 88 mm for all around accuracy AND Penetration. (But According to some folks around here maybe all that 88 mm Accuracy and Penetration "hype" was just folklore and Legend so who knows!) BUT that is JUST my own opinion, I am sure there are plenty more WWII AT Penetration Grogs that KNOW way more about penetration than myself! -tom w

who makes it? Which manufacturer is the one with the BB firing gun? VERY cool!! That is a GREAT Christmas present! Have you shot at the cat yet?? (he he he) (ok, OK you animal lovers I was JUST joking) -tom w

Maybe we should start a new thread with a 365 day count down to CMX2 Maybe that is NOT in keeping with the "we will only release it when it is ready" motto but there have been a commitment to have it ready by Dec 31 2005 so the clock is ticking and they have 365 days left if they are serious about the Dec 31 2005 deadline..... NOW the real question is : "Are they REALLY serious about the Dec 31 2005 deadline?" So? Are they interested in meeting that deadline or not? Any comments? -tom w

I could be wrong on this...... BUT I think Moon said we could quote him when he said it would be ready by the END Of 2005! I suspect we are looking for a release date around sometime in Dec 2005. NOW I could be wrong on this, and I know they always say they will only release it when its finished.... BUT.... There has been a public commitment (I think, someone please correct me if I am wrong) to get it DONE by Dec 31 2005. I suspect that you could realistically look forward to actually playing the game sometime in Jan - Feb 2006 NOW.... I have NO insider information of ANY kind. ONLY what I think I believe I have read some where here that Moon (Martin: Head Honcho Bean Counter Admin Type Guy) said you can count on one thing: "IT WILL be done by the END of 2005" Did he not say that on the forum here sometime ago? (or I am just as dilussional as the next guy around here??) -tom w

um ok you got me is that a REAL tactic that would work in the game or nothing more than a Joke? (its sort of sounds like a joke to me BUT then again it just might work BUT I don't think the game can handle that kind of "fidelity" "big dust screen obscurs tanks" SO it must be a joke) so has anyone done this?? interesting -tom w

UM this is the list: Movies include: Go For Broke, Van Johnson; Gung Ho, Randolph Scott; War Head, David Janssen; The Devil's Cavaliers, Frank Lattimore; Escape from Angola, Stan Brock; The Mark of the Hawk, Sidney Poitier; The Proud and the Damned, Chuck Connors; Yellowneck, Lin McCarthy; Three Came Home, Claudette Colbert; The Torch, Paulette Goddard; Hell in Normandy, Peter Lee Lawrence; The Adventures of Tartu, Robert Donat; Captain Scarlett, Richard Greene; The Last Chance, Ewart G. Morrison; The Bushwackers, John Ireland; This Is the Army, Ronald Reagan; Kansas Pacific, Sterling Hayden; The Avenger, Steve Reeves; Blood on the Sun, James Cagney; Flying Blind, Richard Arlen; Eagle in a Cage, Sir John Gielgud; The Big Lift, Montgomery Clift; Appointment in Tokyo; The Battle of Britain; The Memphis Belle; Divide and Conquer; The Battle of China; The Battle of Russia; Desert Victory; The Great Battle of the Volga; Prelude to War; The Nazis Strike; Attack in the Pacific; Attack! The Battle for New Britain; After Mein Kampf; Nuremberg Trials; The Secret Life of Adolf Hitler; Combat America; December 7, 1941; Payoff in the Pacific; True Glory; Tunisian Victory; The KGB Connections; Report from the Aleutians; The Stilwell Road; Submarine Warfare; Thunderbolt; To the Shores of Iwo Jima; Marines at Tarawa-Return to Guam; The Battle of San Pietro; I LIKE war movies and my personal collection has GREAT war movies in it like Full Metal Jacket, A Bridge too Far, SPR, Kelly's Heroes (of course) Apocolypse Now (AND Redux) Platoon, Black Hawk Down and many more BUT I don't know or recognize ANY of those 50 war movies as any movie I would pay $25.00 for ? are there ANY good or really high quality WAR movies in there? really? just curious -tom w

Other folks here have suggested some good links to check out. you should do that. BUT try to remember that turns are ONLY one Minute long... ONLY ONE minute. (60 secs) I could be wrong about this but I ALWAYS figured it takes at least ONE FULL minute to get a bunch of men to all do the same thing, such as ALL get off the bus or ALL get on the bus. Within a ONE minute time frame I figure the ONLY thing you can do is Mount or Unmount troops to or from transport and that seems pretty realistic to me. -tom w

Thats sounds good I agree with Kip -tom w

YES I agree with this completely I dream of a game where two players could set up a scenario and an attack and defense plan, with SOP's and flags and hints and zones of control and possible paths of advance and THEN let the game play out minute by minute and JUST WATCH the Game. (AI vs AI) HEY for CMX2 maybe the game could play out AI vs AI (over time) and then RENDER a Movie (FULL blown movie replay) and the you sit back and watch the WHOLE movie. The Basic Concept here is that the player ,in this OPTIONAL way of ENTERTAINING your self, is completely HANDS OFF. Two players agree to set up a scenario where each player plays one role (say attacker and defender) once the scenario is designed (each side deployed set-up and give orders and SOPs INDEPENDENT of the outher side) then the Game Resolves every minute of the battle without any player intervention and you JUST SIT BACK AND watch those poor little units do the best they can with the orders you have given them.... (its JUST an idea BUT I think it would be REALLY entertaining to watch.....) -tom w

OK! Now I am curious. (or he is just teasing us) :confused: let me guess, as a result of the recent plethora of "I want this in CMX2" threads/posts he was actually being sarcastic..... -tom w