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Gromit

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Posts posted by Gromit

    Wondering about buildings in CM Normandy

    in Combat Mission Shock Force 1

    Posted

    Yeah, now I am kind of wondering if these smaller blocks will allow for impact tracing of larger rounds followed by decals or "damaged" replacement blocks. Once a certain threshold is reached there is an increased chance of partial or full collapse. Hit points more or less?

    Really looking forward to an ever-expanding "hey guys, in module 2 we are releasing 10 new building textures for your enjoyment" :eek::D

    Suhwheeet!

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    CM: Normandy Synopsis & Posts

    in Combat Mission Shock Force 1

    Posted

    So, this is it... say goodbye to:

    the agonizing analysis

    the brazen blowhards

    the craptastic comments

    the dibilitating discussions

    the erroneous explicatives

    the fantastic fortifications

    the gregarious grognards

    the hilarious hijinx

    the idiotic intelligensia

    the jaundiced jokers

    the knowledgable know-it-alls

    the lip-smacking liquor

    ok, someone else's turn to keep it going... :D

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    Dammit I want CMN now!

    in Combat Mission Shock Force 1

    Posted

    ISTR reading a post by Steve (long ago) wherein he stated precisely that. The intention to work out the kinks of the new engine on a more difficult theatre/genre/timeframe (modern war) so that the transition "backward" to WWII would make the game even better.

    Gpig

    Like his sketches, Gpig is "spot on" once again.

    When all of the initial hubbub about the CMx2 engine started up, Steve made it quite clear that the move to a modern setting was done for 2 main reasons:

    1) It let them test more modern-type platforms such as rockets, missiles, etc and ensure the new engine could handle them in a way that pleased BF. Why would you create it unless it truly improved capabilities? You can always move backward techs as required for a particular game.

    2) A change of pace was needed with respect to genre. After countless years focusing on WW2, I believe Steve felt they would all go bonkers if they had to do another WW2 game after CM1.

    There is also the old rule of thumb that says stepping back, taking on a new challenge and then later returning to focus on an earlier subject is the best way to ensure that the second time around will be just that much better for having gone through the exercise. Of course... none of this helps console the WW2 "waiters" much, I'll admit!

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    Mines and Tile Coverage?

    in Combat Mission Shock Force 1

    Posted

    You know, I was reading the other day and wondering some of the same things MikeyD. A lot of the official german books I have on tactics and the like very clearly point out the use of "Achtung MINEN!" signs of various sorts, black, red, picture only, words only, etc., etc.

    One does get the distinct feeling that there were plenty of fake "marked" minefields in use (boy Hans! That was sure easy compared to the last one!) yet, does anyone know of more definitive data available on this whole subject?

    I suspect my memory is forever tainted by all the hundreds (thousands?) of war movies I have viewed in my short 45 years of existance. **sigh**

    Oh well. Takers?

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    Small question...Shockforce base game needed for Normandy?

    in Combat Mission Shock Force 1

    Posted

    Gromit,

    Yup, that's pretty much spot on except for the obvious error in your last line:

    "...or something like that."

    You should have wrote:

    "...or somefink like that."

    Another gaff like that and I might have to revoke your veteran status by resetting your registration date to 2010. Fair warning :D

    Steve

    G...g..gguh....NOOOOOOooooooooooo!! Anything but THAT! I beg you!! I'll be extra extra careful from now on!! REALLY!! :o

    *sniff*

    ok?

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    Small question...Shockforce base game needed for Normandy?

    in Combat Mission Shock Force 1

    Posted

    Anyway, nice to see that so many of you veterans are still around!

    There is a sizable contingent of folks around here (myself included) that are not all that interested in modern warfare; hence, we typically don't contribute to those discussions. Obviously, now that the WW2 title is getting close, you will start seeing more and more "contributions" by the WW2 grognard vets.

    One wonders whether this is destined to be a good thing or bad, but, looks like Steve and Co. have made the only sane decision- keep info to a bare minimum until the release is upon us. Otherwise, all hell will break loose and the "monkeys" will turn this board into an asylum. :eek:

    ...or something like that. ;)

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    silly question about CM:"Normandy"

    in Combat Mission Shock Force 1

    Posted

    Well, since you mentioned Water, that brings up a couple of interesting questions: What will water look like in CM:N? What sort of characteristics will the water have regarding troop and vehicle movement? How deep will the water be? What will it feel like?

    I guess I have a thing about water. I was born under the sign of water, I live near the water, I like being in the water, and I like walking next to it every morning...so please forgive my excessive interest in the subject.

    I know you are a busy guy, so maybe the next update could be all about - Water.

    Meh, Chops- I think you're all wet.

    :D

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    Visual Bone

    in Combat Mission Battle for Normandy

    Posted

    Showing it, you mean? Not easily done because it flexes. That requires animations and animations are not the same as fixing a ridged object to a part of the body model.

    What we will eventually have is ammo cans being carried. We already show secondary weapons, such as Panzerfausts, and probably hand grenades. So we're making progress on showing things situationally depending on what is being carried. But for now it is only ridged items so far.

    Steve

    That's cool Steve. I mean, I don't expect a movie-like experience when it comes to small details such as minor equipment. I don't think devoting animation cycles to a mg ammo belt to be an efficient or good use of developer time personally. Now, if Charles happens to stumble upon a way to do it eventually without killing fps in CM2WW2's lifetime, then great!

    Frankly, although the old saying that "big things are made up of lots of little things" is true, at this point I am more concerned with the overall game... how it feels in play, accurate depictions of standard units and equipment, etc. I am confident the detail stuff will come along nicely, whether from Battlefront or the modders. :cool:

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    CMSF won't run on new 64 bit i7 system

    in Combat Mission: Shock Force Tech Support

    Posted

    Not sure if this is related guys, but I also have the 64-bit version of Win7 and have run across the following little "hiccup" multiple times with games.

    After installing a game, it tries to launch using a default setup. If this entails using a screen resolution that is different than your desktop resolution, the game will not launch or drops immediately to the desktop.

    I had this happen with Silent Hunter 3, Galactic Civilizations II and a couple others I can't think of at the moment. The solution varies, but editing the .ini file for the game worked for GalCiv2; firing up SH2 on an older 1280x1024 monitor did the trick for SH3.

    Win7 deals with old stuff in a lot of new ways that will drive you batty- takes some getting used to...

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    Will CM Normandy have this?

    in Combat Mission Shock Force 1

    Posted

    Chiming in on the handthrown smoke issue... seems the only way to be fair and square with it (at least in CM:N) is to severely limit it at the squad level. Maybe 5-10% base chance or less, modified upwards by a unit in the "assault" company of a regiment. In a scenario context, an assault warrants a slightly higher chance than others, etc.

    All in all, due mostly to the fact that if it's there, people are gonna use it, to prohibit smoke turning into a "gamey" tactic it has to be rationed severely.

    Artillery smoke is a whole 'nuther separate issue. ;)

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    Holiday Bones, Norman Style

    in Combat Mission Battle for Normandy

    Posted

    My grandpa was in the 12.SS in Normandy, i will ask him if they had any MP-44 there.

    Maybe he can remember...

    A first-hand account! Go for it Wiggum. If I might be so bold- and obviously this depends greatly on your GP's willingness to discuss his war experiences, you should really try to record some conversations with him if at all possible. My father is 86 and served in the Pacific with the US Navy. He is more forthcoming than many WW2 vets I have met, but 90%+ of them just want to leave that all in the past. It must be particularly painful for them to recall all the guys that paid the ultimate price, whatever side they were on.

    Can't say I can blame them from a personal standpoint. All it takes to convince one is to watch the "Band of Brothers" documentary, in particular the interview with Babe Heffron, where he talks about never being able to get out of his head the image of a buddy who as he puts it "took a bullet meant for you". Very sobering stuff.

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    Holiday Bones, Norman Style

    in Combat Mission Battle for Normandy

    Posted

    In light of all the grognardiness here as of late:

    The following is a response I wrote over at Out of the Park Developments Forum in response to a poster berating Markus and his company of three others (two of which don't program) for "abandoning" their baseball game OOTP10 in September and moving on to next year's version 11 before all the bugs were worked out to his liking.

    If I have learned anything, it's that no matter where you go, who you work for, etc. Life's 10%ers will always be there to line up and tell you what you are doing wrong and how you should be doing it.

    Unfortunately, there is no "free lunch" in life. Everything, and I
    do
    mean
    everything
    has a cost attached to it. Making a great baseball simulation is no different. Oh, I'd love for Markus and Co. to be able to fix all the issues that keep OOTP10 from being a top notch game. But if we put aside our personal bias and look at the situation from a rational point-of-view, it's not a viable option for them.

    You want something?- then you're gonna have to give something else up. i.e.,
    Equilibrium

    Sure, if Donald Trump was focused on creating the perfect baseball sim, with his budget and the right team and time (Money, Manpower and Time), anything is possible. But our buddy Don isn't interested in baseball that much- neither is anyone else with that much venture capital. Not to mention the fact that none of them got where they are today by investing in things that provide low ROI (return on investment).

    So, here we are with Markus. He's just one guy in the world (with a few partners) that loves baseball. He doesn't have a huge budget. Just a passion for the game and a talent for programming.

    His company
    needs
    the income from each new release of OOTP just to pay the salaries, bills, etc. that keep it a going concern. That means they have to make a decision on when to stop working on the current release and start developing the next one. Working on patches is a huge time and money sink. You soon run into the law of diminishing returns and would run out of capital to even make the next release if taken too far.

    Well, I suppose we could rely on the Electronic Arts of the world to provide said "Baseball Sim". Hmmm, based on
    reviews along with
    , I'd have to say that they are moving in the wrong direction and their efforts lately have been pathetic. I think we all know why. EA and their ilk are game factories for the most part. There are exceptions, such as Bioware, but most projected borderline profitable games are on a very tight leash when it comes to budget, development time and resources. I'd almost say they are destined to fail given the state of affairs at the majority of SW development houses these days.

    It's easy to say that our little community, and we
    are little
    in the great scheme of things guys, deserves a game that is feature rich and support that fixes known issues and bugs. But that is a naive view to take in light of the market baseball sims represent.

    As Blind Pew said to Captain Billy Bones:
    "Business is business, Mr. Bones."

    While I don't care for some of the decisions that Markus has made concerning OOTP, he has done enough over the years to earn my trust. If that means supporting him with each release, then that's what I will do. Honestly guys... how many other choices are there? How long do you think you will wait for another PC baseball sim developer to come along and make a worthy game?
    twocents.gif
    (OK, OK!... 10 cents!)

    Sound familiar? Small company, niche market, limited budget. Yet, the way some folks act, you would think none of those constraints exist. Substitute Battlefront and change the game subject and it still rings true. Something our grognardish friends can't seem to grasp, no matter what facts you point their way.

    As I have pointed out in a post a few months ago here, I don't consider BF to be perfect, nor do I care for some of their decisions in the past decade. But, you know what? Just cause they provide this forum and it lets me remain anonymous doesn't mean I should use it as a bully pulpit and flood the board with unconstructive comments and criticism. So maybe they don't always tell us the truth about everything. Oh, there's a shock! Doing business even in the best of situations is a grind that requires tough choices and stressful schedules. Hey, it's their baby... have a little respect for their intelligence. They have been doing this for over a decade now in a PC gaming environment that is practically non-existant compared to 1999.

    Cut 'em some slack, eh? Besides, like quote above says- honestly, how many other choices are there for this genre? How long are you gonna wait until another Battlefront comes along? As a friend of mine is fond of saying, there'll be trees the size of sequoias over our graves before it happens.

    Quit your bitchin and be thankful they're still around my friends. ;)

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