MERC

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Lorak: Pay really close attention to that "wink" That says it all. Lorak <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I missed the in the newsgroup (its alot easier to see in this forum), I blame it on my excitement of hearing the words "GOLD CD"

Dang!!!! I thought maybe Fionn had slipped up and I had a major scoop. Back to waiting patiently - Lurk mode back on.

I saw the following quote from Fionn in the CSIPGWH under the COMBAT MISSION = VAPORWARE thread: "LOL. How true.. I know it isn't vapourware cause I have a gold CD sitting in my CD drive right now ." Does that mean it has went GOLD?

It machine dependent. There is a program out there called HYPERSNAP that some people with PC's have had to use. If you use the SEARCH command, you more than you ever wanted to know on how to do screen shots.

Ship it.

If you believe your getting to much information then hit [shift + D], this will turn the detailed text hit labels off.

Its easy to jump around the battlefield. Here is my technique. 1) Get a good Overview of the battlefield 2) Select your unit you want to look at 3) Hit [TAB] - track view, this immediately moves you to that unit no matter how far away. Then you can change your view as needed.

Kraut, Are you setting up ambush markers and then targeting them with you units? From my experience there seem to be like 3 different types of rules of engagements 1) No command given - open up as soon as they see the enemy regargless of chance for success. 2) Give hide command - will wait until the enemy closes and they have a better opportunity to suppress or injure the enemy. 3) Give hide command and target ambush marker - units will stay hidden and only will open up once the ambush is triggered (unless your ambush is blown). Generally I have not had much AI targeting problems though I'll admit, I don't do much micromanagement of targeting. I'm spend more of my time concerned with synchronising and massing my forces. If I have a good plan, the AI does a pretty good job of excuting that plan. [This message has been edited by MERC (edited 10-31-99).]

Talk about this for tactical AI. I'm trying to take out a 88 with a bazooka team and infantry squad (who's out of C&C range BTW). My squad is pretty shaken (50% casualties and out of C&C), so I tell my bazooka team to rush the 88 across the open field. The squad AI basically "yeah, right fool", and it replots its move so that it takes advantage of the terrain to make its attack (which happens to be a flanking manuever). I'm just sitting there thinking why didn't I think of that...duhh?

So far the AI seem really good. I have attempted flanking attacks and it has reacted. I had a Stu drive into one of my ambushes, the Bazooka team missed with its first shot, the Stu imediately started suppressing and backing up and called for smoke. I have been really impressed how the AI keeps its attacks coordinated. Haven't seen the confused tank dance that some games have exhibited.

One thing I have started doing is choosing a unit that I think is going to be in the thick of it and lock on to him (tab key) and get into basically the 1st person view. This especially allows you to fill some of the tension of either springing a ambush or taking fire. As the Germans in Riesberg I had set up a ambush up with panzerschech and smg squad by the road. Set up the ambush marker assigned it as a target and gave everybody the hide command. Several turns into the game the Sherman started moving down the road for my ambush. so I get down with the troops, the ambush is looking good, then I notice U.S. troops advancing with the tanks on both sides. My men were brave and didn't panick, but it became a race of whether the tank would trigger the ambush or the U.S. squads would wander into my people. The tank rolled into the killzone just as one of the U.S. squads saw my SMG squad. Fortanetly, my brave Panzerschech team rose up and fired and missed, but my SMG squad started laying down suppressive fire on the advancing americans. The second time, the Panzerscheck team made good their shot and got a mobility kill on the tank. I was able to have them fall back to safety to a wooden house where they were burned alive when the wingman of the American tank just pummeled them in revenge.

The "hide" command will delay your men from shooting until they get a good target. If you really want them only to shoot in a certain zone, then give the "hide" command and target a "ambush" target. I have had a captured POW's once. It happened when I basically overwhelmed a position. [This message has been edited by MERC (edited 10-30-99).]

The ambush command is found in your HQ units. Its seems they are the only units that can "mark" a ambush spot, then you must assign your units to target that ambush marker. Question (and maybe I'll try it) for anybody: Can you assign mortars and artillery to target ambush spots?

For me personally, I found the keyboard/mouse combo be easy to use. In fact I found the game overall pretty intuitive. I just fired her up and led my men to their slaughter.

Top 5 games waiting for: 1) Combat Mission 2) Update to tacops 3) Close Combat IV (maybee) 4) Brigade Combat Team Multiplayer upgrade Top 5 games I am playing: 1) Brigade Combat Team 2) Tacops 3) Rogue Spear 4) TOAW II (PBEM games) 5) Close Combat II

I believe the PE beta demo won't run after a certain date (I seem to recall like Sept 16, but don't hold me to that).

Just saw a preview of CM at http://www.combatsim.com/ Screen shots look great. Even has a screenshot of the scenario (terrain) editor. [This message has been edited by MERC (edited 10-06-99).]

Wichita, Kansas Gox Shox!

I had computer ambush on my Atari. That was my first game I played against a human opponent (hotseat). It was a awesome experience. My all time favorites are: 1) Computer Ambush 2) Fulda Gap 3) Computer Eastern Front? (came on tape, Atari 400) 4) M1 Tank Platoon 5) Tacops 6) CC2 7) F19 8) Harpoon (bought my first memory upgrade for this game) 9) A-10 Tank Killer (My first game on a 286 computer) 10) Falcon 3.0 (bought my first sound card for this game)

[Cloaking Device off ] Combat Engineer in 1st and 2nd Infantry Divisons from 1989 to 1993. Now a engineer for a general aviation manufacturer.