RudeLover

The ASL scenarios are for the most part 'Tiny' or 'Small' by CM's way of counting (HASL often being an exception). They're cool if you're looking for a quick fight with a smaller OB, or if you've got a slow machine. Many are infantry-heavy, esp. those from the Paratrooper series, if that's what you're looking for. The Kampfgruppe Peiper (KGP) HASL scens are unusual in that they are very large, 90 turns or so...these beasts may fit your criteria if you're in for the long haul. For some tanks, try "A Breezeless Day," "Under the Noel Trees," "The Mad Minute," "Tiger 222." There's a poll on Col. Klotz's site (the first one I think) soliciting favorite ASL-CM conversions, which might also be helpful.

I would pay _more_ for CM than for the average game, for all the reasons people have listed above. Then again, I'm also willing to pay extra for quality in other areas: Red Hook or Sierra Nevada or Abita instead of Bud, single-malts or Maker's Mark instead of generic whiskey, Peet's coffee instead of Folger's crystals. I'll pay a little bit extra at my local indie record or book store 'cuz they're cooler and more knowledgeable than the folks at the chains. It's not always true that you get what you pay for, and it's not always easy to part with the hard-earned, especially if you're a student (I was in grad school for seven years). But when you can reward good work, do it. I'll send my $45 to BTS cheerfully, and I'd pay twice that for CM2.

Just a guess, but I'd think BTS would be likely to err on the side of inclusion as far as extra armies. See this old quote: <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Also don't forget that CM3 will have Greece and Jugoslavia as well. I'd say that between that, Italy, and NA CM3 will have the most uniquely different sceanrios of all the CMs. And I will also finally get to use my Croatian OBs --Steve<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> (From one of the many previous CM2 threads...) http://www.battlefront.com/discuss/Forum1/HTML/002391.html

Fortunately SOME of the models are already done, namely most late war German stuff, lend-lease Shermans etc. Still it will be a ton of work...I'd guess that the vehicle models would be the single toughest thing to finish quickly...

I will heartily endorse Joel's previous work. Champ de Mars is a tough and engaging fight (I played as Free French). It and everything else I've seen from Appui-Feu look to be very carefully researched with very detailed maps and OB. Great stuff if you're into historical accuracy.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Thanks for clearing that up ( excellent digging, RudeLover ).<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> It just serves to remind me how much time I've spent reading the doggone forum when I should have been working...I remember reading the first thread and thinking, geez, these guys think of everything.

Hmmm. Maybe I'm still misunderstanding the question, but I thought Steve G. addressed this in the thread I cited: <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Hehe... figured someone would notice that. The rationale is that for the MG42 to fire effectively there needs to be an assistant engaged in feeding the beast. This means the assistant isn't using his own weapon. Therefore the Firepower of teh assistant's weapon is subtracted from the MG42. In the case of the Rifle Squad this is a Kar98k, a realitively weak weapon. In the Heavy SMG unit it is a MP40, which at close range is a very powerful weaon (realitively). The BAR and Bren don't have such problems as they are not crew served. Yes, I know the MG42 can be fired by one man, but in combat conditions this is pretty tough to do effectively. So on balance it is more fair to do it like I described above.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Note the phrase: Therefore the Firepower of the assistant's weapon is subtracted from the MG42. I think that's the difference Schugger noted... Then Lee wrote: <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Interesting. So, in a heavy squad the assistant gunner is assumed to grab his own weapon in a close range fight, thus lowering the effective firepower of the MG-42 but increasing the overall firepower of the squad at that range due to the extra personal weapons being brought to bear? But once the range increases to 100 yards or so then the assistant gunners go back to helping the gunners fire the mg and this causes the spike in the effectiveness of the mg's at the longer ranges. I have that right, Steve?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> And Steve agreed later in the thread...his message is more informative than anything I could produce since he knows what he's talking about. I thought this addressed the issue Schugger was asking about; if not, sorry for the waste of bandwidth. [This message has been edited by RudeLover (edited 10-26-2000).]

I think there are times that it would be nice with turreted vehicles to use the 'rotate' command and have a dialog box come up saying 'rotate turret only Y/N.' There's precedent for commands that have some question attached in some cases--this box could be like the upper/lower building box or the area fire 'use main gun?' box. Of course, only BTS can say if this is really a possible feature.

I recall a discussion of this. IIRC, there is an assumption that one or two members of the squad assist the LMG gunner at certain ranges, but that when the bad guys get real close, the asst gunners pick up a rifle/SMG and start blasting, making the LMG less effective. Desperate times breed desperate measures... Check this thread: http://www.battlefront.com/discuss/Forum1/HTML/003321.html (Edited after searching...search terms 'assistant' and 'MG.') [This message has been edited by RudeLover (edited 10-25-2000).] [This message has been edited by RudeLover (edited 10-25-2000).]

Another source of OOB/TO&E, http://www.britwar.co.uk/lists/index.htm List for US TD Battalion: http://www.britwar.co.uk/lists/w2a.htm#td

[CM Borg enters stage left]

When (not if, but when) they abandon the jeep, you then have an Elite crew with pistols to shore up your lines...they can pop enemy tank commanders at long range!

I'm guessing that with this system each building wall would then be made up of many polygons rather than one, with each polygon having its own texture? What would happen then when you play Arnhem or the Paris scenario with zillions of buildings, many of which are getting shot up...that's a bunch of polygons to keep track of. Seems like VRAM is the limiting factor. Or am I fundamentally misunderstanding?

Look at the Rugged Defense scenario site, for Ham and Jam v1.01: http://home.wanadoo.nl/edwin.vos/cm/scen.htm

I believe that I've seen this too vs. the AI, but I don't have the save files. It was the ops Utrechtseweg and McKinley's Bn, with an earlier release of CM, and I could see foxholes that should have been way out of my LOS (incl. behind buildings, tall pines, etc). Haven't seen this more recently, though.

KwazyDog sez: <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>I was up to 3:30am last night scanning the net for piccies of Russian tanks, hehe.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> That's the best news I've seen all day...

Some sort of ROE/SOP could be very useful if done right. Two comments, though, on how easy it would be to do right... 1. The Strategic/Operational AI would have to be taught to use these ROE, or else the human player would have a tool that the AI does not (or maybe I should say another tool). I believe it would be pretty tough to program that, though certainly units could have semi-default ROE (TDs wait for armor targets, MGs concentrate on infantry). I think this could be a real wrench in playing the computer opponent, which is already at a disadvantage vs. humans. 2. The threat level posed by a unit is variable. If I give a tank an ROE/SOP to target armor only, there has to be an override of this order when a schreck or PIAT gets close, or when engineers get real close. They're a bigger threat than a PSW 234/1 or Lynx at 1000m. This threat assessment brings us back to the current AI, so there would have to be some interplay between TacAI and the SOP. I don't know how easy that is to manage codewise. Though it's frustrating, your troops are still going to make decisions about threats that you don't agree with. Welcome to command...

I saw those, too. Vestigial organs, a sort of software appendix?

Just noticed that a damaged bridge shows as Bridge* (and presumably Bridge** though I haven't gotten that far) during the orders phase, if you plot a waypoint there or look at it with the LOS tool. Very cool!!!!

BTS has said several times that improved modeling of buildings is high on the list for the next iteration of CM.

It takes some stones to use a 30 m 'faust. (I don't think I'd want that job...) Poor-quality troops (green/conscript) or troops under fire (shaken, etc) often can't pull themselves together to do it. Sneaking up doesn't seem to be as effective as ambushing. Leaders help, but I think a +2 morale would be worth more than a +2 attack. Could be worth a test...

I think this should be a private matter between BTS and Fionn.

If you just open the map in the editor (don't go to preview, just look at the terrain tiles), you can see the extent of the map and the landmarks. Think of it as a stylized topo. Don't look at the units section in the editor, of course. If you want to see the map in 3d, above suggestion works, but it's more complicated.

You mean there's a way to quit? Why?

Just tried a test of a Sherman Croc vs. 15 Lynx. Sherm suffered a gun hit, then an immobilizing track hit pretty quickly. As the little guys swarmed, he fired three flame shots at Lynx (vehicles and not crews) before succumbing to 20mm flank shots. Poor Croc was nibbled to death...