Buckeye

I just got one of the new 17" iMacs, and am very pleased with its performance with the CMBB demo. I have the standard 32 meg nVidia card and 512 megs RAM. The graphics are outstanding, with no obvious dithering at all. The skies are blurrier than in CMBO, but I suspect the sky graphics were downsampled a bit for the demo (as were the sounds), because of their large size (the skies in CMBO are not nearly as blurry on the same machine). So, although the 32 megs may not be enough in several years, by then I'll need a new machine anyway for CM2!

Aw, Rob, admit it, you were too busy enjoying the summer weather in Monaco! Glad you guys enjoyed the AARs. That town was one tough nut to crack. And yes, the last map has been a definite challenge...my poor attack is getting stomped pretty good by Broken's gun swarm and some inept armor play on my part. I'm holding my own on defense, despite Broken!'s infantry hordes. Hope to finish up things pretty soon...as soon as Broken! gets the time!

Do you mean that they show up without software rendering (i.e., using the 3D hardware) despite the Classic Rave extension? If so, hurrah!!!!

The simple answer is no and no. Lots of previous threads about this. The engine rewrite will be OSX compatible.

Oh, c'mon, Doorpost, I suppose that you didn't intend for the "deadbeat" label to apply to Fionn? You'll claim you never meant it that way, but frankly, your snide innuendoes are transparently obvious, as Matt's public censure of you should have made very clear. Slappy, I wish I could be as magnanimous as you. But Doorpost just gets my goat. I'd rather he just came right out and said something direct, but then he might get banned, and he knows it. In any case, I appreciate your sentiments. And I agree that there's no need for more posts directed at or about Fionn. If you don't like how he acts, just leave him alone, fellas. Oh, and Doorpost: My day was just fine. And that's Dr. Neuropsychologist to you.

Hey Doorpost, you just can't resist getting in a dig, can you? Gee, you list your occupation as "hospital administration." I know from experience that you fit the bill perfectly: You specialize at sniping from the sidelines but never making an actual contribution. Perhaps you should move to France. I hear they specialize in useless bureaucrats there. Oh, and hi Mom.

Okay, Gordon, it's beautiful. I guess you can be forgiven for not sending along a turn in our game for months. Seriously, keep up the good work! Our game will be waiting when you're ready for a good ass whuppin!

Man, am I jealous! I think we need to make this an annual event, just so I can go next year! Glad you guys had a great time. I want to see more pics!

Well, not really new...but still some nice pics.

I have another post about this you might want to take a look at. My take on this it that Apple won't make it impossible to boot into OS9 anytime soon, if only because the desktop publishing crowd do not have a Quark version that is OSX compatible. So, for the time being, we can create separate partitions for OS9 and OSX and play CMBB to our heart's content. But sometime in the not so distant future, that won't be an option. BFC has not said that they are totally opposed to trying to find a way to support CMBB in OSX, just that it won't be something they deal with in the initial release. I suspect that if they get enough encouragement/cajolement/etc., and there seems to be a market, and Apple really does pull the plug on OS9, then we might see them do something about it. After all, they use Macs to code CM, and I don't think they want future Mac purchasers to be unable to buy the game. Or at least I hope not!

Hey, CDIC, I'm crushed...I thought I was your most-favored opponent. Seriously, Smitty and I are about 2/3 of the way through this new version, and it's going to be a nail biter. You sure like your scenarios big and chaotic, doncha? Man, I'm getting carpal tunnel with all those units to control...and the reinforcements keep comin'. Nice job on the revision. The first version was fun, but this one's better. Just wish you hadn't made it harder for my beloved Panzers to move around in the city!

Well, Jeff, you know you're welcome to a rematch anytime...we'll see if my "luck" holds. Still hate those Stuarts?

In Kevin's defense, I play tested the scenario, and won something like 80-20. I don't want to describe what happened too closely, so as not to spoil things for anyone else, but suffice to say that I believe I used realistic tactics, taking into account the likely fire lanes, dismounting infantry, etc. So, the scenario can be won, and by using legitimate tactics...but bad luck can spoil your day, just as in real life.

I playtested Clash at Katzbach, and highly recommend it. Much fun...although Jeff Weatherspoon, my opponent, may feel differently . Can't reveal more...don't want to spoil anyone's enjoyment.

I said it privately, and I'll say it on the Forum: Thanks for leading the team, Ted, and for inviting me to be a member. And a hearty welcome to our new leader! Scott has big shoes to fill, but I think he'll lead B&T in the same fine fashion that WB and Ted have.

Just to clarify: I'm definitely not suggesting that BFC delay the release of CMBB to make it OSX compatible. I'd just like them to take a long look at making it compatible after the release. Hell, I know better than to ask them to wait...I wouldn't want an angry horde of gamers descending on my doorstep with blood on their minds!

Thanks for the dose of reality, Karl! In general, I agree with you. I'd really like to see CMBB made compatible with OSX, but can manage if it isn't. OTOH, it is too bad that in the future some new Mac purchasers will be unable to play CMBO/CMBB. I always hate to see the Mac community left out...and it'll be especially ironic given that CM itself is programmed on a Mac. Ah well, time marches on.

I hope the BFC folks take another long look at the possibility of somehow making CMBB compatible with OSX. It would be a real pity if future Mac purchasers were unable to play CM. Hey BFC: Hint, hint!!!!

Mac users out there know that CM will not run under OSX, or in Classic OS9. Rumor has it that CM2 will be written to run under OSX, but for now we must boot up separately under OS9. Unfortunately, rumors are that, beginning next year, Macs will no longer ship with the capability to boot separately under OS9. This is a quote from the web site http://www.macosrumors.com/. "In some not-so-surprising news, we have heard the first whispers of a new rumor on the grapevine. Certain individuals are quoting Steve Jobs as saying directly to more than one person while hanging out after the MWNY keynote in the new SOHO Apple Store: "Mac OS 9 will no longer be supported as a bootable operating system on new Macs next year, so get comfortable with OS X now." The way we read it, this means that Classic will be around for a while, as run inside OS X....but that work to directly support new Mac hardware in OS 9 has already ceased, and new Macs released next year simply won't boot OS 9 properly because they won't possess the necessary drivers. This will hopefully be a relatively painless transition because it only affects new Macs, and should drive greater adoption of the new OS by developers as they realize that OS 9 is well and truly dead." So, for those of you planning on playing CMBB and its successors on your Macs...buy now! Looks like we won't be able to play pre-CM2 versions of CM on a Mac bought after the new year!

Those are some beautiful pics, Andrew. Please send 'em along when you get a chance. Thanks.

Well, thanks to all of you for your suggestions--er, except Doorpost, of course. He ought to look in the mirror if he's going to make accusations about one's sterility. I like Glantz's works because they seem much more balanced than many others, probably because of the access he had to Russian archives. His work isn't limited to the German side of things. Of course, many other books were written before any access could be gotten. I do wish there were more tactical-level and first-person accounts from the Russian side. Some of the suggestions here should help in that regard. Thanks again, guys. Anyone else have some good ideas? (Oh, and about that other post...didn't see it...yeah, I know, "Do a search! )

I'm by no means an expert on the Eastern Front, so I've been doing some reading in preparation for the release of CMBB. I'd recommend the following: 1) David Glantz & Jonathan House, When Titans Clashed: How the Red Army Stopped Hitler. 2) David Glantz & Jonathan House, The Battle of Kursk. 3) Edwin Hoyt, 199 Days: The Battle for Stalingrad. 4) Dmitriy Loza (translated and edited by James Gebhardt), Commanding the Red Army's Sherman Tanks: The World War II Memoirs of Hero of the Soviet Union Dmitry Loza. I'd be interested in what other Forum members recommend. So, what're your suggestions?

The only reason I haven't upgraded to OSX is that CM won't work on it. I'd definitely support any attempt to make CMBB playable on OSX. C'mon, BTS, you can do it!

This is a fun one, folks. I highly recommend it. Give it a try!

Jeez, once again, the weatherman was wrong!