phil stanbridge

I was under the impression some 251/9's carried some canister rounds - did they not make it into the game? Or was it a different model? I could have seriously done with some of that in the last mission

I've got an issue with corrupted text on my laptop - something to do with the native resolution and SF/Normandy not liking it even if I force the res in the txt file. Can't find a way round it unfortunately.

That sounds pretty good to me? Now go do it again. I'm on mission 7 and have already lost around 60 KIA plus a couple of jeeps

lol only 3?? I've only played 7 so far, and 3 of those I found more than challenging, so I expect it must be those ;-)

Amen to that. I know exactly what you mean - I do really enjoy CMBN but I cant help feel that SF is just that little bit more refined at the moment. I did hear some time ago that the Normandy patch would be first, followed by the SF patch.

Good review. My French isn't great - but I see they picked up on the problematic path finding.

Wow, I honestly didn't know that. So if I kill a whole company, for example (wishful thinking on my part perhaps), that entire company will not be available further down the line to the AI - but certain core units will always be available? So in theory, this could mean you face a much smaller enemy the better you do?

It's fascinating - I'm looking at a German AI unit here that I KIA and they had 2 kills from a mission beforehand according to the stats. So this rifle team must have formed part of the defense from another mission who slipped through the net, so to speak - very interesting to know how that works in game. I didn't realise this could happen, I was under the impression the AI units are 'thrown together' per mission in the editor, by the designer, but this obviously means the AI has to a certain degree battle the elements of attrition and supply just like us. Ie, this rifle team was destroyed in mission 5 and will not be available in further missions. I can't understand how it works though.

Can someone explain to me how casualties work in these campaigns? For example, I've just finished mission 7 in RTM with a total victory, which was well deserved. But I noticed the AI also had 'campaign casualties'. For example, one German two-man team which was left on the map at the end of play had 3 kills from a mission before. This obviously meant I had already faced this part of the battalion at some point! So does this mean the AI also faces the same problem with attrition and supply as the human player throughout the campaign? If I kill such and such a unit in mission 7, might they not appear later on, is bascially what I'm getting at.

RTM is a good campaign - I'm liking it so far, and I'm on mission 6, but it is difficult. The German campaign is quite difficult too for different reasons, but you don't fancy that anyway which is probably just as well. I think the C&F campaign is supposed to be more of a challenge than RTM?

God I am not looking forward to that C&F campaign then! I almost exclusively play in WEGO which minimizes the issues of micro management as you take as long as you like. But I realise that is at the sacrifice of realtime movements and orders. It's a comprimise I'm prepared to make when you have battalion sized forces involved, although I have yet to see a CMBN battle which does utilize said forces.

Okay I'm with you. I've also discovered the importance of effective C2. Even green troops can hold on slightly longer with a decent HQ. Out of interest, does it make more difference if the units have a + or - than the HQ?

The sound effects are the single most important effect for added ambience within the game in my opinion. They can make or break, and they're an essential part of this game. They really need to be improved upon.

Yes, RTM. I first attempted the German campaign, which was a mistake. That's a tough nut to crack as well! I didn't enjoy the first few missions at all and I ended up losing it by mission 5 I think it was. So I opted for the RTM which I thought was the 'middle ground' as far as the campaigns go. Because it is infantry centric it provides some interesting challenges that would otherwise be dealt with quite easily with a Priest or some heavy artillery. So much stuff to re-learn here, and I consider myself a CMx1 vet! #1 is sound advice; I have been scouting with two man teams, but I haven't been providing overwatch. Not specifically anyway. I try to keep reserves back, like you say, perhaps a platoon or even two, depending on the mission. But attrition is killing my guys! I need to practice using single platoons with support as much as possible. I have tended to favour the flanking moves, and try to follow the mission objectives but I often find I don't have a strong enough force in the first instance to cover all the bases. Regards #4, how do you assign a separate team to a CO? For example, can you reassign units on the fly? I must admit, I haven't read the manual! That's cracking advice there too. But it's a lot to absorb! One thing that I am seeing reguarly, like yourself, is the AI tactically withdrawing, rather than completely routing. It's difficult to tell precisely on Warrior mode, but I am guilty of B. I never over-kill these guys, and I've become a casualty as a result. In one such instance, I thought I had destroyed a HMG and I lost 12 men to the same team as I tried to cross a road. It turned out it there was only a couple of man left manning the gun in the end, but they inflicted heavy losses all the same. I was quite shocked and the AI had done its job rather well. I've also seen AI armour (Marder's) withdraw into safer positions after I targetted it with small arms, which surprised me. The AI does seem somewhat improved from times of old.

This is my experience too - the maps are not big enough by far, and the time alloted per mission is not enough. But this has always been the way with CMx2 with the exception of a few missions in SF.

By the way, I'm playing Warrior on WEGO. That might make a difference.

Yes I believe that is the problem - you need to use a cover arc rather than hiding them in order to be more effective at spotting. But I can't even get my FO's (or HQ's) close enough - they are a prime target for obvious reasons. By the time I have something resembling LOS it's normally too late for the artillery to be effective.

Thanks very much for this. I am currently reading Beevor's Dday and that is a fascinating insight into the hell hole that was Normandy during Dday - it is certainly food for thought what these guys had to endure. But in this campaign I am rewarded for taking less than 10% casualties which seems somewhat unrealistic considering the nature of the fight on the front line. For example, I just drew mission 4 because I suffered 32 KIA and about the same wounded. Obviously 10% or just over. Even though I acheived the objective - quite frustrating really, and a very difficult mission to boot!

Roger that - perhaps that is one of my main problems. But I rarely find I have enough time to investigate everything - and in this campaign I am awarded for enemy kills as well as objectives.

This is excellent advice and something for me to munch on. I have tended to use the flanks, but I thought this was considered 'gamey' - that said, a win is a win isn't it? Another problem I am experiencing - my Pioneer dudes never carry enough HE and they are invaluable in this theatre. I had a whole squad virtually wiped out by a enemy mortar barrage which I wasn't expecting. I'm seriously down on engineers so I'm severely curtailed - I can generally only go up the 'middle' route which is obviously the most protected. It's catch 22. I'm always ending the missions with artillery in reserve - because I can't get any LOS to the target - or by the time I do have reasonable LOS some other units have already advanced past it. Maybe I am playing too fast?

I could do with some tactical advice - I'm an armchair general no more no less, with plenty of experience with CMx1 and Shock Force. But this is something else. It's difficult for the most part. I'm currently battling my way through one of the US campaigns, and am taking pretty heavy casualties. I am trying my best to find cover, and to 'soften up' areas with my mortars and artillery prior to an all out assault, but I struggle. The bocage and narrow lanes make LOS very difficult for my spotters. By the time I have a unit capable of directing fire in position he has more often than not already been spotted himself. I struggle with armour also - by the time I have one of my Shermans in position, he himself has probably been taken out. There is very little 'hull-down' so do I lead with the armour, (which I have little) or lead with the infantry and use them as bait? There are so many different ways of playing this game. Surprisingly I've managed total victories in 3 out of 4 missions so far - with lowish casualties. But mission 4 was a PIG and I had 32 KIA and about the same wounded, plus I lost 3 tanks. I came out with a draw. If the missions get harder I am in trouble. I'm also struggling a little with artillery - where are the big guns? So far I've only had access to 81mm mortar rounds and 105mm stuff. I thought the allies had some big guns available to them (and air support which I have yet to see at all) - does anything show up in the campaigns?

This was a bug in SF too, but it was fixed in the latest patch.

same here - although I am looking forward to the patch for NATO. We need those panzerfausts!!

I was absolutely stunned when I had a commander unit incapacitated by a ricochet from my own MG42 suppressing fire! It was quite bizzare as the ricochet actually landed quite some distance from the house I was targetting. I studied the WEGO replay time and time again because I have never seen that before.

Just some friendly bumpage!! Plllllease release me.