cpurkiser

Panzerwefer thanks for the info. It is very helpful to know that the LOS tool will show different FP ratings for different experience levels. That will help me judge the effectiveness of experience units. Kump, I agree with you the nice thing about CM is that you don't have to worry about the numbers, and just try real life tactics... Still, I wanted to understand is a Russian tank with 45 MM gun and coax machine gun, equivalent to a Russian squad for killing infantry. I am still trying to get the hang of attacking in this game it seems very difficult, especially as the early Russian troops. They have a bad habit of hitting the ground as soon as the first shot is fired. I was playing Directive 3 and after capturing the first objective, I found attack completely stopped.

I am enjoying CMBB more than the original many great improvements. I do have questions about firepower that I haven't seen discussed in the forum. Now I realize that game is too complex to have simple math models but I'd like to get feeling for the math behind the fire power ratings. Let say a squad X has firepower (FP) of 70 at range 100M. Does that mean that if X fires for an entire minute at Squad Y that gets hit with 70 unit of firepower? Of does the firepower apply to each time X uses an ammo point? If it is per Ammo point I thought squads used more ammo in close range situations? Is there any rules of thumb that say you need 100,200,300 FP to achieve a casuality assuming open terrain? Does a Squad with 20% exposure suffer 1/3 the casualties of a squad with 60% exposure? What effect does experience have? An alerted Veteran German squad appears to be far more effective at killing than a alerted green Russian squad, eventhough the fire power rating maybe similar. What are approximate firepower ratings of German, and Russian Coax MGs, how about the Hull MGs? Thanks in advance.

Returning the system was the consensus on other game boards also. So back to Dell it goes. Give some credit to Dell they will refund my original shipping cost because I ordered a new computer, so all I am out is the cost to ship the computer back.

I've ordered CMBB, but it hasn't arrived. My new Dell just arrived last week (3 new games convinced me to upgrade.) My system is 2.0 Giga Pentium 4, 512 SDRAM, 80GB, I thought I'd safe some money and get a system with Intel Extreme Graphics instead of GE 4 Force card, and upgrade if I needed to. Well it turns out the graphics performance isn't awesome and worse I can't upgrade, because there is no AGP slot. I'm tempted to return the system but I want to know if anybody has run CMBB on a system with Intel Extreme Graphics and how does it run?

Let me add my $.02 for a campaign game. I have two friends, who I loved to see get the game. One is veteran Squad leader player, and the other loves the Panzer General series. All three of us like but didn't love Steel Panthers. I think the lack of a campaign game will be a big factor in keeping them from purchasing. CMBO was a huge step forward to war games, and I did enjoy the game solo and the 2 PBEM games I played. However, what stopped me playing it fanatically was the lack of a campaign game. The operations were a very poor substitute for a campaign game. Now I'll admit the concept of core units is a bit gamey, but the idea that units can experience in only a few days of battle isn't. Both literature (I think of Von Luck's book in particular) and common sense suggest that a unit where few member had seen combat, would lose there green/conscript status after surviving a few days of tough battles. Regardless of the realism the fun and immersion factors, I think make for any other failings. People who find it unrealistic and silly can simply not play with it. My game hasn't arrived yet, I hope I can recommend it to my friends but it would sure be an easier sell with a campaign game.

Well as relative newbie, I'd like to say that I would be delighted to have a campaign. I've had the game for a while and played it a fair amount, but put it away for a couple of months and just started some PBEM games. I am fairly knowledgable about WWII tactics and weapon systems, but compared to this crowd strictly a novice. It seems to me there are three issues. 1. Is there a demand 2. Is it realistic 3. Will BTS implement it. If you talk to/read forums with turn based strategy gamers, you'll find that a reward/promotion system adds immensely to the satisfaction/immersion of the game. I think this can be seen on many games from Alien Crossfire, to Jagged Alliance, Panzer General, Steel Panther, and Xcom and their many sequels and derivatives. I have friends who basically won't buy a game without a good campaign system. In my case, despite my admiration for this game, and the reasonable decent AI. I find I didn't play it that much because while many of the scenarios where good that got old after a while, the included operations left me cold. (I'm play the hypothetical 21st Pz attack, and it seems to be better). 2. Is it realistic? I claim no particular expertise, other than reading almost all the Ambrose books, and a number of other British, and German accounts of small unit tactics. It seems to that many American units in the initial waves of D-Day would have gained enough experience to be upgraded a grade (e.g. Green to Regular) after a couple of days of fighting. I think it is perfectly reasonable for people who think the concept of campaign game with a core group is bogus to turn it off and not play with it. 3. Will BTS implement it. Clearly BTS hasn't like the idea of a campaign game. I understand their philosphy about not putting in features just cause some marketing dweeb says it hot. Now as former marketing dweeb, I can say with a fair amount of confidence that having a campaign game will increase their sales, by a measurable amount. Right now CMBO, is a terrific wargame. It is so good that I don't even consider buying any traditional wargames from Talonsoft, or Shrapnel games, Hasbro, or Microsoft Close Combat. I think with a minimal amount of work CMBO could appeal to the much large audience. More sales means BTS can do more for grognard and the rest of us alike. However, I think getting BTS to do this requires the beta testers, and hard core CMBO types to say. As much as I really like to see BTS more accurately model machine Gun interdiction fire, it is more important, more fun for them to include a campaign game

[ 04-25-2001: Message edited by: cpurkiser ]

Gosh, I read the whole thread and now I am as confused as ever as what to buy . STUIII, Hertzer, PzKIV, Jadpanzer IV or V, Tiger I, Panthers. I guess Marder II/III are out, and nobody has nominated the Elephant yet. How about no tanks? Just buy things like Recoiless rifes and maybe a 75MM antitank gun. Any disadvantage to that in a village scenario?

I did exactly the same thing (ran the game game of the CD Rom). Unfortunately, I couldn't find this thread using search. For some reason your installation process made it easy to create a short cut to the CD-ROM. So for anybody else having trouble with loading or saving games this fix works. It seems to me that since I was trying to save the game to a CD-ROM that you should have some error routine, catching this since the save was not completely successfully. [This message has been edited by cpurkiser (edited 07-16-2000).]

I heard about off on for a few months on gamesdomain, CGW, and usenet. However, the name Combat Mission, 3D, and RTS made me think this was a WWII, Warcraft. The Gamespot reviewed caused me to visit the site. BTW (by the way), TIA is thanks in advance.

I agree with BTS approach of making this a web only game. From, my understanding a new developer will only get 10-15% of the wholesale price of a game (Wholesale = 50-60% of retail.) So BTS, will probably make more money this way. Firaxis, (Sid Meir's company) did the samething with Antiehem (sp). However, I think BTS needs to get the word out. I am absolutely in the target market for this game. Yet, I didn't hear about until a few days ago, after seeing a gamespot.com review. (I missed Tim Chown review on gamesdomain.) I read lots of game website, and subscribe to CGW, and get free copies of of a couple other mags. I periodically read usenet groups. I just sent of an email to a dozen gaming friends some as hard core as myself. I'll be curious how many heard of this game before I sent the email. I think money spent advertising in some of the more serious game magazine might be money well spent. This game is too much fun to be only of interest to grognard wargames. In the meantime, you all should be sending out emails to any of your less hardcore friends urging them to try the demo.