deanco
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Posts posted by deanco
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9.1 at GameSpot. I can't stand it when a review is glowing and full of superlatives like that. I gotta find out more. I did. I had downloaded the old demo a long time ago and took it off my HD after playing 1 turn because of the funky graphics. Yep. I kinda like the way things turned out. CM for me is like a girlfriend you didn't really try to get, things just worked out that way. With time, her true nature was revealed to you.
I invite the absolute beginners to my website. It's for people new to wargames who like the gameplay of CM but are not WWII experts. And you will find some interface mods there as well. Enjoy.
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DeanCo--
CM interface mods: http://mapage.cybercable.fr/deanco/
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<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Gremlin:
Point taken, but if CM is truly the saviour of wargames, it needs even greater criticism--smash your idols. It's a damn good game, no question, and quite revolutionary in some regards, but it's hardly perfect, and the many of us here with wider gaming experience than just wargames might be able to spot certain weaknesses (which can lead to improvements in future CM games) better than those who exclusively know wargames--and vice versa of course. This is especially true since CM is reminiscent of RTS's and FPS's in certain obvious ways.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Well, I guess we're saying the same thing 2 different ways, Gremlin. My point is : the fact that CM reached a wider audience than the hardcore wargame crowd is the best thing that could have happened to them (BTS). In terms of sales, of course, but in terms of user feedback too. OK, we may not know the difference between 2 variants of Sherman tank, but we sure as hell know a fun game when we see one. There's a reason I hang out here, and it sure as hell doesn't have anything to do with the Peng thread.
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DeanCo--
CM interface mods: http://mapage.cybercable.fr/deanco/
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"Still" in Chapter 4? I thought it was humanly impossible to get past Chapter 2 myself.
"Capitalism ain't about choice and expanding people's horizons you know." (BTS)
I just like the way that sentence looks, and figured it needed to be drawn one more time at least before this thread fades into oblivion.
Why so rude? I'm only guessing here, but I get the picture that CM is The Wargame That Saved The Genre From Itself. Combat Mission is country music in "Mars Attacks", it's the airplane that kills the tank at the last sec in SPR..... just when it seemed that all hope was lost for the wargame genre, CM saved the day. Not only did it save the day, but it actually reversed the 'death' trend that wargames were facing. So CM for a lot of folks here is like a knight in shining armor, and it's not good to criticize knights in shining armor. That's why I think the 'non-wargamer' input is so important on this board. We have no preconceptions, we just think it's a fun game, and can't understand what the big fuss is about dynamic lighting, rosters, or remapping the keyboard.
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DeanCo--
CM interface mods: http://mapage.cybercable.fr/deanco/
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Baldur's Gate 2. My girlfriend gave it to me for Christmas and....that's where I am. Don't tell anyone, OK?
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DeanCo--
CM interface mods: http://mapage.cybercable.fr/deanco/
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My 2c,
On the good side, it's Jagged Alliance Light. Now, anything that brings this kind of gameplay to a wider public, I'm for. However...
On the bad side, I'd go along with pretty much everything that Chupacabra said. Near the end of the first mission I was just bandboxing my guys and clicking as fast as possible. Not good. I didn't get a chance to try the "optional" turn-based version (it took like 6 hours to DL and I have cable) but if it is as Chup says, that error makes it pretty much impossible to play the game the game in a strategic manner. I also noticed the pathfinding AI is not up to the task of threading your men through the labyrinth of tunnels and buildings. In fact, if there is a wall in the way, don't count on the AI to figure out how to go around it. I also noticed it was a laborious process to bring my guys up from a tunnel or down into one. Speaking of AI, the enemy AI didn't really impress me either. A couple times the AI ran right at a pack of 4 of my guys when he couldn't get a hit from where he was at. He was fine where he was, he had my guys pinned down, but he was nothing but dead when he started running at me...
So, looks like the developers tried to please everyone with their hybrid real-time system, and wound up sacrificing a lot of depth. Too bad, the way the characters are set up would allow for some pretty interesting evolutions and a great deal of deep gameplay. Let's hope the final version addresses some of these issues.
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DeanCo--
CM interface mods: http://mapage.cybercable.fr/deanco/
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How very cool. I made my website for guys like you, you may want to check it out. Link under my name. Welcome aboard.
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DeanCo--
CM interface mods: http://mapage.cybercable.fr/deanco/
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I say this one all the time:
NOW....GET HIM!!!!!
(this could be for anything, from an overwhelming frontal assault, to a depleted squad aiming their last rifle grenade towards the frontal armor of a King Tiger 250m away.)
Usually followed by...
"I said GET HIM! SHOOT! SHOOT! Why the f&"! aren't you shooting?? I gave you direct orders to..."
(BOOM) <<(this is something bad happening)
"You lousy piece of s#&! I told you to shoot!! Aaahhhh...."
Also, when I get a particularly good kill I leap up from my chair and do a fist pump like I just won the pole vault in the Olympics or something. This is usually accompanied by...
"Oh yeah, baby, you're beautiful, I love ya! Right on! Way to go!
Great idea for a thread, this.
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DeanCo--
CM interface mods: http://mapage.cybercable.fr/deanco/
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Ability to remap the keys.
Assuming there is to be no "roster", a button that lets you jump to T-1 and V-1 (and W-1, see below) quickly. At the moment I do this by finding a team, any team, on the map and then using the + and - buttons. This way I would hit the button, then just +. Crews should be given a "W" classification so we can keep them seperate from whatever class they're mixed in with now (teams, I think).
A keypress animation for the 'keyboard' button. A rollover animation for the GO button (and only there) to alert people they're getting ready to click it. That can save us an "are you sure" dialog box already!
A keyboard equivalent to the GO button, the Play button, rewind, start, etc.
OK, I am emboldened here. You know the buttons to zoom in and out the 3D map? Plus and minus on the numpad? Well...they're backwards. Plus should be zoom in!! After 7 months of making mistakes with it, I'm throwing caution to the wind and saying it. It's probably too late to change it as everybody has been indoctrinated by now, but really. Plus is zoom in, and has been since the beginning of time.
DYNAMIC LIGHTING, oh pretty please with sugar on top BTS! I can live with CM2 looking like CM1, and I don't need more polygons really, I'm happy with the number you have now. But, oh my god sakes alive, would that look ever so cool to have a night battle with dynamic lighting, and seeing the flashes of gunfire in the distance, or at dusk with the tanks casting shadows and the light glinting off their hulls...
(Ooops, forgot one. A 'lock and drop' button that does a macro of Tab and a user defined level (or hardcode it to level 1) all at once.)
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DeanCo--
CM interface mods: http://mapage.cybercable.fr/deanco/
[This message has been edited by deanco (edited 12-21-2000).]
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Bump and thanks BTS. Now...to try it out!!!
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DeanCo--
CM interface mods: http://mapage.cybercable.fr/deanco/
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1) is an excellent idea. As an advocate of "non-wargamers rights" it would be cool if we could get access to that detailed data while picking our troops. I second the motion.
2), I get rid of by switching to top-down mode. Just the angled views have that problem if I'm not mistaken. This is really a "no biggie" for me. This 'bug' usually causes me to place my guys correctly in the building instead of being lazy.
3) sounds cool too. My whole thing with CM is keeping my men alive so anything that helps me do that, I'm for.
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DeanCo--
CM interface mods: http://mapage.cybercable.fr/deanco/
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Thank you very much for all the helpful hints. I especially want to thank M Hofbauer for taking the time to explain a few of the finer points of setting up your tanks for a defense. I just got my ass kicked by my PBEM buddy on a defense, so if he wants a rematch, I will be sure to try this stuff out.
I also wanna thank everyone for the compliments on my Gunmetal mod. I DO appreciate them, and I'm happy that someone, somewhere, is getting use out of something I made. As some of you may know, I'm a musician by trade, and a lot of times we play in front of 2 or 5 or 10 people. I don't really feel I'm getting a decent return on investment in these cases, if you get my meaning. I'm not talking about money here. I'm talking 'effort expended' compared to 'total positive effect caused'. In fact, many times it's just downright absurd, certain gigs I've done. So I must admit that making these interfaces gives me a good 'return on investment'. Of course, so does playing in front of 1000 people. And I thank BTS for allowing me to express myself like this and giving me the chance to make what I consider to be a truly great game that little bit better.
Later,
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DeanCo--
CM interface mods: http://mapage.cybercable.fr/deanco/
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My greatest kill: Stuart kills King Tiger from 650m, side penetration. I musta bounced 15 of his BB's off him before 1 finally got through. I kept waiting for the KT to react of course, but he never did. That's what made it so tense. I think I had the perfect spot where he couldnt see me but I could see him. My opponent said later he never knew what hit him. God what a great moment that was. I got the screen to prove it too.
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DeanCo--
CM interface mods: http://mapage.cybercable.fr/deanco/
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If I have understood correctly, folks, the above issues (bogging, etc.) are part of the latest beta patch. They will be fixed in the next patch if past performance is anything to go by.
But for the moment....------------------
DeanCo--
CM interface mods: http://mapage.cybercable.fr/deanco/
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So putting it to realistic scale helps...OK. I knew that what you see on the screen is an abstraction so I wondered if putting it in realistic scale helps you see what the computer sees. Thanks for the info y'all. I'll let ya know if I manage to get one!
Tiger, you're right, I didn't say that right. I meant the other way around. Anyway...
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DeanCo--
CM interface mods: http://mapage.cybercable.fr/deanco/
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Hi Tom,
It seems like I'm doing this when I play, I know about this Hunt command stopping your tanks in the right position. It just never seems to work out for me, don't know why.
Actually my question was, if I wanna set up a 'hull down zone', sort of in advance of the actual hostilities, how would I do that?
I just wanna see the words "Hull Down" 1 time on the screen above an enemy tank to convince myself I'm not a complete dufus.
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DeanCo--
CM interface mods: http://mapage.cybercable.fr/deanco/
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Confession time: I have NEVER gotten one of my tanks in a hull down position, ever. Now, I have read most of the previous posts on this subject and I know that hull down is always relative to 2 points, it depends where the enemy is, etc etc. But still...never? Listen, would putting my guys to realistic scale help me judge whether my tank is hull down? Say like I got my tank behind a small bump, with flat land in front of me. I want my tank to be hull down with respect to that flat land in front of me. Will putting my guy to realistic scale (Shift-C I think) help me judge this? Does anybody use this technique?
Thanks in advance.
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DeanCo--
CM interface mods: http://mapage.cybercable.fr/deanco/
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Wooohh...That's quick work! I had 2 boggings in 2 games last light, both in clear terrain. I wrote it off to exceptionally bad luck. Didn't know it was a bug. You guys are FAST!
On the bright side, "0" for chat works like a charm. Thanks.
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DeanCo--
CM interface mods: http://mapage.cybercable.fr/deanco/
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The 0 key for chat!!! YAY!!! On behalf of us overseas users, thanks loads for listening and responding so quickly. I'm in awe of you guys.
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DeanCo--
CM interface mods: http://mapage.cybercable.fr/deanco/
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To put a charitable interpretation on TwoSheds comments, I believe he is exhorting the mod makers to take pride in their work, and to do the best job possible. I agree with that. I personally check my mods before I release them because I want the end user to install a mod that works perfectly. This reflects upon me if it doesn't. However, due to time constraints, oversight, lack of sleep, or whatever, sometimes things slip past, as when I released a faulty .bmp in my last mod. In that case I tried to find the problem and fix it as fast as I could.
However, I pretty much agree with y'all. You can't expect everyone to have the time or inclination to go that extra mile to get it perfect when basically they are doing it for fun and experience, and providing it free of charge. So I just take what comes, and keep the mods I like and chuck the rest.
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DeanCo--
CM interface mods: http://mapage.cybercable.fr/deanco/
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I'd agree with you, Terence. Much as I hate Microsoft for their unscrupulous business practices and arrogant attitude, I must admit that the money that MS has put into their game division has been money well spent as far as us gamers are concerned. I believe they even have a Games Research lab where they study why games are fun, what fun is, etc etc. Normally I would be against this, it's too much like producers figuring out what the formula is for having a "hit". But for the moment it seems to be paying dividends. A game like Allegiance, for example, is chock full of bright, innovative game ideas.
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DeanCo--
CM interface mods: http://mapage.cybercable.fr/deanco/
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Could you post them somewhere for download, Klink? Looks like demand is outstripping your email account!
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DeanCo--
CM interface mods: http://mapage.cybercable.fr/deanco/
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Yes, Shogun is an excellent, high quality game. It deserved to be mentioned there.
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DeanCo--
CM interface mods: http://mapage.cybercable.fr/deanco/
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<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by THumpre:
Make sure that you pick up DeanCo's GUNMETAL interface mod, it is terrific!
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Thanks very much THumpre. One thing I'd like to say is that my interface mods are, for all intents and purposes, lo-res mods. They will not slow down your system by any appreciable amount. It's true that some of the graphics I used are slightly bigger than the original BTS versions, but we are talking a few pixels worth. In other cases I was able to make the graphics smaller, so it must work out about the same. Hi-res graphics, if I'm not mistaken, are 4 times the size of the originals, and that's why you may experience slowdowns.
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DeanCo--
CM interface mods: http://mapage.cybercable.fr/deanco/
Philosophy -OT-
in Combat Mission Archive #3 (2001)
Posted
I've one of those weirdos who read philosophy for the cool ideas that are in the books. I really like the French cats, Camus, Sartre. I dig the concept of putting philosophical ideas in popular format, such as plays and stories. Books like The Plague are good stories with a message so to speak. It's disheartening to hear that modern philosophy is becoming 'divorced from reality' as I have always dug reading what an incredibly smart person has to say about an incredibly tough problem. The great philosophy books I have read have stayed with me through the years and sort of act as beacons in my life. Too bad we won't be getting any of this kind of writing from the current crop of dudes.
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DeanCo--
CM interface mods: http://mapage.cybercable.fr/deanco/