Triggerhappy

Did so. How the heck did they forget CM? I hope we can keep this topic up long enough so also not-so-often visitors will do their duty and vote for CM. ------------------ laid to rest alive waiting in a shallow grave mines have learned patience - Kurtz Rührt euch!

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Wesreidau: Can anyone who has the full game tell me how the strategy element works out? Is it a good game in itself (a la talonsoft`s resource management effort)?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> If you know the strategy part of MiG Alley then you know the strategy part of Battle of Britain as well. It's not that complex although it appears to be in the beginning because the interface is quite hard to figure out. Basically you're deploying and distributing your forces and then planning attacks or patrols (depending on the side you choose). The orders are then carried out in compressed time. When any of your squads runs into enemies you're given the opportunity to take over control and fight for yourself. I found it quite hard to play the Luftwaffe campaign. The Brits build up their radar posts faster than you can destroy them. The RAF campaign is easier to play. ------------------ laid to rest alive waiting in a shallow grave mines have learned patience - Kurtz Rührt euch!

I don't like CFS 2 too much. Groucho from Combatsim.com sums my opinion on it up pretty well. http://www.combatsim.com/htm/2000/11/imho-cfs2/ ------------------ laid to rest alive waiting in a shallow grave mines have learned patience - Kurtz Rührt euch!

To all the EAW lovers out there: I find BoB quite comparable to the Microprose sim. If you love EAW then you'll certainly like BoB. ------------------ laid to rest alive waiting in a shallow grave mines have learned patience - Kurtz Rührt euch!

The link should be www.empireinteractive.com but it seems to be down. Empire's old url (www.empire.co.uk) is only referring to the new one. I think that Rowan's got their own homepage. ------------------ laid to rest alive waiting in a shallow grave mines have learned patience - Kurtz Rührt euch!

Recently had the chance to play the final beta (version 1.0) of BoB from Rowan Software for a while. If you're into flight sims this game may be one to look out for. It's not too hardcore. Although the flight model is pretty well done (IMHO - I never piloted a Spit or 109 of course ) there are quite a few things that hardcore pilots will miss, for example accurate cockpits or realistic damage modelling. The graphics aren't too good either. The airplanes are quite detailed and there are a lot of ground objects but the textures are really looking artificial. Strange colors. Third bad thing is that the missions become a little bit boring with time. In the dynamic campaign you'll fly only intercept missions for the RAF and escort missions for the Luftwaffe (although you can also dive bomb targets with the Ju-87 Stuka and play as a tail gunner in the German bombers Ju-88, He-111 and Do-17). That's a problem of the scenario of course. The one thing that's really great about BoB is that the graphics engine is capable of displaying hundreds (!) of war birds at the same time. I've had engagements with approximately 250 bombers and fighters. Together with the gorgeous sound effects and radio chatter that creates a really stunning dog fighting experience. I'd love to play such huge air battles with human opponents but unfortunately the game only allows up to eight players. Conclusion: If you love dog fighting then you should really give it a try. Too bad that the AI opponents aren't too much of a challenge for an experienced sim pilot. ------------------ laid to rest alive waiting in a shallow grave mines have learned patience - Kurtz Rührt euch!

Thanks for your answer Steve. Seems like i will have to live without CM campaigns. Weel, to be honest, CM is the best wargame I ever played, even without campaigns. Keep up the good work. ------------------ laid to rest alive waiting in a shallow grave mines have learned patience - Kurtz Rührt euch!

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Big Time Software: Our answer is, and has always been, "while it might be fun, it is also highly unrealistic. CM is designed to be realistic first, all other things second." <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I know it's been discussed a lot but I just won't give up... "CM is designed to be realistic first, all other things second" - Even if that means loosing fun? Obviously there are a few guys like me out there who would love to see this feature in CM2 so why not just do it? People who prefer to keep it realistic won't need to use the option while others will love CM even more. If it's too much work, if there are other things that are more important to you I understand that. But please don't omit on a campaign feature just because it would be unrealistic. To me, CM - just like any other game - is a *game* first, all other things second. If realism is the only thing that counts then there would be no CM at all. Or does anybody really think "yes, that's how officers commanded their troops in WW2"? Don't get me wrong - I'm a realism fan. But I'm also the kind of guy who hates being unable to switch off the cockpit in a flight sim. So why not using the quick battle generator in a campaign and add a minimal force management system with replacing/repairing units in between battles, plus adding experience gains for the units? ------------------ laid to rest alive waiting in a shallow grave mines have learned patience - Kurtz Rührt euch!

BTW, has any of you guys seen the new movie about Pearl Harbor? I've heard that there was one running in the US. It hasn't been running in Europe yet.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Paul Lakowski: Theres a side to this thats never discussed...when your playing CM scenarios , how realistic do you think they are?? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Personally I don't care how realistic a scenario is as long as it's fun to play. That is, by the way, the main reason why i would like to see campaigns in CM2. Taking care of "my" boys in a campaign was what made SP, CC3 or JA2 so fun to me. I like the role playing aspect in those games, seeing my units gain experience. That's why I prefer small engagements with only a handful of units (about platoon level) to the huge battles that SPWW2 modeled. ------------------ laid to rest alive waiting in a shallow grave mines have learned patience - Kurtz Rührt euch!

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Triggerhappy, can you tell us a little more about how the game play? is there any use of small unit tactics? or do you just run around shooting what ever in your way?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> It's not just a shooter, it's much more tactical than Quake 3 for example. As I wrote: The infantery battles are really cool. Imagine running through open terrain with about 30 other guys. Suddenly your squad leader shouts "Enemy soldier, three o clock!" (there are always voice messages, just like in a flight sim). The guy in front of you breaks down, hit by an MG burst. The bullets are swarming all over as you swing your M16 around. You notice an Abrams tank, rumbling into battle to your left. You try to keep up with it so you stay behind it in cover. Suddenly an explosion shatters the tank and a Soviet Hind gunship is roaring over your head... I've never played any other game that so much made me feel "Hell, this is war! Get me out of here!". I especially loved taking out AFVs with LAWs. It's really pretty frightening to kneel down only a few meters away from a Bradley trying to get a good aim while its turret quickly swings towards you. Okay, maybe I'm a little bit too enthusiastic but I've got to say I just love this game - the infantery part, that ist. I didn't like too much driving a tank or flying a helicopter. ------------------ laid to rest alive waiting in a shallow grave mines have learned patience - Kurtz Rührt euch! [This message has been edited by Triggerhappy (edited 11-23-2000).]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Doug Beman: From here: http://www.zdnet.com/gamespot/stories/news/0,10870,2657314,00.html I'm not sure what reality they're in; bazookas aren't supposed to be used as area-supression weapons, are they? DjB [This message has been edited by Doug Beman (edited 11-22-2000).]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I've been playing the alpha version for some time now and it looks like this will be a really cool game but it's far from being realistic. It's a pure action game and although the player can fly helicopters and climb into tanks it's got little to do with a simulation. It's more like a mix between Battlezone, Uprising, Urban Assault and Counter-Strike. What's really cool is that you have huge battles between dozens of infantery men running, shooting, shouting while tanks are rumbling between them and helicopters fill the air... ------------------ laid to rest alive waiting in a shallow grave mines have learned patience - Kurtz Rührt euch!

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mace: Then again, you could always go out and buy a tank sim like Panzer Elite or Steel Beasts! Mace<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Guess what - I tried to Play CM that way after playing through Panzer Elite for the third time...

New way to play Combat Mission: Set up a small battlefield, purchase the units manually for both sides, preferably one tank or tank destroyer on your side, some armor on the AI side. Now place the camera right behind your only tank and play Combat Mission as the tank commander. Always keep the camera locked while watching the action phase. I played the game that way for a few hours yesterday. Can be lots of fun to command "your" tank in Combat Mission. Makes the whole thing a little bit more exciting if you know you'll loose the battle as soon as your only tank is destroyed. ------------------ laid to rest alive waiting in a shallow grave mines have learned patience - Kurtz Rührt euch!

Germany here. Greenwich Time +1. But I'd stay up late for CM anytime. ------------------ laid to rest alive waiting in a shallow grave mines have learned patience - Kurtz Rührt euch!

Please do a search on the topic. There was someone offering the mod on a private FTP server. I downloaded it there on Monday. ------------------ laid to rest alive waiting in a shallow grave mines have learned patience - Kurtz Rührt euch!

You really should wait for the English version if you don't speak German fluently. The game is pretty complex. Isn't there an English version available? In the German version there are some English sentences left over. Although it's quite fun for an evening or two it's got also a very "board game like" appeal to it. Just like the computer version of Hasrbo's Risk. The game play is pretty limited and there are too many random events. All in all I didn't like Europa Universalis too much but I haven't tried multiplayer yet. Maybe it's better there. ------------------ laid to rest alive waiting in a shallow grave mines have learned patience - Kurtz Rührt euch!

Tom W, just wanted to thank you for offering the download on your server. I finally was able to get it. ------------------ laid to rest alive waiting in a shallow grave mines have learned patience - Kurtz Rührt euch!

Try using Hypersnap from www.hyperionics.com . It's the best screen capture program available. It's pretty easy to use. Just press a key and a snap shot will be stored on your hard drive. ------------------ laid to rest alive waiting in a shallow grave mines have learned patience - Kurtz Rührt euch!

No luck for me. I tried several ftp clients but the login/password always was denied. Is there any other site I could find the mod? ------------------ laid to rest alive waiting in a shallow grave mines have learned patience - Kurtz Rührt euch!

I have to agree with Jeff that the AI's selections are often strange to say at least. When I select "Armor" for the AI general I don't want to see him coming along with a few halftracks, one tank and tons of infantry units which won't stand a chance against my hand picked elite tanks. Of course I also understand Mike Adam's arguments. It's much more fun when you don't know what you're up to and have to complete your mission with the less than perfect equipment the computer chose for you. Maybe BTS could implement two different AI behaviours in CM2? One that selects its units in a realistic manner (that means also buying an obviously useless jeep platoon in an armor vs. armor engagement) and one that buys the "best" units available (whatever "best" means depends mainly on your enemies force and your mission). ------------------ laid to rest alive waiting in a shallow grave mines have learned patience - Kurtz Rührt euch!

Some of you may already know http://www.aviatorart.com/ . They offer paintings of various war birds, from WWI to modern days. Some of those paintings are really a work of art and I'd like to use them as destktop background images but they're only available in bad quality and low resolution. Does anyone know where I could get these pics or similar ones in better quality? Thanks in advance. ------------------ laid to rest alive waiting in a shallow grave mines have learned patience - Kurtz Rührt euch!

I'm surprised only two guys mentioned "The Bridge", certainly the best anti war movie ever. You really have to watch this one, it's absolutely fantastic. It's also available from the website that was mentioned earlier on. http://www.sonic.net/~bstone/blitzbooks/video.html Here's their description: VHS­035. THE BRIDGE. (1959) This is the famous and shocking war film about eight high school boys who are drafted into the Wehrmacht during the last days of WWII in April 1945. They receive orders to defend a bridge against advancing U.S. troops and tanks. The details of this film are nerve shattering from the time the tanks start approaching to the grim and starkly realistic conclusion. Shown in its original black and white, it is available in either English dubbed version or subtitled version. $ 20 And when they say shocking, they mean it. It's really no pop corn movie.

Just did a search on www.alltheweb.com for "Heinz Thorwald" and came up with that site: http://users.pandora.be/stalingrad/snipers.html . It's only the first hit of the search engine, there are many more.

On an operation (don't remember the name) I played the Germans on defens vs. an American assault. I only had a handful of AT guns, two 88's and a Pz IV H, plus some 20mm AAs, Infantry and some Panzerschrecks. There was one dirt road crossing the whole map, with most of the other areas covered with bocage and trees. So I hid nearly all of my troops to the left and to the right of the dirt road in what seemed to be a perfect ambush position. Then the Americans came. My only arty spotter was positioned to have a clear view of the main road. In the first turn, I counted about 10 Shermans and at least 10 halftracks coming down the road. Everything seemed to be perfect for the ambush I had planed. I plotted an artillery strike in front of my defense lines and waited for turn two. In turn two, the first Sherman, a Jumbo, passed my defense lines and was immediately taken out by a Panzerschreck from the side. In only about a second all the other tanks left the road to the left. To make it short, the armored vehicles proceeded far to the left of my defense lines to outflank me while the American infantry made a pretty successfull frontal assault on my AT guns and support teams. I had a pretty hard time fighting off the attack with my Mark IV as the only "mobile defense". It was simply amazing how well the AI outmaneuvered my positions. Although I had heavy losses I won that scenario and in the end managed to win the whole operation. Nonetheless there was something very strange happening in the last scenario of the campaign: I had set up my forces and played a few turns when suddenly an arty strike took out an 88 which I had forgotten to set up - stupid me. So I reloaded the scenario and lined that Flak gun up with my other forces. It took a few turns and again an artillery strike knocked out the same gun. What was this? I was sure the Americans couldn't have spotted the 88 because they were still pretty far away. Were there any paratroopers coming from the rear? Maybe. I tried again, this time positioning the 88 gun in the very left corner of the map. Guess what - it got pounded again. I tried several positions for that gun but it wouldn't help. Each time I played the scenario the gun was destroyed by artillery fire, everytime in the same turn. Anybody got an oppinion on that one? I'm pretty sure that there were no enemy forces nearby...