ScoutPL

Tom W., I'm getting concerned man... Judging by the number and length of the posts you put on here daily you need to just sit back more and enjoy some CM!!

The type of reconnaissance you are asking for a treatise on is really beyond the scope of this game. CM covers the last few hundred meters of a battle. Unless you're doing a meeting engagement all reconnaissance would already be complete, realworld. A good scenario designer would include any information gleaned from a reconnaissance in the scenario brief. In the US Army most reconnaissance is handled at the division level and is reliant on electronic means and air support. Most infantry battalions have recon assets but they are small and the commander has to have a good idea of the enemy situation before he employs them so he can focus their efforts. The germans take a much more aggressive look at things. Their abundant use of recon battalions, armed mostly with armored cars, serves as an example. The germans usually conducted reconnaissance expecting contact, actually looking for it. They would develop an idea of the enemy situation through these contacts. This actually went right along with their battle doctrine, which simply put, pushed them to find weak points and exploit them to get into the enemy's rear. (Sounds like the obvious thing to do right? Well it was pretty novel in 1940, even though the Germans had used the doctrine effectively during early 1918.) Recon units were expected to fight their way through weak enemy defenses if possible, and allow the armored units following them to bust through and exploit to the enemys rear. As far as CM goes, "legal" recon should follow along with what a company or battlaion commander would really do. A recon plan developed by a battalion staff would be heavily reliant on the scenario brief and terrain analysis (Enemy's defending, so where are the most obvious places for AT assets, fortifications, obstacles). Its all guess work but then you develop a plan from that. Like I said in the beginning, CM covers the last few hundred meters of the battle so the only recon to a small unit leader at that point would be a sharpshooter sneaking up to some high ground or up to the edge of a woodline. Or split a squad and have one of its teams move forward to have a look around. This replicates what that battalion level scout platoon would be doing realworld but takes time and the scenario designer would have to allow for it. The point here is that by the time you get to the part of the battle covered by CM, you WANT to make contact with the enemy. Recon should be complete and the guys moving the pins on the map should have manipulated their forces, based on the reconnaissance, to give the attacker a numerical superiority in the little 1km x 1km battlespace portrayed in CM. As the commander of these forces you are expected to move forward aggressively and take the ground you've been ordered to take. You have to have faith in your chain of command that you have the forces needed to take the ground. It's usually a very successful system, though there are instances in history of units getting bad intel or moving too agressivly and getting their butts kicked. Bottom line: any recon in CM without time specifically set aside for it by the scenario designer is "gamey." Everything else would fall under the cap of "advancing to contact" (or Blunder into a Bullet). Which we should all be able to do successfully.

The best "common man" example of a sharpshooter that I can think of would be the man carring the scoped M1903 in Saving Private Ryan. Cant really think of a hollywood version of the sniper that comes close to how they are employed but perhaps the movie "Sniper" with Tom Berrenger comes closest to techniques and use of camouflage. Actually scoped rifles were a common occurence in WWII, at least as far as the TO&E were concerned. Most early war army and marine infantry had a few designated in every platoon if not one per squad. Today, we only have snipers in the light units. Three sniper teams per battalion. They are very rarely used and their usefulness varies with whom you ask. I was responsible for the three teams in my battalion, but since they were integral to my three scout teams they very rarely got to perform as snipers. Good for observation and getting in close to an objective but for the most part the sniper rifle was just unwanted extra weight. Sniper usefulness on any battle field is debateable as well, except for the effect on enemy morale. Take out a leader and in most armies another will step forward, but its great for shaking up the men! Of course, once they get their hands on you all bets are off (i.e. Full Metal Jacket)

Dude, you're thinking way to hard about this! I think the more I read an play the more I understand that CMBO is more of a "small unit action simulation" then a first person shooter or tank simulation type game. Which makes me love it more and more! This is a game where you make some generalizations in order to make game play faster/easier. You could get really picky about fortifications, if you wanted. Are they sandbags, cinderblock, concrete, steel reinforced dirt, slit trenches, foxholes with and with out overhead cover? But to give you and I a better playing experience some generalizations have been made in graphics and such. When it comes down to it, unless you're going to go into a terribly long and complicated numbers game, cover is cover. Take it or leave it.

What are the best sites for finding scenarios? Any that focus on accurate historical battles?

Was wondering what the basic load is for the infantry units. I just fought a defense against what had to be a German PZGDR battalion. I had two airborne rifle platoons with plenty of support weapons. After the game ended at 21 minutes (only the last 15 actually contained combat) the AI was finally able to get a foothold in one of the buildings of the ville I was defending, only because my guys were all low on ammo and so didnt have a way of keeping them out. And that includes most of my supporting MG's and MTRs. Now I know combat units go through ammo quick. Though I think they went through it a lot slower in WWII then they did in say Vietnam because the weapon systems were different. Just settle my curiosity how you came up with the ammo figures. Are the basic loads for airborne units smaller then conventional units? How about a patch to the Quick Battle setup that allows a defender to stockpile ammo in a Assault or Attack scenario? Apologize if this issue has been covered before, I just dont have the time to browse all THREE CM posts. Thanks for your time.

Great dialogue on weapon types, exotics, etc. But is it really relavant to gameplay? I have to hand it to the BTS guys. This amount of scrutiny on a product of mine would make me want to scream out a loud and final "take it or leave it!" Kudos to your understanding and patience concerning your avid customer base. Anyway back to my point. A rifle, is a rifle, is a rifle. When the brown stuff hits the turning blades, as long as it wasnt prone to jamming, knocks down what it hits, and the barrel wasnt so worn it wouldnt shoot straight, I dont think Joe really cares what it looks like, who made it or what type round it fired. If you wanted to simulate all these different types you'd have to go into the weight of each system, ammo interchangability, mecahnical reliability, sighting systems, and the list goes on. You could even go as far as randomly distinguishing whether a guy's weapon was zeroed for a particular range he was shooting at! But then that little blue line that creeps across the bottom of your game screen would take hours rather then seconds, and I dont think any of us want that!

One quick thing to throw out here on this topic. The largest map available to a scenario designer in CM (which they recommend you not attempt)is approx. 5 square km. Take that into the real world (which CM is trying hard to replicate) and you'd be talking about a large circle on a map labeled something like "OBJ Lee". CM simulates the last few hundred meters of combat, gentlemen. Op graphics are used to control movement to ensure that everybody gets into position for the final attack on those last hundred meters. This game covers the combat responsibilities by the small unit leader. If, as a rifle platoon leader, I'd tried to sit down with my squad leaders and draw graphics on how I wanted to have them take the next stand of trees they would have laughed at me! If its really important to have control of whats going on. Arrange your units in tactical formations, study up on your favorite army's battle drills and then move forward and close with the enemy. That is what this game is designed to simulate and I think it does a bang up job of it!

Wondering if anyone has had problems with casualties from friendly fire, other then Arty. Wondering how close I can bring my assaulting units before I should lift fires. Havent had problems yet but I'm lifting pretty early just to be safe.

Anybody else experiencing mouse problems? I bought 1.03 and have patched to 1.05. But there seems to be a delay with my mouse interface. Buttons dont work or have to be "juggled" to be fooled into working. Scroll buttons wont take click command right away, etc. Weird stuff like that. Any ideas? Problems only in setup and scenario creation screens. Interface works great during game. Having to live with a few odd colored buildings from time to time but I'm sure thats just my 3D card being ornery.

I just threw my Talonsoft Campign Series Disks on a funeral pyre! Looking for some help breaking in the new leather on this Combat Mission game. AI is too easy! Todd