Scipio

My bet: CMAK (Afrika Korps)

I faintly remember Steve(?) writing at some point that there will be no more completely reprogrammed CM (=CMx3) beyond CMx2. It is probably more realistic to expect CMx2 v5,6,7....
Apart from that I bet on a CM Afrika Corps as next full game.
1) No need to make new graphics for the landscape.
2) American forces participated.
My second bet is the Korean War set.

We're already in May '45 with Red Thunder after the Fire & Rubble module, so what's to follow?
The only criticism I have of the business model, if you want to call it that, is that the maps are not interchangeable between the different main titles. This would simplify the scenario design and increase the number of Quick Battle maps.

Basically right BUT CMSF2 can load CMSF1 maps, so my idea ist to use CMBN v1.0 to load a CMA/CMSF1, then save this in CMBN v1.0, then try to load it to CMBN v4.0, then see what will happen when I try to port it to other v4 games.
Unfortunatly, I can't get BN V1.0 running due to licensing problems, even if I have all the games & modules purchased. But it requests a license file, not the key!? Funny. Was there a trick for this, or do I have to contact the support?
Of course it would be much better if the guys from BFC or the brain in the jar show mercy, so that all maps can at least be loaded in the editor, no matter from which game in which game....

We're already in May '45 with Red Thunder after the Fire & Rubble module, so what's to follow?
The only criticism I have of the business model, if you want to call it that, is that the maps are not interchangeable between the different main titles. This would simplify the scenario design and increase the number of Quick Battle maps.

We're already in May '45 with Red Thunder after the Fire & Rubble module, so what's to follow?
The only criticism I have of the business model, if you want to call it that, is that the maps are not interchangeable between the different main titles. This would simplify the scenario design and increase the number of Quick Battle maps.

Yes, there is always a header, and the guy who programmed ScAn_CaDe obviously mapped it more or less completely. I have already tried to contact him, but unfortunately without success.
What I would like to know is, has anyone ever tried to convert this however compressed and/or encrypted part of a scenario file into a readable form?
My thought is that somehow the map data can be converted into raw data that can be read and processed.
Something like hexcode 01 is an open, hexcode 02 is a beet field, etc. That would bring us - I think - quite a bit further.

Well, as the author of ScAnCaDe, I can at least answer the question from my perspective.
Of course when I started analysing the files, being able to read out everything was the ultimate objective.
But I realised quite soon that for me, doing the basic headers / building blocks will have to be enough.
As can be imagined, I tried with the most simple map to get any idea, but already encountered problems there when trying to understand the file.
First problem is for example:
1. Open the editor, you will have a basic, open, 320x320 meters map, without any units, plans etc.
2. Save the file, two times, three times, whatever, without changing anything.
3. The files should have exactly the same contents, but they all will have different sizes, so there is sometimes more or less raw data being written to a file, for exactly the same thing. The headers will be the same, for sure, but the map and unit data "payload" somehow varies in size. I'm not sure why that is, but I assume there is some kind of packing / encryption algorithm involved here.
Basically, for this reason, I gave up trying pretty quickly.
Anyway, if somebody wants to try further, the basics are already available with ScAnCaDe and I've always included the source code, which isn't really that difficult to understand. Most of the work was working out the file layouts and the changes introduced with new modules / games.

For CMBN? I have the old patches for v2 and probably v1.

Basically right BUT CMSF2 can load CMSF1 maps, so my idea ist to use CMBN v1.0 to load a CMA/CMSF1, then save this in CMBN v1.0, then try to load it to CMBN v4.0, then see what will happen when I try to port it to other v4 games.
Unfortunatly, I can't get BN V1.0 running due to licensing problems, even if I have all the games & modules purchased. But it requests a license file, not the key!? Funny. Was there a trick for this, or do I have to contact the support?
Of course it would be much better if the guys from BFC or the brain in the jar show mercy, so that all maps can at least be loaded in the editor, no matter from which game in which game....

Since I did the conversion: I had no problem with this scenario back then. Maybe it's just a very compatible scenario, or it had something to do with the engine version back then.
P.S.: Just found an Engine v3 executable for CMBN and tried to load a CMSF 2 quick battle map in the editor. The map wasn't loaded, but the game didn't crashed. When I try to load the same map with Enhine v4, the game crashed.

So I did a little test because when I switched to an AMD GPU recently I discovered that the time it takes to load a game significantly worsened (with CM titles).
I have discovered that of the game options texture quality has an effect on that. And only that. Model quality, shader, multisampling etc. does not have an effect on this.
All times are given as m:ss, from a cold start (I have quit completely CM before starting the next test).
Test hardware: Ryzen 3600X + 5700XT + 32GB DDR4 RAM  + Kingston HyperX Savage SSD
 
CMFI: Beyond the Belice scenario (tiny) loading times in accordance with the 3D texture qualities:
Fastest: 0:14
Faster: 0:19
Fast: 0:29
Balanced: 0:46
Improved: 2:16
Better: 2:17
Best: 2:18
CMFI: Hot Mustard scenario (huge)
Fastest: 0:46
Faster: 0:50
Fast: 1:01
Balanced: 1:12
Improved: 2:28
Better: 2:31
Best: 2:31
 
You may wonder whats the difference in picture quality. Test shots for each setting are here in QHD resolution:
Fastest, Faster, Fast, Balanced, Improved, Better, Best

Thanks for this, but before the topic mutates to something different ;-): I'm really looking for vehicel camouflage

Dear ladies and gentleman,
I know that I'm rather late with this, but some real life issues kept me away (finally mary the wife some time ago, for example...). But now it is done!


You can download this mod from my site Pimp you Combat Mission

Another scenario conversion is up http://cm.1540.info/cmbs_maps.php
 
I'll take a look into the requested interface mod now, but you have to be very patient!

Hi folks, my latest file and first BS scenario (conversion) doesn't show up in the repository for some reason, but you can find it here, too: http://cm.1540.info/cmbs_maps.php

Another scenario conversion is up http://cm.1540.info/cmbs_maps.php
 
I'll take a look into the requested interface mod now, but you have to be very patient!

Hi folks, my latest file and first BS scenario (conversion) doesn't show up in the repository for some reason, but you can find it here, too: http://cm.1540.info/cmbs_maps.php

I remember the time when CMSF was developed and what was promised about the revolutionary new CMx2 engine and the various battlefields (Space Lobsters) that would be possible.
So let me see...
CMSF was indeed a great step and revolutionary scenario, justsuffered from engine 1.0 issues
CMA offered another interesting scenario...with 1.0 issues.

But since than:
CMBN brought us back the good old mood from CMBO. 1944
CMFI is mostly like CMBN with a little different timeline and weather. 1943/1944
CMRT brought us back to the East Front. 1944 again.
CMBS is kind of CMSF with the advantages of the 3.0 engine
Next title likely be West Front 1944/1945
And then?

Where is the revolution? Where is an early war game, or even something that is not WW2 or Modern USA against the world?
CMx2 is a good game, no question. It just becomes technically a bit more outdated with each year.