UniversalWolf

This is a bit off-topic but I'm curious: how much money do lawyers make in the former Soviet Union these days? BTW, here's a toast to things getting better there in the future.

Andrew, could you make me some nice cotton slacks, maybe tan or slate - you know, something summery and a little dressy but not too formal. I could also use a nice warm-weather sport jacket or a blazer to go with the slacks. You don't have to worry about a shirt though, since I already have one or two good ones to wear. I don't need a helmet either.

Allow users to create new units complete with new models, texture maps, and data. The community will then take care of the retrofitting on its own, and enthusiastically at that.

I know there's no perfect solution, but I wish we could answer this person without banning him or deleting his posts. Don't we have a moral obligation to try and deprogram him, or at least plant some doubts in his head? If his arguments are so ridiculous - which they are - we should be able to refute them without too much difficulty. I think I can. Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending this guy. I just worry that shutting him down without comment may only serve to harden his resolve. Of course I could be wrong, and he could simply be trolling for flames...although I wouldn't flame him, only answer his assertions.

Similar: Stalin exterminated millions of Ukrainians and others in the 1930s, and Hitler exterminated millions of Jews and others in the 1940s. Similar: Stalin purged from power anyone and everyone suspected of disagreeing with Communist dogma, executing most and sending the rest to prison camps. Hitler purged from power anyone and everyone suspected of disagreeing with Nazi dogma, executing most and sending the rest to prison camps. Similar: Hitler's ambition was to conquer his neighbors and impose Nazi rule. Stalin's ambition was to conquer his neighbors and impose Communist rule. Similar: In the days immediately prior to World War II, the Soviet Union was filled with flag-waving processions carrying the hammer and sickle and huge portraits of Stalin. In the days immediately prior to World War II, Nazi Germany was filled with flag-waving processions carrying the swastika and huge portraits of Hitler. Similar: Hitler and the Nazis were openly hostile to organized religion, believing it threatened absolute loyalty to the state. Stalin and the Communists were openly hostile to organized religion, believing it threatened absolute loyalty to the state. Similar: Stalin and the Communists portrayed the war as a struggle for national survival. Hitler and the Nazis portrayed the war as a struggle for national survival. Are there differences? Of course there are. The Nazis believed your race made you worthy or unworthy, while the Communists believed your class and your money made you worthy or unworthy. The Nazis believed that Aryans were a master race, and so believed that Aryan lives were more precious and valuable than other races, while the Communists believed that every life was equally expendable in the name of the Revolution. The Nazis were decidedly nationalistic, while the Communists were decidedly globalist. But are there more differences than similarities? I don't think so. The underlying ideals are very similar, especially when contrasted to the underlying ideals of France, Great Britain, the United States, and the rest of the western democracies. Was Nazi Germany more similar in ideal and practice to Stalin's Soviet Union, or more similar to Churchill's Great Britain? This is why the Nazis and the Bolsheviks hated each other so much: because they realized how similar they were, and neither one could stand heretics. In the end, I would be equally opposed to a Nazi regime or a Communist regime ruling my own country, but I'm not opposed to a reasonable republic of some sort - they're not perfect by any means, but they're usually tolerable. Perhaps you have a different opinion. As to the presence of civilians in the game, I'm all for it some time in the distant future when other technical issues of greater importance have been resolved. For example, civilians should never appear until after we eliminate the unit abstraction and have one in-game figure for each individual soldier. It seems to me we're actually reasonably close to that (would I be wrong to estimate 5:1 or 6:1 currently?), so the jump shouldn't be beyond the realm of possibility. I can certainly see that carts or trucks or tractors at least could be damaged and left behind by fleeing populations.

One thing I must agree strongly with as stated by Skipper: the National Socialists and Communists are not very different in belief and practice, and certainly they are not opposites. They both believe in cetralized power, and in government control of industry; they both believe in expanding their spheres of poitical control through conquest of their neighbors; they both believe in killing their political opponents; most significantly, they both believe that individuals are the property of the state. In fact, one of the few things the Nazis and Communists disagree on is who deserves extermination. If there is an "opposite" to this philosophy, it is a belief in the rights and liberties of individuals.

It would be nice to have a command to move a selected group to a point instead of moving every unit in the group relative to the highlited unit's path. Call it 'Move to Point.' Example: Select a whole scattered platoon by clicking on the HQ unit, then issue a 'Move to Point' command, which makes every unit in the platoon move toward and eventually gather at the destination point. You could sort out your messy throng of reinforcements, but it would take a little time.

WooHoo! Wolfpack and Juju! The testing team of two is now closed until further notice!

It's a package of original grass textures with a subdued grid, some new modified trees, and a few other goodies (like a new stone wall, new wheat fields, new water, and new roads). I'd rather not say too much more about it at this point except that it's quite different from anything else I've seen.

Greetings! I've recently been working on a new package of terrain textures. Everything is moving along nicely, but since I use a Mac and I don't have access to a PC, I could use the input of some Windows users just to make sure everything works correctly when I go ahead and do a full release. If you use Windows and would like to test my terrain package, send me an e-mail (kjetil@wwt.net). You must be willing and able to download a five or six meg file, install the textures without much technical assistance, inspect things closely, then write up some helpful comments and suggestions. Everything SHOULD work right, so the hassle should be minimal. I'd like to have things completed ASAP, so don't hesitate.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> To sell future CM games, there has to be enough new stuff in it. The graphics system can be extended as the graphic cards grow up, but the basic mechanisms of CMBO leave only a few holes that can be filled with current computer mechanisms. So, to sell future CMBO games, BTS will for a major part have to rely on people's desire to get new units, for money. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Wow, I couldn't disagree more with this statement and I think the past few years in computer gaming have proven it utterly false. I'm thinking of all the first-person shooters, flight sims, real-time tactical sims, and every other kind of game I can think of that allows for easy 3rd party modification - I don't think any of them have lost money by doing so. In fact, lots of 3rd party modifications are a strong selling point for any game. What people primarily pay for in a sequel is the implementation of improvements to the mechanics of the game, not new units (although they may pay for new units too). You seem to be saying Combat Mission can't be improved as far as the interface and simulation mechanics are concerned, but the sheer number of suggestions people have made on these forums seems to argue strongly against that. You should ask yourself whether you'd rather pay for unlimited units in CMBO as it exists now, or for all the new non-unit features that will likely be included in CM2. Adding new units would have a similar - but more profound and powerful - effect to adding new textures to the tanks and terrain: it would improve and expand the experience of playing CM, but wouldn't diminish the desire for for a new, technically-enhanced version. Finally, if the opinion of BTS is accurately represented by your statement, I would be inclined not to support them as a company. [ 04-27-2001: Message edited by: UniversalWolf ]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> Not to say anything bad about them or you, but it's a fact. They want to get the most fun from application of historical tacics (my interpretation). <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Isn't the SturmTiger reasonably historical though? I mean, it existed, and was used in combat, and had a reputation...it's not like asking for an Abrahms or an Imperial Probe Driod or something. <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> The geometry of the 3D models is hardcoded into the program executable, as is the performance data. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Hmm...I wouldn't mind the stock vehicle data being hard-coded if there were a way to add new models. Then I could make a SturmTiger and BTS would have a new feature added to their simulation without any extra time or effort on their part. I hope they consider the option of 3rd party model addability for CM2. <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> Buy the game, you won't regret it. Using the Hummel, big arty or flamethrowers to blow up stuff is fun you are probably open for, and fun that can still be part of a balanced game. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> You're probably right!

I think it would be colossally funny to have a vehicle in this game that had a huge gun but took ten turns to reload. This brings me to another question: has anybody successfully made a new 3D model for CM? Just to qualify, I'm thinking about buying the full version of CM, but for now I'm still using the demo. I'm working from a limited frame of reference.

What about a 37mm shell down the barrel of the 88mm gun? That's a theoretical weak spot, isn't it? Especially if they were in the midst of reloading. Just a thought.

Thanks for the responses. I had expected that somebody would have brought up the same issues I have. I'm definitely not a hard-core wargamer. I've never played Squad Leader, for example, but I have played lots and lots of Close Combat, and a few other wargames too. Please don't think I'm complaining about CM, 'cause I'm not. I'm just commenting. Imagine if you could see every member of each squad, and each of them had a name, rank, and specific weapon. Then imagine you ordered them to enter a building. What if they could break formation on thier own and each individual find a suitable spot from which to fire? Wouldn't that be nifty? I guess it comes down to this: I hope the CM team is not reluctant to steal good ideas from other wargames shamelessly.