Donald Ingram

So what ? The graphics could be improved and I've no doubt they will be over time. If you want good graphics buy a film on DVD. But if you want a good game ... One of these days the two (graphics and gameplay) might converge. But if you think what passes for good graphics, and I assume by that you mean the reproduction of reality, are FPS, RTS or anything else in the computer games market then you're kidding yourself. All computer games are just that, games. I wouldn't want to go anywhere near Combat Mission if it was anything like real warfare. Sure I'd like to see some improvement in it's presentation. But I can say without hesitation I'm far happier that BTS has made a great game.

I can see this is a bit of an old chestnut and been covered before. Thanks for the answers. I should have known BTS has done their figures. I'll just have to put the PIAT teams through their paces and tell their Corporal to work a bit more on their fitness. On a slightly different track ... it's occurred to me that the various high commands during World War II could have learnt a lot if they only had a copy of CM. I reckon the British in particular would have recorgnanised the composition of their Infantry Battalions. Less 2 inch mortars and more HMGs methinks. Thanks again for the answers.

Small question but it's bugging me. It's probably been asked before but I could find it on bulletin boards so ... American and French Bazooka teams can run further than 'equivelant' AT teams without getting tired or weary. After doing some simple tests these are the approximate stats : When running British PIAT Team are tired at 60-75m, weary at 80-100m. German Panserschrek Team are tired at 60-75m, weary at 80-100m. Bazooka Team FR or US are still ready at 200m. I assume that the bazooka is a lighter weapon however the amount of ammunition being carried is greater. Is the bazooka that much lighter ?

CM is a brilliant war game concept. The we go idea (rather than realtime or you go I go) is so good I don't know why nobody thought about it before. The concept could apply to any wargame. (for me I'd probably buy anyone of them though I'd love to see a Napoleonic version). I think that a lot of software companies are going to think about designing games using this concept. I'll know in the years to come who to thank for a revolution in wargames. Thanks BTS.

Bangalore torpedo derives its name from Bangalore, India. A variant was first used by the British (Imperial) Indian Army and was subsequently deployed by the British Army during the Great War or WW1. Bangalore was a a military cantonment for the British Indian Army. Apart from being a tourist resort today is still acts as a military staging post for the India Army and has a center for training the Indian Army Engineer Corp.

Most important : Please do not change anything that might lessen a superb game. My wish list in no particular order. 1.) Multiplayer > 2. ie Each side can have more than one player. Some comms issues could be brought in like player X and player y on the same side are out of 'radio contact' etc. Also 'blue on blue' incidents could then be brought in to really ruin a good friendship. 2.) Buildings act like pillboxs or other units in that when you click on them you get stats such as building height, thickness of walls, amount of damage etc. In fact better all round modelling of buildings and therefore house to house fighting/slaughter. ie Higher zoom capability for buildings showing rooms etc. A battle for a building could then become a mini CM all on it's own. 3.) Knocked out pillboxes can be re-occupied by units. 4.) Units with higher experience (veteran and above) can carry out more detailed commands. eg Anti-tanks guns to target only armour, in command infantry ordered to conserve amunition, in commands units to share ammunition, forced withdrawal where units make a "run for it" regardless of consequence, tanks can attempt to repair damage (with possible exposure of crew), tanks to only use machine guns, small units able to hide in wrecked vehicles, Snipers climbing tall pines to get a better LOS and anything else that might reasonably occur on the battlefield. Also Elite and Crack platoon officers can command any unit in pretty much the way Company commanders do. Also veteran officers if close to tank can communicate with crew. Thereby allowing crew to fight buttoned up but with normal visibility etc etc. 5.) Platoons can be edited in campaigns. ie 2 depleted sections can be combined into one full or over strength section. 6.) Ammunition supply units. ie A truck, mules or Brengun carrier can carry supplies. 7.) Operations to use fuel constrictions 8.) Improved operations design/code, where distance advanced is not necessarily equated with objectives taken etc. The operations art of CM is the weakest. However it has the potential to be the best (The Elite) of this type of game. 9.) The Russian front. Russian factory workers dishing Nazi pioneer Battalions on the Volga etc. Yes I know your doing it just harking on so that you wont change it to Civil War in the Congo or something daft. Interested to see how Big Time model the commissar unit. Then again there's also all female assault units. Er I'll stop there. 10.) The AI beefed up. Ideally several variants on offer ie defensive, aggresive and mixed. 11.) Sound effects augmented. I'm sure I've heard one of my British units snarl out "b******d" with a Scottish accent. More of that please. Then again probably a hallucination from playing too much. Units givin lip to their commander when under duress adjusting for quality, soul survivor of crack unit will still out bark out SIR and salute etc. A Conscript may respond with something less enthusiastic. 12.) Suggest FO for artillery when firing blind and inexperienced (not veteran)can lead to horrible accidents. ie Shells landing nowhere near where they were intended. Possibly off Map ! 13.) End of game replay which shows all the game without fog of war. Also can then be saved to watch endlessly instead of TV. Also a screen which gives an analysis of each unit and how it did. Citations for bravery etc. 14.) Unit screen to allow quick selection of units. 15.) When tank main gun damaged machine guns may still be effective. I do not think this is the case at present. Also would like ammunition to be maintained for secondary weapons on tanks and SPGs. Also if tank main gun damaged the unit might leave the battlefield depending on quality. 16.) Ambush should not be a point but a distance to the front of a unit.