c3k

The trees survive. The shells don't. Some leaves disappear. The twigs remain. The bamboo bends. The mighty oak conquers all.

I've just had this issue raise its head in a Nato game. I hammered a building with Haubitze 2000; Medium, medium, point target, General. The building was reduced to rubble. The squad inside survived (no, not everyone) and decimated my advancing men. My men were on the scene within a minute of the last round. I don't think there should've been survivors, but I am open to that possibility. However, their ability to mount an ambush so quickly after being hammered seems a bit, err, optimistic. Ken

I think at a minimum, the improved LOS due to cupola vision blocks would be critical to modelling German vs. Soviet AFV's. Not just the vision improvement, but the height from which it originates. This would mean more than the current ELOS' 5(?) levels. Ken

akd, Thank you!! Ken

Steve, Thanks for the reply. As to LLF's Ramadi map, that's a work of art! I don't even want to begin to think what kind of spousal cost was involved in its creation! (Image of man hunched over computer keyboard with wife standing behind, hands on hips, made up to go out to dinner, scowling at him..."I've just got to get the market district laid out, then I'll be ready to go.") Ken

Thanks for the feedback. Any chance the solution to this crest issue could result in a solution to the issue of the inability to target the edge (or other non-center part) of a building?

Steve, Thanks for letting us know you're looking at this. I hope Charles can come up with a workable solution. Regarding the SEPARATE issue, prone LOS checks: you state that the ELOS system checks LOS from over the center dot, approximately .5m back from the visual representation of the head. When LOS is drawn along a level surface, that works well. In the case where there is an elevation difference, the LOS can be blocked due to the ELOS system check. You say that the system then checks the next higher ELOS spot and, if LOS is valid, will raise the soldier's posture to match. Now this is somewhat special, but would it be possible to simply put the soldier's HEAD at the center of the action spot whenever they're prone?

I've only played the first scenario (alphabetically, as always), so my experience with this title is limited. However, it does give a different feel than CMSF, and it has a different look. I like the differences. The look seems a little more "cartooney", but not in a derogatory sense. Similar to some of the cell shading seen in the more avant-garde, illustrated novels (at least that's what I think they call comic books these days). I imagine it would be more acceptable in the marketplace to make a game about an unpopular war a bit less realistic. Anyway, I was on my guard based on the color saturation I saw in screenshots with the bright vegetation. After zooming into the soldiers, watching them move, seeing the face icons, and the UI, it all is part of a cohesive whole. I like it. Now, no post about ANYTHING CM related would be complete without a niggle. It seems like my Soviet Desantniki (?) are a bit too eager to give buddy aid. In contact, with firing orders, my men (remember, in the one and only scenario I've played) repeatedly ignored known enemy who were firing on them and caused them casualties, in order to give buddy aid to their squad-mates. They seemed a bit too headstrong in that regard. I'm glad I purchased it, and I look forward to playing this quite a bit more. Thanks, Ken

I don't want to go THAT far. I've only run a couple of night QB's as tests, and the muzzle flashing certainly did not light up every building. As soon as I'd done some firing, I exited. So, I wouldn't even call it a test; in my run through, I did not see the flashing with which we are all so familiar. Try the new drivers. If they don't help, roll 'em back. Ken Edited for this: I run anywhere from 2 to 5 PC's at home at a time, depending on upgrade paths and needs. (Okay, not "needs" how about "compulsions"?) After Nvidia broke their implementation of OpenGL for THIS game, I waited for a fix. With none forthcoming, I voted with my wallet. ATI/AMD got my money. I am very satisfied with the HD6870. My 8800GTX will need to be replaced soon. The 3rd machine I have will also need a video card. I will continue to vote with my wallet.

Just installed an HD6870... CMSF/CMA run are running sweeeeet. I haven't seen the flash issue: Driver v10.10 (no hotfix applied), Windows 7, 64. I have the flash issue with my other machine, running an 8800GTX and driver 260.99 on Vista64. Ken

Steve, Thanks for the explanation. To prove that no good deed goes unpunished, do you mind discussing the Canadian SRAAW(m) (the Carl Gustav)? It seems whenever I have someone grab it, if there's ammo for it, that's what they carry. Yet, if there's no ammo, the Carl Gustav icon shows up on the unit interface (near the binoculars), but the soldier carrying it is shown with his small arm. That tells me the soldier CAN carry the Gustav and use his small arm, but if there's ammo for the Gustav, he will not use his small arm, regardless of the target. E.g. he will NOT sling the Carl Gustav in exchange for his C7, even if all he sees is an enemy uncon in the street. Additionally, it seems (to my game experience with Canadians) that there are only HE rounds for the Carl Gustav. Sure, I've only scratched the surface of NATO so far, but please tell me that there's other ammo for this anti-tank weapon? It just seems that the Gustav is kind of like the Javelin; it sticks to the unit no matter what, but with the added proviso that the Gustav, unlike the Javelin, is always at the ready if it has ammo. This reduces an already lightly manned section's small arms firepower. Thanks, Ken

Steve, thanks. Just adding a data point, but it seems you guys have a good handle on it. I wouldn't have guessed at a radio issue: you guys have made a pretty complex game! Thanks. Ken

Yes, but you'd need FOUR of them to get the visceral feel of the thing! Thanks for doing this! Ken

Re: the artillery adjustment bug. I've got a savegame or 2 which exhibits it. I was using a Canadian FO to direct a 60mm mission. I adjusted it. It was on the <1 minute countdown for approximately 15 minutes. It DID eventually have adjusted rounds impact. Again, 15 minute (or so) delay.

And how is its name pronounced?

Excellent. CM:A is sitting its case right next to my keyboard. I've been so wrapped up with trying out NATO, I haven't even installed it yet! The idea would be to make a campaign a bit closer in kinship to the old operations. Hard code the exit times to be entrance times for the next battle is one approach; another would be to let the designer compress the time differences, or expand them. Regardless, it would serve as an incentive to the player to push through to the exit. Of course, a gamey ploy would be to stop just short of the exit, pile up all your forces, and then all step through the stargate at once...or somesuch. Shrug. Ken

Okay, enough of living off the kudos from CM:NATO. It's time for BF.C to get back to work. With that in mind, I've had _another_ idea. (Like my others, this is sure to be a gangbusters and make this series better... ) Obviously, at some point, BF.C will have to reintroduce the concept of exit victory conditions. Confused? Go buy CM:BO, play it, then come back. Caught up? Good... So, here we are, at the future release where we can set exit victory parameters. Imagine having a campaign system which tracks WHEN your forces exit the previous battle. The first ones off the board in the previous battle become the first ones to enter the NEXT battle. If it took you 45 minutes to get the rest of your infantry to follow the armor to the exit zone in Battle 1, well, in Battle 2 it'd be 45 minutes until your infantry entered to assist the armor. Oh, all this is at the whim and mercy of the scenario designer. I'd suggest using a dropdown menu to implement. Feel free to use this in the next release. Thoughts? Ken

Aye, roadiemullet, +1 on the can o'lager, or whatnot. Carryon....

Agreed: imaging a FAC calling in a strike and not knowing what's enroute? Or calling for arty and having little idea how many rounds are coming or how long the strike will last? Hopefully this will get improved in the future. Ken

Hmmm, I think it's time to fire up a minefield test. I wonder if it is modelled differently than other wheeled vehicles regarding mine resistance? I'd think trucks, armored and not, Hummers, again armored and not, and the plethora of wheeled British vehicles BF.C has liberally dosed us with would all make for interesting comparisons. Fully loaded with passengers for all tests, of course. I'm curious, but running short on time due to real life. I'll run some experiments and post them in a week or so. Thanks again for all the great information and perspectives shared thus far. Ken

That's quite revealing on several levels! First, I certainly don't want to be misunderstood: I am GLAD it's in game. I am trying to figure out HOW to use it and whether its in-game implementation could be a little more user-friendly without breaking stride with the other in-game vehicles. Secondly, the game design perspective vis-a-vis how to simulate Canadian organization seems to be quite appropriate. Thank you for the insight. Finally, I must say how Canada's defense appropriations reminds me of the fatuous approach used by England's infamous "ten year plans" of the '30's! In 1929, the basis of planning that no war would be fought for 10 years may have had a good basis (as long as it was done prior to September 1st of 1929!). As each successive year passed another 10 year no-war planning basis, Parliament got further and further from reality. England, and the rest of Europe, suffered accordingly. Thanks for the replies. Ken

Looking good....

akd, Thank you for the above: I had not noticed this behavior. As well, I have not yet seen or used any Nyala other than the 7.62 RWS equipped version. Thanks, Ken Yankeedog; there were, indeed, several sniper teams about. None closer than 300 meters; the nearest was around 400 meters. Yellow WIA pretty much guaranteed after a minute or so of sitting in a Nyala while under single round fire. If that meets STANAG 2, well, that dovetails into my statement that the Nyala is more fit to patrol LA or Ulster rather than moving into a real combat zone.

Thank you, Scipio. I appreciate your work. It has added immensely to my enjoyment of the game! Regards, Ken

Again, not sure what was firing at my Nyalas. I had 8 men in them (a couple); they were receiveing single round hits from an unlocated location. A lot of ricochets, but knowing the scenario, the nearest enemy location was 300 meters away. Multiple light wounds occurred to the passengers. The Nyala cannot OPEN UP, so they were all (un)safely tucked inside.