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Gents, I seem to have learned something new about this game. I'm advancing or hunting my squads into buildings. Using the various lessons learned on this forum, I plot movement commands up to a doorway, then place another one inside the building. That has really cut down on the number of times my guys run mindlessly through the village backyards. However, I've just had two squads ignore these commands and instead run around their respective buildings and use the wrong door. I think I know why. One building had the roof collapse so it had internal rubble. It was closest to the door I wanted to use. Perhaps the door was blocked by the rubble? The other building had a small wall collapsed in front of the door, with a depiction of rubble in front of the door. Again, my guys ignored that door and ran around the building. Was this door blocked by rubble? Has anyone else seen this behavior? (Kudos to BF.C if the level of detail is this tight. Amazing.) Of course, this behavior took me by surprise. Would there be any way to code doorways to APPEAR broken if they are blocked? A collapsed beam or splintered door effect would be nice. Something to alert the player. Thanks, Ken

Combatintman, To paraphrase what YankeeDog stated, there is a balance here which I think is not right. I understand what you're saying, and while I'm not overstressed about this game, I do think it could better simulate combat. If I order my guys to HUNT into cover and they stop mid-way because of an enemy unit that just popped into their sight 1,000 meters away, that behavior may or may not be desirable. If the enemy unit is a tank and my HUNT guys are my scouts, yeah, stopping is fine...unless they are just short of cover. I can accept them not continuing into cover as a "freeze before the enemy sees us" kind of situation. Not great, but acceptable. Now, if I give my HUNT unit a restriced cover arc, my intention is for them to continue to advance, using available cover, ignoring far off enemy units, but stopping if any enemy appears in that cover arc. I try to use this combination to check out buildings I think are empty. I want them to stop if an enemy unit is in the building. This behavior was very useful in CMx1. (A different game, I know.) So, it's not a matter of putting blinders on and ignoring what's going on around you, it's a matter of ignoring what's going on in a distant location and getting on with the job at hand, e.g., getting into that building without being mown down. Regards, Ken

I was thinking that cover arc would limit their sensed zone. Ach. Regards, Ken

(Insert smarmy comment about hints from Beta testers. ) Yeah, main or not. I still hold that certain munitions are not used on certain targets. Usually. Area target for TOW could be used. If I knew a platoon was holed up in a house, or if I thought a bunker might be occupied, fine, let me loose a TOW on it. But MAKE me order it! I'd even be satisfied with having to specify TOW for ANY target, even enemy tanks. (Or at least I'd be happy until my Bradley was killed midturn by a tank and it withheld its TOW. Then I'd complain. ) Arrgh. Thanks, Ken

Purple flares! I want purple flares in WWII. Why? Any grog knows that German infantry fired purple flares when attacked by tanks. It provided a great, immediate visual clue to everyone where the tanks were. Cool uniforms and PURPLE flares. That's all I want. Ken

LLF, That's a neat idea. I'd settle for casualty notification. Although, status change would alert the player to changing conditions. Vehicle hits/mobility degradation would also be nice to know about. Thanks, Ken

gibsonm, D'OH on the gunner comment. In my mind I thought of the loader. I typed gunner. You are correct. However, I can come up with antipersonnel area fire missions when I do NOT want to fire off one of my limited 17 HEAT rounds. I'd love to burn through some of the thousands of 7.62 and .50 cal rounds though. Gunner on the coax, TC on the .50 (which ones are remote?) and the loader on his 240B. That would present a lot of area target suppression. With a HEAT round loaded, the gunner can still fire the main gun with only a few seconds delay. I want to CONTROL the missiles and big booms. Or, at least put a clamp on them (AI override as needed). If a T-72 rolls up to a Bradley I want a TOW and smoke followed by reverse. I do NOT want my TOW's fired off at an area target for suppression. (Okay, TARGET LIGHT does that. Still seems like an oxymoron if I'm using the MAIN armament.) Regards, Ken

Gents, Here's the situation: I am trying to move a squad without getting all my men killed. I have found that "Hunt" is better than "Quick" or "Move" ("Saunter"?) when the enemy may be nearby. Many dead pixel-troopers litter my path to this knowledge. Sorry men. Unfortunately, "Hunt" will stop my guys in their tracks as soon as they see ANY enemy. Even one 1,000 meters away. Hey, that's cool. It's not what I wanted to do on that turn with that unit, but it's better than blindly advancing. So I tweaked my tactics. Using my hard-won CMx1 knowledge, I used "Hunt" with a "Cover Arc" covering the area I suspected harbored an enemy unit. My guys stopped as soon as they saw an enemy unit...on the other side of the map; far, far outside the covered arc. Not good. How do I keep my guys hunting forward despite far-off enemy units? I am now using "Assault", but that is not an optimal solution, as it dilutes the immediately available firepower. Thanks, Ken

Pvt. Ryan, That was good! Thanks for the laugh! Regards, Ken

gibsonm, Thanks, I have the manual and the PDF. At the moment I'm only using it to try to decipher the artillery icons with little success. I should've looked there. Although, that still wouldn't solve what I regard as the overarching issue of units using special munitions for non-special targets. ("Target Light" would limit TOW's, but what if I don't want to burn through my 25mm ammo?) Also, why does "Target Light" disappear when the TOW's are depleted? (Hmmm, if "Target Light" is a restriction on the overall "Target" command, then the restriction doesn't make sense once the ammo being restriced is gone, so in that sort of logic the present implementation makes convoluted sense.) Why not make "Target" disappear? That would link "Target" and the TOW's. And please, how do I use JUST the coax? Also, when can an Abram's gunner pop his head up and man his machinegun? (Cover arc and movement commands can be used together to offset the turret from 12 o'clock.) Thanks, Ken

Chelco, Thanks for asking, you are certainly welcome to use that as a sig! Regards, Ken

Gents, Another critique. But, to put it in perspective, v1.07 is a very good game. BF.C has crafted an excellent system. Thank you. In a scenario, playing WEGO vs the AI, I started the next turn when I noticed that 2 of my units had taken casualties. They were in what I thought was a quiet sector. (Well done scenario designer and BF.C!) Unfortunately I have no friggin' clue what happened! I hadn't noticed them getting hit before I hit the (tiny) "DONE" button. Arrrggghhhh! Was it an RPG? Maybe small arms? A mortar shell? Or did a tank roll over them? I have no friggin clue, despite 4 vehicles, and 9 dismounted survivors being RIGHT THERE. "Sergeant! What the hell just happened here?" "Sir, I'm not sure. We had assumed a tactical position here, oriented on the objective, when I noticed Jenkins there get a red circle and over that way Smitty turned a bit yellow." Now, I'm all for ambushes, etc. But, as a player, I'd like to know when my units take hits. I'm not looking for the cause, but the timing of it. That way I can use the replay feature as needed. Anyone else have thoughts on this? Additionally, it'd be great after the game to see who got what. Which enemy unit got the CO? How many kills did that MG get? Etc. Thanks, Ken

Gents, Playing Hammertime, v4; a very nice scenario. My Bradleys have exhibited some, err, undocumented behavior. 1.) After firing all both TOWs, the "Target Light" command disappears. That seems counter-intuitive. I understand if there are multiple levels of targeting and the heaviest level disappears, that only "targeting" remains, but the logic seems convoluted. 2.) And this segues into TOW usage. I have area targeted suspected enemy infantry positions in buildings with Bradleys. They immediately pickle off both TOWs. That's not what I wanted. That brings us to "Target" and "Target Light". I would have assumed (wrongly) that if I tell a Bradley to "Target Light" it would use its coax. This is not the case. "Target Light" means 25mm Bushmaster. "Target" means, I guess, the heaviest weapon available (TOWs if they're left), then down to the 25mm. How do I just spray MG fire with Bradleys (or tanks for that matter)? The best solution, in my non-coding world, would be a separate command for special purpose weapons. Things like TOWs, Javelines, AT-4's, Demo charges, (flamethrowers?), Etc. The limited use weapons need to have their use, um, limited. Thoughts? Regards, Ken

slug88, Excellent suggestion, regarding bounds.

Huntarr, Thanks, I may have a savegame if it's still needed. Starlight, What you're describing seems to be different than my situation. My squad was not part of any other action prior to running away. I hope your situation gets looked at as well. Regards, Ken

Yeah, it does. But this brings up the shortfalls of the interface; again. Case in point: I'm aware of remotely operated machineguns. Therefore, seeing a machinegun on the roof of a vehicle does not tell me, the gamer, anything about its proper use. A gunshield around it is a clue, but not necessarily definitive information. How do I know when a roof-mounted weapon needs to have an unbuttoned crew in order to be used? There are various models of the M1 tank in this game. How do I know which ones can use the .50? Any thoughts? BF.C? Thanks, Ken

MikeyD, Thanks. I did not know that you had to be unbuttoned to use any special equipment. Hmmm, wouldn't it be nice if the game interface let you know that? Thanks, Ken

Okay, I've had far too many of these recce vehicles assigned to me. What good are they? I mean, sure, I'm able to drive them ahead of my guys and see who blows them up but I don't think that is how they're meant to be used. What purpose do they serve in CMSF? Thanks, Ken

Whoa! I never knew that, birdstrike. Thanks. So, the x and + represent responsiveness (since some +'s are bigger than others)? And the dots mean what? M1A1TC; my sincere apologies on highjacking this thread. Regards, Ken

Yes, ETA would be nice. Also, how about tool-tips so I can friggin' tell what the hell those non-intuitive symbols mean? Seriously. The artillery support is spades better than CMx1, yet it is totally inscrutable in some regards. What do the various +'s, x's and dots mean? Not qualitatively, but what does it mean to me when I call in missions for a battle? How many rounds/tube/minute can I get? I've read the manual and can point out some errors, such as a red x meaning you have lots of ammo. So, a non-intuitive graphical interface detracts from playability. A tool-tip could fix this much more easily than a total interface rework. Or am I the only one mystified by these symbols? Thanks, Ken

Okay, experimenting some more has shown, in one case, that the sub-units need to be in the EXACT same action spot in order to recombine. Has anyone seen sub-units recombine when separated by any distance? Regards, Ken

Hmm, "a sortable database system" he says? Well, here are some thoughts: Right now one of the strengths of the game engine is the ability to create scenarios and campaigns. Going to CMMODs (THANKS!) shows how many there are right now. That pool will only increase in size. THE ONLY CURRENT WAY TO SORT SCENARIOS IS ALPABETICALLY!!! C'mon. Here are some suggested sorting criteria (adjustable/selectable by the user): Date Size, map Size, forces Force type Opposing Nationality Objectives Length Region Have I played it yet? Did I win? Did I lose? Best score/record? Review score by others (is it a popular scenario or is it a dog?) Time of Day Environment Weather Conditions Terrain Types Reinforcements Support: Artillery, Air Etc. Regards, Ken

Pandur, Thanks. I thought that might've been the case. Yet, even after I'd unloaded them and left them next to each other, they wouldn't combine. Any help? Thanks, Ken

Gents, This is related to my post about recombining squads. One of the US squads I split is refusing to follow commands. It is in command, unsuppressed. It is the 7 man portion of a squad. It had been in a Bradley. I moved the 2 man team which had been detached from it next to the Bradley. I unloaded the 7 man team from the Bradley. Instead of moving the 10 meters or so I had ordered, the 7 man team ran over 100 meters to the rear. I cancelled their movement order (showing a QUICK to the spot 100 meters away which I had NOT placed). They still ran. They were not panicked. Then I ordered HIDE. They did. Then I ordered MOVE back up to the Bradley, where they had started a while ago. Instead, they MOVE to the rear, 180 degrees away, then took up ready positions. WTF? No casualties, no incoming fire, in command, crack troops, etc., yet the game sent them away. Has anyone else experienced this? Regards, Ken

Gents, I'm playing through Hammertime v4. Great scenario over at CMMODs. Give it a shot. Anyway, I've split two different US squads into the AT teams. That leaves me with two teams, one 7 men, one 2 men. After I finished with the anti-tank duties, I've tried to recombine the teams. I am unable to do so. I've left them together inside the same Bradley for several turns (WEGO) with no recombine. I then unloaded them and left them as close to each other as is possible on the ground, in command, unpinned, unsuppressed. They stayed in close proximity for several turns. They still did not recombine. Is this a bug? If not, how do you get the two teams from the same squad to recombine? Thank you, Ken