Peter Panzer

Thanks Sergei! I will give that a try when I have an opportunity to play over the weekend. I was always mystified as to why a recon asset did not have access to the LOS tool. If, at some point, the player also had the ability to assign sectors via the "Target Arc" tool I would be thrilled! Have any of you guys been able to make this new combination function correctly?

The sudden release of v1.21 certainly was a pleasant surprise! A few questions... Pardon me if I'm being dense, but how does this work? When I issue a "Face" command and then a "Hide" command to a unit via a single waypoint they sometimes ignore the "Face" command. Even worse, I have seen them orient themselves in a direction nowhere near the direction indicated by the "Face" command when they do try to position themselves. If I simply attach a "Face" command to a waypoint without the addition of the "Hide" command everything works as expected. Am I doing something wrong or is this new command combination not functioning as intended? Am I correct in saying that in order to see this change take effect in a pre 1.21 scenario, the unit(s) must be "repurchased" in the editor and the scenario resaved? I also recall some fellows citing an issue with REDFOR MG crews being unable to acquire extra 7.62mm ammo from BMP's. Has that been resolved in v1.21? Finally, I see my one man crusade to have the "Target" and Target Arc" options activated for the M707 (Recon Humvee) and the short barreled "Para" SAW added to the US TO&E have once again met with disapproval. Alas.... All of that said, I really get a kick out of the game in its current incarnation. Thanks for all of the improvements!

George: I would be interested in hearing what you have. Are these files you would consider uploading?

I found this mod to be hilarious, chiefly because many of the expressions are phrases I usually find myself muttering while playing. Now, with this all-important time saving device in place, I can focus on more critical matters. There was another fellow (Nikita?) who released a similar mod some time ago, which also had some great voice files in it. In the event you were seeking unsolicited feedback... Given how sanitized the CMSF battlefield is, I love the direction of this type of work. That said, the timbre of the recordings sound more like a guy talking into a desktop microphone rather than an infantryman in a noisy, potentially chaotic environment. Keep the same great phrasing and technical quality but raise the sense of urgency in the delivery on the next version for added emotional effect. All-in-all, a fun idea. Thanks for sharing. Hell, I'll bet we even have some foul-mouthed Brits, Scots and Irishmen around here to compile a UK version!

Steve and Elmar: Thank you for the quick replies and suggestions, I will have a go with them and see what happens. These are not things that happen all that frequently, but as Steve pointed out, they tend to be attention grabbers when they do occur. I wonder if my GPU's Anti-Aliasing and Anisotropic filters could be the culprits. That said, it certainly is a curious set of circumstances that arise when the game lets you know you may have gone too far. I was starting to think I mistakenly downloaded the hitherto unknown Psychic Warriors Module, which would explain why my virtual infantry can kill goats simply by staring at them. By in large, I am really enjoying v1.20 and look forward to the additional refinements v1.21 brings. Thanks, again.

Thanks to George and Charles for the follow up - much appreciated. I am rather surprised to learn the underground infantry issue is a result of lack of PC horsepower. Isn't it odd that the models remain below ground until they are ordered to move regardless of the amount of processor intensive activity occurring in the game? While it is certainly not cutting edge, I run an E6850 dual core processor (3 Ghz), 2 GB of "dual channeled" DDR2 RAM and an 8800 GTX (768 MB) GPU. My scenarios consist of reinforced platoons fighting on maps approximately 1100 meters long by 400 meters wide. I have never experienced any type of visual stuttering or the like related to low framerates. Are these items also the result of an under strength system? A Syrian ATGM team flew 15 meters through the air when ordered to mount a BTR. "Save Game" file available. A UK Mech Infantryman levitated above the ground and flew to a waypoint, then reversed course while still in mid-air, revisited the starting waypoint and flew back to the final destination. M240's can become disjoined from their crews and continue to fire and reload themselves. Thanks for taking a look. As before, I will be glad to provide any further details that may be helpful.

Hello George: Thank you for the quick reply. I sent the file (3.2MB uncompressed) to you as requested. Please let me know if there is anything else you require.

No doubt our UK friends are proud of their virtual fieldcraft, but this is taking concealment a bit too far... I have also noted instances of infantry models sinking into slopes and a few other items here. Given that v1.21 is likely to be CMSF's swan song, it would be great if these few remaining issues were sorted out. If it helps, I have the "saved game" files available, including the turns prior to and after the infantry/terrain meld - just let me know what to submit and where.

I think Elmar and Dietrich are onto something... Bearing their thoughts in mind regarding burning vehicles placed on the field via the editor and those generated by OPFOR weapons in-game, I conducted my quick test again. Two "fully supplied" FV510's (WRAP2), hit by ATGMs, suffered "catastrophic" kills and began burning. Within 12 turns there were two secondary detonations as a result - perfect! Maybe I just haven't been getting enough of my AFV's blown to hell to create a reliable sample in the scenarios I've played. I am still at a loss to explain the T-72MV from my first post, which commenced to impersonate the Olympic Torch without lingering consequences for 75+ turns. It was destroyed by a USMC Javelin Team, so maybe Dietrich is also right about the ammo detonating during the initial penetration from large caliber/top-attack weapons. In any event, thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences!

Glad to hear it. Hopefully it's the OPFOR AFV's that are doing the popping. Yes, that is also my understanding. That's why I set "Supply" to "Full" in my tests so as to get all of those ILAWS, 120mm HEAT rounds, and LASM's to warm up. Yes. So, I guess the question becomes, when is a burning, ammo laden vehicle not a burning, ammo laden vehicle? Do they have to be killed in-game for secondaries to occur?

Well, yes, going hull down with an unarmed vehicle is important. Mobility and concealment are precisely what keeps units like the M707 (recon humvee) alive. I have been pressing for the "Target" and "Cover Arc" features to be activated for the M707 practically since day one to no avail. Yet. The "Target" feature is available for the M707 in the editor but not in-game, why? Correspondingly, the unarmed UNCON "Spy" does have access to the "Target" function, presumably to make LOS checks. As someone who plays primarily with recon and light armor assets, I would love to pull a '707 parallel to a defile/building and set a Cover Arc to peep perpendicularly over the top/around the corner. As such, I could maintain LOS over a defined sector I designate, keep the vehicle concealed and be able to get the hell out of the position without having to rotate the vehicle first.

I recently concluded a scenario with a burning T-72MV on the field for 75+ turns with nary a sizzle or pop. Likewise, I am presently in the midst of another game where a Spartan CVR has been peacefully alight for 35+ turns. So, I put together a test with 10 burning IFV/AFV's with "Supply" set to "Full" and observed them for 25 turns. Nothing. Next, I set up the same test with 16 MBT's. Again, no cook-offs. I recall a recent patch "toned down" what I considered to be a fantastic detail. In my experience, "secondaries" are now non-existant. All that ordnance, fuel and concentrated body odor in a confined space and not even a sputter or spark? Is anyone else experiencing this rarity?

c3k: I totally get where you are coming from - don't sweat it. I have a similarly themed thread running right now where I essentially preface it by expressing the same thought you just did. The difference is I was courteous enough to wrap all of my points into a single thread.:eek: There are several members of the CMSF community I have seen over the last few years who have done a brilliant job of positively pointing out the hitches in the game. I would consider you one of them. The fact that a player can read the "fix list" for any given patch and check off items that he and others called attention to on the forum is a testament to both BFC getting things right, as well as the sharp eyes and knowledge of their fanbase.

This version of the M240 can fire without the need for an operator with the feed tray cover up. Leave it to those crafty Belgians to come up with a truly novel design. I cannot determine what precipitates this error in-game. I have also seen the issue with the feed tray cover appear when the '240 model is placed in correct relation to the crew. This is another good example of the type of odds and ends that could be cleaned up in v1.21.

Also, another TO&E point, will the US forces receive the short barreled version of the SAW in v1.21? I was rather surprised this was not already done after the weapon was added in the UK Module.

After spending some time playing WEGO/Hotseat with v1.20/UK Module, here are some quick impressions and hopes for the future... V1.20 has the game to such a workable state that I find myself playing for hours on end for the first time since it was launched. At last, it seems I can finally concentrate on exploring tactical puzzles and having fun instead of fighting the game. The TO&E's and force doctrines depicted in the game are represented well enough to encourage a player to retool his tactics when switching from the varying service arms. This is a real credit to BFC and certainly makes the modules worth taking a look at. The Brits appear to be leaner on overall firepower, protection and infantry dismounts compared to their Yankee cousins. They do, however, sport a great deal of mobility. That's good, because you will be hauling ass and working the GPMG's a lot. Obfuscation, manuever and "tactical patience" carry the day. UK forces need those L16's online damn fast to suppress likely ATGM and spotting positions in order to develop an engagement. The lack of stabilzed guns and low HE loadout on their IFV's and CVRT's is difficult to overlook. The FV107's throw smoke like nobody's business. In fact, the CVRT's are a real hoot all-around. The lack of ERA over the frontal arc of the FV510 (WRAP2) makes strongpointing with them a risky venture. Aggressive recon needs to reliably define the MLR or they will swing in the breeze with your infantry sections in tow. The USMC truly applies a preposterous amount of ways to kill. Even LAR platoons start breaking all manner of nasty things, including MBT's, when they gain momentum. Syrian forces of all grades can make affairs difficult by ceeding ground and forcing Blue to draw close. Getting the right "push/pull" is key. Hang tight too long and Blue will leverage their firepower, put too much space between you and them and CAS will butter your buns. Mines, IED's, obstacles and terrain used in concert to strip away AFV's and channel infantry are your best tools.Also, here are some odds and ends I have noticed recently and a few I have been singing about since day one. Hopefully, most or all can be dealt with in v1.21, which I am guessing will be the last push to apply fixes and polish to CMSF, yes? Visuals: When dismounting and moving onto a low slope, infantry will sink into the terrain (see image below). Infantry will, on very rare occasion, levitate vertically when approaching a slope and then float across the air until they reach its top rather than climbing up the grade of the rise with their boots on the ground (see image below). Additionally, the soldier model will "slingshot" through the air as if the game is retracing the models last steps before the animation and model positioning will correct itself and the soldiers boots retouch the ground. I have only seen this happen in v1.20 once thus far. Syrian AFV crews lack their own unit portrait in the UI. Instead, they share the Mechanized Infantry Portrait. UK 51mm mortar operator lacks in-game idle animationGameplay: M707 lacks in-game "Target" and "Cover Arc" functions. Will the woe begotten Recon Humvee ever get some love? Infantry deploy light AT assets (M72, AT4, etc.) very quickly. Fire Teams can transition from their primary arms to light AT weapons in a second or two. Shouldn't time to prep the AT weapon be factored in? Allow units to exit the map edge TO&E: M-WMIK (Jackal) GMG variant is missing (already noted?) US IBCT TOW crew team leaders are equipped with an SA80 (already noted?)

Speak of the Devil! Well folks, there you go. No need to download my little quick fix. This guy will not only make your interface look better, but he'll also keep your house from burning down too!

Well fellas, this Yank is just too damn impatient, so I took the liberty of updating Missinginreality's "floating icons" to v1.20/UK Module standards myself. All new files are color matched to fit seemlessly with the original mod. Icons for the MTVR and LMTV have also been added. If there is any interest I would be glad to share (233kb, .rar archive). Note, I have only updated the files required for conventional Blue on Red engagements. If you play Blue on Blue or Red on Red you will probably want to wait for Missinginreality to update his mod in a more comprehensive manner. From the ReadMe:

Sure, that will work, but it is something of a quick and dirty solution. Reason being that some of the icons, even though they both refer to IFV's, are visually different between the base game and the UK module. If the uniformity that results from substituting these files does not bother you, then, for the most part, you are good to go. As I mentioned above, visually speaking, some of the UK icons, "infantry" for example, are the same as those in the rest of the game. As such, you can simply rename MIR's files to get the desired effect in these instances. Others, however are new/unique to the UK Module and version 1.20, such as the "sniper" icon. These files need to have an alpha channel applied to them as a layer in Photoshop in order to produce the transparency effect. That is what MIR was referring to here:

travcrouse: Thanks for taking the time! Funny how consuming this "tiny" mod can be, isn't it? I'll assume you have already selected an icon file to test in order to make sure your alpha channel editing technique is successful before embarking on the task of tracking them all down in their various folders. Pardon me if this is stating the obvious... Regarding the renaming of files,a few of the UK icons are visually the same as those in the base game and the USMC Module (infantry, at, mg, etc.). However, they are delineated by the inclusion of the word "british" in their file name (e.g. "icon british red mg 1" vs. "icon syr red mg 1" vs. "icon usa red mg 1"). So, by way of this example, you could save yourself time by modifying the " red mg 1" icon and renaming it appropriately to cover all of the versions. If you have overlooked any of these delineating labels it might explain why some of the icons are not appearing the way you intended. Building on Missinginreality's work, you may also wish to fire up the game and note which icons are not displaying as intended, track them down and apply your editing technique as required. Here are the paths for the various icons: Version 100>bmp>markers>floating icons (shared,contacts, Syrian, US) Version 120>icons>floating icons (blue, red, US) UK>icons>floating icons (British)I do not believe the USMC Module included any specialized floating icons.

That would certainly explain why I haven't been able to find the MWMIK sporting the auto grenade launcher. The light infantry recce platoon sure would benefit from the firepower. Is this going to be corrected - perhaps in v1.21 or as some flavor of "quick fix" download?

Missinginreality: Glad to hear it - I figured I wasn't the only one getting some mileage out of your great mod. I agree with Zatoichi, your changes to the icons make them far easier on the eyes and more of an aid rather than a distraction. I suppose one draw back to the "Module system" is one must hope the same mod designers who crafted work for an original installment are willing to not only purchase the new additions but also subsequently "update" their work. Then again, it could be the bit of motivation I require to finally make peace with Photoshop and do this sort of stuff myself.

Do you have plans to update your "Transparent Floating Icons" mod to reflect the additions in v1.20 and the UK Module? I certainly hope so as I found it to be a personal must-have.

That's great! I am looking forward to it as you really turn out some quality stuff. Once again, thank you for sharing! One note about the small arms mod, there appear to be two sets of icons for the M16/M203, however one of the pairs actually displays an M4/M203. I am not sure if this is intentional.

Pardon me as I have not had the opportunity to play the game much lately... Does this also include icons for AFV's and support assets (mortars, artillery, CAS) like the original did? I get the impression this is only for small arms. One of the really impressive traits of the original mod was how comprehensive and consistent it was.