Erwin

Thanks for doing all these new campaigns Michael. I know they take a huge amount of work and much appreciate your dedication. One request to all designers: Please name your versions with v1, v2, v3 etc. It's VERY hard to tell em apart when they are all named identically.

My take is that WW2 takes more patience in that all arty fire (and air support) usually takes much longer to arrive, and it is a lot less accurate. In my WW2 games, there is a lot of "get into position and wait for the arty to arrive" periods. Yes, that is boring. But, CM2 games generally require a lot more patience than other games. WW2 firepower seems reduced compared to modern era, and AFV's can often absorb a few AT hits b4 being KIA. "Infantry die much more easily to small arms and grenades. Modern infantry are more resilient to these." Can't agree with that. I often find the opposite. It is a factor of tactics and understanding of the relative lethality of the different era's weapons. To obtain good spotting results one needs to get a good quality spotter (higher experience and binoculars) into a good spotting position with good LOS and let it sit there quietly with a very small arc for several minutes. It usually takes time to spot. The challenge is usually that the designer has given limited scenario duration and it can be very hard to just sit around for 3-5 minutes not doing anything.

What confuses me is that it looked like the version you PM'd to me was the same as the 2nd version of your campaign that I had started a few days earlier. The one I am currently playing has a module of heavy arty, two drones and 2 helicopter reinforcements. Did you do an even later version that included those assets but was updated yet again? It would be helpful if designers named their versions v1, v2, v3 etc so that there is no confusion.

Will try and complete the test scenario asap.

I am excited as the first version was already fun. Will get to this as soon as I finish helping Nelson 1812 test his CMBN scenario.

One issue that was very hard for me as an experienced CM1 player was to discover how all the CM2 games are very unforgiving of errors. The smaller the scenario, the easier it is to make one mistake that makes the game very hard/impossible for a player to win. It's good to start with a small scenario to get familiar with the game and its "tricks/quirks". However, a small scenario may not be easier to win. It could be harder. I recall having a very hard time with "Beyond the Belice" myself.

It would be helpful if you list specific challenges that you have problems with.

My version of the .cam file is dated 10/30/16 8.50pm. Is that the same or is the above even newer? Thank you...

2 questions: Will a "Command" unit in the vehicle be as good as helping the vehicle spot as an actual HQ? When one has an HQ (and/or Command element if the answer above is "yes") and one splits it into two teams... Will each of the teams be equally good in assisting the vehicle spot better? (Or, will only the team with the CO help with spotting?)

Half way thru and this scenario looks like it has xnt possibilities as a UK invasion. Can't see anything "wrong" so far. It has mines that are frustrating - also Axis and Allied air. So far it's a challenging and entertaining battle with exhilarating little successes followed by dismay as the Allied AI plan does something unexpectedly nasty.

I'd be happy to have a go... I'll send PM with my e-mail.

My sense is that all the CM2 WW2 Eurocentric games feel and play very similarly. If you love CMBN then you should get all its modules and updates. If you are "so so" about CMBN then you may feel the same way about the other WW2 titles. In that case why not try the modern CMBS, or for a real bargain get the entire CMSF series. My recommendation is CMSF as it so completely different fighting in the desert. Fully patched up to 1.32 it's a superb game. And as our weather gets more miserable with the approach of winter, wouldn't you rather be swanning around in the heat and sun of the desert? (And am hoping that a designer will do a Mosul scenario.)

Steve has a point. Perhaps this aspect should be continued on the CMSF area. Mosul could even be a scenario using CMSF.

It's odd that we have had so much heated discussion based around the highly unlikely/impossible concept of a US/NATO war with Russia, while the real life operation we currently have in Mosul is completely ignored. I find the discussions here fascinating. Hope that we now see a similarly detailed analysis of the Mosul situation. For starters, it must be a huge concern that we saw how the US troops suffered in urban conflict in previous MOUT ops. It raises serious doubts whether the less-capable/trained Iraqi army will persevere once their body count mounts.

Surely if the missile hits in the rear - especially the ammo compartment - the result is not surprising. Who claimed that the M1 is invulnerable 360 degrees around?

To understand why Monty was unpopular with his "peers" one has to understand the British class system. Monty was not from the aristocratic elite that formed pretty much the entire high command figures. Churchill was pragmatic, shared Monty's disdain for the "chinless wonders" of the aristocrats and promoted Monty as a successful general who had proven abilities to motivate troops and make em love or at least respect him. The Brit class system despises anyone who comes up from low position in life. Witness the effort to show that Shakespeare, being a commoner, could not possibly have been able to write those plays. Instead it must have been this other aristocratic bloke etc. The Brit upper classes always have had a powerful motivation to show that they owe their position to abilities and talents. They want to show that if you are lower class it's cos you are an "inferior" and that's what you deserve. If the lower classes were seen to have the same talents and ability to compete with the aristos, well, then uncomfortable questions get raised like what right do the elites have to their position in life, and next question ordinary folks will be asking is "maybe they should be removed...". (I went to a posh Brit school with these sorts of people. I witnessed first hand their obnoxious attitudes.)

The end of that wonderful movie: "A Bridge Too Many"?

"When it comes to misinterpretation on this board, Murphy's Law really prevails." Agreed. Careless phrasing leads to all sorts of problems.

Am curious how BF makes the new "hull-down" command superior in execution than the old one was. I recall it was a "disaster" (in the immortal words of Trump) because the system would find hull-down positions that were usually in the wrong direction and which usually exposed the flank of the tank to other enemy AT weapons. It was one of those commands that nobody ever used more than once. So, this will be interesting...

Ah, the version I am playing has 2 drones. Also I think 8x 81mm and 1x120mm(?) and some helicopters as reinforcements. Sounds like that is already the updated version and am still having issues attacking as the Russians. It's not your fault. The drones are wonderful to spot the enemy. I just can't figure out how to get the arty working for me usefully. I seem to be wasting many 81mm rounds on very inaccurate spotting salvos. Coupled with the slow response times, I will be sending my guys in human waves like WW2 without much help from the arty. (Maybe the problem is that I am trying to fight like this is CMSF and I am trying to be very careful to reduce friendly casualties.) Am wondering if I should just hang back and wait for the helicopters and after the drones have spotted everything, and then have a mad 30 minutes at the end when everything moves. (And yes, I should be posting all this on the CMBS area.)

Ok, since it's fun to be academically pedantic from time to time, I did NOT say CM2 v3, I said CM v3. So, you jumped the gun and misinterpreted my statement... so there... Hmph..

Should I restart Mountains mission #1? Am only maybe 10 turns in, so wouldn't be a huge issue. (PS: I think I suck at playing the Russian in CMBS. I didn't want to use preregistered fire at start as I couldn't see the trenches or exact locations of enemy units and the arty available hasn't sufficient ammo to waste. But, after the first turn it still takes a min of 7-14 mins to get the big stuff. And have already wasted maybe 20x81mm rounds just for spotting so far. Depressing. It seems I still have to mount costly human wave type assaults.)

"...my scenario design thread ... I'm not convinced it is achieving the desired effect though because some comments have been 'wow that is a lot of work'. However I will push on with it when I can (unfortunately RL is taking me pretty much off grid for a month or so." It's magnificent that you created such a detailed "how to" set of instructions. Just like there are many talented people here who love to make mods, am sure that are those who will be inspired by your clearly written instructions to make scenarios and (hopefully) campaigns. So, even tho' I am intimidated, am certain that thanks to your work there will be others who will give it a go. BTW Dragon: Am playing your Mission #1 in Mountains of Allah right now. I really only enjoy campaigns. So, thank you for all your work.

I meant the next version of CM: CM3.