Erwin

Uh oh... What's the difference between heavy and std? I fear you're spoiling us with too many choices, heh. What were we listening to in your video?

Yeah, I think I will go with your "Final Mod - Full Version". So looking forward to your final patch. (Just let us know if we also need earlier patches, or if your Final Patch will incorporate all earlier patches.)

That's good to know. The reason I got on this tack is that I very little variations in units when I play CM2 scenarios - certainly nothing like the extent that one sees in CM1.

I completely understand and empathize with that. It was hard enuff in CM1. Am simply pointing out that in CM1 all that some randomization of units was done AUTOMATICALLY. For example, in CM1 one could select a regular formation. However, what you got was a formation with mostly Regulars but some would be Green and/or Veterans. Occasionally, you could also get Conscript and Crack units. In addition it was rare to get all units with the exactly the same weapons. Some squads would have an extra SMG, or LMG and the amount of AT weapons squads carried was also variable. I really liked that slight randomization. So, this is (yet another) request for an option in the CM2 Editor for formations with automatically randomized units - just so that designers don't have to do that mind-numbing work manually.

I was referring to the "side-by-side" comparison of visuals (both/all on a single screen via the same video settings). It's relatively easy to listen to sounds quickly one after the other - but the way you did it was very helpful as clearly showed visually how the different tanks sounded. Without the visual reference, it would have been harder to understand how distinct you have made each vehicle's sound. great job!

I find the preview pics don't always accurately show terrain etc exactly the way they appear on my screen - maybe to do with my nVidia color set-up. But, yes I am a big fan of Vein's mods. (I actually d/l every mod I can find (but that can lead to confusion when there are a bunch of competing mods - eg: Aris has many xnt FX mods that compete with Vein.)

I think it all depends on what sort of era or terrain one fancies. I loved the desert battles in CMAK (and CMSF for that matter). Other times, I enjoyed the massive unit variety of a CMBB East Front battle for a change of pace. (I still have CMA campaigns that I was enjoying, but no time to complete...)

"...effect of high Leadership is sufficiently subtle that I just use it for "roleplaying". I can't judge whether it's worth some points..." That's a major aspect of CM1 that I miss. The attributes of an HQ were quite obvious re their positive or negative effects on the HQ's "in-command" troops. The other thing that has always puzzled me is why are all CM2 squads essentially identical. In CM1, when one selected a formation in the editor, the squads were quite varied in their experience levels, and even re what weapons they were carrying. It gave each squad character rather than the cookie-counter units we see in CM2. Having squads with distinctly different characteristics and weapons used to help a LOT in "roleplaying" as one invariably one had a "favorite" squad or platoon that was like one's faithful and reliable "Old Guard". In CM2, they're all the same, so bleh...

Yes, that's correct. The original Total War games are still very good. I still play the first version Total War Rome from time to time. I understand the newer versions have problems(?). What is especially compelling about the TW series is that it's great to have the tactical game a la CM, but also have a grand strategic game on top.

Thanks Oddball. That is a VERY useful comparison. With the large number of competing mods now available, I was dreading having to go thru em and compare individual sound mods. It would be great to have the same sort of side by side comparison for FX (smoke, muzzle flash, explosions etc) as well as terrain. The large number now available is equally intimidating I used to put in a mod, load the game, look at mod. Shut game down, load a different mod, load the game etc. But, the process takes so long that have usually forgotten what a particular terrain mod looks like by the time the 2nd one is onscreen.

What mod are you using?

Thanks for taking the trouble to update this.

What I think Womble said is that support weapons like MG's and mortars should be kept so far from the action that HQ leadership doesn't matter. Of course in many maps there are no long LOS and support weapons, especially MG's have to get too close for their own comfort.

When you said C2, I was thinking of leadership advantages of having any sort of HQ nearby. Other than that, presumably there is no disadvantage to having MG's/support weapons (other than mortars) widely separated/out of C2 from their HQ.

BF has said they intend a CMSF2 "at some time in the future". Best thing is to keep politely enquiring about that.

Re WitP am enjoying the smaller scenarios. Just learning the mechanics of the game took me a few weeks - and that is with the manual being pretty good AND the Matrix website has a great set of very helpful "how to be a better player" threads. It's rewarding once you finally figure out the dynamics between airpower, seapower, supply, how to mount amphib invasions etc. I imagine the same experience with WitE which is also now on my machine. (As much as I love CM, I just had to have a break.)

Yup, many have been asking for that for a looong time. Inshallah, BF will eventually get around to revamping the ACQUIRE system.

"...your Company and Battalion HQs to put (some of) your support weapons back into C2 if they're out of reach of their platoon commanders." Is the limitation that the support units are subordinate to those Co and Bn HQ's. Or is there some other limitation even if the support weapons are part of the same battalion? (It still bothers me that this sort of stuff isn't in the manual. Heaven knows how many thousand of posts we've seen on these issues, and they still keep cropping up.)

I don't recall ever having that sort of problem with CMSF, and I played it a lot. Try tech support?

I also have found the use of support and mortar HQ's confusing. I used to use the Mortar HQ's as spotters/FO's but I understand that is NOT the way to use em. So, to confirm, mortar HQ's (both Platoon and Section HQ's?) should stay close to their mortars. Other HQ's or FO's should do the spotting. Re MG's, what happens when one wants to apportion them out to various platoons? In that instance, the MG section and platoon HQ's are usually OOC radius. Do other HQ's, like the infantry platoon HQ's take over as support weapon HQ? Or, in RL are all MG's kept together within range of their section or platoon HQ's?

I would say that CMRT is the best of the series so far. Maybe your disappointment is that after one has played a lot of CM2 most of the scenarios start to feel the same - except there are different graphics, uniforms, vehicles etc. - however the challenges are not particularly dissimilar. I am looking forward to the Bulge module/family

Re some of our discussions... Interesting Cardboard games from GMT: [url deleted] Also India-Pakistan: [url deleted] Israel '73: [url deleted]

You don't "install". Just download, unzip (assuming it's zipped), and place in your "scenarios" folder - probably in MY DOCUMENTS/BATTLEFRONT/COMBAT MISSION/RED THUNDER/GAME FILES/SCENARIOS

I had a bad time with HOI v1. Is v3 much improved? Am currently "enjoying/working on" Grigsby's WitP as a nice change of pace from the tactical CM games. And I have been wondering about HOI. However, I also have Grigsby's "War in the East" sitting here. So, I wondered which would be more fun.