Erwin

The longbow was the long range inf weapon of the time but required a lot of skill (to be rapid and accurate). The shorter ranged crossbow was invented for untrained conscripts.

"...takes the mind off the more important problem of the sick pig." That's horrible. Even when she's projectile vomiting, I would NEVER refer to my wife that way.

BUZZ made a list of features for CMSF2, but many are equally pertinent to the WW2 versions of CM2. So here are my top picks: GAMEPLAY SPEED/EFFICIENCY: 1) Ability to click on any waypoint or line and immediately select that units as well as move that waypoint. (Would speed up play enormously!) 2) When you click on a unit you immediately see a LOS map of everything it can see (a bit like the (hated) covered arc color). But, see item 4). 3) Color code platoons and squads to more easily see where all their components are located. 4) Change covered arc color or make it simply a line. The current color obscures the terrain. 5) Font scaling for higher resolution monitors. 6) In-game volume and brightness controls. 7) Improved AI is always a good goal. 8) Ability to load different Z folders at game set-up for different theatres. 9) Autosave option 10) More info about weapons systems and how they operate in the game like we had in CM1 - we need more helpful manuals rather than pages of RL weapons info that are of little use in the actual game. GAME FEATURES THAT WOULD GREATLY IMPROVE THE GAMEPLAY EXPERIENCE: 1) Improve targeting LOS issues. There is no point in the third ammo carrier being able to see the target but the MG or gunner cannot. We need to see LOS from the MG or gun, and/or the MG/Gun should automatically move those few inches so that it can get LOS and shoot at the target. Currently, the targeting/LOS system is frustrating and wastes time trying to maneuver to that "sweet spot" just to get target acquisition (and often it's impossible for no reason). 2) Ability to ACQUIRE "reasonable" amounts of ammo (and grenades etc) from adjacent units whether inf or vehicular (with no need to embark and disembark). When you are trying to resupply several squads from a small vehicle that can only hold one or two teams, it currently takes a ridiculous amount of micromanaging and time in WEGO. 3) Assault building option so that efficient assaults can take place without all the manual micromanaging. (Would speed up gameplay.) 4) Movement to Contact (like in CM1) as an alternative to the more exhausting HUNT. 6) Optimize game system so our systems can handle larger maps with more units. 7) Ability to dismount at any waypoint. (Needed for WEGO.) 8) Formation commands including a "follow convoy" system for road movement. 9) Damage modeling/decals on vehicles. 10) Flamethrowers...

I printed our Buzz's list and here are my top picks in each category (in order of importance, so my top 3 are listed 1, 2, 3 etc.). And BTW the following are equally pertinent to the WW2 versions of CM2. GAMEPLAY SPEED/EFFICIENCY: 1) Ability to click on any waypoint or line and immediately select that units as well as move that waypoint. (Would speed up play enormously!) 2) When you click on a unit you immediately see a LOS map of everything it can see (a bit like the (hated) covered arc color). But, see item 4). 3) Color code platoons and squads to more easily see where all their components are located. 4) Change covered arc color or make it simply a line. The current color obscures the terrain. 5) Font scaling for higher resolution monitors. 6) In-game volume and brightness controls. 7) Improved AI is always a good goal. 8) Ability to load different Z folders at game set-up for different theatres. 9) Autosave option 10) More info about weapons systems and how they operate in the game like we had in CM1 - we need more helpful manuals rather than pages of RL weapons info that are of little use in the actual game. GAME FEATURES THAT WOULD GREATLY IMPROVE THE GAMEPLAY EXPERIENCE: 1) Improve targeting LOS issues. There is no point in the third ammo carrier being able to see the target but the MG or gunner cannot. We need to see LOS from the MG or gun, and/or the MG/Gun should automatically move those few inches so that it can get LOS and shoot at the target. Currently, the targeting/LOS system is frustrating and wastes time trying to maneuver to that "sweet spot" just to get target acquisition (and often it's impossible for no reason). 2) Ability to ACQUIRE "reasonable" amounts of ammo (and grenades etc) from adjacent units whether inf or vehicular (with no need to embark and disembark). When you are trying to resupply several squads from a small vehicle that can only hold one or two teams, it currently takes a ridiculous amount of micromanaging and time in WEGO. 3) Assault building option so that efficient assaults can take place without all the manual micromanaging. (Would speed up gameplay.) 4) Movement to Contact (like in CM1) as an alternative to the more exhausting HUNT. 6) Larger maps for modern long range weapons systems. 7) Ability to dismount at any waypoint. (Needed for WEGO.) 8) Formation commands including a "follow convoy" system for road movement. 9) Damage modeling/decals on vehicles. 10) Engineers can locate and disarm booby traps, IED's etc. and/or engineering vehicles to safely knock down walls or create roads over rivers and obstacles. (Supposedly they are supposed to be able to do this under fire on the battlefield... so it is relevant to the game.)

Streety: No I still use Win 7 - is there any advantage to 8 other than touch screen? Re the flash drive comment I was referring to the mention that your HD will break one day. It's easy to save and transfer CM1 software. But, it is ridiculous Win 8 doesn't have virtual 7 or XP. (Presumably an XP license is free or very cheap these days?)

Re aircraft causing inf casualties. Carpet bombing, yes. But, I have wondered if fighter aircraft strafing was really more for harassing and killing vehicles or aircraft on the ground and it was fairly easy for inf to hide and be invisible. However, in CM2 it seems that aircraft can have a huge impact on inf. Anyone know the RL WW2 stats?

Well, the order of importance is what all of us should be discussing. Anyone think of a way of culling the lists down to no more than a dozen or so?

Those are good points. I think the main issue with the CM2 Victory Calculation System is that they often make no sense. I have had big wins recorded by the game system in battles that I really should have lost due to massive losses, and have lost games, where every objective has been met and I have no ideas what else one was supposed to do. In the end one usually has to make a subjective judgement of whether you did well or not regardless of what the game system tells you. I think the issue is that often designers have not calculated a good balance of penalty points for friendly casualties vs Victory Points for objectives or enemy casualties. This calculation is clearly rather complicated, much more so than in CM1, in which the victory/loss levels usually made sense.

It is still a valid point that since CM2 has ambitions to be a sort of "simulator" it would be useful if CM2 had a toggle that enabled you to "buy blind" per "realism" but also to cherry pick with full knowledge of what you are getting (for training purposes at least).

That's a really useful list you compiled Buzz. However, it's an overwhelming amount of items. It would be good to put them in order of importance in two categories: 1) Those that speed up/make for easier GAMEPLAY. (eg: CM1 style selectable and movable waypoints.) 2) Those that are nice features that we would like to see in the game itself. (eg: Being able to ACQUIRE "reasonable amounts of" ammo/grenades from adjacent units instead of having to embark/disembark from vehicles.) Then I would select the top 10 from each category... maybe have a vote on them (like we can do on WeBoB forums).

I have been able to copy the old CM1 games to a flash drive and run them from there. You should be able to copy CM1 to other HD's as well. (However, I have the original versions from a decade or so ago and was able to locate .exe files that enabled them to run without having the original disc in the drive.) Does Win 8 not have a Win 7 or XP emulator like Win 7 does?

Am eager to get to this asap, but due to RL issues, that may not be as soon as we'd both like.

Wow. Scarily open without much cover...

I don't know if this is relevant to this situation, but checking ones' antivirus and firewall helped me with similar problems. Eg ZoneAlarm Toolbar is infamous for stopping CM2 running.

I think many of us like to listen and swap sounds and other mods. So, it would be helpful if modders do not use .brz folders. There seems to be no advantage in load times etc. and it just adds complexity and time to explode and compare.

Just curious. Can one rename the German greatcoats and use em for Allies? Or are they hardwired in...

Looking forward to this. All your other scenarios have been xnt.

Some of the best AAR pics I have seen.

"Re XO's and 2IC's taking over, only US squads function like that, not other Allied or Axis? Any reason for that? Why do you think they don't?" I don't know... that's why I am asking, akd. If you can't help, why bother posting? I play a lot of CMSF as well as CMBN and CMFI and IIRC have never seen a Brit 2IC (or US XO) take over when the CO is KIA.

What PhilM said is the best way. However, many times when you actually get your unit to that sweet spot with LOS to a target... you find that in fact there is no LOS. It's very frustrating. What used to be fairly simple in CM1 is much harder now. And that is unrealistic since it's pretty easy in RL to know whether you are in trees or not. In CM1 one had the base color to guide you as well as the cursor would tell you what terrain a unit was in. In CM2, it's usually hard to tell.

Wow. Really impressive so far.

This is a sad discussion, but I agree with what has been said. I still remember when I were a lad that we were taught that a university education was good for its own sake, broadening the mind, creating a well-informed citizen better able to analyze news and information so as to make good decisions in life etc. However, economic realities of the past decades have made almost all higher education institutions "trade schools" of some kind where the primary objective is to get a job. My wife has a couple of degrees from USC and worked there afterwards as well. It became apparent to me that well-funded schools like USC are primarily real estate and investment corporations that hide behind an educational sideline so as to keep their privilege tax status. I get the impression that the only schools (worth going to) where doors will be opened for you after graduating these days are the elite Ivy League. There is little respect for degrees from other schools. Pretty much all degrees from all the 2nd tier universities (that used to be fairly prestigious) have been devalued, and if you go to the third tier... Certainly in London I noticed that schools that used to be "technical schools" have now been upgraded to universities. Thames Valley University comes to mind. Universities like that cater to foreign students (who can pay well) who go back home with the cachet of having a British or American degree which may be impressive in East Bonga Land, but which won't do you much good in the UK or US. I fear that the rigid class system I grew up in is coming back with a vengeance and the corruption/degradation of our educational system is the prime mover.

Re XO's and 2IC's taking over, only US squads function like that, not other Allied or Axis? Any reason for that? Also, has anyone experienced a Company CO taking over a leaderless platoon (in terms of the little green lights)?

Since the command attributes of units change (almost always worse) when leaders are casualties, maybe the crews could automatically become much worse after bailing.

Very interesting and edicational posts Jason. Thanks...