Erwin

This may or may not be applicable to this discussion, but I experimented with Cease-firing at various points in a scenario to see what sort of result I would get based on progress. I found that the game can go very quickly from awarding me a defeat to Total Victory. It seemed like the difference could sometimes be as little as a few extra enemy units killed or surrendering. Ever since CM2 came out there has been this "instability" in the scoriing that results in extreme results very easily. The reason that I mention this in a discussion about time limits, is that the difference between winning the mission and losing it within time constraints can be as thin as a cat's whisker (apologies for the mixed metaphors). The other question I have is why do we not see more variable ending missions/scenarios? That would go a long way to satisfying the issues with some of the current missions' short time constraints. If the game is close, and the result can rest on a very small change, the player has earned the extra time. This is after all a game, and we're talking about gameplay enjoyment - not training us to be tough enuff to experience the real thing. Full disclosure notice: All my comments assume playing vs the AI, primarily in Campaigns, and using WEGO.

The faded ID patches that you do are probaby the best/most realistic-looking that I have ever seen on a model.

I was fully aware that you can't place mortars too close to buildings as they may not fire over them. Am just impressed that even tho' they could fire over the church, they couldn't fire over the steeple. (I had assumed that a building is a building and height differences wouldn't be an issue.) Will try and move the mortars laterally a few meters and that should give abillity to fire at the previously untouchable enemy. (Still having a hard time figuring out the C2 issues tho'.)

They both look good. But, I thinnk I'd go with the original greener green, just cos they're a bit easier to see at a brief glance. You don't want subtle shades when you're trying to convey info quickly.

Just cos they're off the boats doesn't mean they came from the factory. They were probably buggering around the English countryside on maneuvers for months.

Ok, so you're saying the mortars can fire over the roof of the church ok, but if the direct line of fire is across the higher steeple, that would block fire. Ok, I tested targeting with offboard arty and I could do it. Am impressed that the engine makes that distinction. Thanks for the explanation...

I find recon to be invaluable for locating enemy assets like ATG's and mortaring them, or armor and finding safe positions to prang them from. The other question re the dedicated recon teams is are they better at it than a two man scout team split off from a squad? For example, the Germans have a three man recon team all equipped with MP40's - which I think is rather a valuable unit re firepower. I'd prefer to lose two guys with rifles rather than 3 guys with SMG's. So, am tempted to hold em back for assault work. Other than the fact that the recon teams have binoculars while the scout teams don't, are recon better at recon? And how much advantage are the binocs - esp in the close ranges of Normandy?

An improvement... As clean as the tanks might possibly be (altho' my car gets filthy in a few days if it's raining etc.), the tracks would certainly be dirty/muddy. (Did they have tank washes in Normandy?)

A cardboard wargame co can make a profit on $15K. I would think that is a fraction of the cost to program and produce a module like CW. Nonetheless, it would be interesting to see if BF could get enuff $ via "test" presales that would determine what they produce next.

Haven't tried facing. I always give em a short arc covering the area I want them to observe. (Definitely do not want an FO trying a few pot shots for fun.) But, the point still is if the FO can SEE units, why can't he target arty on them or anyplace around them? Like I said, power up mission 2 of KG Engel and with the FO at the top of the church tower see if you experience anything different. There will be targets he can see and TARGET or call down arty on, and there will be units he can see, but cannot TARGET or call arty down on or anyplace near. The FO shouldn't have to move or point in another direction if he can already see the units.

Is there any way to get the valuable time back that I spent reading this thread?

Mord: Your Commando mod removes all helmets and adds berets but only for Paras? That would explain it...

Great. Thank you!

That's good to know. However, we have seen scenarios where a couple of meters gets one into trouble. (CMA's Road Of All Fears comes to mind.) Maybe that should be the default scenario start so we know we can move quickly for the first (say) 50 meters to cover. Or, maybe scouts should already be positioned ahead at the point of contact, so the player knows he can move to that point. However, it's nice to have surprises. I don't know or have an answer for us careful CO's. What I do know is that I assume a threat is immediately ahead, and it's VERY hard for me to assume I can safely run my guys to that tempting cover several dozen meters ahead.

I'll check re helmets and how I may have a lack thereof when I get back to main computer next week. (Yeah it should default textures. I don't recall saving anything to a different bit size, unless it's a fluke accident.)

Lovely work. But, they do seem rather clean. Would be great to see more weathering, streaks of dirt runnning down, dirty exhaust area etc.

It's the FO that has clear LOS but for some reason cannot TARGET directly OR arty on (or even near) some units it can clearly see and identify. Nothing to do with placement of the mortars themselves. The FO has been functioning fine targeting other units in other locations with the mortars.

If there are no alternative textures provided for the new CW models then there won't be variations. Maybe I misunderstood the thrust of this thread. I thought someone was complaining that all the Brit tanks look the same other than the Sherman series.

Some cardboard wargame publishers use a system whereby players commit to buying a product IF it is produced, and if there are sufficient pre-orders, that game is developed and published. You do have to give a CC, but it is NOT charged until the game is actually published. Usually, if 500 players make that commitment that is sufficient to get the game published. Of course it's a lot cheaper to produce cardboard than code. IF there were (say) 3,000-5,000 CM fans who would commit to buying certain modules @ $30 per unit... But, I think BF already considered this...

1) Never figured out how to take screenshots and post with this newfangled technology. 2) No, they are not hiding. Can bring down arty on lots of other positions with no problem. You can test this out for yourself in the 2nd KG Engel mission where you can set-up at the top of a church tower with great LOS.

Am simply referring to the alt graphics that are sometimes incuded in mods so that vehicles, uniforms etc can look (randomly) different in a single platoon. Don't know what the official term for that would be.

The designers' points about the AI having lots of limitations re when the AI can take actions etc, and therefore time limits are important make sense. But, I do also sense that many of them move fast right at the start of the scenario since they know that they can move "X" meters before an enemy ambush could occur. It's the minutes that are used at the start of a mission that a cautious commander will "waste" by being careful, which is jamming us regular/cautious players up. And the reason we're cautious is that we've all played scenarios where one can be ambushed almost immediately one moves a few meters. I don't have a solution for this. Although making the missions have variable endings would help. Just trying to understand what is happening when some say they have too much time and others (who may be experienced at playing CM1 and CM2 for over 10 years) remark that there is insufficient time. (Why are so few missions variable ending btw?) It also makes a big difference whether one is playing RT or WEGO - and that info is important to note when players post experiences and results. It would also be helpful if designers could also note in their design notes whether their scenario was tested primarily in RT or WEGO so players know what to expect.

Interesting. Never thought the Mk 3 would be so wide. Maybe the guy's head is just too thin... BTW: While I was sorting through the very large number of camo helmets into a single folder so I could pick and choose, I left it out of my Z folder, and now I have troops that have no helmets at all. Not sure how I managed it (since you'd figure the default is with helmets), but it looks quite interesting actually - esp when combined with the injured head mod. A lot of guys running around with no helmets and a bandage around their heads - like Rambo.

Just curious... How come some mods can be transplanted, others cannot? (Or is it only CMSF to CMA but not vice versa?)

I have an FO in a church tower with what seems like xnt views of several inf and vehicular units. However, not only can he not fire (should he wish to) at any of the units as there is no LOS for targeting, but he cannot even call down arty on their positions, or anyplace close to their positions. I understand the issue with squads and teams that one guy can see the target but the gun itself cannot. But, surely an FO who spots a target should be able to call down arty on that spot, or close to it (or at least fire at the target since all team members have weapons).