Erwin

Based on value for money (and savings in other games not purchased) I remember setting a (personal) bargain price of around $250 for the 3 CM1 games before CMSF existed. I would estimate about the same for CM2. So, based on the fact that all modules including CMA still don't amount to $250, I would happily pay more for another module, (say) the French plus some more of the most frustrating issues aired in these forums fixed. The interesting question is what additional features will CM:SF 2 attempt to offer over the existing CM2 engine? Will it be worth a 2-3(?) year wait vs getting more CM:SF and/or Normandy modules every (say) 6 months or so. Gameplay is the main thing, so I would be disappointed if CM:SF 2 was primarily an enhancement of the graphics. BFC has proven that they can bring out amazing product and most importantly that CM1 wasn't a fluke. The only issue is time and how long do we want to wait for... well, what?

Thanks. Amazing video. Bohemia has come a long way. So even in single-player mode the action is relatively realistic - ie thoughtful rather than running around in wrist-twitch mode like in (say) Call of Duty etc?

Yes, thanks again for all your work!

Thanks for the interesting AAR. I prefer the minute turns, partially cos I like to replay aspects of the battle, but also it's quicker to play a scenario (leastways when I played RL, it seemed to take forever with the micromanagement, and I was always missing something important in another area of the battlefield). Anyone been successful or have suggestions re playing this scenario WEGO?

Thanks for the screenshot of Arma 2 MeatEtr. I really should get this, Maybe I asked this before, but does it have a good "solitaire" campaign, or is it primarily multi-player online (which I'm not keen on).

Useful data. Thanks.

Lovely. Thank you!

Am pretty sure that ammo swapping is a new-ish feature. Lots of chat about it on the CMSF forums a week or two ago. Have to check if it's only for heavy weapons as I thought it was for all ammo. BTW PAZ: if you are new, you should check on the CMSF forums as thre is always something new been found. Re snipers, you can resupply the 50cal/12.6mm ammo from a very few vehicles for example.

And hey, maybe it's time for an "ordinary person President" like Palin. The (almost all wealthy) political elites that we now have in govt are so separated from the problems of working people we have bizarre situations like the poor tax-paying sap having to bail out the super-wealthy who lost their $ in the stock market. <Sorry... rant over.>

Yeah, I agree with you and Lanzfield. It's frustrating when it fires a valuable missile, when a few rounds of HE would do. I also hate having to do a waypoint dance to restrict the number of round fired. But, then I realize that we're lucky to have ANY game company developing amazing quality entertainment games like these for us grognards. I often feel sorry for the BF staff for all the flack they have to deal with. It's HARD to design and program games.

Thanks for the clarification, akd. (NB: I got the .228 Lapua ref from your message 11-18-2010, 04:49 PM, so you may want to edit it.) Re possible 50 cal/12.7mm resupply vehicles in CMSF and all modules... Are there any additional supply sources other than the "M2 Humvee (Brit module IBCT Assault platoon)"? Hopefully, designers will put at least one of these in a scenario with snipers. Seems not quite right that a sniper would run out of ammo so easily (or is that to avoid imbalance?). I think that ALL games have problems depicting snipers. In all games (I can think of) other than CMSF, snipers are depicted as a very powerful unit, safely taking out gobs of enemies at long range. Why do you think that is? Anyone?

That sounds very exciting - you have a talent for really good-looking maps and situations. Am confused re your plan. You said a Syrian assault vs NATO (sounds interesting) and with Marines? The Syrians have Marines? (Or is it a NATO assault using UK Marines?) I always enjoy the missions where you have to defend one area, while attacking elsewhere. Hope you make your new one some sort of rescue/resupply campaign.

I been using those icons too. But, not sure they are worth the trouble. I liked the mod which showed which direction your units was facing. And yes, Alex, it IS easier if you've played it b4 and know what is going to happen lol. Nevertheless, even with a do-over you still have an impressive score. BTW: I always supplyl my men at the very start with all suitable ammo in case BMP's blow up. I didn't notice until you said it that I have exactly the same units in mission 3 with whatever ammo is left over. I have to see if I move a unit with high ammo next to a low ammo unit if they'll swap some ammo.

I do understand what you mean guys, but having the god view is still way easier than RL communications - although with the new systems they seem to be getting there. I was simply proposing that making a game "harder" to play doesn't necessarily equate to it being more realistic... it's still a game. The CM systems created by BF are brilliant because they create the illusion of reality - verisimilitude, suspension of disbelief, call it what you will. When players actually believe that they are learning how to command real life units, that is what makes a great entertainment wargame.

When I say simulation, I mean to training standards - as in you will learn something that you can use in RL. I don't think that any commercial game has met those standards as DoD tried investing on COTS (commercial off the shelf) games in the 90's thru a few years ago, but wasn't very successful. Most of the $ now goes to big research outfits like USC's ISI labs in Marina del Rey etc.

AKD: I tried to summarize the discussion on sniper ammo and resupply. See if the following is accurate plz: "There are four sniper rifles that use 7.62 NATO: the US Army M110, the USMC M40, the Canadian C3A1 and the Brit L96. Sniper rifles using 12.7mm/50 cal ammo can only be resupplied if there is a suitable (rare) source of 12.7mm/50 cal ammo resupply (NOT integral vehicle ammo). Eg: An M82 team that has depleted its second column ammo can enter a dismountable M2 Humvee (Brit module IBCT Assault platoon) and acquire 12.7mm AP-I. The second column will fill and the M82 sniper will resume firing. Non-standard caliber (.300 Winchester, .228 Lapua) sniper rifle teams do not show their ammo in the second column and there is no source for resupply."

SLR: When I worked for DoD agencies designing sims I sensed a real bias against special forces/special ops including snipers. I think that spec ops upsets the average military mindsets that are only comfortable envisaging conventional actions with formations of tanks streaming along plains accompanied by Mech Inf and covered with Attack aircraft and Arty barrages. They HATE the concept that one guy can snipe the commanding generals of the other side, or perform some other magic that can completely ruin their detailed simulations and make a mockery of all their expensive hardware/toys. It's akin to the Maginot line mentality - training to win the last war when all you have to do is look around and you can see where things are going (eg: Cyberwar etc.). If you look very, very hard, you just may catch a glimpse of that attitude in discussion threads not a million miles away lol. There are some forward thinkers who are aware of all these problems thank goodness. But, it's uncertain if they have much traction as there is SO much money/profit in creating and maintaining conventional forces. It was a fascinating but somewhat disillusioning episode in my life.

I hope Alex can give us more detailed pointers re what exactly he is doing to have such low casualties. Is the trick to order the BMP's to LIGHT area fire at ANY contact? (They do have lots of MG ammo. But, you'd run out of HE ammo fast if you TARGETED.) Getting at least a 3-man team to the bridge for spotting purposes (only) is essential I think. But, let the BMP's do all the shooting and keep the spotting inf heads down - at least till you sense the enemy is running out of steam. As for saving ammo, my tactic was to use the inf (mostly NOT hiding) to spot the enemy as the BMP's wasn't that good at spotting, then use the BMP's as my arty to kill anything as far away as possible. But, I rarely let my BMP's AREA fire in order to save ammo. I also rarely allowed my inf to fire over 100m. Went to several turns overtime and had ammo left. Felt a bit cheated by the system as the scen ended with the enemy making one last suicidal attack that I could see coming and I was prepped and sure to massacre them all. Of course I had still suffered lots of wounded and 2 dead BMP's... So Alex... more detail re exactly what you did plz... (And am assuming you played on Elite level?)

I agree, I dont understand the logic or when HE or a missile is used when targeting (say) a building). And control over the number of rounds fired too. Seems insane to have heated discussions over some very trivial issue of RL vs CMSF when there are glaring issues like that in existence. CMSF is a very enjoyable game, not a great simulation, so I don't worry about the above (much). It's much harder to create a fun game than an accurate (means boring to me) sim imo. But am amazed that some of the other threads make one think CMSF is supposed to be an accurate DoD sim.

Am curious. Since you can still have a god view of all your units when no unit is selected, doesn't that make Iron a bit pointless/misleading. It sounds like you need a sim where you can't see anything other than your HQ unit when no unit is selected, and go from there.

Yes, your videos are fascinating and I wish it were easier to have discussions on why you did certain things, your thinking process etc, and (with input from experienced players/BFC testers) if you had a replay what you would have done differently. One idea: Can you provide a list of all your links one one page when you're done. I think other clubs might find them fascinating.

So long as CMSFII portrays LANDWARRIOR, RAILGUNS and transforming robots (and any other new-fangled DOD stuff they used to boast about) I don't care where it's set.

Road to Dinas is an xnt Red vs Red campaign, and IIRC vanilla.

Yours is such an interesting situation that it may be a great topic for a campaign. AFAIK all the campaigns are about getting to some boring old geographic location that looks like any other location in any other scenario. No reason why a Campaign shouldn't be a rescue/supply type mission like in your situation. Since CM2 scenarios are only 2-3 hours tops, you could portray a 24 (RL) hour mission like this. It would be a very nice change.

Your result in mission two is impressive. Given one starts with two bmp's that are immobilised, I found that eventually the militia must have crawled up close enuff to RPG them. (I didn't see the firer either time.) Only my mobile BMP survived as I moved it after almost every time it fired so the enemy couldn't pinpoint it's position in the dark. (Not sure why 2 BMP's are crippled. I may have done better if they were all mobile.) When I could see the enemy, I pounded them with BMP HE. I kept my inf most of the time to 100m short arcs as again I didn't want them blowing all their ammo until the enemy was almost point blank. My inf's main job was to protect the BMP's from enemy RPG teams. (I did detach one 3 man team to guard the bridge.) I only fired at confirmed contacts and very seldom at suspected inf positions, as I thought that would be a waste of ammo. You think that was the big difference? (Were you area firing LIGHT?) BTW: I played at Elite level, you?