Erwin

+1   Much of the gameplay with the mid to late war period is very similar.  Early war units were essentially experimental as armies had to figure out how to best use armor etc.  It usually took more than one shot to kill, and there were huge mismatches where armies (Germans in particular) had to learn how to combat other nations' tanks that on paper were superior.  So, lots of new and interesting challenges and new tactics to explore.
Regrettably it's hard to see getting early war products earlier than 5 years... and by then there may be a need to start on CM3.  CM1 was made obsolete in 2007 after a 6-7 year life when CMSF was released .  CM2 is now 13(!) years old...  

The other challenge one often faces in CM games is that one is not able to use TOW's (or other long range weapons) at optimal ranges (3 Km+) due to map sizes and/or restricted LOS.  
 

Very helpful info.  Thanks.

+1   Much of the gameplay with the mid to late war period is very similar.  Early war units were essentially experimental as armies had to figure out how to best use armor etc.  It usually took more than one shot to kill, and there were huge mismatches where armies (Germans in particular) had to learn how to combat other nations' tanks that on paper were superior.  So, lots of new and interesting challenges and new tactics to explore.
Regrettably it's hard to see getting early war products earlier than 5 years... and by then there may be a need to start on CM3.  CM1 was made obsolete in 2007 after a 6-7 year life when CMSF was released .  CM2 is now 13(!) years old...  

Juts to clarify:  You advise that it's best to leave Bradleys and Abrams buttoned up at all times.  But, other vehicles benefit from being unbuttoned (if safe) for situational awareness/spotting(?).  

It's a shame.  I been trying to finish CMBN campaigns I halted when other games were released, and yes in v4 it is very hard to get units to do what one wants (compared to the other titles and previous versions).  Units will regularly leave good cover to run out into the streets and get massacred.
 

FWIW:  For CMBN alone my Z folder has 122 Aris vehicles plus an untold number of other mods for terrain and FX (smoke, flames etc.).  

Compared to what most girls wear at the gym, that is quite modest, almost overdressed.  What kind of gym you go to, John?   First Catholic Our Saviour Gym For Nuns?   

Very relevant to moving vehicles in CM.  Thanks.

I hear ya...  I know that merely playtesting is a lot of work, but nothing close to the work needed to actually design and develop a campaign.  

Impressive effort.  We were told years ago that it would be impossible to do the stuff you have been doing.

Thanks to all those extra trucks etc from the US.
Germany was never prepared for any long wars, always expected to blitz their way to victory in the few weeks or months at most.  Rommel in North Africa is another example - early brilliance and aggressive speed, but not having the supply chain to maintain the momentum or for extended ops.  
The early seesaw operations that bounced between El Agheila and east of Tobruk and back again is what makes the Afrika Korps game so fascinating (and different) from the grueling, grinding down of CMBN and steamroller of CMRT.

Maybe some folks like defending - probably can be fun in H2H - but vs AI, defending can be boring - and usually, the design has to use massive waves of suicidal attackers knowing that most will get mowed down.

The thing with Rommel was hat he was never supposed to take Alexandria and Cairo, just prevent an Italian debacle.  If the Brits hadn't removed most of their best forces to Greece, the "Rommel" myth would never have happened.  The story is one where the moral is be wary of early success as it can suck you into a trap/dead-end - the same moral as in the Vietnam era "We Were Soldiers and Young..."
Once Rommel had unexpected success he became a Nazi PR tool and had to live up to his own myth.  Of course that's what he wanted and believed and like all top executives, he must have had a huge ego. 
In CM1's CMAK I once spent several months making a scaled down map for an Operation covering the entire North Afrika map from El Agheila to just west of El Alamein.  (I figured once the forces got to El Alamein, it became boring.)   The map was 8Km x 4Km... 
I wanted to have areas where one would have 2Km-3Km LOS so players could use the 88mm guns the way they were supposed to be used.  The effort took hundreds of hours to get it half done and almost gave me a nervous breakdown so had to stop.  It's the reason I have so much respect for CM2 designers - as CM2 is waaay more complex to design for than CM1 was.
Looking forward to a CM2 Afrika Korps designed by talented folks who really know what they are doing.

Depends on the map size (the greater the distance you can shoot at the less likely the gun will be spotted) and the time duration of the scenario (it takes a long time to limber and unlimber a gun).
In most CM scenarios a gun is not that useful in attack, unless you have a nice protected keyhole position from which to fire at a particular target (like a building) which ideally can't shoot back effectively.

As we seem to see new players here, I found an old CMBN review that may have useful information about the CM2 game system and CMBN in particular:
http://armchairgeneral.com/combat-mission-battle-for-normandy-seeing-the-game-through-contemporary-field-manuals.htm
 
 

Am excited to see your huge map.  Took a looong time to load.  Am hoping my machine can handle it when more units and smoke appears.  Have been planning to get a super dooper new machine, but as I will soon be abroad again until Autumn, I figure any super machine I get now will be an obsolete old hag by the time I get back.  (So, will wait till then.)

I should have known this is another xnt work of yours, George.   I guess now I have to try the beefed up v2 (if only so I can look down of the mere mortals who only played v1). 
 
 

As we seem to see new players here, I found an old CMBN review that may have useful information about the CM2 game system and CMBN in particular:
http://armchairgeneral.com/combat-mission-battle-for-normandy-seeing-the-game-through-contemporary-field-manuals.htm
 
 

I have a "v2 BETA" dated 11/16/2016.  But at "Few Good Men" I only see a v1 dated 7/6/2015.
Is there a final version or is the v2 BETA the latest one?

Here is snow just for you, Earl...

Here is snow just for you, Earl...

+1
If we ever get to earlier CMFI, there should be sufficient models etc to do a decent CM Afrika Korps - even if it's just a module.

+1  The reason folks find Stummels less useful in the CM2 games is that most of the ranges in the maps are not long enuff for proper deployment.

Aquila could probably do it with one hand tied behind his back.  The guy's a friggin genius.