Barkhorn1x

You beat me to that comment. Thank you. ...and, even with all those resources, the tactical battles are not what one would call historically accurate by any stretch of the imagination - and the AI? Feh! ** **Confession; I own and play every TW game as I find them fun and entertaining albeit not very challenging. But the Strat AI and Tac AI stinks - always has - and always will. Will I buy STW2? Sure...

What you seem to be missing here - when comparing TW to CM - is that in a TW game, the battles are pointless without the strategic campaign as they occur in a campaign context. In CM the battles are the game as CM is a tactical simulator whereas TW doesn't come close to that level of detail/realism. IOW = apples and oranges.

Yea, and the US & Brits had NO anti-tank rifles - but the Germans put schurzen on their tanks anyway. Was this an example of German "intelligence" or was there some other rational at work here?

You know what might be nice from a nostalgia perspective? The same tutorial that kicked off CMBO – recreated w/ the CMx2 engine. I remember being told that CMBO was the long awaited (but never realized) re-incarnation of ASL on the PC. “We’ll see”, said I. And then I fired up the that tutorial – and was hooked after turn #2 when my “hull down” Sherman took out a Mk IVG that then exploded after trading about 3 rounds between them. “Wooaa, now that’s what I call entertainment!”, said I as I reran that tank duel over and over again about 10 times. Good times man, good times.

So, to pass the time until we get a CM:N website w/ - hopefully – some new info./screenies, how detailed in schurzen modeled – outside of a pristine appearance on German armor? - Is it taken into account when hit by a shaped charge weapon? - Can it be stripped off by terrain features/battle damage? - Will this be shown graphically? Perhaps not the most important points from realism perspective, but those Germans sure used a lot of it so it must have had some positive effect.

This is good news - for BF - and their customers. Welcome aboard.

Assuming that you are referencing the SF experience I will reply as follows: "Umm...and you haven't been paying attention to any hot wars over the past 20 years?" US forces do tend to dominate a modern battlefield. That is a fact. Now, things were a lot more complicated in WWII.

I would agree here as Tac Air was more often ranging/interdicting behind the front lines and not directly on top of them although there were exceptions.

Keeping in mind that outside of the demo, I have no experience w/ CMx2. So, looking ahead to CM:N; how abstracted is air support – still basically a shadow crossing the landscape and world goes boom!?

Thanks for the info.

Interesting conversation all. Forgive me for not being familiar w/ what can be (and not be) modded w/ the CMx2 engine. How locked down is it?

Oh I think the legend was cemented w/ Bastogne and "Nuts!"** **No doubt cleaned up for the censors.

Now that is a great update. Thank you. So, the "Normandy" family will run through approx. Sept. '44, correct? And the "Bulge" family will take things from Oct. to the end?

I did not know that. Apologies.

Me thinks you are confusing the CM2x engine w/ the ToW engine.

Ahh...understood.

Hmmm...Ooookkk...but there is this quote from BF: How does one square that comment w/ inclusion of a Bulge module?

Really kind of bummed about no FJ in CM:N - that is a tad too limting IMO and precludes head to head para scenarios until the next module. Waddya mean no Volskgrenediers? Ever?!?! And NO Bulge?? Hey why not just leave out half the freakin' war in the ETO? I kid, but barely.

What’s the feel? Something like: OoB: US = Regulars, Rangers, Paratroopers (so pretty much complete); Germany = Wehrmacht; Fallschirmjager (SS; Gebirgsjäger and Volksgrenadiers for follow on modules?) TO&E = Most common vehicles for both w/ oddball vehicles (Sherman Jumbo, Bison AG) for follow-up modules? I guess my real question is – how limited are the choices/options in CM:N?

Yes, I agree as I believe that, considering the role of the player***, real-time turns into an unrealistic click-fest. Just could not get into ToW for that reason. Well that, and it just seems kind of sterile compared to CM. ***The player must become all the little sergeants/lieutenants/captains for the units in the game - over a sizable battlefield - and to do that effectively you need a bit of time. This is why WEGO is such an effective solution as it allows time for deliberative orders - but builds in simultaneous interaction w/ opposing forces that effects [wrecks ] those best laid plans.

Same here. I approach games from the perspective of history. I want to fight the battle of Hill 314 where the 2nd Btln/120th Inf Rgt/30th Div and supports square off against a depleted 2nd Panzer Div. I have little interest in a hypothetical engagment between a somewhat made up Stryker company and a totaly made up Syrian unit. I didn't even bother to d/l the demo when CMSF came out as I heard the negative feedback and [again] the period was just not for me. Then, about a month ago, I heard about CM:N and decided to check out the updated CMSF demo. And - although I still have no interest in playing CMSF - I thought the interface/graphics were great and just cannot wait to see the engine used in a WWII setting. I have nothing against those who play and enjoy CMSF - why would I? Wanna play real time as opposed to WEGO? Go ahead. To each his own sez I. Oddly enough, or not [or not], I look at the decision of BF to do a modern setting first w/ the new engine as a good one in the sense that the engine is now mature - and I am confident that the design team will take advantage of all those lesssons learned along the way - so that when CM:N ships it will ship w/ minimal bugs and be that much more enjoyable.

That description pretty much describes me. I really have no interest in hypothetical modern warfare as I game as much for the history as for the kicks. But having played the CMSF demos I just love the engine and believe a WWII interation will be awesome. I will buy it immediatly that is for sure.

Hey, I missed the Desktop option. Game now looks great. Thanks. Can't wait for the Normandy module.

Yep. That is the case. Good news. Now, please tell me that the demo is limited to 1280x960 rez and that the actual game goes much higher.

Thank you for the detailed response. I will go to 10.3 then and see if that fixes the issue - and works w/ my other games.