Myles Keogh

I'm not a Glantz fan. With exception of "When Titans Clashed," I got rid of the rest of his books that I owned. While I admire his research, his writing style is mind-numbingly dull. The best description of Glantz that I've heard is that of a "Mr. Spock" of the Ost Front: "all facts, no spirit." If you're uber-passionate about certain East Front campaigns then you'll enjoy his work. However, if you're looking for a well-written and entertaining read then I'd pass on Glantz. There are historians who can put together a well-researched and entertaining reads on the Eastern Front: Douglas Nash's "Hell's Gate" and Joel Hayward's "Stopped at Stalingrad" are both terrific. Then you have "pop history." Anthony Beevor's "Stalingrad" has arguably replaced William Craig's "Enemy at the Gates" as the best popular book on the subject. Beevor is certainly not going to warm the hearts of grogs, but he's a terrific writer. His "The Fall of Berlin" is also good. Sir Max Hastings' book on the last months of the war, "Armageddon," is an entertaining read that deals heavily with the Soviet advance into Germany. And then there is Cornelius Ryan's "The Last Battle" which was one of the first books by a western writer to detail the Battle of Berlin. John Erickson's two volume history, "The Road to Stalingrad" and "The Road to Berlin," are a bit dated, but still stand tall as among the best written on the Russian Campaign. Finally, "The Forgotten Soldier" by Guy Sajer is a true classic. Although there is apparently some controversy whether it's true or not, the book is one of the most harrowing and descriptive about the life of an ordinary German (Alsatian) combat soldier fighting Ivan.

I got the same result with Bloody Aalst- total victory due to a German surrender. I didn't even come close to occupying the 3rd objective or exiting anything off the map, but I pounded the hell out of the Germans wherever I came across them. I collapsed buildings onto them and just blew the town to bits. I played turned-based, elite, and with the normal 1 hour and forty minute time limit. SPOILERS: It was without question my favorite mission of the campaign. Watching three story buildings collapse under heavy artillery, intense city fighting, blasting holes in stuff with engineers, and finding ways to get flank shots on German tank destroyers with my fireflies made this mission a real blast. At one point, I had entire platoon and 3-4 tanks blasting the church tower trying to get just one stubborn fallschirmjaeger who had shot the scout that I had earlier sent up the tower. (I really have come to dread the sound of the MP40!) I also really enjoyed Papenberg where you have two platoons of All-Americans fighting a delaying action against a very large German force. At one point my right flank was entirely dependent upon one machine gun team- my Market-Garden version of Pvt. Mellish and Cpl. Henderson. This is a superlative campaign!

You lost or got a draw for two battles in a row. Once you suffer those two consecutive defeats/draws then all the following offensive missions will be timed for three hours. (Defensive missions keep the initial time allotment.) It's Paper Tiger's solution to people complaining about his time limits being too restrictive. Rather than being booted out the campaign, players who suffer consecutive defeats or draws will now continue with these three hour "consolation" missions rather than the intended time limited ones. I look at trying to avoid them as a challenge. If I suffer a defeat or draw in one mission then I feel extremely motivated to try to pull out a victory in next the mission to avoid those "You suck!" three hours ones. (I even went back two battles once to avoid them. I lost the 3rd mission and found the 4th impossible to get anything better than a draw due to even more restrictive time limit that results from losing the 3rd mission. So, I went back and refought the 3rd mission to ensure that the 5th wouldn't be the start of the 3 hour ones.)

There is an older mod that gets rid of the red cross. It works. I use it. Play on Elite level to avoid being able to identify enemy unit types by their floating icons. On Elite level, the game uses the same generic icon for all infantry types.

From another thread, BF has apparently decided not to continue patching CMBN 1.x: "We never intended to support the previous v1.x beyond any immediate, short term technical problems caused by changes in OSes or what not. Provided they could be reasonably addressed. I had also hoped we could back a few of the v2.0 fixes as a one time "gift" to the v1.x crowd. But it didn't turn out that way for two reasons: 1. Pretty much all players who are still interested in playing have upgraded. 2. The fixes were not easily backed into the old v1.x code base. It is simply not worth our limited time and resources to fix things for a handful of people that haven't upgraded but still play CMBN. If they REALLY like playing the game and REALLY want the fixes then why haven't they upgraded? Further, why should the vast and overwhelming majority of paying customers have their game experience harmed by us being distracted supporting a handful of people who are no longer paying customers? Sure, in a perfect world we'd continue to patch older games to fix bugs. But we all live in the real world and that's just not practical to do. So we patch the games until they are stable and playable. No game, no piece of software, is ever bug free and perfect. At some point we have to declare our past games "good enough" and move on. Steve"

Try to avoid having your planes bombing too close to the road. Those rockets make some massive craters and your vehicles (especially Shermans) will bog down in them. So, be careful about blowing holes in the road especially since this scenario "encourages" the player to keep his vehicles on the road.

This really was a terrific little scenario. I played as the Brits (WEGO, Elite) against the AI. Despite the AI's usual issues of being very clumsy and ineffective on the attack, the AI plans for this scenario did enable it to put up a decent fight. The SS pixeltruppen did blunder into killzones, but they were still able to drive my paratroopers from some of the VP locations. SPOILERS: Ammo became a real concern due to some very intensive close-range firefights. I used my jeep to shuttle to sheltered spots near the fighting and had teams racing back and forth to it to acquire its limited ammo. I eventually depleted everything it was carrying. During the set-up, I moved the AT gun to what turned out to be a fantastic location. Late in the battle, it destroyed two STUGs and a halftrack. If you leave the AT gun where it starts the scenario then you'll probably lose it pretty early. Overall, this is one of the best scenarios I've played with CMx2. I'm a huge fan of smallish-historically based scenarios and this is one of the best.

Yeah, it's a tough one. However, just keep pounding away. You can win a total victory in that scenario without exiting a single man by crushing the opposing German forces. They'll surrender if you pound them hard enough and thankfully they're aren't that many of them. One big word of caution: Do not use all your 25lber ammo because you'll need it for the next scenario. I confess that I lost this scenario my first time around. I got caught-up on exiting my units in "good order" and thus moved way too slowly trying to minimize casualties. The result was that I ran out of time and suffered a minor defeat. That KILLED me going into Scenario 4 because if you lose Scenario 3 then 10 minutes is lopped off your time allotment for the next scenario. Without the full time allotment, I couldn't manage anything better than a draw in Scenario 4 due to running out of time while scrambling to exit my forces. And a draw is treated as a defeat for campaign purposes which resulted in Scenario 5 being the start of those 3 hour "You Suck!" scenarios which I don't want to play. I simply could not win Scenario 4, which is very tough, with the hour allotted to me and the minimal artillery ammo I had left for the 25lbers. So, I went back and refought Scenario 3. Of course, I had the advantage of knowing the German force composition even though I ran into a different AI plan with my 2nd playing. Still, winning Scenario 3 granted me the full 70 minute time allotment for Scenario 4 plus some intelligence as to enemy deployments. So, it's pretty important to get a victory in Scenario 3.

The man had over 14,000 posts and lives with a mannequin! That's really all you need to know about his "mental state."

The 49th "West Riding" Division is the stock uniform for all British infantry units in CM. They're also in CMFI:GL despite the 49th never being in Italy. Vein's British uniform mod changes the stock uniform to the 43rd "Wessex" Division which did fight in Market-Garden. Dark Canuck has a host of uniform mods that enable the player to chose the unit identification patch of virtually every single Commonwealth unit that saw action in the ETO, but they were done for CM 1.0 and one would have to do a bit of work to get them to work properly with CM 2.0. As for Paper Tiger's campaign. As usual, it's very good, but I'm having a devil of a time with the 4th mission. I won the first two missions, but then suffered a minor defeat in the 3rd mission. I was too cautious. Plus, I used a good deal of my artillery which has hurt me in the 4th mission. So, the 4th mission. I've been able to exit the vast majority of my units and deny the Germans control of their two victory locations, but the best I've been able to do is a "draw." Unfortunately, a draw is treated like a defeat so the next mission is one of those 3 hour "You Suck" consolation missions that I don't want to fight. So, I have to keep banging away until I can eke out a minor victory.

No, it wasn't. Until 2.10, one could always identify the OOB information of any sighted enemy unit regardless of FOW level. It didn't matter if you played at elite or iron: if you clicked on a sighted enemy unit then you'd be informed its type and its OOB information ("1st vehicle", "2nd Squad," "A Squadron HQ.") CMFI: GL introduced FOW that actually hides OOB information from the opposing side. Surprisingly, despite being a much requested change it's not even mentioned in the 1.10 changelog. However, it's an incredible boost to FOW, and I'm very pleased to see it finally ported over to CMBN. There is now actually a point to playing on "elite." No more: "Oh, it's an AT ammo bearing team. There must be an AT gun nearby. Time to dial up some arty on that position."

Thanks for the Kriegsmarine portrait. However, it appears that portraits were not included for any of the new MG German formations. EX: fallschirmjaegers are also missing their portraits. On the other hand, the German formations introduced in the base module and CW all have their portraits. So, it's just the new MG formations.

Never been a fan of necrobumping, but I am curious what happened to this WIP campaign? Too much work? Or was it a victim of the "scenario time limitations" debate? Or it's just still a "WIP?"

Unfortunately this is the second Market-Garden thread that has been hijacked by the same people who just cannot stop harping about BF's families/modules/upgrades sales model. There is a line from a one of my favorite films that some individuals should take to heart: "It ain't right and it ain't wrong. It just is." The new sales model "just is." The old model of one game featuring an entire theater with massive amounts of content for $50-60 was great for us wargame consumers, but, as BF has informed us numerous times, it almost ruined them. BF states that their new sales model is working for them, and I'm pleased to hear it because it will mean they'll keep making new products which should be looked upon as a good thing. Anyway, I'm thrilled about the upcoming module. One very pleasant surprise is the inclusion of historically accurate maps. I was expecting the scenarios and campaigns to feature maps that were just approximations of their actual counterparts with some generic bridges and windmills thrown in for flavor. I did not expect re-creations of the actual bridges of Arnhem and Nijmegen. It sounds great!

Same here. I've been looking forward to this module ever since it became a rumor of a possibility shortly after the release of CMBN:CW. From what little we know, it's going to contain quite a bit of stuff: fallschirmjaegers, AA weapons, Polish Airborne, mixed German units, and LOOK AT THAT BRIDGE! Undoubtedly, there are going to be some very nice scenarios and campaigns. One of the unfortunate aspects of CMx2 is that we're not seeing the avalanche of user-made scenarios that occurred with CMx1. So, single-players, like myself, are more reliant on the scenarios and campaigns that come with official releases to increase scenario variety. Plus, it's Operation Market-Garden: one of the "sexiest" (in strictly wargamer terms) campaigns of WWII. It has a dramatic appeal that slogging across mountains and mud in Italy or though Norman bocage country simply cannot compete with. Fighting with the All-Americans and Screaming Eagles along Hell's Highway to help the "cavalry" XXX Corps reach the beleaguered Red Devils at Arnhem has a certain romance to it. I'm really looking forward to its release.

Fionn, I rarely post, but your AAR showing you slaughtering Bil Hardenberger in "The Sunken Road," which was posted on MadMatt's old CMBO site, is what sold me on purchasing CMBO. That very well-written and illustrated AAR really demonstrated the game's depth and strengths and had me very excited in getting the game. (As an aside, I lived in Manhattan and ordered my copy either late on 09/10/01 or early on 09/11/01. I played my first CMBO scenarios with the smell of smoke still heavily in the air.) Anyway, a well-done AAR can do wonders in selling a game, and that "The Sunken Road" AAR was a terrific one.

I'm relieved, but puzzled by the above quote. CM:MG almost landed on the chopping-block because of the fear that it may not provide enough "bang-for-your-buck" original content to people who already own CM:CW? I don't know, but fallschirmjaegers, AA weapons, Polish Airborne, "scratch" German units, maybe some new equipment and vehicles to recreate other battles of September 1944 (Lorraine, Aachen ect.), Dutch terrain features, and undoubtedly some terrific new campaigns and scenarios sounds like an awful lot of new stuff to me and I own CM:CW. I'm very much looking forward to this module and have been since it was first mentioned as a possibility over a year ago! Frankly, I was disappointed when BF announced CM:GL as its next module because I knew that meant CM:MG was many months away. Anyway, it's great news to hear that CM:MG is on track for a 2013 release.

I gave this one a whirl last night. I thought I was doing well until one section was utterly wiped-out and another one chopped-up. That had me pulling the plug. However, I've got some ideas for taking another shot at it. Although one complaint is the distinct lack of any "Kiwi-ness" about this scenario. My "Kiwis" were kitted-out as members of the 49th 'West Riding' Division. Plus, I didn't really notice any Kiwi accent emanating from the pixeltruppen. (Did BF at least recycle the voices from CMAK?)

Yes, a terrific but surprisingly unheralded "little" change that a lot of people have been requesting for a very long time. Being able to decipher enemy OOB info at a glance sort of defeated the purpose of "fog of war." "Oh, it's an AT ammo bearing team. Hmmm. There must be an AT gun near that position. Time to dial-up some arty." I happily boosted-up my difficulty from "warrior" to "elite" to take full advantage of this great new addition. I'm looking forward to it being included with the upcoming MG module for CMBN.

1) Market-Garden: I had been hoping pre-orders were just around the corner and then was pretty disappointed when BF took another "detour" to Italy with its announcement of CMFI: GL. 2) A tie: Bugle/Bagration: Really looking forward to both with equal anticipation. 3) CMFI: GL: I'll still buy it because it's WWII, but the Italian theater? Meh. 4) CMSF2: No interest whatsoever. I skipped CMSF1, and I'll skip this one too.

A "small" change that I've love to see: A "fog of war" option that disallows the player from being able to know OOB information of the opposing side. I really don't want to know that the tank I just blasted was the HQ of A Squadron. Nor do I want to be informed that the Sherman in front of me is "Cruiser Tank 3" or that the infantry holding up my advance is "Squad 2." Being told about the infantry is a certain type also defeats the purpose of "fog of war" such as being able to ID ammo teams or HQs. I know many people have complained about the above and apparently it appears that changing it would not be a "small" or "easy" thing to do otherwise BF probably would have changed it by now. Anyway, I just wanted to join the chorus on this issue as a way of hopefully moving it up in terms of priority on the large "wishlist" that BF compiles from its customers' suggestions and complaints.

The great thing about sound mods is that you can "mix and match" them to find your personal preference as to the best sounds. If you don't like a particular sound, like the k98k in JorgeMC's mod, then you don't have to use it. The sound mod I use is a mix of various sounds from several different mods with a few things that I found myself. Jorge uses a lot of sounds from SPR, but surprisingly doesn't include the .30 caliber machine gun sound from that movie. Accurate or not, I've always loved how .30 cals sound in that film and that particular sound was my favorite in MadMatt's old CMBO sound mod. I tried to make my own mod using a .30 cal sound file from SPR, but it didn't work within the game.

Yes, it does appear this module is going to pack a lot of "bang for your buck." An entire year of the Italian theater with Commonwealth forces, fallschirmjaegers, and changing seasons. That's a lot of stuff. However, my initial reaction was the disappointing realization that this probably means that the release of the Market-Garden module for CMBN is many months away. I had been hoping that the announcement for Market-Garden pre-orders was just around the corner, but instead it's another "detour" to Italy. It's a disappointment. I'm sorry to MTO fans, but the Italian theater? Meh.

For a game company with just two programmers, I think CMx2's graphics are pretty darn good and a huge improvement over CMx1's. I could never go back to CMBB/CMAK. Compared to other small strategy gaming companies, Battlefront turns out a pretty visually impressive product. Have you seen the tactical games turned out at Matrix? They're either stuck graphically back in 1998 or are pale imitations of CMx1. Or the 2D sprites of games such as HistWar or the Take Command/Scourge of War series? Or John Tiller's 1996 retreads? Let's face facts, serious wargamers' choices as to games with "great" or "impressive" graphics are limited to say the least. As a result, I think CMx2's actually stand out as among the best of a very small field. Yes, compared to the "big boys" such as Creative Assembly and UbiSoft's various contractors, CMx2 quite simply pales in comparison. However, I don't think BF would disagree that they're not at that level. They simply can't compete with those companies whose games' budgets run well into the millions. I'd love to see improvements. Hand-to-hand combat animations? Depictions of tank riders? Burning buildings? Actual tank damage? More varied animations as to the pixeltruppen? Sure, I'd love to see them all and a lot more, but when a game is turned out by a few people with a limited budget because they're marketing their products to a small niche of customers then you've got to keep your expectations in check.

I'm very much looking forward to the MG module. (Frankly, I was disappointed when BF took a detour to Sicily rather than proceeding towards the Netherlands. I still bought CMFI, but I've barely touched it.) I was happy to hear that BF intends the MG module to also encompass the other battles along the German border such as Aachen and the early Lorraine campaign. I greatly anticipate the new scenarios and campaigns, but also am looking forward to BF "completing" the Normandy campaign by providing us units and weapons that were prominent in that campaign but so far remain MIA such as: 1) Fallschirmjaegers: Has BF firmly confirmed their appearance for the MG module? I noticed Steve's last blurb about MG confirmed the appearance of the Polish Airborne and scratch German units including naval detachments, but the Fallshirmjaegers were noticeably not mentioned. Re-reading Johns' "Clay Pigeons" again reminds one what a tenacious and important opponent the "Green Devils" were to American troops in the bocage and how their absence is very conspicuous from CMBN. 2) German AA guns for their ground support role. I've noticed people mentioning that BF has confirmed their appearance in MG, but I missed that post. I hope it's true. Afterall in "Saving Private Ryan" that 20mm AA gun is portrayed as the most potent weapon in the German arsenal. Far more effective than those useless Tiger tanks or a company of elite SS panzergrenadiers. 3) French tanks in German service. I know CMBN scenario designers have tried to work around the absence of those French hunks of junk that were pressed into service against Allied airborne units during the early days of the campaign by substituting Lynxs or even Panzer IVs. I always assumed those vehicles could be fodder for the planned "odds and ends" CMBN module. However, their appearance in CMFI does give me some hope that they could transition over to the MG module.