General Jack Ripper

Nice to hear there's still life in the good old Shock Force still.

https://youtu.be/HCtqOOd2uWk Anyway, this one is titled "The Immovable Object".

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HCtqOOd2uWk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Why can't I post a damn YouTube video like everyone else does?

I offer my apologies for my mixup.

That is true, but there are more than one type of situation to receive a contact marker. I didn't make clear in my post (my bad), but I meant to refer specifically to "Lost Contact" type of markers. A spot where the AI definitely observed enemy units but subsequently lost contact might be worth the AI issuing a "Target Briefly" order on that action spot. You certainly wouldn't want the AI to area fire on every single marker that pops up, only the most recent, and only for a limited time.

As I understand it from my own admittedly few attempts to play in Iron mode, it simulates a "top down" command structure by only being able to issue orders to units within an HQ's Command and Control. Spotting information is also restricted to Command and Control as well. As a player who firmly believes that Corporals and Sergeants actually possess brains enough to say, "let's clear that house" or "fire on that machinegun", I avoid Iron difficulty mode. The best example I can think up is from Band of Brothers Ep. 3 "Carentan", when they get into the fight outside of town, and you see Lt. Winters walking up and down the line directing the fires of his squads and encouraging his men. Iron difficulty mode simulates that behavior by requiring the presence of HQ's to direct their subordinates.

If the AI can be programmed to react to the "contact" markers that are generated by the game, then having the AI conduct area fire on contact markers would be relatively simple.

Oddly enough, I do recall the explanation of the "modular structure" of CMx2 from the pre Shock Force days, with the one "Base Game" and ability to plug in "Modules" containing additional content, like hanging ornaments on a Christmas tree. It seemed to me at the time, that the "One Core" idea was brilliant, and I had always assumed CMx2 had those capabilities. But you are saying, for want of an analogy, that there's no way to upgrade the tree stand without buying a whole new tree first? If that's true, you guys got 90% of the way towards "Future Proofing" Combat Mission, without even realizing it at the time. Just goes to show how good these games are.

JUMBO SHERMANS!!!! If the Pershing tank is also in this game at a later point, then consider my copy already bought!

I wonder if it has something to do with the deformation of the terrain mesh underneath the obstacle... I'm busy running a test on the structural integrity of buildings at the moment, but I'll do some testing on hedgehogs as soon as I am finished.

Oddly enough, that's exactly what I had already said: See? I may be crazy, but I'm not dumb. I wasn't commenting on CMBS specifically, I was commenting on the general behavior of aircraft CAS as modeled in the game. When you call in helicopters to attack an 'area target' they tend to loiter for a while, make several observation passes, and don't quit the area unless they're shot at, or can't spot anything. I merely expressed a desire for fast moving aircraft to exhibit the same behavior, that would provide more incentive to use them in the game to interdict areas of enemy operation, rather than using them exclusively on point targets, which seems to be all they're good for at the moment.

It's already known that the Battle of the Bulge game is coming next, and that game will cover time until the end of the war, so putting the Maus into the game actually makes more sense than dropping everything planned for the next year or two to start working on a new game. Combat Mission has existed for 15 years, and in those 15 years there has not been a France 1940 game. Stop talking about it as if it's "right around the corner" or "just hasn't been gotten to yet". As far as I know, there are no plans for a France 1940 game, and there are no plans looking into the near future. Not to mention, we have already heard from Steve that production of Vehicle Packs and additional add-on content does not adversely affect the game development cycle, so I'd say we have a much better chance of seeing new vehicles and weapons, than some mythical early-war France 1940 game.

I've never actually tried to destroy hedgehogs, now I need to do some science!

It is a minor annoyance, but I had always expected aircraft on an "area target" order to continue spotting attempts until they spot something to attack. Instead of making one or two passes then heading off as if they had something better to do. Granted, in the face of enemy AA assets aircraft couldn't be expected to stick around for long, but if there is no antiaircraft threat, then there is nothing stopping aircraft from loitering overhead waiting to drop bombs and shoot stuff.

I just realized I could have gone back and read the first page of this thread and gotten my answers there. That damn "skip to first unread post" button is just like a "don't bother to read the thread button". I do apologize for the time wastage.

Parker Schnabel's post has given me some kind of brain seizure. I had something to say, but now I can't remember what it was.

Sounds like a good idea to me, so long as higher quality fortifications are also more expensive to reflect the additional time and effort spent camouflaging them.

Adding new things to Combat Mission is never a waste of time. Now that is funny!

Hotseat is the only option, but it makes for an excellent way to train a new player, and an enjoyable way to play a campaign with a real person running the opposing force. Thanks for checking it out. I'll give this one a go.

I do recall plans for a "weird and wonderful" pack with experimental vehicles, like the Maus. Maybe after the Bulge game, it would be nice to see.

Not exactly, there is a copy of Semper Fi Syria set up to be H2H on the repository, and it works great.

Is this campaign H2H capable?