Rokossovski

Amazingly good map! (I like the rest of the scenario too, but I really appreciate a good map.)

Don't forget to also release the maps separately! (please?)

I've noticed that in CMSF's depiction of Syrian Reserve units the bulk of the infantrymen wear solid light green uniforms, except one man in every squad -- who instead wears a camouflage uniform identical to those worn in the Army and Republican Guard mechanized units. For some reason, this single camouflage clad soldier is always the DEPUTY squad commander. I have two questions: (1) Is this a mistake? Did the Developers intend for the squad COMMANDER to be wearing the distinctive camo uniform and only assigned that look to the deputy commander by mistake? (2) If this is not a mistake, why would the deputy commander, but not the commander, have the more distictive uniform? One possibility that springs to mind is that perhaps the Reserve units are salted with full-time army troops during wartime (as a stiffener, like adding Wehrmacht troops to larger Romanian formations). Is this what is being simulated?

Counterintuitive, but certainly plausible. I'd be interested in further comment on this idea if any is on offer . . .

I like to think of it as kind of like one of those 50's musicals like "Oklahoma" or "Singing in the Rain," where in the middle of otherwise normal activities one or more of the characters breaks out into a song and dance routine. Rather than trying to "fix" or suppress the creative urges of our pixilated soldiers, we should embrace their artistic expression -- by adding accompanying music. Scrap the Marine Module. Obviously, the next expansion of CM2 should be: "Combat Mission: Strike Force -- The Musical."

Excellent news!

I just ran a test and was able to persuade a BMP-1 to use its main gun by directing it to fire at an unoccupied hillside. Today's teaching moment -- in the future, I should test first, whine later. Much less embarrassing that way. That said, BMP-1s still seem oddly reluctant to fire their main gun without special prompting. I'll run some more tests.

I've noticed this too. I use BMP-1s in battles quite a lot, but I've never seen one fire its main gun for any reason, against any target, ever. Even when directed to target something (a vehicle, infantry, etc.) it will fire off a missile, but never its main gun. Is there any circumstance in which a BMP-1 will fire its main gun? Has anyone ever actually seen it happen?

One can cross such a "river" with a "bridge" consisting of an elevated road featuring assorted doodads (such as a low walls) to help the "bridge" bear a passing resemblance to an actual bridge. It isn't pretty and it can't be destroyed like a real bridge, but it does (half) the job. Legal fine print: nothing herein is meant or should be taken to suggest that it is unnecessary for Battlefront to add proper water tiles and proper bridges as game features.

The lack of dedicated water tiles can be worked around. See, for example, the excellent "Mud 2 Muddy Waters" texture mod created by El Terrifico and available on cmmods.com. See also my scenario "Asmar Crossing" which centers on making an opposed river crossing. (I am presently designing another scenario with a similar theme.) The idea is to use some texture (modified or not) which can play the part of water, and ring those tiles with a ring of "marsh" tiles -- which are impassable in CMSF. Fording points can be created by creating constrained gaps in the wall of marsh tiles. Kipanderson could use such devices to simulate as many rivers as he likes.

Since I never miss an opportunity to harp on this topic, I will do so again: not permitting the AI to make use of artillery during the course of a scenario is a critical omission. It is the most important needed fix remaining in the game system.

Artillery is one of the fundemental building blocks of a conventional army. It contains the bulk of the available firepower. Failing to provide the AI with a way to use artillery would be as large of an oversight as failing to provide the AI with armor, or with infantry. Artillery is often overlooked in computer simulations because it has less glamor than, say, tanks, and because it tends to be omitted from Hollywood depictions of warfare. In the real world, however, artillery is critical. Any simulation of modern warfare (i.e., the last 400 years) that fails to properly model artillery is incomplete and shallow as a result. Its like playing "rock, paper, scissors" without "rock." I have been playing wargames since the 1970s, and CMSF is swiftly becoming, in my eyes, the best wargame ever. I have a long wishlist of features that I would LIKE to see, but dynamic AI use of artillery is the only one that is really and truly critical. [ February 23, 2008, 11:16 AM: Message edited by: Rokossovski ]

I'm especially pleased to see that Syrian Rocket artillery is fixed.

Very nice work, and I can now confirm it looks equally good during gameplay.

Sure, combat forces don't tend to deliberately bring trucks close in to the combat zone. But some times you don't go to the battle . . . sometimes the battle comes to you. This goes for "Red" trucks as well as "Blue."

I ran another test, this time using 1.06. Nothing has changed. Rocket artillery still does not permit calling down spotted rounds. (My spotter spent an hour waiting for called fire to arrive. It never did.) Only unspotted "emergency" fires and preliminary bombardments work. Will this be fixed in 1.07?

I liked the line about a "key part" being held up in customs on the way to Iraq. Military supplies have to pass through customs? I'm trying to picture it: "I'm sorry sir, you can't bring in that 105mm gun . . . it could be used as a weapon." If customs agents present such a barrier, perhaps Saddam could have saved his regime in 2003 by simply refusing to let the invasion force pass through customs.

Thank you for posting the map. Its very nice setting for all sorts of combat goodness. I know its for CMSF, but for some reason it makes me want to break out those German 4-6-7s and Soviet 4-4-7s and 6-2-8s.

I've created my first new scenario for CMSF. Its a smallish red v. red battle called "Asmar Crossing" and is available at cmmods.com. Any feedback would be appreciated. [ February 12, 2008, 11:34 PM: Message edited by: Rokossovski ]

Never mind. I played around with it until it uploaded.

I've created a new red on red scenario but for some reason it refuses to upload onto cmmods. I've posted there before . . .

Very nice. I especially like the addition of "photos" of the trees with soldiers shown alongside for scale. I've saved a copy to use as a reference during map creation. Thanks!

I did some testing, and yes, the AI is extremely reluctant to set units up inside buildings when it sees an opportunity to leave them standing around in the street. In urban scenarios, this leads to easy slaughter of the AI. This is a real problem.

I have several suggestions, but for emphasis I will mention just one: Dynamic use of artillery assets by the AI. The inability of the AI to make use of artillery is the only remaining deficit in the game that is truly important (to me). (Although several on Peter Panzer's list would certainly be nice to have.)

Wow! Superb work!