Chelco

For experienced players, surely the AI is not gonna pass the Turing test. For dummies like me, I am very happy with it and consider it among the best in my HD (along with Highway to the Reich and Korsun Pocket). Besides the already present low-level tactical behaviours which are very convincing, we wouldn’t expect the AI to create elaborate plans. Check this out: A research paper about how to create tactical plans for computer-generated forces The paper is a bit old, but my point is that it takes whole research teams to make an AI which can make plans. Cheers,

If you look closely at the individual soldiers in the Total War series, they look like they are 2-D sprites. In the CM series each soldier is a 3D model.

Can I jump in with the following question? I am a newbie, green as a St. Patrick's parade. I am teething my skills in the Barbarossa campaign; seted it at Beginner and as the Germans. I am really pleased with the feeling of the campaign. I read somewhere that Russia is an easy country to invade, but difficult to conquer. The vastness of the Russian country is a tough enemy! I advanced into Russia breaking havoc, destroying many armys and corps. I firmly invaded the Russian country in the center. Three Russian corps are supposedly encircled. My three groups stand now 100 km east of Smolesnk. Still, I couldn't take Smolensk. I failed to take Odessa and the Crimea. I failed to take the north of the country. Why the encircled Russian corps still get reinforced up to the 7th level? I have read this simulates air-drops and stuff gathered at the cities. But the main thing you need to reinforce a corp is men.

Hi Les, The only worries I have now with SC are: -I need a less demanding job to play more SC -Where do I find such a job? Seriously, I think the game is superb. It really puts you in an strategical mindset. I love it. I am slowly learning the combat mechanics and I hope to start thinking "the big picture way" soon. The game has a very real feel. For instance, it struk me that in the "Barbarossa" campaign you really feel like the vastness of the Russian countryside is your enemy. I am sure more good surprises are to come. Regardin the AI: is beating me to pieces. I cannot predict a thing about it. Happy camper here. I have to confess that when I started computer-wargaming I did it exclusively with real time games and had a bad opinion about turn-based games. Arguments like: "turn based wargaming is as good as a match of boxing where boxers take turns to punch". Eventually I bought my first turn based game: Korsun Pocket (Matrix games). I got so impressed with it that I had to reconsider my original thoughts. This is where I got: -OODA: observation, orientation, decision, action. The cycle every commander takes in the battlefield. -It's very unlikely that in real battlefield two enemy commanders would be performing the same step of the cycle at the same time. If so, the situation will naturally progress into a way where the end of one's commander cycle will trigger the begining of the other comander's one. -All good computer wargames will perform (or allow you to do so) the equivalent of the previous cycle (some games better than others) ONE SIDE at a time.This means that even the games that claim are real time are actually turn based. One calculation cycle for the enemy, one for your forces. The difference between the so-called turn based and real time games is how much times the computer interrupts the virtual battlefield's action in terms of virtual battlefield time. -The bigger the scale of the battle, the higher the player's rank, the longer the cycle takes and the lesser the times the wargame should interrupt the virtual battlefield's time to make calculations. So I am a truly "turn based" converse now. Cheers,

BTW, the retail version is updated to 1.07.

Thanks Terif, These are wonderful news to me. I was starting to go crazy calculating different cases. So, after the program calculates the parameters we discussed, it will add a random factor of +-1 to make the final result. This sounds very good.

Sorry, double post.

And just another newbie question: You are about to attack with an army/corp. You click on your unit and you put the cursor over the target, and some numbers appear on the upper taskbar of the game. It's something like Attacker:0 Defender:1. What does this means? Thanks in advance.

Thanks Terif! Just the info I needed. Cheers,

Hello gentlemen, I am a complete newbie to this game. I am learning the basics but I want solid foundations. Regarding combat, I took this from the manual: Readiness = (supply + strength + command rating + combat morale bonus) / 3 Multiplier = readiness / 10 Attacker Losses = defender_multiplier * (defend_type_value + defender_experience / 2) - attacker_multiplier * attacker_experience / 2 Defender Losses = attacker_multiplier * (attack_type_value + attacker_experience / 2) - (defender_multiplier * (defender_experience / 2 + defender_entrenchment + defence_bonuses)) I am sure it is explained somewhere in the manual, but I cannot find the following parameters explanation and typical values: defend_type_value attack_type_value Would you help me please?

Go figure what games we play! I will print the first post and show it to the fellows that at partys give me that strange look when I explain what I do in the computer. Congratulations!

Hi Sarge, We know that certain tactical situations work in CM as in real life: frontal assaults to unsupressed fortified positions, moving tanks in close terrain without infantry support and many other tactical blunders I am an specialist in doing over and over again. You mean tactics at a slightly superior level? Like which objectives should be taken by which type of weapon system? Cheers,

Furthermore, people who design very complicated, technical simulations are happy when their work renders AN answer to a given question. THE answer to a question about a non-linear, dynamic system like the battlefield is beyond reach for any simulation.

A simulation of an hypothetical battle in a specified terrain, with a specified tactical approach and a specified confronting forces. I think that if one CM scenario designer makes an scenario very close to a real life battle and if two CM players move their forces in a similar way as it happened in real life, the digital and real life results would be similar. CM is a WWII tactical combat simulator. Dorosh is absolutely right in that no commander ever had the amount of control you have over your forces in CM.

Hi Les, I installed the game and ... Wow! I am totally sold to this game. I never played an strategic-level game and I am glad this one is my first. I am totally ignorant of even the basics of strategy. Eager to read the strategy guide... Cheers, I will see you around.

Thanks Kurt! I think I am gonna download it anyway, just in case. Can't wait to install, I tell you! Darn job! Cheers,

Hello folks! During my lunch brake I bought SC in a retail store. Before going home and install it, I just wanted to be sure if I need to patch it. I don't have broadband at home. Thanks for your help.

Nice post John! I second your thoughts. I have lost the ability to have fun with games that are not realistic. I am leaning now in on to the simulator side. And I am saving a lot of money: how many worthy sims appear per year? Another thing that turns me off is a single player experience with fully scripted missions. Cheers,

@ Rollstoy: I knew it! I have also read your posts in the Matrix forums... A big salute from a fan here. The shading changes the perception of the battlefield for good. No questions about it.

@ Rollstoy: Hi! Are you the guy who made the 3D conversion of Close Combat maps? If yes: Nice to see you around, man! Your picture is exactly what I would want. If not: Your picture is exactly what I would want. It looks awesome. Cheers,

A German Panzer division during the early stages of the war in the eastern front and a Russian division used to counter the former. You guys pick them and let's see what comes out. Well, I could pick two, but I need my books. I am at work now.

Thanks guys! So let's compare German and Russian divisions at June 41.

Is it true that inspecting the composition of a division (personnel and materiel) you get a grasp of its army's doctrine at the tactical and operational levels?

Off topic question: when you click "go" then the machine takes some time calculating "something". After that it starts the timer and the turn unleashes. Is that "something" all the stuff that's gonna happen during the turn? Sorry for my ignorance. [ May 05, 2004, 12:40 PM: Message edited by: Chelco ]

Your first sentence puts everything in place. Once you appreciate this, having some of the tools discussed here may not look so gamey.