postfux

********* Spoiler alert ************* Dont know if this has been mentioned already but i guess it needs a fix. In a recent game i ambushed a truck column and forced my opponent to retreat and reorganize his forces, leaving lots of unit markers. I regulary checked if there were some changes in this part of the map and yes one day some unit markers disappeared. Curious as i am i rewinded and marked the marker to see if they reappear some other place. They didnt, but the terrain info changed to "passenger". I couldnt resist to press tab and got the position of the truck. Another FOW bug, that i guess has already been mentionend, is that the terrain info of an eliminated unit changes to "neutral". This allows for some very effictive shelling of previously spotted guns. If this problems are known and will be/ are corrected in CMAK or oncoming games please just ignore me, otherwise some changes would add a little realism. By the way, many thanks to BFC for a great game. [ January 23, 2005, 12:06 AM: Message edited by: postfux ]

Hi Daniel This is interesting. When i ran my test there where without doubt differences regarding troop quality and my sharpshooter did much better than yours. I tested in CMBB 1.03, perhaps you had another version, game? Remaining visible after stopping movement shouldnt happen. I didnt test on this one. The test and his results are next to worthless in combat (and in countless other occasions). Troop quality and HQ bonus could be deciding during scouting or for closing in in good cover. I think this depends largely on terrain acting as LOS block only or as giving some adittional bonus. Any findings on this?

First of all, thanks for a great game. Given the opportunity i will add my own wish list. 1. Recon: the spotting system is working all right but could easily be improved. Why not giving some "real" information instead of "infantry?" or "squad?". When my guys are spotting some infantry why not giving away the spotted numbers and when they fire their guns i might get a hint on the type. A full squad could be identified as "5 men, 1 lmg ?rifles" for instance. Same for sound contacts. I always wondered about the "bunker" sound contact. Should be "MG" or "gun". Then unit marker should stay visible but fade away and be fixed after lets say a minute without contact reestablished. "Sir, sir, i spotted a tank! Which type? Dont know but it is the same spotted ten minutes ago by A company." Add the posibility to put notes in unit markes and hide or delete a specific marker. Some filters like show unit markers of last ten turns... would also help. This will give some more depht without changing gameplay and could be made as an additional FOW option. I would also like to draw on the map and leave notes (minefield cleared, platoon? spotted minute 7...). 2. C&C: Stop one HQ overruling each other interfering with indirect fire and reducing the effectiveness of subordinated units. "Run! The major is coming!" 3. Artillery: Possibilty to make other fire plans than "drop all your ammo around point x" (different patterns, effectivly "walk" arty fire, several targets for single preplaned battery..). Purchasing arty per shell not per module and independent purchasing of spotters and battery availabilty. I think one spotter should be able to contact different batteries. On board batterys. All you need is a HQ with a radio or telephone and C&C to all the guns. The FO makes a fireplan, chooses the onboard battery, the rest is processed automatically. Telephone lines? I get carried away. 4. Tanks as 3D objects. They act as cover and block LOS (tank columns). Follow unit order (for vehicles and infantry). Follow road order (order delay is otherwise sometimes ridiculous). 5. Better fortification model. Wodden bunkers as improvement for trenches. Faster movement in trenches. Thats all folks! (for now)

Joachim, spotters where plain inf only. The units to spot where moving without stopping until fired upon. However when running the sharpshooter test they spotted the spotters instantly at the starting line and lost contact once they were moving. Contact was reestablished shortly before beeing slaughtered at about 85 m. I guess binocs only work when stationary. I also had the impression units get spotted as soon as the parameters are fullfilled, so there seems to be no chance factor in spotting, as redwolf also noted. redwolf, some dark secrets should surely stay hidden to the end of times or the next game engine but tasting the forbidden fruit i learned a lot about building scouting partys thus increasing the fun for me. Dont know if i can resist crossing some more lines, given the time.

I ran some test (CMBB 1.03) concerning command and control, HQ bonus and spotting ranges. Since the results are quite exact and, at least to me, interesting i thought i should share them. In the first test i just tried out the effictive range of HQs and the command delay for the subordinatet unit. Regular HQs without a command bonus can influence other units up to 50 meters. For each level of experience of the HQ this is increased or decreased by 5 meters. A +1 bonus adds 50% a +2 100%. Without LOS the range is decreased by 50%. Command delay depends on the bonus of the HQ and the experience level of the commanded untit. Experience level of the HQ is not relevant except to its own delay, but it gets benefit out of its own bonus. In the second test i let some units march towards other units stationary and unhidden in "Steppe" (high grass?) altering unit types and C&C. For one thing nothing seems to increase the ability to spot enemy units (tried altering experience, C&C and some different unit types) except binos. The stealth ability of a unit is influenced by experience level and C&C. The experience level of the HQ is irrelevant, except for spotting the HQ itself and the stealth bonus is effective even when all units are moving (thought the handbook told otherwise). Numbers are irrelevant as full squads, half squads and tank hunters get spotted at exactly the same distance. Some results: Moving Regular Infantry in the open without C&C gets spotted at 635 m, in C&C with +2 stealth they close to 360 m. Elite infantry without C&C: 365, +2: 230. I didnt try out heavy weapons, only sharpshooters with an impressing result: regular, out of C&C: 85 m. He was even able to spot the stationary infantry in better cover before the saw him. I for sure did prove to have too much time and hope the results are interesting to at least some of you.

thanks for your help why look around when you can ask

i am playing cmbo and cmbb for some time and the ai starts to become little boring. anyone interestet in a pbem with a newbie or has some tips where to find oppenents? i have cmbb version 1.03 and could answer daily. no preferences for certain scenario or side.