Lt. Smash

Hi, all.  I just realized that my old mod for CMFI/GL never ported to the new CMMODs III.  You can download the file here.
This mod replaces the default floating icons in Combat Mission: Fortress Italy (CMFI) and its Gustav Line module. These stylized icons are based on the U.S. War Department’s 1943 Basic Field Manual FM21-30 Conventional Signs, Military Symbols and Abbreviations. The icons have a slightly three-dimensional appearance so that they look like counters from traditional board-based war games. And, when the icon blinks (i.e., the unit is selected or wounded), the unit’s national flag is displayed.  Detailed instructions included in the zip file explain what each symbol means and how to use the provided files.

I wonder if it would be possible to use this no-go symbol when you're plotting movement path for a vehicle through a fence, low wall etc and the vehicle cannot drive through it (but has to find some longer route to get to the other side of the fence/etc.)?
Why? Because this longer computer planned route can go to very surprising places like areas where enemy can destoy the vehicle.

Hi, all.  I just realized that my old mod for CMFI/GL never ported to the new CMMODs III.  You can download the file here.
This mod replaces the default floating icons in Combat Mission: Fortress Italy (CMFI) and its Gustav Line module. These stylized icons are based on the U.S. War Department’s 1943 Basic Field Manual FM21-30 Conventional Signs, Military Symbols and Abbreviations. The icons have a slightly three-dimensional appearance so that they look like counters from traditional board-based war games. And, when the icon blinks (i.e., the unit is selected or wounded), the unit’s national flag is displayed.  Detailed instructions included in the zip file explain what each symbol means and how to use the provided files.

Just seen this: http://www.thefewgoodmen.com/tsd3/combat-mission-shock-force-2/

You really need to read some books on the subject. 
But American snipers have many task that they can perform, I find that in CMBS I am able to pretty much do anything I was asked to do in RL.
 From scout to spotter, to recon, to delaying tactics. to combat fire support , to designated target missions.
In the WWII titles, they are not as flexible or as powerful. but they still can be a important factor in your force.
 
In CMBS when it is a buy your own force situation. I find that my snipers are my most important infantry asset. Armor, arty, then infantry.
With snipers doing more damage than any other infantry units I use, MG's, grenade launchers and such.
My sniper teams that get used normally will have kills in the teens and will be my units to create the most casualties on the enemy.
For two or 3 men teams and the cost, that is a good trade.
 
I will not write a book for you on how to use them, but everything mentioned is good.
But I will give one comment on a tactic not mentioned.
You do not need to baby them or keep them back in a battle if you want them to be killers on the battlefield for you. if you want them to kill, they need to be at the range they can do that. to keep them doing that they need to in a area where your normal infantry units has fire suppression on the enemy. While the other units can pin the enemy, Sniper units can eliminate them.
Learning to use them in the game for this might change your view on how snipers work.
Keep in mind, A sniper never puts himself in a fair fight, he always wants the advantage, and if he cannot keep that advantage, he always has a escape route to get  out of a bad situation and to set himself up at a new location where he has the advantage once more.
Gaming and losing snipers is no issue, these are not real men, risk reward actions is worth trying in the game, its not like losing someone in real life.
 
 
 

You know, Steve, it's actually pretty cool when you can come on these forums, and not only talk a little bit about the development stages of a game (when time permits), but simply to shoot the breeze with us from time to time
Guys...Your not going to get that from Big Game Developers.

I personally really enjoyed the Marines campaign especially the first couple of missions, which are a naval landing, I also am a huge fan of the marines APC( I forgot what it's called). The thing I enjoyed most about playing all the DLC in shock force one is that they painted a picture of the fictional large scale operation going on in the game. I remember when I first played the game I would look through and find the Dates of each of the missions in the campaign and play through in chronological order(this was a huge hassle) . I also like playing as the NATO forces because they all used Leopards which I think is a really awesome tank.    

Consider joining The Few Good Men and post your challenge there.  H2H is what they do best.

This came up in another thread, but I think it deserves its own thread as it seems to not be widely known (at least I had no clue it was different from a normal fast move).
 
The point being after some quick tests it seems it's the "Don't Stop!" move I had been missing for a long time. Unlike a normal fast move the troops will try much harder to complete an evade move under fire. 
 
So if your units get pinned in the open, an evade may get them on their feet and running to cover rather than laying there to be picked off. 
 
But the really interesting thing is it can be used preemptively. You can use it to say run across a street with much less risk of them stopping in the middle and all being killed. You can even use it to charge an enemy if you're feeling a bit desperate/suicidal. Obviously because they won't hit the deck, they'll be very exposed standing and running. So use it wisely.
 
They also seem to stop to fire while carrying it out. I need to test it more, but it might work in some cases for an assault or room clearing move when you want them to keep going. Ironically, evade may be the closest thing to a proper 'assault' order...
 
 
The evade button is the 4 arrows '+' looking button next the to the 'M' button. When you press it it'll create a waypoint you can drag around. Try putting it on an enemy and watch your guys keep running under fire to see it in action. 
 
 
Should save a ton of pixeltroopers, especially in urban combat. 
 
EDIT: Also seems like you can change the waypoint type and it'll keep the effect. Not so sure about following waypoints after the first. 

But their aim is...well, let's just say I wouldn't be inclined to let Steve shoot an apple off my head.

Michael

Ok lightened up the Jihadi flag background a bit. Added a couple styles of Combatant and a Spy. Again all preliminary right now, but pretty damned good looking I think, for first shot attempts. There's a particular detail I added, see if any of you guys pick up on it.

I am really digging the spy.
Mord.

There's 'old scenarios' and then there's old scenarios.
CMSF2 scenario names will look familiar but take note of all the changes. Scenario changes like proper water tiles, beach landings, bridges and barbed wire, plus new AI tricks (including triggers) and additional AI commands, and reworked victory point allocations. Plus AA assets and on-map mortars. Just because you once played 'Al Huqf Engagement' in CMSF1 don't assume you've played the 'Al Huqf Engagement' that's in CMSF2.

Besides the forum at Battelfront, there are clubs for this.  The two (2) most promient are
The Few Good Men   http://www.thefewgoodmen.com/ The Blitz        http://www.theblitz.org/index.php I'm partial to FGM.  Lurk at both a while to see whose members suit you more.  Good luck and good gaming.

Here are some tips for the M8 HMC, M20, M8 GREYHOUND, Priest, Half-Tracks, MG Jeeps
 
I thought it was a terrible idea but many US vehicles are opened topped letting in enemy fire, grenades, mortars, water etc.. Here are some tips to make them come to life and work better for you.
 
-Park under trees in the shadows, this will minimize enemy seeing you at a distance and will increase your fire hits. If an enemy can't see you in the dark shadows his shots will be poor.
-Don't park or travel below an enemy that is above you..
-Stay away from fields with many shrubs, for the enemy that you can't see will toss grenades inside.
-Half-Tracks need to park far away from buildings an mg-42 will go them with ease. (only when close) You can park right up behind an allied tank to unload near to a building though.
-If you are defending an area with an m20 or greyhound go hull down behind a stone wall, if there is none hull down behind anything, a bush is better than nothing.
-Use them to work together with troops. They will expose enemy for you and you will to them.
-Another good thing about trees is some protection from mortars and return fire.
-Don't park in a way where the vehicle looks like it's tipping to one side and exposes the entire inside to the enemy, try to find even ground.
-Yet another thing about trees is harder for aircraft to spot you.
-Don't park close to buildings with open topped vehicles where they can throw grenades or shoot down inside. Stay on the outskirts of towns or in hedges!
-Align your armor so the front is facing the enemy.
-Use HE for indirect fire, enemy troops will start to run away, this is when you should pop out of tank hatch to use the coaxial guns. Works very good.
-Clear MG-42s in buildings. Most of these vehicles have a .50 caliber mg, that is a big round that will go through any houses or building with ease. It is nothing an mg-42 team is willing to stick around for. But yet again make sure you are far enough way from buildings, .50 cal and your cannon has a longer range than the mg-42.
-Force an enemy to blow it's cover. Pop out of the turret and directly back in once in awhile to let enemy troops shoot and you, if they are dumb enough to try. you have the location now, and can use HE or canister indirect fire on the area.
-In a rainy missions unsure of game modifier but tree cover may help aiming the gun and stop water on crew for that better shot.
-Unsure of dirt road dust causes poor aim for open top stuff as well.

Well, I was just notified that my Dropbox public folder has been suspended LOL.

I attempted to upload everything to the Repository but I think it got lost in cyber space.

I'll try to get things figured out. The campaign file (minus the mods) is also uploaded here:

http://www.thefewgoodmen.com/tsd3/

Battlepack 1: The Great Swan
Northern France and Belgium
September 1944
 
In just two months, between 6th June and mid August, the Allied armies in Normandy destroyed the cream of the 1944 German Army. Following this resounding defeat the Allies bounded across France in just a few days. It is during this period of stunning advance that Battlepack 1: The Great Swan is set, following the advance of the British 2nd Army from the Seine River, through Belgium, and all the way to the high water mark of the advance along the Meuse and lower Rhine.
 
The first phase of the Great Swan occurred when the 43rd Wessex Division seized a crossing over the Seine at Vernon in an opposed assault crossing. The battle here lasted several days, and the first 24 hours in particular were considered to be very dangerous for the British troops. However the bridgehead was stabilised and then gradually expanded to make room for follow-on forces. Prelude, the first battle of the Campaign Amiens Tonight, is a semi-historical examination of the difficulties of pressing back the determined German resistance which was able to make good use of the thick forests along the Seine river banks.
 
Shortly afterwards the British forces exploded out of the bridgehead and began racing across Northern France and into Belgium. From the first German resistance to the breakout was weak and disorganised - they were too busy fleeing back towards France to form a cohesive front. Engagements during this period tended to be small scale, and highly confusing. The Copse is a tiny scenario that takes a hypothetical look at one of these minor engagements. Overnight the advancing Allies generally rested, and prepared for the next day’s advance, while the Germans continued their relentless withdrawal. Celer et Audax and Nulli Secudus look at what happens when small British force disposed in hasty defence finds itself in the path of some withdrawing Germans in the middle of a rainy night or on a misty morning.
 
During the advance to Amiens the 11th Armoured Division was ordered to advance through the night without rest, culminating in an astonishing advance of 48 miles in just 24 hours. Tallyho follows the vanguard of this drive as they approach the location of a temporary halt at dusk. The next day found 11th Armoured at Amiens, embroiled in bitter city fighting (The Somme), and then pushing out of the city into the open ground across the river (To the green fields beyond). This was not the end of the war, and the Division soon found itself heading east once more (And the beat goes on).
 
Within days the lead elements of XXX Corps, made up as always by the armoured cars, found themselves in the region known as ‘the Crossroads of Europe’, a place where famous battles to decide the fate of nations have been fought since time immemorial (A crossroads near Brussels).
 
Soon after reaching Antwerp and the Belgian boder the advance petered out, stopped more by the logistical strain of leaping forward 200 miles in a few days than by increasing German resistance. Field Marshal Montgomery famously tried to kick-start the stalled advance with Operation Market-Garden. Those battles have been dealt with elsewhere in Combat Mission. However, in the weeks prior to the launch of Market Garden there were about a dozen planned airborne operations, all opf which were cancelled when they were overtaken by events. But what if the advance had been halted in the vicinity of Brussels?
 
One of the planned and cancelled airborne operations was LINNET II, which was to seize bridges over the Meuse west of Aachen, and open a route into Germany. A group of “what if?” fictional scenarios looks at how this never-fought battle might have played out. The flat ground between the Meuse River and Albert Canal would have provided excellent landing grounds (Drop Zone CHARLIE), while securing the river crossings was dependant on holding the high ground just east of the Meuse against counter attacks (LINNET II). As this operation was never launched, the exact details of Operation Linnet II are vague, and this vagueness has been exploited to look at the effect of differences in the detailed organisation of British and American ground and airborne forces when given the same ground and objectives, fighting against the same enemy.
 
Following the failure of Market Garden the British made a concerted effort to close up to the Rhine along its lower reaches before the onset of winter. This phase of the campaign saw a partial reversion to positional warfare, and the re-emergence of deliberate attacks against strong defences (Swansong). Often these attacks were supported by the specialist armour of the 79th Armoured Division (Hobart’s Funnies). With the onset of bad weather at the end of September the frontlines became static, and the heady days of The Great Swan became an increasingly distant memory.
 
In total Battlepack 1: The Great Swan contains over 25km2 of brand new, highly detailed handcrafted mapping.

I'm pleased to release my floating icons for CM Black Sea. You may download the file here until the repository is available.  This mod replaces the default floating icons in Combat Mission: Black Sea (CMBS).  These new stylized icons are based on the U.S. Department of Defense Interface Standard (MIL-STD-2525C) and supplemented with NATO’s Military Symbols for Land Based Systems.  The icons have a slightly three-dimensional appearance so that they look like counters from traditional board-based war games.  And, when the icon blinks (i.e., the unit is selected or wounded), the unit’s national flag is displayed. Pretty cool!
 
 
 
 

 
Download: Lt. Smash's Floating Icons_Black Sea.zip

I'm pleased to release my floating icons for CM Black Sea. You may download the file here until the repository is available.  This mod replaces the default floating icons in Combat Mission: Black Sea (CMBS).  These new stylized icons are based on the U.S. Department of Defense Interface Standard (MIL-STD-2525C) and supplemented with NATO’s Military Symbols for Land Based Systems.  The icons have a slightly three-dimensional appearance so that they look like counters from traditional board-based war games.  And, when the icon blinks (i.e., the unit is selected or wounded), the unit’s national flag is displayed. Pretty cool!
 
 
 
 

 
Download: Lt. Smash's Floating Icons_Black Sea.zip

I'm pleased to release my floating icons for CM Black Sea. You may download the file here until the repository is available.  This mod replaces the default floating icons in Combat Mission: Black Sea (CMBS).  These new stylized icons are based on the U.S. Department of Defense Interface Standard (MIL-STD-2525C) and supplemented with NATO’s Military Symbols for Land Based Systems.  The icons have a slightly three-dimensional appearance so that they look like counters from traditional board-based war games.  And, when the icon blinks (i.e., the unit is selected or wounded), the unit’s national flag is displayed. Pretty cool!
 
 
 
 

 
Download: Lt. Smash's Floating Icons_Black Sea.zip