Bnej

"modern day tank crew probably has an edge in spotting and responding to missile launches" nope. Missile launch is quieter than a gun report, and most missiles have either no smoke trail or very little (low smoke propellents, for those that burn throughout flight). Unless you have someone looking the right way who sees the launch dust, the first thing you'll know is when it hits you. That's the only reason the things can work, because otherwise the tank has 12-15 seconds to knock out the launch platform (that's 2-3 aimed shots) which will cause the missile to miss. In this game I have no problems spotting the missile trails, usually I can tell if they're coming for me or someone else too - unless I'm using the gunsight. I think a "lock warning" would be a further disadvantage to the weapon, given they are already slow and can be shot down by air defence.

What is HE-L and HE-H on the mortar carriers? Why can't I switch between them sometimes?

See my thread about missiles and effects I agree about vehicle movement, could stand to be more fluid. I've heard this from others who have tried the game too. I actually don't mind the low-lethality, it makes sense from the way the vehicles are described, and I've killed the heavy tank with 20mm twice so it's not too bad.

Right click to set manual range on target, [ and ] to adjust, I never use auto-range. You can use the minimap to target mortars, press ctrl-m then click your target on the map. If you press space you get a more detailed map showing unit types and AA coverage. Other players can provide targets for you also. I've had my turret destroyed when I flipped a vehicle too...

Well I think no matter how far in the future a missile will never turn at right angles. Smoke trails I can live with... but the missile launches straight up then turns 90 degrees right away. It looks odd... Anyway I hope they're going to at least get smoother flight paths. WRT missing the target, I think having the range on AUTO works better for missiles, they seem to use the range setting to determine where to land? Also: Don't agree on missile lock warning. A real TOW-2 missile gives you no warning unless you see it, there's no laser to paint you, it's guided from an optical box at the point of launch. I'd like to see the missile modelled like one of: - TOW/TOW-2 - optically guided from launch, guidance system watches a flare on the missile and adjusts by wire to keep it in the crosshairs. - Hellfire K - Keep the target painted with laser for duration of flight, missile guides itself onto the target, this would allow a missile warning. Longer range than a TOW cause you don't run out of wire. - Javelin - Short range, also has a fair bit of minimum range. Fires into the air towards target, turns towards the ground, guides onto the best IR signature for a top attack. Can't hit if it flies over the target in the first part of flight. I'd REALLY like missiles representing all three types - apart from SB Pro, no-one's really done guided missiles properly. [ March 19, 2006, 04:16 PM: Message edited by: Bnej ]

I have a GeForce 6800 GT DDL 256mb. Haven't touched the default controls. Played 3 or 4 games last night, not a problem. Before I had about 5 or 6 consecutive instant crashes on joining (when I posted the thread), reboot didn't fix.

Also: The PALADIN in the manual says it's an IFV, with 5 infantry... Are there infantry in the game? Will there be?

Couple of comments: Love the style of the game, sloooowly getting the hang of it. Over about 1000m, I don't see any hit effects. It'd be great if the sparks/dust/explosions on hits were bigger, just as an eye-candy thing. If the intent is to make it hard to tell if you hit, fair enough, but it'd be nice to make the hit effects and muzzle flash look a bit beefier. Is there any chance of hole decals as in WWII Online? In that game there are holes and gouges that appear in armour on AP strikes. On ATGMs, from the features page I got the impression that the missiles were based on a SACLOS or Laser guided type missile - where you have to keep your target for the duration of flight. In game, that's somewhat spoiled with the target lock. Also, after they are locked, they do some pretty physics-defying manoeuvres. A real ATGM will never come back and hit the far side after passing the target. It kind of kills the immersion when it's next to the regular ballistic rounds. I'd prefer it if it were forced manual guidance, and they behaved more like a real projectile - then maybe beef up the penetration so they don't have to make a top attack? It's really bad right now when you see the round pass you, then it comes back and smacks you on the backside! If you've seen Steel Beasts Pro PE, that does a fantastic job of modelling wire-guided missiles. Also, a real missile doesn't trail smoke like that, normally it's a big dust cloud at launch, then all you can see is the guidance flare and the missile. Anyway, if you're looking for a real sci-fi type of missile, fair enough, but if it's meant to be like real ones, it's a bit too weird for me.

Now I can't make it crash! I'll drop you an email if I get it to do it again.

- Game crashes every time now for me on joining game. Game loads, enter mission, CTD. - Before, was crashing if High-definition rendering was selected. Don't know what happened, but now I can't join games at all. Prefs are not changed from when it was working. [ March 19, 2006, 08:22 AM: Message edited by: ClaytoniousRex ]

I've only just got the game, and I've tried the tutorial as per instructions twice and been thrashed by the AI twice. After setting up the mortar, I tried first giving two turns of fire to the AA position, one to mortar position (saw plenty of hits land inside the sandbags), then finished off the ammo on the two MG positions. Started the charge: Five cars lost to the *unharmed* AA gun before reaching the building, the rest cut to pieces by the *unharmed* MG positions. My troops don't even make it to the building. Total Defeat. Try again - Four turns of mortar fire on the AA position, one each on the MG positions. AA position is unharmed, but decides not to fire for some reason (checked at end of game, all 6 crew were OK, but no kills). MG's start cutting up my cars, but I get my troops out and start them Assaulting towards the relay building. The MG on the top floor sends most of them crawling back to the palm trees, and the two squads that make it into the building (6 unharmed troops) put up a short fight then surrender. Major Defeat. So, either I'm really unlucky and got a special sort of mortar (perhaps one that fires water balloons?), or this is a bit hard for a tutorial!

Well, I just lost a bunch of Matildas - they might be unstoppable out in the desert, but the lack of HE and only one MG makes it really hard to deal with AT guns using them, and they still die to inf. assault. Mine generally got immobilised by infantry guns, then either pounded to death or close assaulted. Of course, this was largely because of my own inept orders, since I was too confident they were unstoppable after driving up to the flags. Way to go vs. matilda is I think AT guns, not tanks. Lots of hiding tank hunter teams, and ugly little knife fights in close terrain. (does anyone notice that the matilda is in a way similar to the KV-1? Tough tank, just not enough firepower!)

Yah, I got mine in one week in .au as well. Happy n stuff.

Well, I've not been able to get above a Tactical Defeat in this scenario in the demo. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do with those scout cars, I move them over the ridge and they die instantly. I can't attack the american positions from hull down positions at long range, since the PzIII gun does nothing at that range. Their 75s on the other hand deliver death on my tanks. I've tried moving tanks up the wadi, but then they're stuck in the middle of the field with tanks on either side so they'll get hit no matter where they turn. I get a bit closer with this approach, but still lose my tanks and the attack falls apart. I'm pretty new at the game - my laptop has a Geforce Go which only just got drivers good enough tp play - and I just don't see how to get my tanks close enough to be effective against theirs. I think I can get my inf. up to the enemy, but then they'll be sitting there waiting in a big tank. Any tips from people who know? Still love the game, I have my CM:AK/BB bundle on order now.