Gen Von Television

Well said LemuelG: still I have a gut feeling SBM is not entirely to blame; there were so many small facts that contributed to the SNAFU of the whole operation; planned hastily (adapt to the situation, and reach your objective: not?), started too late (a mere week, it seems), misplaced LZ (especially for the Red Devils), equipment failures (the radios for the British Paras), bringing your whole plans to the enemy (the whole plan of MG found in a crashed glider), having to move on a single high banked highway becoming a perfect target silhouetted on the sky, a too narrow corridor that was cut several time and in several different places by the flanking German Armies... Instead of all this difficulties they were able to almost reach their single objective (cross the Rhine). I believe the movie is somewhat dramatizing the arrival of the XXX Corps to the Nijmegen bridge (so valiantly captured by the 82nd AB): if I remember correctly they were already behind schedules by a few days... The movie is OK, but I believe you can get a better understanding of the situation there by watching those two episodes of the Band of Brothers series: even if the 101st AB was possibly the less pressed on Division in the whole MG Campaign, still they had an hell of a... beating.

Good points here, and feel like add one more: of course we are reasoning here with the hindsight so we can only imagine the 'what if' and 'why not so' results and causes. What seems the most frustrating aspect of MG to me is that the Airborne Army was ready to go since August and had many failed calls; the ground (and air) logistic seems to be the most determining factor of it all. The XXX Corps were facing a Penalty battalion hastily moved forward to block the Hell's Highway to reach Eindhoven; given the fact that Operational Officers from the Netherlands warned the Supreme Allied Command about the dangers of using that path of advance (in the Netherlands Army Academy you failed your exams doin' just that), it seems that if the Allied machine was moving just a merely week before they would have possibly succeeded.

I don't delete them: just move the whole to another directory Archive, just in case I'd like to check them out in the future, moving them back to their original path...

Oh yes, I almost forgot: in CMX1 you were able to discharge the whole barrage to the TRPs even before any action started, but then you weren't able to correct or suspend it. Not anymore?

You have my vote! Maybe that LOS selector should be limited to a distance range...? Of course here we're just trying to point out what we deem as 'issues' not to discredit the developer and beta testers! They all have done a Great Job and KUDOS to them all. I'm having a lot of fun! Hopefully they may take notice of some of the feed backs here on the forum, and implement them. Now for another observation: those pesky AI Observers! What the heck are they doing? As I noted in Raff Campaign in my previous message, and about those two present in Vierville Battle; three cases where they were doing nothing at all! Good for me, especially in Vierville where not a single Incoming Mail was received by my troops. I found them one seated at the border of the map inside his cushy Kubelwagen, while the other was not far away stranded inside a small wood. It's also true that eventually they were not able to detect my movements, and I started my off board artillery bombardment only at the end of the game, when my CO HQ finally had a LOS to the Heights. But even so my main force stood for many minutes at the southernmost buildings of Vierville, and that wasn't a difficult target to spot, or so I suppose.

LOS is... lossy. You mention a function that seems too gamey for me, but then I also encountered many situations where after reaching a position I couldn't see any reason WHY that unit had NO LOS to a certain point. Kind of tricky matter this aspect. Am I remembering correctly in CMX1 you were anyway able to direct fire to a position outside LOS, but then without any precision at all? I may be wrong...

I would agree to fortifications and concealment, particularly the first one, since the Hide function may already serve the purpose of the second: or are you meaning something different? I still have to try the Editor: is it possible to place a Bunker inside a building? That would be a fortification, but then you need a pre-made scenario and not points for you to buy such kind of option. Last night I just finished the Vierville battle: interesting one; again the battle finished 30' before its time, and this is kind of becoming annoying, since I cannot understand why it ended! I wiped out all the Germans from the village and I was bombarding the heights in preparation for my attack, and then I got my Total Victory; examining the map, there were still a few disorganized German units in the woods there, a couple of observers nearby, and a Kubelwagen. They were not surrendering, and still occupying the high ground, so why the battle stopped? This is unfair: either I should have been notified of their will to surrender and bag them all, or the battle should have gone on to the bitter end (still 30 minutes, remember?); that is to say, I'm always glad to win a Total Victory, but I'm also very much interested in observing in detail how it happened, or eventually why it didn't. This is kind of puzzling at the moment.

Why I was thus reflecting on modularity? Well, I was just thinking about the imposed limits to the CMX1 publications: at first it came BO and everybody started to have fun, developing many nice Mods and Utilities; it had a large arsenal, so it was possible to play the ETO from 1944 to 1945; later on here it came the BB to expand to the Eastern Front and a whole different and expanded arsenal: but here we had a decisive leap in the game engine, adding and correcting many different options and issues, but then all of the BO got lost in comparison, and you were kind of obliged to play only Russia, since BO looked a bit too much simplistic, and besides none of the model or graphics were usable anymore in BB; last we got AK and it kept the same game solutions adopted in BB, but instead we had a whole new arsenal both for the weapons and for many games element (houses, trees etc.). All of this to me was a serious handicap: a fragmented project where neither the community of Modders, nor some eventual third party would ever like to venture with effective (game wise) results. Take for example the most successful (Photo)Graphic program Adobe Photoshop: I'm using it since version 3, and I can still use the same tools I used then; of course I have many new tools I can turn to lately, and many have been refined, but at the same time you have the exact impression you are using the same program, either Win or Mac. Another great opportunity in PS is to install and use PlugIns (Modules) that can accomplish and expand the effectiveness and possibilities of the program enormously: they can even open their own interface (somewhat similar to the host program) where you can play your choices. The program is there to accomplish some calculations (elaborate images) and can do that even better using one of the installed or already included plugin. The GUI remains constant and the armory of tools can be expanded both with different versions upgrades, or external developed modules (Open Architecture or SDK). Suppose you have a CMTWS where you have a very refined engine that can calculate a bullet's trajectory either if it is an arrow (or a stone) or a photon beam, that can keep track of any form of terrain or weather, and so on; after you install that you may have a PlugIn to restrict those capability to some specific aspect: Roman Legions in Africa, 300 BC: have you got the idea? Each module may have some different set of tools, conforming to the necessary options to play that era, load the proper 3D models for terrain, soldiers, weapons, and so on. This would be expanding enormously the potentiality for others to develop on your terms, as producer of this engine, and further attract any type of war gamer, and I believe you need that since I'm not sure there are soooo many around the world. Here is my idea, again a 2c possibly even a bad one, and anyway you cannot buy anything anymore with a dime today.

Sorry, my mistake: maybe I wasn't clear enough. As I stated I cannot say for sure this is a viable idea at this point of development; I never thought the engine would have been a generic one, but one that can calculate and comprehend all kinds of variables, as it already appears to be in some measure: firing an M16 or an M1, snow or dry movements, etc: this is called CMX2, i'n it? I can also see that a near future tech development, may again open up for new possibilities and solutions, graphically or otherwise. Still I like the idea: once you've found an effective GUI, optimal Graphic solutions, effective AI and random variables in one program, why should you install a second one to execute those variables and load those graphics? Use the same program, and let the user choose what to load: I believe this may be called Open Architecture in IT.

Yep! I've noticed that all right: then I ask myself, why they had to make another program installation for CMBN? To go back again to the ASL idea, wasn't it possible for BF to create a single Universal program, where you can later add ANY time period/theater of operation? I repeat, I can't say this is feasible at all, but that would be Great! Are you a Civil War Nut? Then here is the Gettysburg! Module; do you want to research the battles in WWII New Guinea? Here is the Kokoda Trail Inferno; and so on... All these Modules just installing Units, weaponry, scenarios and maps handled by the same exec, and staying on the same directory (but this is not mandatory). Eventually we will get one CM WWI, another CM WWII, a CM Modern and a CM Heritage, and this would be a great improvement from CMX1, at least one I can greatly appreciate. This of course is just my 2c.

Just to clarify: I'm in no position or in the knowledge to tell BF what they have to chose as a marketing strategy, or a development direction! I'd been working for a while in the VG industry as a tech consultant for 3D SW, so my FOV may be somewhat narrow and limited... In any case for those who don't know, Advanced Squad Leader (a tabletop cardboard tactical war game) come in Modules; first and foremost is The Book of Rules, and this IMO should be the .exe, The Program: you may call it for example Combat Mission Tactical Wargame Simulator, or CM Thin Red Line, CM Red Badge Of Courage... To go back to the ASL analogy, you can expand your game buying Modules: for example Hollow Legions included the whole roster for the Italian Army during WWII, a few new mounted maps, and a dozen of new scenarios to play both on the new maps or the old ones. So you'll have a single Program you can Update, Patch, etc.; to this single Program you can ADD many Addon Modules that can comprehend a variety of time periods, weapons, armies, etc. Now and then you are also getting ASL DeLuxe Modules: beuatifully detailed and dedicated maps to some particular battle: Pegasus Bridge, Red Barrikady, etc. With these you get a whole set of scenario to play on the dedicated maps, and some special additional counters. In all the addon you may eventually get some additional Rules' Pages to add to the Book of Rules. I don't know if this would be feasible at this point of development with CMX2, but I feel would be a brilliant solution to an already brilliant and unique product. Cheers

I've saved that phase, so I can reload it and check all the different parameters: as I recall it I ordered the HQ section to SLOW up the knob INSIDE the woods to HIDE and as soon as they were in position I ordered them to guide the Mortar rounds to the now in sight Inf Gun. Which they did, but also gave away their position by shooting those enlarged pistols called carbines (eheheh: I LOVE them carbines...). About the mortar crew I believe in game they can shoot also their personal weapons (carbines, anyone?), but their real handicap is about the movement, since they keep carrying their tube and base, though I should add I was surprised on how fast and far you can order HW squads in CMX2 compared to CMX1: maybe too gamey? Definitely, I'm now hooked up for good, even if I'm not so appreciative of the merchandise strategy adopted by BF, if I may say so. Are we again back to the old ways? First BO, then a different game altogether BB, and thereafter another game AK: I would eagerly vote for a SINGLE ENGINED game, eventually patched and updated to add 3D models, corrections, bug removal; thereafter I would buy any Historical module created (a la ASL) with whole armies, scenarios, maps... etc. In this way if tomorrow I want to research the Polish Campaign, to create a module, wouldn't be that hard and still sell to all us grognard very well... Hopefully they are doin' just that! Thanks for reading (and writing your comments).

Jon, as I explained above, I moved them Slow (that in CMX1 was CRAWL) and after they reached their position they were supposed to Hide and Observe, instead they started to shoot their new beautiful carbine, you know, only the paras got that with the folding stock; a useless weapon, almost as the grease gun. A sure way to get killed fast.

Well, but still can use them... carbine! and make some noise discipline anyway.

I agree about the sneaking action and also for the mortars' men when out of bombs. As for the mortars to fire without a FO I've seen them firing even without orders so that I had to cancel their chosen target and point to one more important... So I believe this is the same as in CMX1: they fire directly with a LOS, or they need a FO with LOS to the target. Question marks, question marks, and question marks: reading the manual you can understand why they selected this option, but yes, it's confusing, and sometime very illogical, as I explained before. Not only they behave very carelessly, but also without any fear: I positioned in SLOW an HQ section to spot an Infantry cannon and direct the mortar fire; the section was supposedly in a good position to hide and observe, since they were on a small elevation inside the woods; so they directed the mortar fire spot on the enemy gun, but also started to shoot them carbine (always with them carbine! The majority of paras used the Garand, a much harder punch) and consequently I had to run them fast from there, losing the perfect observation position; that was brilliant: engaging an infantry cannon (maybe it was 400 m away) with a carbine. A sure way to go to Kingdom Come. On the same situation I noticed the mortar rounds falling on the tree above the cannon and exploding apparently above them, making casualties: have you ever heard about tree bursts? The same that got Easy Co in the Bois of Foy, where they were blown to pieces by exploding trees... So if that is the case, it's quite realistic, and you can count on that when planning a woods bombardment.

Ooops simultaneous answers: maybe they stay lighted on to represent an objective that has to be held to the end, and it makes you aware there may be a counter attack to retake it. Hence we go back to the flags system...

Yep, that may be the case: touch only objectives or occupy and hold ones. In Raff the Flanking German Tanks objective should have been a touch one, and actually gave you no points, or at least that happened to me, since I reached there but no German tank was in sight anyway, so I pressed on... Since I'm on the Mac I still haven't any Modder Toolkit (though I can use the Windows', if anyone would kindly provide me one!) as I would like to give it a try and see if I can introduce some form of signs to identify the objectives, though I fear this may be hardcoded and it needs a far more advanced modder to transform it than my seldom modder experience. Another small thing I can mod would be the TRPs, or at least convert those we had already Modded in CMX1 that were more to my likings. I can still reed out on my sax...

I know, I know: those flags were silly, isn't it? Or so I thought when I first played with CMBO as it was first published: they looked more like cardboard posts; after I installed some of the modded flags (I also made one of those flag Mods) they begun to get a grip on me. Besides they were also quite useful to understand how the battle was going, or to prevent a sneaky routed stragglers to find shelter in the basement of the main objective, preventing you to rise your flag there; admittedly that was a bit idiotic. Now it is far better: I won a Total Victory with still forty minutes to go in the Raff Campaign as I was still deluging with hot metal the German HQ position from three different sides, routing them all; even if they were still occupying that same area (the ugly green square) in the end I received the full control of it. Still another confusing thing is that sometime when you reach an objective the green square disappear and you can reed a feed back message stating just that, but at other times you cannot really be sure, since the green stay lighted there: I suppose that would mean you have still to occupy the area with some unit; hence I would love to see a nice raised flag there, or even one flattened on the ground to signal the fly boys we have conquered that objective.

I believe now I was misled by the quoted picture I linked above, since at close examination of the same you cannot quite detect the presence of any radio equipment in the assistant driver/bow gunner station. It's even possible some very early M4A/A1 Sherman models had the standard tanks arrangements for the crew as stated in the original document, but I went digging in my books and here's what I found: You can confirm about the position of the radio observing the bulge on the back of the turret, as well as the mast position on the side of it, or so I believe... As yet I didn't quite notice the ghost crewman actions in the panel, but I shall be more careful in general to keep an eye in that corner, learning how to rescue wounded crew/squad members. I found sometime I had to send a search party for stranded wounded men left far away from the moving squads... I'm already OCS about controlling movements, but since here you cannot really do that, at least I will take care of my casualties.

Don't say! I'd been visiting Arundel many years ago: actually I was staying in Worthing... Anyway I also have some doubt about all this C2 effectiveness and how the player should really take care of it: I've just finished the Raff Campaign (a Total Victory) as my fifth Battle using CMX2 (naturally I'd been playing almost all WWII with CMX1) and here one platoon leader of F Co (one of the reinforcements) was suddenly killed while watching at one hedgerow just close to the road where they appeared; the XO took charge of the HQ section, but was a -1 leader, so the whole platoon entered combat at least Cautious or nervous, and they had a few casualties too while moving up to the line... I thought to leave the XO behind caring for the wounded (nice touch the Medic Buddy Aid BTW) since (I believe they arrived later on) it came the F Co HQ section who was a +2 CO, but when the platoon entered the fray even very close to the F CO they remained quite inefficient: either the C2 cannot be transferred to a superior HQ, or eventually the still present XO prevented that? In any case this is another astonishing point about this sim: when the platoon leader was killed there wasn't a real fight going on, and not even a sniper was on the scene; they were behind a tall hedgerow, so seemingly it was a stray shot, and he was the only casualty in that transitory position; that should have been shocking for all his men... He was a good leader and he is still remembered to this days at the Vet gatherings... I Salute Him too.

Caen it be Crocodiles too...

What the heck is the loader doin' with them carbine? He should instead grab that missile for loading on the double. Those silly pixeled brains...

OK I vote CMHH: Hell's Highway

Catch as a catch Caen

However it may be pointless, since it is clear that one of the crew had to operate the radio besides having to do another job...