Loeffe

Hi guys. I'm playing some CMBB/CMAK against a buddy this week, and I am looking for a small and balanced scenario (around 20-30 turns). When playing last week we really enjoyed Petracoli Ridge (CMAK), since it small, fast and has a good mix of infantry, plus some arty and and a few tanks as well. Can you guys recommend something along the same lines?

Mies and Romulus, damn you guys are old - I'm only 27!

God, I spent tons of hours playing that... One of the first tactical computergames I played. If you guys miss that game give Advance Wars for gameboy a shot. Really cute graphics, and fun turnbased action. [ October 20, 2005, 02:34 AM: Message edited by: Loeffe ]

AFAIK the "LOW" setting that appears when you've spent all your ammo is meant to somehow simulate the troops scrounging for ammo, in the current versions of the game.

... but beleive me, they CAN save your butt sometimes

Hmmm... It seems that this is "just" the regular CMAK (as discussed previously), but with new scenarios. Correct me if I'm wrong???

According to Gamespress.com theres a special edition of CMAK on the way... ----------------------- CDV to Publish Combat Mission 3: Afrika Korps (Special Edition) August 23, 2005 - Cary, NC - CDV Software Entertainment announced today that they have secured the North American retail rights to Combat Mission 3: Afrika Corps (Special Edition), in development by the team at Battlefront.com. This special retail-only edition includes 65 new scenarios and 15 new operations, guaranteeing gamers hours of exciting game play. Combining unparalleled game depth and ease of use with a true 3D environment, Combat Mission 3: Afrika Korps offers a true combination of turn-based and real-time strategy to experience the best in WWII tactical warfare gaming. Features of Combat Mission 3: Afrika Korps include: # Three theaters of war - Crete, Italy and North Africa # Historically accurate units representing seven nations, including Germany, Great Britain, the United States and Italy are available in the game # Meticulously researched vehicle and uniform models, paint schemes and sound effects # Fully researched and detailed TO&E (Tables of Organization and Equipment) for all seven nations # All vehicle combat capabilities are modeled on their real-world counterparts, and weapons are rated in abilities including effective range and armor penetration # Realistic weather and terrain affect combat outcomes # Units use line-of-sight and audio cues to determine the position of the enemy, while the confusion of battle can cause friendly units to mistakenly be identified as foes # A mission and map editor for creating custom scenarios # Optional Historical Rarity of Units ensures players will no longer have to worry that their opponents "cherry picked" their forces ------------- So, Battlefront guys, can we get more details on this? Any screenies?

Damn, I love those games where you get to hammer your opponent slowly into the ground with a horde of HE sluggers

When I played Cemetary Hill (vs. AI) for the first time, two weeks ago, I did a complete right flank with most of the inf, while supporting them from the edge of the forrest with HMG and the 75mm. I used my armored vehicles for a left-flank attempt, but most got chewed up by the Russian ATG. However, the right-flanking worked a charm. Once you get in line with the trenches, and can still fire with your support from the edge of the forrest you can really start to supress the troops in the trenches. Move further behind the trenches, and soon all the russians will be fleeing. Maybe I was just lucky, but it was a total victory for me.

I am from Copenhagen (Denmark). I have a great view of southern Sweden across Öresund, from the roof terrace where I work (on clear days at least). Also Copenhagen is half filled (NOT half empty!) with drunken Swedes here in summer-time, since we have more liberal alcohol laws (no Systembolaget). Cheers you guys!

"Officers" also looks good, and should be out soon(?) http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/kombat/screenindex.html Lets hope it not that kind of WWII game where the tanks have "health bars" that gets depleted by rifle shots.

Hello Soikkeli. You may have more luck in the opponent finder forum here: http://www.battlefront.com/discuss/ultimatebb.php?ubb=forum;f=24

My most common reasons for loosing... On attack: a) bad timing (from support troops arriving too early to smoke screens arriving too late) lack of recon (geez, is that a 150mm inf gun? Didn't see that coming) c) failure to concentrate the forces, break the MLR and roll up the enemys defence (sometimes you just hit the defence like a brick wall) On Defence: a) Opening up too early, and wasting my ammo. Betting on few, high quality, AT-weapons, when the enemy has a lot of tanks.

As promised here's a link to the BETA TEST of "cm-aargh". Which I've decided stands for "Combat Mission After Action Report Generator Homepage" http://www.cm-aargh.com/displaygames.php - list of finished, public (demo) AARs. Users can see their ongoing games here as well. Basically it's a website for creating AARs, where users can post reports for games they are participating in, and later publish these reports for the opponent (and guests) to see. A list of the features I am testing can be found in the top of this thread. People who are interested in testing can write me through my profile, and I will create a test account for you. An example of a finished demo AAR can be seen here: http://www.cm-aargh.com/displayround.php?gameid=27&side=1&round=0 It's written in Danish(!) I'm afraid, but will give an idea of how the final AAR's created in the system will look, with screenshots posted, etc. I hope that in time it can become home to some interesting AARs posted by you guys, any comments/suggestions are most welcome.

I've made the website ready for a test. If there are still people who want to beta-test please email me through my profile adress, and we'll set things up.

It's completely seperate from the game since its a website, so you can log on and enter your reports at any time you want. So, it doesn't care wether you are playing TCP/IP og PBEM, but you would properbly have more time for writing reports between rounds with an email game

Cool, glad you guys like the concept I will do some preparations for a beta test over the weekend, and get back in this thread with URL next week. MaxDFury and dieseltaylor: I would be great if you would test the system, and provide feedback to me. To beta you will of course need a PBEM opponent, who is also up for testing this. You can do the initial setup of the game, and even start playing if you like. Write me an email (battlefront@loefgren.dk) with your preferred username (lets keep it same as on this forum) and a password, for the AAR system. I will then set up a user for you manually. Tell your opponent to do the same. When both users are created in the system you can then login and start a new game. I will of course email you about this, and additional info about using the system, next week.

Actually, I am currently working on an online (website) tool for creating AAR's. It started as a hobby project a few months ago, for posting AARs when I play with friends, and since I wanted to learn some more PHP/MySQL programming. I was actually planning on posting the adress here when it was completely finished and thoroughly tested by my friends and I, but I might as well hear what you think about it, now that the question has come up. Maybe some of you would even want to BETA test it So far it can do this: * You can create a new "game" for making your reports, selecting opponent, nationalities of the players, game length etc. * You can browse the games you are participating in, or see other players' finished AARs (if these are made public). * Players can post AARs for each round in a game, if they are playing on either side of an ongoing battle. Reports can cover multiple rounds (say: "from round 2 to round 6: nothing new happens").. Only players involved in the game can post reports, and only for their own "side". * Players can NOT see the opponents reports before the game is over. I.e. only YOU can see your own reports untill the game is finished and "closed". * The round reports can be edited by the player who posted them. * Players can upload screenshots/images for each round of the battle (currently only links to external hosted images). * When the game closes, both players can read the finished AAR by browsing the round reports. You can browse the game by clicking "next round" or at any time switch to see the opponents report for the same round(s). * If the game is made "public" by the players, then all guest to the site may also read the AAR reports (IF the game is finished, of course). I am planning on making the following expansions the coming months: * Login/Join. Create new players. Currently players have to be added manually to the database (by me), this should be a standard sign-up. * Support for tournaments. Games could be marked as part of an ongoing torunament. * Create "questions" for a round. I often find myself wondering why my opponent is doing something in a game, with this feature I can "ask the question". The question is saved and can be answered by the opponent after the game. * Create comments for a finished game's round. So guests may comment on any spectacular or terrible moves of a finished game If anybody could be interested in using and testing this, I might be able to open it for some limited testing in a week or so. Any comments and ideas are also appreciated.

Teh B0rg has U! Seriously, I think you might have been a bit unlucky to not get at least one shot off. But in a situation like that you would be spotted very quickly anyway, especially if the tanks were not buttoned (which will make a huge difference in their spotting ability). Setting up further back in the woods would help to decrease the spotting chance, but at such close range three unbuttoned tanks would still spot you very quickly. IMHO the best you can do in a situation like that is to: a) make sure the tanks are buttoned (use long distance MG-fire or a sniper for that) retreat if the opposition is too great, or hold fire until some of the tanks have driven past your men, so you can focus on only one tank. c) Cross your fingers. Despite their name "Tank Hunters" are by no means a sure tank-killer even at point blank range. This is even more true agains medium tanks like the T34 (the heavier the harder to K.O.)

Whats general opinion blowing up bridges on defence, to prevent the enemy from crossing? Is it considered gamey tactics? I know people will properbly say different things about this, idepending on the situation, so here's an outline of the scenario: I'm playing a modified version of the "four bridges" scenario (found here http://home.iprimus.com.au/mudansha/maps.html). I play as Axis and must hold the big city, with a single bridge leading into it. I can also deploy reinforcements SE of the city, and try to make for the 3 other bridges, that are crossing the river south of the city, but my opponent starts closer to these. In addition to the 4 bridges, there are two shallow fords, that can be crossed, to the extreme south and extreme west of the map. To make my defence of the city easier, I decidede to take out the single bridge leading into the city, and focus on holding the western and eastern flank of the city, while harassing all enenmy troops trying to cross the 3 bridges, to get to the city that way. My opponent clearly wasn't happy about this, and seemed to think it was unfair. My own opinion is that since the bridge is under my control from the start of the game, I can blow it up if I want to. Also the scenario leaves 3 other bridges, which can be reached faster by my opponent than me, and a few fords as well. Whats your take on bridge blowing as part of the tactics in general and in this situation? [ April 03, 2005, 08:38 AM: Message edited by: Loeffe ]

Wow. Hope they get around to making an english version.

I will try to dig up a screenshot later, but one thing that I could have triggered the tank hunters to fire on the crew, is that the crew may have opened fire on them first. Would that make them more likely to return fire, even though they did have a cover armor arc? Still, crew handguns from 40 meters can hardly be more threatening than a sherman. 30 m's away?!?

I've just had this situation happen: Tank Hunter team hidden in nice ambush position along road, same area also covered by AT gun. Two tanks enter the ambush zone (cover armor arcs) and both get knocked out by the gun. Crews exit and run for cover. Third tank is out of LOS of the gun, due to dropped smoke by a knocekd out tank, but is only 30 m from my Tank Hunters (still hidden and not noticed by my opponent since they havent opened fire). I unhide and target the remaining tank with my hunter team, it is already inside their arc, but I thought I'd help 'em along. So what does the Tank hunter team do the next round? Does it chuck it's nice, big grenade bundle or mine at the tank? No, it decides to open up on the surviving tank crew 40 meters away (further away than the tank) and throws both grenade bundles at them! *sheesh*

This is an interesting issue, and I'm sure most of the people here would love to be able to control those sorts of things when playing. However, game designers must at some point draw a line, as to how advanced the options/order system should be, even for a high-realism game like CM - Mainly to keep "playability" and not have way too steep a learning curve for beginners. I stumbled over a discussion of this issue at Gamespot, in a preview for upcoming "Wartime Command" (read it here http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/wartimecommand/preview_2865016.html ) It seems they will make a basic orders system "for dummies", which can be expanded with more advanced options (such as ammo type to load) for vets. Maybe such a thing could also be incorporated in CMX2(?) To qoute from the article/interview: "... we found some tricks how to make two games in one. Hard-core players and history fans will find challenging missions, full realism, 100 percent historical accuracy, detailed unit management, and many other nice details. However, casual gamers will have many helpful AI options available, and they can play the game without caring what ammunition a tank should fire against soft [nonarmored] targets or which soldier to assign to a specific unit. " //url edited

Ï have a hard time using flame on attack as well, but I really like them on defence. Place them in ambush positions in the back of buildings you expect the enemy to occupy. Once the enemy enters the building its BBQ-time. Oh, you may want to leave that building afterwards if (or rather WHEN) it catches fire