rocketman

"Hi, my name is rocketman, and I'm a CM-oholic."

... knows about CMBS.
 
http://bit.ly/cm-helper
 
Thanks to Bud for digging out the info I needed.
 
 
GaJ
 
(Edit: it looks like its working OK on Mac and Windows)

My pet peeve is we have some real good designers when it comes to making maps and finding historical events and story lines. But a lot of them are terrible on setting up the scoring for competitive h2h play.
 
I find the trick to making a good scoring game is do not create the scores until after your play testing. Come to some decision as to what you think the end battle should look like from the test plays. Then learn to set the scores up from what your imagined end result is.
 
So in other words, if I had 5 test runs, I select the one I felt both sides played well and score that so it is about neutral if the end were to look like that battle. Then I adjust it so better results from either side swings the scoring slightly to their favor, I do not set up a point structure where there is a massive percentage swing of points for one objective. I only would do that if the objective was a very difficult and very unlikely area to gain. I also always like each trooper to be worth some points for kills. Just hate it when it is not a factor - I personally think it should always be some factor.
 
So a example might be.
 
I expect the attacker to lose 60% of his units. So if I give a 1000 points for them, 600 points would be earned. Now the defender is likely to lose 80% of his units, so I want that to earn 600 points also. So I would assign them a total of 750 points. That is my first attempt at what I am accepting as neutral.
 
Then I do the same for objectives. so that if the expected is captured from each side they neutralize each other. But what should they be scored as. I go back to my troop cost, then I think something along these lines. if the attacker pushes hard and gets the next objective, he likely will lose another 10% his troops. So the defender will gain `100 points , lets make the value 150 for that objective. So the objective is a benefit unless he losses hit 15%.  ( I then would normally set all my objectives with scores equal or under that value)
 
Well it really gets more complex than that because of all the variables you have. But it still comes to that type of basic thinking as to how to construct the scoring from a expected end result.
 
Hope that helps - I can only say it managed to help get me some very high score at the scenario depot years ago for some of my designs. You can make some very uneven battles but as long as you score it on this type of concepts. The battle will be competitive for h2h play.

Now released at http://cmmods.greenasjade.net/mods/5520/details 
 
Thanks to all who pitched in with ideas and playtested the scenario. Worth a lot
 
Historical scenario. Requires both VP and MG (a non VP version will be made soon). Allies vs AI only.
 
From the briefing:
 
It is 4.00 AM, June 6th 1944. D-day is upon us. The liberation of Europe is at hand. The beach landings will begin in a few hours. Your mission is to knock out the gun battery at Merville (four bomb proof casemates) which is a potent threat to the landings at Sword Beach. For weeks, elite British paratroopers have trained at a replica battery in England, constructed from aerial photos, and is ready to drop over Normandy. Each and every man has a distinct role to fulfil for the mission to be successful.   At any price, knock out the guns at Merville. This is to be achieved no later than 05.00 AM. If not successful by then, the battery will be shelled by HMS Arthusa en route for the Normandy coastline (Note: This is not an "Exit scenario" - play until time runs out). However, it is likely that this shelling won't do the job, just like the massive bombings of the battery prior to the assault didn't. If possible, the shelling is to be avoided since it also gives away the position of the battleship and that an invasion might be underway.   The paradrop was more or less a catastrophy. Poor visibility and heavy crosswinds scattered a lot of units way outside the intended dropzones. What was intended as a mission for some 650 men and heavy equipment, only 150 men made it to Gonneville in time for the approach to the battery. None of the heavy equipment made it, no mine detectors, nor flamethrowers - nothing but one Vickers MG. Use it wisely and make the most with the equipment available.   A recon party has scouted the battery and cut holes in the fence for the approach.   Three gliders are tasked to land within the parameter of the battery, between 4.30 and 4.45 AM, but considering how the earlier drop went, this is an uncertainty at best. Don't plan for it.   The battery is defended by the 716th Static Infantry Division / Artillery Regiment - about 150-200 men. There is also a known 20 mm AA gun spotted by the recon party. There should be little resistance in the approach to the battery. Perhaps some night patrols, but no significant forces are expected.

10th September, 1944 just south of the Dutch-Belgian Border. The Irish Guards launch a hasty assault on a bridge to make Market Garden possible. British vs AI, H2H only. Stronger player should play Germans.

More...

Thanks a lot Tanks a Lot - you make the game beautiful

Now released at http://cmmods.greenasjade.net/mods/5520/details 
 
Thanks to all who pitched in with ideas and playtested the scenario. Worth a lot
 
Historical scenario. Requires both VP and MG (a non VP version will be made soon). Allies vs AI only.
 
From the briefing:
 
It is 4.00 AM, June 6th 1944. D-day is upon us. The liberation of Europe is at hand. The beach landings will begin in a few hours. Your mission is to knock out the gun battery at Merville (four bomb proof casemates) which is a potent threat to the landings at Sword Beach. For weeks, elite British paratroopers have trained at a replica battery in England, constructed from aerial photos, and is ready to drop over Normandy. Each and every man has a distinct role to fulfil for the mission to be successful.   At any price, knock out the guns at Merville. This is to be achieved no later than 05.00 AM. If not successful by then, the battery will be shelled by HMS Arthusa en route for the Normandy coastline (Note: This is not an "Exit scenario" - play until time runs out). However, it is likely that this shelling won't do the job, just like the massive bombings of the battery prior to the assault didn't. If possible, the shelling is to be avoided since it also gives away the position of the battleship and that an invasion might be underway.   The paradrop was more or less a catastrophy. Poor visibility and heavy crosswinds scattered a lot of units way outside the intended dropzones. What was intended as a mission for some 650 men and heavy equipment, only 150 men made it to Gonneville in time for the approach to the battery. None of the heavy equipment made it, no mine detectors, nor flamethrowers - nothing but one Vickers MG. Use it wisely and make the most with the equipment available.   A recon party has scouted the battery and cut holes in the fence for the approach.   Three gliders are tasked to land within the parameter of the battery, between 4.30 and 4.45 AM, but considering how the earlier drop went, this is an uncertainty at best. Don't plan for it.   The battery is defended by the 716th Static Infantry Division / Artillery Regiment - about 150-200 men. There is also a known 20 mm AA gun spotted by the recon party. There should be little resistance in the approach to the battery. Perhaps some night patrols, but no significant forces are expected.

Is the black texture on the BTR 70 wheels (LOD bug) also fixed ?
If not then why ?
It's so annoying...

An other suggestion might be that if we for example rightclick the name in the purchase screen...parts of the in-game UI will be shown below.
 
Something like this...
 

 
This will only be possible with individual units and not the formations though...
 
 

I finished designing my second scenario.
 
The setting is that a US infantry platoon+ assaults a Russian mortar battery and battalion HQ at a gas station outside Cherkasy. The challenge for the player is to quickly cause a lot of damage to the Russian target formations and then retreat before he is overrun by the Russian reinforcements.
 
The map is semi-fictional. It is inspired by a real world location but I changed the scale and some other things.
 
Blue vs. AI only, H2H might work but I have not tried it.
 
You can download it here for now (I will see if I get some feedback and eventually also put it on the repository):
 
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9849673/Raid%20on%20the%20Pump.zip
 
Please tell me what you think, good and bad, and let me know if you find any problems (spelling mistakes, briefing issues, map oddities, scoring bugs etc.).

akd,

I have played the game, but nowhere nearly as much as I'd like to be able to. When I get CMH sorted out, I'll be PBEMing with SLIM, too. Nor does it follow that simply because I don't have much play experience it means I can't attack game issues from the standpoint of military analysis, known real world events, veterans' accounts and other means. I have clearly stated my views many times on what should be doable in CM: everything our forebears could. See, for example what I said on pushing ATGs and the case I made thereto, as well as the carefully documented arguments I've mounted in support of on-map Indirect fire from weapons such as the leIG 18 and the sIG-33. Also, I did much the same thing which helped make the case for reining in the previously unholy abilities of tanks to instantly spot and kill infantry close assaulting, something BFC subsequently did, to the considerable benefit of game realism. And since when do you get to decree I have no right to state my views? As long as I do so within the parameters of the Forum Rules, I can and shall. Best get used to it.

Regards,

John Kettler

Sweet! Are your only units those two Tigers? Cool challenge. Tank battles is the best part of RT IMO.

she should go back to the kitchen

What is the point of typing anything with that mindset, if you think nothing will ever change what is the point of complaining and whining about it in every single thread, I would have no problem with it if you went from saying "BFC DRM is horrible it needs to be fixed immediately" to "BFC DRM is horrible here is what I think can be done to improve it".
 
One makes you sound like you are just whining, especially when its every single post you make, and the other is constructive and applies a new point of view. I have been critical of BFC on many a topic, but when I did complain I like to think I tried to suggest something afterwords instead of just saying "this sucks".

Great mod, already enhancing my CMBS playing experience. Thanks!

Kieme CMBS BRDM-2-M-AT5
 
This mod covers all the russian variants of BRDM-2.
 
Special thanks to BTR for providing the ideal green base textures.
 
Download: https://app.box.com/s/tj4cfslxv1i33qncdqhtg4qn7ihjud39
 
Preview:

Thanks. These would make great loading screens.

Looks very ominous  - nice.
 
Tip <shift><ESC> will pause the game without the little pause notice.

Will wait for patch and new version and give it a spin. Thanks for all your great work for CM-games

SPOILERS***************************
 
 
Just finished this one, and even on elite is was way too easy. And that was my first major tank battle in a modern era CM-game so I expected to fall flat on my face. Maybe I got lucky. The first UAV spot was an SPAA that was taken out by precision arty. That let my UAVs and Apaches roam free. And it was really simple to pick off target after target with precision arty (too much of it?). And they remained stationary all the same. The tanks that made it to face me, quickly got shot to pieces or their "lasing" made my tanks retreat to safety. The few shots on target were repelled by APS. All in all I lost two Bradleys and two Abrams to immobilization (despite dry ground conditions). That's about it. Then I started getting large reinforcements so I expected a major counter attack, but then all of a sudden I got a total victory with 33 minutes left.
 
So, in all, the scenario was a bit of a disappointment for lack of challenge. The only really troublesome event was (something I really liked) when the AI tried to flank me already after 10 minutes. The map is great, and with some alterations to the difficulty, it would warrant a replay.

Too close for comfort:
 

Hey guys, so I felt like making some mixed camo that is seen in the current conflict for the Ukrainian army figured I might as well release them to you guys as well. It overrides the standard uniform. Have fun.
 
Previews:
 
http://i.imgur.com/AmcN1vo.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/w6K63d2.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/XypQLmJ.jpg
 
Download:
 
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/20471348/Files/Spush%20Ukrainian%20War%202014-2015%20Mix%20Uniforms.7z

Wall-E, is that you?
 

You really are a piece of work.  I guess it is just beyond you to understand the inherent difficulties in creating a TAC AI.  You want what you want when you want it and if you don';t get it you will have a hissy fit until mommy.. oops I mean BF caters to you.  Yeah I am getting a bit more aggressive in response.  Considering you have displayed the same attitude in both threads it is clear your eventual goal is to get banned by BF as you certainly have the level of negativity and nasty social behavior that typically ends there.
 
Yes it IS asking a bit much for $50 if you had any inkling at all how difficult AI behavior is.  But you don't and therefore feel that a $50 game should have a human response level AI.
 
Feeling entitled is such an incredible thing to watch.