Canada Guy

My military history bookclub read the book The Civil War of 1812: American Citizens, British Subjects, Irish Rebels, & Indian Allies (Alan Taylor) and enjoyed it. Not too jingoistic. One good thing that came out of the war. We gave Detroit back to the Americans.

Ian, Yes, I understand that there are inherent differences between the troop types but nothing explicit. If you ever read the old CMBB players handbook (or some such), it actually gave a breakdown of how different grade of troops reacted. It also only let certain grades perform certain actions. I always liked that aspect as you really knew you were commanding conscripts as it felt more restricted when you did. I do not get the same feeling when I am playing CMx2. What I am hoping for would be actual differences that you could see or feel when commanding troops of different grades. The command delay (though admittedly a game fudge) helped with that feel. Even if it was under the hood, the feel would still be there. I though cannot for the life of me think of something that would replace that delay to get the same feel (though I have not really spent a lot of time thinking about it). I am hoping BF can come up with something. When playing Barbarossa, I really want to feel that difference and not have the t-34s act like super tanks because they have the same reactions and reaction times as veteran PzIII gunners.

Have you tested on Win8? Is this add-on dependent upon Windows version or CM version?

It is getting bad when we are talking about work hour comparisons when we should be talking about timelines for MG vs Bagration. Looking at previous threads, it seems that MG was almost at the beta testing phase a few months ago. I know that testers cannot comment but usually we get something (1-2 screen shots or even a hint of some new items or some such) from BF. They are not on the boards which is a good sign of late. Did we not get at least the tigers in the lilies 6 months before CMBN? It cannot be more than 6 months out can it?I would be happy with a 10 second movie on YouTube on a pre-alpha build. I have played all the GL scenarios already. Am in the mood for more.

1. I would still like to see the red/black lines (but with toggle for those of you who do not like it) to show the status of subordinate units attached to an HQ. Perhaps throw in a solid green line if attached to a superior and a black with green outline if the unit is not attached to a superior but you need to know who its superior unit is and where it is located. I really miss that as I have no clue sometimes which is the superior unit and with many multiple units do not want to click on all of them. But remember have it toggle-able as I remember asking for this a while ago and some guys were like "No Way Man!" I really found this very useful. 2. Have something that reflects the conscript/green-ness and the lack of radio contact in tanks so that conscript tanks cannot charge ahead and act as elites. I loved the increase in reaction times for conscript/green units. With nothing having been said directly about the actual mechanics of conscript vs elite units and how it affects the game, I would vote for some sort of restriction for conscript/green tanks and their ability to react to other units and to restrict their ability to do as much as when they were in complete contact with their superior units. (yes, make it toggle-able for those that think conscript and elite should act the same of for those that did not like the delays - not the best but we as a group have not come up with anything better that I recall from a design point of view - though BF may have and we just do not know about it yet).

That was one of the things I loved about mainland Europe. I have lived in Japan, HK and in New York but in Europe I actually felt relaxed. Less hustle and bustle, more sitting at a sidewalk cafe with a glass of wine or Nutella filled crepes on a Paris street. I have to say that they seem to have found a better balance of life and work than we do in North America. Even Canada seems crazy compared to Europe. And just try sitting on the street with a glass of wine. That protestant work ethic has gotten us far but boy are we uptight about enjoying the simple joys in life.

BLSTK, That is so true. I worked in Japan for over a year and they put in some crazy hours and I have some friends that work in HK who are putting in 50-60 hour weeks. Not to say that some of them do not work like dogs but they spend crazy amount of hours in the office but actually don't do anything productive for some of the time. The boss or fellow employees were there though and it would look bad if they actually left on time. Screwing the pooch for 2-3 hours in a 10 hour day happens a lot but better to save face.

I have funded kookier ventures on Kickstarter and I have not yet been disappointed yet (though some have taken longer than I wished) Give us a shout when it is up on KS and you can have some support.

FO, I stand corrected. Yes, it was GOG but it did surprise me to see CMBO listed. I had thought that it was BFs decision to release it on that site. I assumed they were testing the business model for release of their old catalogue of games. I still think it is a good idea, especially for really old titles like CMBB or CMAK but BF knows the numbers as I never will so this is just a knee jerk reaction on my part. They may still be earning decent money from those two games for all I know. As for demos, I appreciate their ideas about demos and can understand that BF tries to release quality products and wish to have their regulars keep coming back. I sometimes wonder though if we perhaps scare people off due to the relative complexity and if they had just bought it, they may be willing to give it a more thorough try.

There was an article that I read online showing that releasing a demo of a game (though they were referring to console games) halved projected sales from around 530k units to around 250k units after 6 months. Not that I am saying that applies in all cases but it may be valuable to see if it applies in this case. Re:steam - did I not see CMBO on steam the other day? Perhaps if BF wanted to generate additional income, they may consider releasing CMBB, CMAK, CMSF and CMA on Steam if there sales are not high enough through traditional methods. Anything to generate additional income.

What about the different minefield signs? I see red (active and not cleared?), brown (marked?) and green with a white X through them. I assume cleared but a, not sure and am also not sure how to get to the green sign. I have tried to blast them with my engineers but nothing happens. There does not seem to be a way to get to the green sign it just sort of appeared and I am not sure how it got there.

John, I have but have realized my limitations. I am actually fairly bad at this game even though I really enjoy it. I have tried H2H and had a decent game score against some equal opponents but tried against a few on the forum and got creamed. https://sites.google.com/site/cmbbcmak/ Here is our tales of combat with CMBB and CMAK. Some of my favourite games are listed and I can only wish someone would remake some of these. Too bad I cannot find another opponent at about the same skill level. Perhaps one day.

What about a scenario pack. Let some of the better scenario designers submit 1-2 scenarios or 1 campaign (subject to the quality control of BF) and package them into a bundle of 12-15 scenarios with 1-2 campaigns. I know the scenario trickle is a little less due to the increased difficulty of building them but I would pay a little for a scenario pack with good scenarios. The ones picked could get a free copy of the pack and get their name in lights. I have played all CMFI scenarios and will probably finish all GL scenarios in about 2-3 months. It would tied me over until the next module comes out. Maybe even allow Aris and the other great modders to include some Hi-Res vehicle skins and terrain mods and you have the making of a great product. Not to say that the Repository is not great but it is hit and miss at times and bundling after some QA would give us something. We always seem to want the latest and greatest.

I also loved Operations. It reminded me a lot of ASL "Red Barricades" which is stIll one of my favourites. I liked the idea of having a front line and then moving some of your troops depending upon the situation from one area to another to change the direction of your push. Along we reinforcements and replacements. It was excellent. I am surprised it was not more popular as it was fairly easy to create, use and play. I hope that one day we have some iteration (or perhaps an add-on like what was proposed for CMBB). I know resources are tight but an add-on that would be available for all modules would be something that I would pay for. I know this is never easy and priorities come up but something that would add on to CMv4 that addressed some of the issues of Operations or even gave us something with persistent maps and fixed lines to move troops around may be able to sell. Not something high on your priority list but something to keep in the back of your mind for when EF, WF and North Africa is done. Since you have an iterative engine, you should not have to re-do theatres anymore. Great idea but what will you do in 5 years when we are still clamouring for more.

Riah69, No worries mate. I guess this is what can make it so frustrating even for BF. One customer has a fairly good experience and the next just has frustration. Each computer is so different (3570k, 7850 2gb, windows 8 64bit) that it is hard to find the connection between the hardware and software problems. I guess I have been lucky but so far so good. I have even been using Steam more and more on the advice of my kids so half of my objections should be thrown out but EA still ticks me off.

This may be a pain but compared to what EA has done (e.g. Simcity 5) it has been a breeze. I have only had to use the utility once and after a few clicks and a download CM was working fine again. And no need for a constant Internet connection. I have in that time changed computers twice with a few added upgrades thrown in for good measure. I would say that in this day and age, this DRM has been the least intrusive (and I love that I can play without the disk) I like that BF does not automatically treat me as if I am a thief. One of the reasons that I will never buy from EA again as long as they do. I understand the need for some DRM but I think that some games do not generate the revenue expected because they are just bad games. Piracy is then blamed and you get into a vicious cycle. I can live with minimal DRM and pay for a good game.

I am not sure I understand the question. Do we not already have destructible terrain? Trees Buildings Fences Shell holes or were you referring to other types of terrain?

Erwin, I think you are referring to "The Devil's Guard". An entirely different book (though if made into a movie would probably not play in France all that well as the SS look like they were much more effective than the French were). I have heard that it has been somewhat discredited though but it would make a great movie. There are few books looking at the war from the German soldiers point of view in English. "Panzer Gunner" was another but though at times interesting does not have the same impact upon you while reading it (unless you get all hot and heavy about sighting reticles and transmissions) as "Forgotten Soldier". I found "White Tiger" movie the other day but have not gotten the subtitles to work yet. Is it worth the effort? There is also not much on the Russian soldier in English, except perhaps "Ivan's War" but you do not get a good feel from that book either as everything seemed to be from the revisionist Soviet lens where all Soviets were great and all Germans bad view. I would like to see a soviet "Forgotten Soldier" but I think that time has passed.

I like Germany also but "öuch" thats a lot of tax.

ASL Veteran, I had meant the shipping and handling costs for BF and not myself. I will go digital download probably exclusively from now but there must be a point (and I think Steve or Moon confirmed) where it is cost prohibitive for BF to ever ship a physical copy. That is what ticked me off about the whole Canadian VAT and then a processing fee on top of that when we are supposed to have free trade with the US. It appears that the little guy gets screwed (BF also being a little guy) and the giants like Walmart and book resellers reap the benefits. With free trade between the US and Canada and at the time the CDN$ trading higher than the US$, a paperback was still 35% more in Canada. One of the reasons I do not subscribe to Netflix. Why pay the same amount for an inferior product. I would willingly pay for stuff (like I do with HBO and Game of Thrones) if I did not feel like they just wanted to rip me off. $35 is reasonable for the time and effort for the Gustav Line. $23 is not reasonable for a small package to be shipped by the USPS. --- BTW BBC Canada is mostly crap. Mostly Canadian home building shows. Come on, you cannot tell me that it is cheaper to have a Canadian Home Building show instead of repeats of "Only Fools and Horses" or "Dad's Army". You get tired of feeling like you are just here to get ripped off.

It must be where you are from that determines your taste in TV. I love BBC and spend my days trying to find copies of QI, Heston Bluemanthal, the Gadget Man and anything else that the Beeb or ITV puts out. Not easy as none of these are available through DVD or even legitimate download. I find Canadian TV a little too folksey and boring even when they are trying to be glamourous or exciting. And not to trash American TV as there are some great shows (Game of Thrones, Adventure Time & Archer) but most is terrible. Even great shows like CSI have gotten tired and boring. Hence the need for "QI" which is brilliant but you may not see it that way over the pond as you regularly have access to good programming. To my kids it is a breath of fresh air. Intelligent, funny and Alan Davies. ----- I wonder if BF would be happy to release these games as digital download only? Would it save them time and money? I know I like the physical copy but it is probably the way of the future.

Unfortunately I am about 3.5 hours from the border. I wish I were closer but the closest city would be Missoula Montana at about 11 hours (I don't think Fargo counts). My wife just wants to move closer to an Ikea. I am just surprised at the additional cost and thought that our free trade agreement would make this inexpensive. I also thought that the USPS was fairly cheap to use but I think it may be cheaper to ship from Canada which surprises me. Oh well, digital download here I come. (And don't get me started on our selection of Netflix - unless you like badly made québécois movies).

I want to start this thread by saying that I do NOT think that BF is gouging us on the shipping costs. I know that shipping can be expensive but . . . . The shipping costs to Canada are $23 and that is via US Postal Service. I find this a little outrageous and not because of BF but the USPS must be gouging you guys as well. I regularly buy things through eBay and have my sister send me parcels (including parts for a motorcycle) from Missouri and I usually pay $10-$15 for a box. And this is close to the $27 for Europe and we usually pay about 1/2 what they pay (and the CDN$ is almost at par with US$). What is the USPS doing for you? Is there someone that I can phone at home in the middle of the night to see where my parcel is for $23? Is some "John Smith" going to come to my door and not only deliver it but install it as well - with a smile? Have you guys thought about alternatives if someone wanted a physical copy? What about letter post instead of parcel post, or what about normal parcel and not tracked parcel? I think this is the first time I am seriously considering the download option only. And I really do not think that you guys are trying to make money off of delivery as some on eBay try to do but there must be some alternatives. The last time (6 months ago) the shipping was $16 and now it is 44% more. Ouch!

Some of the battles I loved the most were Finns vs Russian tanks and having 5-6 AT rifles pound the crap out of the Russian tanks (plink - plink - plink) the tanks running after them and then the molotovs coming out. Yes, I understand the PFs being lethal at 40-60 meters and some of the big A$$ AT guns blazing away but the infantry seems to take a back seat once the heavy Russian/German tanks come out. I though am a bad player so having fun with slow moving infantry and a few weak tanks is more fun than being pounded from 800 meters by a JS-II or King Tiger. Pz-38t vs a BT-5 is much more fun. I think I need to find equally bad players to play against.

Korea would not require a complete reworking as it had many of the same weapon systems as well as similar terrain to Italy with snow. Buildings would be different though. As for early war, I would love to see the 1940s stuff. I enjoy the battles where tanks are not invulnerable to infantry. A JS-III at 150 meters is almost boring for an infantry force. A tank in 1940 though has thrills galore. Its like super-sized infantry battles rather than tank battles with infantry thrown in. BT-7 vs Pz 38t. Interesting (and do not get me started on Finns vs Russian Hordes - just read "Frozen Hell").