sburke

LOL yes I hear it is good to be King - (hey potboy, get over here!) Okay maybe trenches it is. Beats trying to do 8m wide ones. Will have to play around with them and maybe some modder who doesn't make stuff look like it was drawn with crayola (ie me) might take an interest.

true I really have no idea how difficult this is or not, but if the basic structure w/o any of the additional FOW overhead was included as a wall type could the graphics be changed to make it look like a ditch or would the way it is created still have the above ground projection? Heck I may not care, I am gonna have to try this on my Veghel map just to get an idea what it could feel like. edit - there would be so many, who would need FOW? You'd be faced with too many of them to try and cover them all with fire. It would be like trying to shoot up every single hedgerow in Normandy... okay maybe not that extreme, but you get the idea.

Not a feature, but a fortification - trenches that look like drainage ditches for Market Garden. Would resolve trying to create 8m wide drainage ditches at least. As to movement along them, we will likely have to get creative, but we were gonna have to do that anyway. Hmm there is a thought.. Can they be modded?

Friggin hysterical. Damn a gamers form of The Onion - beautiful The only thing that made me laugh harder lately was Beavis and Butthead poking fun at Jersey Shore Snookie: "I don't usually sleep with my brother" Butthead: heh heh "usually" heh heh

Okay over to the corner with you, yeah right next to the bucket, just in case.

oh crap I already have that. Stupidly paid for the entire series from paperless archive only to find it online for free later.

Well I did say that sometimes you don't get a choice for a good position and I get it that those times suck. However a change in behavior for that specific incident is going to carry implications that personally I feel will end up being more negative than positive. Just my crappy cheap two cents worth. I totally agree it is preferable to fire the AT gun rather than the rifle, however I don't think that is really the crux of the question. The AT gun had been outflanked. We can only assume whether it would ever have gotten a shot off, maybe it would, maybe it wouldn't. If the tank did end up spotting it first and nailing it, then the fact that it was spotted sooner by the rifle fire is really irrelevant. We just do not know. If it turns out that it would have been spotted anyway, then the ONLY thing that makes sense is either you shoot the dang rifle, or you run away. As to the effect of firing on TCs. I have an entire AAR of turns in my sig of a battle with Broadsword and you can judge for yourself how effective or not it can be. I think I nailed 4 TCs in that game alone and the effect was such that my Shreck teams pretty much were able to fire at will and reload at their leisure. Rarely were they spotted by the tank crews. Now I do have to admit, I did not post my AT guns towards the front. Artillery would have killed them early. I posted them to my rear as a last line of defense.

nice score- ummm.... scans?

I am not sure how that makes it more historical. In the situation you are in, it actually is one of the few things they can do because the AT gun was positioned poorly. Actually what I said is you should make it a point to force enemy armor to be buttoned up, then your AT gun crew wouldn't be faced with the dilemma. IE they should have supporting arms. And I absolutely disagree about the TAC AI. It for me is one of the high points of the game. Having absolute control over every single decision they make? Nah not for me, then it really is just an arcade game. (and there would be no single player mode.) Where the gun is pointing leaves a lot of ground. So everything in a 30 degree arc from where the gun is pointing now hides? Seriously? See this is why I really shy away from folks wanting to always tweak the AI. It is only a slight exaggeration to say they NEVER think out the implications. I give you credit for at least noting it may not be easy. I would suggest it would not only not be easy, but would in fact be excessively difficult and most likely result in other bad behavior. Having just finished Koskimaki's trilogy on the 101st Airborne, the range of reactions soldiers in combat were capable of makes it pretty foolish to categorize their behavior in a given set of conditions to always be logical or identical. I do realize to some folks it sounds like I am just justifying something you view as bad behavior in the game. Really sorry if it comes off that way, but the uncertainty of reaction on the part of my pixeltruppen really is one of the things I most enjoy. I tell them what I would like them to do and then I hope they do it. If you have seen any of the AAR postings I have done, you can note those are really the moments I enjoy most and I have seen the TAC AI do some pretty cool stuff. The price of that is sometimes they do dumb ass stuff, but that is to me what brings the game something closer to reality. Stories of soldiers in combat are full of stuff like that.

Hmm not so sure about that. There are some assumptions there about decisions the TAC AI should make like - don't shoot if I have someone else who can shoot. Did you actually place any security detachments around to cover that option? If you had the TC would have buttoned up and your gun crew wouldn't have seen that as an option anymore. If you didn't then you are asking for an AI routine because you didn't actually take in to account that your AT gun might need some assistance. Don't sweat it, I think almost everyone here makes that error. First off I have had very good fortune having my guys shoot at any unbuttoned TC they see. Occasionally I hit them, but more often I just cause them to button up and fairly frequently make them panick a bit. Second AT gun placement is almost an art. They should not be that close that your guys should be induced to use small arms, or they should be in a position they can only be approached from one direction. Failure to do that is simply poor placement (yeah I realize sometimes you don't have any good options, but having to make a poor choice, does not somehow make it better) and frankly do your guys KNOW they haven't been spotted, and if they have wouldn't shooting the TC make sense? At a minimum you can hope to spook the tank and buy your guys time. The last point about if they have been spotted or not is kind of important. The player in god mode can kind of digest things better than some pixeltruppen on the ground. If you are that close would you want to simply assume you have not been spotted and hope you have time to orient the gun, or should you try some action that may buy you time? If your guy had actually shot the TC and the tank had panicked and backed off, would you be upset? The gist of all this? Make a point of forcing any tank approachng your lines to button up. whether that be a few rounds from an MG, a few mortar rounds or what have you, but keeping them buttoned up should be your plan from the start. If it becomes a request for an AI routine to stop your guys from doing what might actually make sense sometimes, then maybe the fault lies with the commander. I can safely say that because my pixeltruppen are pointing out my failings all the time with their cute little casualty spots..... As to folks talking about uber spotting tanks. Ask Broadsword about the two flaming Shermans in this field in our current battle - no I can't take full credit. I just give a command to go to X spot. From there the TAC AI takes over. This is in a battlefield with artillery bursts going off, infantry accompanying the tanks, smoke etc. They were still unable to prevent two different Shreck teams from doing their job. AT guns are more difficult, mostly cause you have very little flexibility. If anything I almost feel the AT teams are too good. Well when I am on the receiving end anyway.

wow this is too cool, I am going to learn far more than I ever expected about the history of the Italian army as this game approaches release. Seriously thanks guys, I love this sort of stuff. Was just in Italy a few weeks back, but not much opportunity to check out learning stuff like this. Sad part is I was in a hotel a block from the Museo Storico dei Bersaglieri and didn't get a chance to go. Still kicking myself.

That figure sounds a bit high. Maybe with base game and say 3 modules 65+35+35+35= 170. Let's assume just for fun that the upgrade is an additional $15 and there are 2. So you are now playing CMBN for the next few years with new features etc for $200. We can judge the game once version 2 comes out with new graphics, features and game enhancements and we can only guess at what the next upgrade would include.... So I think I can safely say right now that even with my critical eye.. I am gonna be one happy camper over the next few years and that is with just one game family...and I am assuming nothing from the modders. That is base value. You seem to have this thing about the game models just not being up to par. While I do enjoy the mods, I don't need them... I just like my vehicles dirty and just cause I have to say it - we all talked a lot about doing something for Aris to thank him for his work - anyone ever put their money where their mouth is? Or did we all just figure, they are modders, thanks is good enough? There is some consistency here about expecting something for nothing. Now I know for a fact that Aris won't accept it and I really respect him for that, but I do not EXPECT him to keep modding because I want it.

You know, actually so am I. Not so much why they considered it commercially attractive, but more on their thinking on why shift to Italy for the release of version 2. I gotta admit BF, I really like when you guys talk about the thought process that goes into your decisions. It gives me a better understanding of BF as a group, where you see the franchise going, what kind of things affect your thought process, how you approach various hurdles and then how you deal with them. I am an unabashed fan of the franchise and the company and I appreciate hearing you guys "think aloud". So if you aren't too busy and feel like throwing us a bone of what goes on in your heads, please approach the mic and spill some things.

I dunno but I expect the niche for Italy is smaller than the niche for an early war Battle of France game. Considering they will have the terrain/maps done for Holland with the MG module and the Ardennes for the Bulge module, it doesn't seem far fetched at all to think they could pull together a CM-Fall of France game. I wrote my note to Santa and am still hopeful.

Steve would be the guy, but I highly doubt they are waiting on CMFI to prepare CMBN/MG. Part of the announcement was reflecting them having multiple concurrent projects. I am very much hopeful on version 2 and MG this year. Maybe late in the year, but still this year. (oh please oh please) Think about it. They released CMCW while also apparently prepping for CMFI. That is an amazingly good sign of what they are now capable of. Regarding upgrades and games mid life. To some extent that is unavoidable. As an example. Assuming we get CMSF2 and Bagration next year. Then they start preparing to release the Bulge game and develop a bunch of new stuff so bulge comes out as Version 3. You can now expect a mid life upgrade for CMFI, CMSF2 and Bagration and a late life upgrade for CMBN. Now the way BF has presented this is they would release upgrades probably discounted packaged with modules so the Upgrades for CMFI, CMSF2, Bagration and CMBN may all come out at different times in different forms. For CMBN it may be a straight out upgrade with no additonal content. The others may have to wait so you get a discounted upgrade and new content with additional modules. To be honest I expect we may get overloaded with material and we will likely complain about that. What an awful thing to have happen - too much Combat Mission - is that even possible?

Definitely a positive spin and I would love 1943 Eastern Front.

Not being privy to the internal discussions at BF as to why they chose Italy I am not so sure it reflects a change in BF's opinion. Here is a theoretical conversation. Charles: Okay so Version 2 looks like it is about ready for prime time, what say we release it for CM: Market Garden Steve: Are you crazy? We'd have to redo all the art work AND release it as an upgrade which we are going to have to charge for to cover our costs and you know how well that will go over with this crowd. They might have to fore-go some of those potato chips they are stuffing down their gobs as they sit on the couch playing this stuff day after day. Charles:Okay How about maybe jumping to the East Front Steve:Even crazier. Those fanatics will go berserk if we don't have fire, tank riders and commissar units ready on day 1. Charles:Okay what do you want to do then? Steve:Aw hell let's do Italy. I could care less about that front anyway and some wad from Gamesquad can get his rocks off flaunting that. In short- this games for you. Don't forget to say thanks.

Martha JonStewart

While I can certainly relate (I am still putting together a folder system by unit for the mods I want) I don't actually think all this will add that much more time. For example. I have a couple PBEMs going on and more expected plus a couple scenarios and probably some campaigns soon. If I want my mods to work I have to shift folders almost EVERY time I start up a game or switch games. Sure I don't have to, but then I'll be fighting a battle using the 9th ID and all my guys are showing up as the 35th ID. There is a definite downside to getting in to using mods, but the direction BFC is going seems to be to actually make this easier so maybe version 3 when I use the 9th ID it will automatically use the images specified in the game for the 9th ID. No idea if that will actually be the case, but it seems to be the direction I have seen in some of the banter back and forth. (IIRC LLF raised some points about subfolders) If that were the case when it was released, all a modder need do is rename files to apply. Ya gotta love that. (assuming it ever happens).

Well the nice thing is it is a one shot setting and generally not many units can actually be noted as being experienced. Where you may have some more work is handling regimental differences for example in the 82nd airborne. Where it will get more problematic is deciding how long into the Normandy campaign before you decide units should jump experience levels and at the same time do losses incurred till then balance that out and/or have an impact on morale or leadership. Broadsword has a method for this as well resulting in us having battles with units of varying experience, fitness, morale and leadership settings. It has been far more enjoyable than I had expected learning how to cope with the variations (word of advice - fitness seems to be the biggest impact- low fitness units are like trying to fight with Napoleonic units. Everything is done with basic move commands.) Hey it's all fun right?

Was looking on wikipedia on the 1st ID and noted the division lost more dead and wounded in Vietnam than in WW2. Maybe I should have expected that, but frankly I did not. Granted the time span is longer, but still.... I would guess that had more to do with the grunts having to fight it out at closer range? Perhaps someone actually knows and can explain that better.

I'd agree. Experience could actually be done a little simpler, particularly at the beginning of the Normandy Campaign. Very few American units could actually be considered experienced (1st ID comes to mind). The 29th was well trained, but not experienced. Their morale would I think tend to be high as should fitness and maybe even leadership. The 1st ID on the other hand might even be considered to have some morale issues. The unit had struggled with continuing in combat after coming out of the Med and the decision to yank Terry Allen.

Actually I think that was a reference to the Vista patch for CMx1 games. Then again I could be totally wrong.

From all of my reading one thing seems pretty true across all armies - soldiers scrounged for extra firepower all the time and a ToE is simply a paper strength having about as much relevance as the documents on file for building permits as opposed to what folks actually do on their homes deciding to ignore the $600 cost to have to wake up some county inspector to come over to your house and say "yeah looks fine, but what about all this other stuff?" (the previous owners un permitted work done by a cheap ass contractor) Just finishing up the 101st Airborne trilogy by George Koskimaki and there is frequent mention of additional MGs acquired by the troops including taking MGs off disabled 10th AD halftracks and even trying to use abandoned tanks. I tried to take some with a grain of salt as per usual every German tank it seems is a Tiger. Even the Panther picture in the book is a Tiger.

They are called french fries and they usually order them together. *Note despite the sheer stupidity of our elected officials on both sides of the aisle they are in fact not French. Probably my single most embarassing moment as an American traveling abroad. ** second note - yes I do realize you did not mean french fries, just couldn't resist.