Sgt.Squarehead

Yup, we're using it in 'Heaven & Earth'.....Like @Erwin said, it's kind of hypnotic until all hell suddenly breaks loose!

No it will be worse. Sometimes we suffer casualties we don't expect, I strongly suspect it's just a product of the random element of the game, rationalise them how you will, or don't.

If you are going to do that for each gun, you will run out of terrain objectives real fast. It doesn't actually even do what you are suggesting either.....A trigger is utterly unable to have a HMG pack up to avoid losses, it can pack up to avoid being flanked, but nothing in that script would prevent them being pulverised by a mortar strike, disassembled with direct tank fire, or just picked off by a sniper.

The blast caused loose tiles to fall in from the roof, causing injuries. Jagged shards of glass from a broken window were blasted into the room causing injuries. A fragment hit a wasps' nest in the wall, the soldiers' attempt to ward off the frenzied swarm caused injuries ("Heinz you fool! Put down that entrenching tool!" ) The list is endless.

IMHO these two are both markedly better books than Consider Phlebas, so if you enjoyed that one, you will have a ball with these (You'll also get a much closer look at Culture technology, especially Drones & Minds).

For which we are very, very grateful.....I was happier with CM:SF2 than I ever expected to be, I'm still a bit mystified by it sometimes, but damn it's a good game!

Not sure that Banks ever suggested one, but I'm sure the fans will have.....Let's see: Publication Order That said, publication order probably makes the most sense, due to the (very) minor and occasional reference in one book to the events of another. This is the order the books were published in: Consider Phlebas (1987) The Player of Games (1988) Use of Weapons (1990) The State of the Art (1991) Excession (1996) Inversions (1998) Look to Windward (2000) Matter (2008) Chronological Order I don't recommend the chronological order, since I don't think Banks was paying enormous attention to this when writing the books. For example, Excession (which is set 400 years after Consider Phlebas) has a clear reference to the events of The Player of Games, but the latter novel is set well over 700 years after Consider Phlebas, which is a clear discrepancy. Still, for the curious, the order the books apparently takes place in is as follows: Consider Phlebas (1331 AD) Excession (c. 1775) Matter (c. 1800) The State of the Art (1977) The Player of Games (c. 2085) Use of Weapons (2092) Look to Windward (c. 2170) Note that The State of the Art refers to the titular novella of the collection, not the other two Culture stories in the book. I could be wrong (not having read them yet), but I believe the other two stories and Inversions lack any information that can be used to reliably date them at all. http://thewertzone.blogspot.com/2009/03/reading-order-of-culture-novels.html Gave up trying to use quotes, it was fighting me tooth & nail! My personal recommendation would be 'Use Of Weapons', followed by 'The Player Of Games' and then 'Excession', this will give you the full on Culture fix in as short a time as possible. If you still want more Culture after that lot, it really has to be 'Look To Windward', or if you fancy something a bit different you could try 'Against A Dark Background' and/or 'Feersum Endjinn'. PS - I forgot about 'The State Of The Art': It's a short story collection and it's very good.....If you've ever wondered what would happen if Earth encountered The Culture, this is the book for you (I guarantee it will have you laughing yourself silly too).

Sadly not. Only CM:A, CM:SF & CM:SF2 currently have IEDs.....They can be used quite creatively with a bit of planning, for everything from suicide bombers through to ballistic missile strikes (or even 'Arc Light' missions in Vietnam).

'Useful Idiots' tend to be treated similarly by both sides of a conflict once their utility ends.

Yup.....There's probably a few of us like that around here, I suspect. Welcome to the war!

I'd really love to see those scripts, because I haven't got a clue how I would do that TBH.

Abstraction, again, I suspect.

You are keeping very busy.....Respect!

Maps & scenarios are fully compatible between the games, but not saved games AFAIK.....They are the output of a very different game engine.

That's cool.....I love the new Jeeps! Still not sure about the 'M113' TBH.....Would it be possible to import a modified CM:BS M106 Mortar Vehicle? Would it be possible to lose the mortar somehow?

On a vaguely similar note, here's the web archive for the defunct 'Bayonet Strength' site: https://web.archive.org/web/20160425143250/http://www.bayonetstrength.150m.com/General/site_map.htm

Nope, it puts context around the real situation.....The CM:BS storyline is a different kettle of fish altogether.

Amen to that.

@Galaxy-Eyes.....Were your tanks opened up? In the WWII titles it's usually best to keep tanks unbuttoned until the shooting actually starts (maybe not in cities).

Noooooooo! Not the BTR.....Please! I really, really like the BTR-70s. If it were a swap for an actual M113 model it might just about be worth it, but that is and always will be, a British FV.430 series.....If it were tagged, it wouldn't be a problem, but IMHO the current model swap for the BTR is already optimal. Here's one I would be interested in.....Sand coloured HMG Jeep for DShK Technical. Could the CM:A Kamaz 4310 Truck with ZPU-23-2 be used to replace the ZPU Technical (again maybe with a neutral sand recolour)?

Actually it kind of is, once you have a handle on how things work and some people to bounce & test ideas with. This however is absolutely true.....A fast process it is not, but as @sburke says, if you are starting with a decent scenario, most of the hard work is already done, barring certain exceptions, such as real water, already noted. I build the stuff that I build because it's fun, for the challenge and because I want to build it.....Frankly, given how time consuming it is, to get me to stop doing that and start doing something that someone else wanted, would require a very considerable application of $$$$$ indeed (waiting for BF to do it would probably be faster and definitely cheaper)!

I'd definitely put less tanks on it at any one time and that's a fact!

Why not just dive into the editor and do it yourself? Editing an existing scenario is a great way to learn how things work and in my experience, if you need help, you only need to ask someone or make a post describing your issue.

Which can be rather unfortunate if you have a platoon of tanks on it when that change occurs! Not sure if @WhiteWolf65 has CM:SF2 or not, but a Huge IED will make almost anything go away.....280 IEDs (& 45 VBIEDs) will do this:

@George MC & Kursk in the same post? You got my interest.