Sgt.Squarehead

Really nice to see some life on it after staring at it in the editor for so long.....The new boats are splendid. 

I'm posting here because I feel such beautiful artistry as that shown by @Sgt.Squarehead really should be celebrated by the whole CM community.
Heaven & Earth presents to you, the Delta map...
 

I normally try to not get involved in forum discussions, because I find they devolve into petty back and forths, however as the opponent on the opposing side I'd like to contribute my view and hope to provide some clarity and some thoughts that may have been overlooked. First off, I don't see anything from my perspective in the game, or based on Bull's explanation that points to any sort of bug or needs any review. He asked me to submit my turn and password for review, which I declined. But I'll give my perspective.
The game is early morning in winter. Visibility is very short, infantry has been making contact at less than 100m, in some cases infantry has been within 50m before being noticed. Firing and muzzle flashes change that of course, and a unit firing can be seen at a much greater distance, as can units moving at a faster or more noisy pace. (Also unit makeup, type, experience, quality, motivation, proximity to command, movement or lack there of ALL have input into how one unit functions compared to another. So there is almost no such thing as an apple to apple comparison in this game.) The LOS line tool shows a blue line going out much further than what visibility actually is, and this is in keeping with what I have seen in all other CM games. The blue line is a guide, which I use as a best case guide, not as a sure thing indicator. If a unit saw another at 900m through trees that is quite amazing and in this game I would not expect that to happen repeatedly or for that occurrence to be a tell tale for how other units should spot. Maybe that unit had a brand new pair of binocs, or there position was just right to see through a small gap in the trees and they caught a muzzle flash. Maybe the units closer didn't have binocs, or their's were fogged up, dirty or otherwise not 100%, or maybe they didn't have any. Maybe the unit that did good spotting was a very experienced unit and maybe the other one wasn't, or maybe that had nothing to do with it. Maybe they were occupied more with their immediate situation, or they were communicating their next plan since they were in close proximity to enemy forces and not paying attention to what was going on further away. Maybe the terrain, (which is not level) somehow obscured their view from the position they were in, or maybe the snow was really deep where they were and they were dealing with that. Maybe they dug themselves a snow hole to keep their heads down from the mortar shrapnel falling to their rear and couldn't see out. Maybe maybe maybe maybe.... Having myself spent a significant portion of my life in forest, wilderness, mountains, very deep snow of all qualities, I can say with 100% certainty that sometimes dealing with your immediate situation is all encompassing and in the real world there are micro features and small terrain undulations that can not be modeled in this game, but would most certainly exist in the world that this game is supposed to model.
As for the unit that broke and ran toward the "enemy side of the map", I feel there are some details in the explanations that have been left out. Like most people, I have seen this undesirable behavior before in CM games, but I also believe that in this instance there are more factors in play. The American unit that broke and ran toward German lines had few or no better options. The American attack was coming along the extreme map edge, and attacks that come against the map edge like that put themselves in a position that severely limits their maneuverability and options and puts the force in a bad spot to begin with. So out of all possible directions, 180 degrees of space was not available to the unit in question. Out of the remaining 180, there was an exploding and burning tank behind them as well as mortar shells falling in the same direction a bit further behind the destroyed tank. So take away the 60 degrees of area that would have been directly toward the American lines. The next area, off the unit in questions left flank, are buildings where contact has been made between forces and potentially might give cover to more German units. So that isn't a good direction for the American unit to run. Take away another 60 degrees on their left. This leaves the remaining 60 degrees to their front, where nothing is exploding and no enemy troops are immediately obvious or in hiding, although it is toward the German "side" of the map the area to the units immediate front does not offer good cover to enemy. Due to the unit having such limited movement against the map edge, there is very little choice (especially good choice) in which to move. The unit broke and ran forward along the map edge, which is the only path that moved them away from exploding tanks and shells and not closer to an area of cover and concealment that one could easily assume housed enemy troops. Pretty much from what I have seen the unit was in a very bad spot, against the map edge, close to enemy occupied buildings, under fire, and unsupported. With that much going against them it would have been difficult to choose a better option, and definitely not the AI bugging out from what I see.
Now I'm not saying the retreat function can't be improved, it definitely can. I just think that in many instances in which people complain about any one of the many topics that get complained about, there are many factors that get overlooked or go unaccounted for. There are so many factors in this game that relying on any one, or complaining about any one to me seems to be losing the overall focus and tactical thinking that leads to success. I am not a programmer but I would think that maybe a way to deal with the retreating forward syndrome would be to have the default fall back option to be along the most recent path of advance that the unit took, since most likely the path of advance was along the most conducive and unexposed path available to that unit. I also really don't like it when an unbuttoned tank commander gets shot by small arms fire (happens very easily) and then the standard response is for the tank to pop smoke and retreat, often into a more exposed position than they were in. That is one aspect I feel could be improved. Tanks should not retreat in the face of small arms fire. (Just saying that because I know IanL has a direct line!)
When I have one of those "WTF?" moments, I try and sit back and think about all the possible things going on I can't see in the game. I also try to think about how I could have commanded my units better and not allowed my men to get in a bad position to begin with. Usually I come up with a list of how I could do better that is longer than how the game could be better. Other times it's just straight bad or good luck depending on your perspective and luck is also a real world phenomenon, but I have found looking closer at how I could command better and use better tactics gives me less of a chance to have bad luck, or have bad luck effect me in a significant way.
I know that the game being talked about is still in it's early stages and that both sides have significant forces that have not been engaged.

I enjoyed the initial version, it was properly hectic! 
Happy to help out with testing of updated versions if you need another hand.....I'm kind of fond of MOUT battles. 
 

The random maps were awful.....They did generate nice contours though, so if you erased everything else they could be the basis for a nice map.

Now that I finished the logo, I started working on the design for the Heaven and Earth User Manual [ work in progress ]. Thoughts on which direction I should continue to develop?
Once the cover is set, the inside will reflect the tone and mood of the cover.
Cheers,
Xacto
 
 
 

The random maps were awful.....They did generate nice contours though, so if you erased everything else they could be the basis for a nice map.

Pistoleers can be surprisingly deadly and also a lot of fun.....So deadly and so much fun, in fact, that their antics may have inspired a whole campaign:

I started messing around with a 'Taxi Wars' concept, partly for this reason.....But @MOS:96B2P 's concept was better! 
 

What's the best size & type of image for those please @MOS:96B2P.....I'd like to make a few images (more movie posters etc.) for possible use in the modern games.

Soon.....Very, soon. 

And finally from the extraction LZ at Son Tay 40 minutes after Callsign Blueboy's deliberate crash landing into the compound …

Not even close to @Bud Backer's comic artistry I know, but I hope you like it.

Latest from Son Tay …

hehe...thanks bro, but those are all things I'm already doing, foot paths and dirt lot tiles are also very useful in that regard; and by the time you clear this side of Kafr Nabudah...you're going to be dreading walls. The city is also heavily damaged. The use paths and battle damage will come once all the major terrain elements are laid down. Right now, laying down connected buildings across multiple slopes is what's being done. It's a hilly town.

THE CANADIAN CONSULATE
Elements of 1st platoon, B Company cautiously advance to the outer wall of the Canadian consulate. The surrendering MP’s are captured and processed, brought to an EPW (enemy prisoner of war) collection point on the beach and held under armed guard by some of the combat engineers.

Local security is established along the West wall, and the Marine assaulters are called up to breach a hole in the wall. The assaulters are equipped with demolition charges that can be used to breach walls and structures and are also equipped with thermobaric warheads for the two SMAW launchers. The breach is made in the wall, revealing a doorway leading into the compound. The Marines prepare to breach and clear the Canadian consulate.

Note: the explosion from the breaching charge looks like it should be fatal to the Marines. The explosion effect is merely cosmetic. The Marines suffer no casualties or ill effects from their own breaching charges.
The Marines stack up at the doorway through the wall breach. Immediately they can hear commotion inside, indicating the complex is occupied.

Moments later Regime MP’s being running right past one of the Marine security elements on the South West corner, oblivious to the Marines location. They appear to be trying to escape from the consulate before the Marines enter it. When they stumble into the Marine security position, their withdrawal turns into a panicked rout. What follows is nothing short of a slaughter.

The Marines engage at point blank range with rifle fire and hand grenades. There is no return fire. The fleeing MPs are overcome with terror and don’t bother shooting back. Theyre quickly put out of their misery.

At the same time the slaughter on the street is happening, a team of Marines enter the consulate. For a few moments, all is quiet. Then there is an explosion of gunfire. A Marine is immediately wounded, but the fire is quickly returned.

With both of his comrades killed, the surviving MP decides to throw down his rifle and surrender. Moments later, the Marines rush the room and take down the prisoner. The prisoner turns out to be the radio operator for a MP company command element. The corpse of the MP captain is lying on just nearby. The radio operator is processed and brought to the EPW collection point and noted to be a possible intel asset. The bodies of the company command element are searched for any important documents/intel.

The entire consulate is searched for survivors, as well as to secure any sensitive items that remain. After a thorough search, CPT Pulido passes up the disconcerting situation report: none of the consulate workers are in the consulate. They must have been moved to a new location by the Regime. Evidence in the form of bullet holes and a few blood stains are found as well, indicating that there may have been some kind of struggle when Regime forces stormed the consulate. That, or there was indiscriminate killing. Sensitive items such as documents, hard drives and portable electronics such as laptops are recovered. All other electronics (printers, scanners, shredders, etc) are destroyed in place, and the consulate is officially declared secured and sanitized.
All of this information is passed up to higher headquarters. The fate of the Canadian consulate workers is unknown, though they are now presumed to be in Regime captivity. Theater intelligence assets are given the additional task to search for any sign of the captured consulate workers. It is unclear what the Regime intends to do.
The fate of the consulate personnel is concerning, but no longer a concern of the Marines. B Company is instructed to hold firm at the Canadian consulate while A Company continues to make its way to the US consulate. When the US consulate is secured and evacuated, all forces will collapse back to the beach at the same time.
Its up to CPT Amato’s A Company to reach the US consulate so everyone can ‘get the hell out of dodge.’ Thus far that has proven easier said than done, and that trend appears to be continuing. Both the Global Hawk and U-2 sensors show more Regime infantry slowly massing in the neighborhoods adjacent to the US consulate. Time is of the essence.

You're welcome... Still working on other elements - stay tuned!

Toto.....I don't think we are in Syria any more:

Toto.....I don't think we are in Syria any more: