ShiftZ

A tribute to the Tiger.

Maybe Combat Mission should make the leap to 64bit? 64 bit architecture is here to stay and 32 bit is going the way of the dinosaur (like it or not)

Roflmao...

The differences between Steelbeasts Pro PE and Steelbeasts is analogous to the differences between CM:BO and CM:BN. Pro PE is like a very potent and extremely addictive drug. "Once you start down the dark path forever will it dominate your destiny".

I think eSim is heading in the right direction. Their sim plays with high fidelity and I'm more than confident that "what's going on under the hood" is probably the most important aspect. They are after all a small company much like Battlefront. I'm more then certain that they listen to the rants and requests of their GP customers and will continue to invest in eye candy (but don't do this at the expense of performance...please) A lot of these requests may actually lead to SB2 being released down the road. If enough people complain with enough pressure, they will eventually surrender on some aspects but much like high performance racing machines, looking pretty doesn't help win races. Give me reasonable AI and engine quality first, then add in all the other stuff but be car full not to wreck the drive train with to much weight. Now if someone can just kindly tell Microsoft to add in the "specific stuff" that's in directX 9 that makes all these games I dig work to DirectX 11 I'll be happy (flippin' consoles)

I agree with you on the graphics and particle physics. When you see what has been done with games like battlefield 3 and soon Amara 3 and indeed VBSM 2 and those visuals you wonder if eSim is aware of whats going on with other sims in this department. Of course eSim has never once said that they are trying to be anything other then what they are which is first and formost a classroom training aid meant to assist the Armour trainee in the study of combined Armour tactics up to the company level at a very cost effective price (obviously on a national financed level). I don't make the assumption that militarily make allowances for the latest graphics cards/chips sets and OS's unless it's located at a static training center which means that the troops are brought in, fed, housed and spend a minimum of time in the simulators that cost millions which in turn means very little time spent at the simulation on a annual basis, not really cost effective. The Pro PE brand as sold to army customers is ment to be used outside of a classroom at the students leisure year round in conjunction with their "professional" software costing thousands (cheap by comparison) all of which is very portable and can be set up anywhere, even in the theater of operations. My copy of the sim which is the same copy that all "Joe Public" persons get and is a somewhat distilled version of their "professional" software so really, who knows what they've done because I don't; each country's needs are specifically tailored. I find the Path finding in Pro PE exceptional. Waypoints and rotes are all editable, even while a platoon is carrying out the movement order. If I'm in dense woods on a dirt road and issue an assault order either for the waypoint or as a route command or both I'll make sure to change the formation to "column" as opposed to the pre-set "line" formation thereby avoiding units getting stuck in trees or whatever. Improvements can be made however but eSim is constantly doing this and I challenge you to demonstrate where any other sim of the same type does pathfinding better. The infantry in Pro PE is there to illustrate the point of the effectiveness of infantry in the spotting, recon, FO and anti tank role. Remember, Pro PE is a simulation of COMBINED ARMOUR TACTICS, not infantry tactics so learning how to deal with infantry from the perspective of armor is vital. Having said that though eSim is moving toward asymmetrical features in it's sim so the infantry will be continuously fleshed out but there will be a celling somewhere. If you want FPS for infantry you have to go somewhere else. I'll go way out on a limb here and make the assumption that you don't enjoy multiplayer. The Pro PE community is very much active in this department. Every friday night there is an online session. People gather on teamspeak, shoot the **** for a bit, then the host shows up, let's everyone know whats on tap. Teams are then drawn up and we move to the proper channels. Once this is done everyone starts up their copies of the sim, enters the Ip of the server and regroups in the staging room. From there we all select the various units and platoons with vets taking the CO and XO for blue and red, ready up and the host takes into the planning/deployment phase. After this it's at least an hour of multiplayer fun. I'm not seeing anything like that with other sim companies producing ground warfare type games (haven't really looked tho)

The mission editor is a scenario designers dream, it's simple and yet affords a great deal of complex scripting. The AI is as good as any out there and I make the assumption that it's light years ahead of the original (I never played it). Single play is solid and you definitely won't go wrong with multiplayer as that is where the team play really shines.

That ain't a game mate,

I haven't had any problems yet. It all depends whats on the board. If it's all infantry then it can get stupid but whatever problems I'm having so is my opponent. I try to stay as mobile as possible with everything and support each element that is moving to various positions with the right unit type for the current action - overwatch. I'm not getting caught in the open anywhere unless it's what I have to do to take a point on the map highlighted by the mission. Again I'm going to support those troops and attempt to suppress the opponent trying to stop me, I don't have to obliterate my opponent just make him take cover and hopefully demoralize those troops in the process. CMBN demands a certain level of realizing that I have to lose some to gain some.

Maybe I'm wrong but don't you set up the units for play based on the leadership units? Highlight the unit commander and give the order which in turn is issued to all of the units under that commander? That's what I'm doing in CMBN, guess I'm fubar. I organize everything according to the command structure of the units involved. I end up with maybe a dozen or so single command units to manage. As long as I'm using the terrain correctly it works out fine.

Maybe I'm getting off topic here considering the OP but RT is the only style of play that can be made if a participant in a combat simulation is looking for immersion and realism. You make basic tactical and logistical decisions in the set up/deployment phase based on the equipment given and type of mission. Once that the initial placement has taken place and routes laid down you hit the green button and find out if your battle plan is going to hold up. As the scenario unfolds you make changes to your plan based on predictions. A players success is obviously related to experience using tactics that should be adaptable to changes that can happen in an instant; as it does in RL. What is understood doesn't need to be discussed so it goes without saying that anyone that does this type of thing for a living for his/her country will be better at it then people who don't. Real time play is preferable, for me anyway. The following is a smart ass comment: I don't think armies currently deployed hand out pause buttons or turn orders. When someone first starts out playing CMBN and are completely green to this type of sim then turn based pause action style is a good idea until these individuals get better at the sim and begin to understand why things are done the way countless books tell us all how to lay it out. After this take the training wheels off and race down that hill and right into the parked car at the bottom. I've never played APOS or whatever it's called and probably never will. I can't compare one sim to another because each sim is striving to achieve different levels of realism. Some simulations are training aids meant to help students learn and understand whats being taught in a classroom,(but can none the less can be played for fun) while others want you to look at graphics and taste the dust in your mouth. I guess that as more and more developers out there get into this type of simulation the more it will promote quality in these types Sims. BF recently celebrated it's tenth anniversary of combat mission. I'm betting that they will make a leap into 3D somewhere over the next ten years.

I enjoy mutliplayer on a particular sim I own and RT is the only way to play when 20 + people are involved; in fact the only way to play the thing is RT either solo against AI or MP. I can't do turn based games anymore, to slow, one person is always taking way to freakin' long. FYI I'm 47 so I don't think it's an age thing, I think it's an "over thinking the solution" thing.

I prefer to keep them off as much as possible, RT or WEGO. The only time I snap them on is when I can't tell where the fire is coming from or I peek at the map from the nine (top down) view. Full immersion for me means not bringing the camera up past the highest position I actually occupy or moving it to the position/suspected position of opfor. I do however use the zoom mode to simulate binos.

Steelbeasts is now in the archives. BTW there are plenty of videos on YouTube covering Pro PE. Also for a limited time the sim is reduced in price.

There's an old saying, the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. Since the release of CMBN I've been knee deep in playing the hell out of that game. I love it. It's easy to set up quick battles, the scenerio editor works well and the campaigns that came packed in with the game eat up the hours. Graphicly the overall feel of the game is warm and crisp. (FYI It so happens that I purchased a new system that is a game monster destroyer so no matter what combat sim I play it stomps it into the dust.) I'm also a die hard player of Steelbeasts Pro PE and at this time in simming history there is no other simulator available to the public the does what PRO PE does, not by a long shot. So I got a little bored over the weekend and decided to load Kursk into this new rig (the last time I played Kursk I uninstalled it in a fit of rage due to lock ups). Much to my suprise It plays like a well oiled machine. The maps are gorgeous and the vistas blow CMBN's right off of the planet. The models are done much better and the particle effects, damage, smoke, fires, buildings etc are all done to a much higher level of realisim than CMBN. I can set up platoons and actually give each platoon formation orders, imagine that. Sorry I ever thumbed my nose at Kursk 1C, outstanding job. Please tell me that someday you will return to Kursk to expanded it out to cover all of the eastern/western front. Salute.

Just out of curiosity Juno Beach is your operating system windows vista or windows 7 ? If so then you may have to grant administration rights to CMBN and maybe even the folder responsible for screen resolution.

i never use the icons. turning them on is a distraction for me and wrecks the imersion factor. If I could turn off the UI I'd do that too.

My system is almost the same except only the one SSD and dual 2GB GDDR5 AMD HD 6990M instead of the NVIDIA cards. I've been using NVIDIA cards forever and decided to go with RADEON this time. What I find strange is the option differences between American and Canadian versions of the Alienware website.

I'm currently using an Alienware M17x that I purchased in 2009. It's mostly stock with the exception of increased ram. The computer handles CMBN at max level with no problems. I am however upgrading to the M18x which I pretty much maxed out so it cost a lot of money. With computers these days you get what you pay for. Building your own laptop can be murder unless you really know your stuff and have a few trades under your belt. Good luck on your quest and expect to pay $2000.00 minimum for a quality laptop. Check out maingear dot com.

Hard day at the office.

LOL. How long and how wide do you need the new parking lot boss.

WOW. I was messing around in the editor and decided to add in the big guns for the hell of it on the crossroads scenario. Six BB's turned st. Martins farm, the crossroads and the bocage area to the north east to big holes. The barrage was still running when the Germans surrendered. Completely nuts, I love it

I was fortunate enough to have received my Steelbook in perfect condition. I'm happy with the purchase and like the FM. Everything will remain in mint condition for as long as I own the sucker; I'm even keeping it in the US Postal sleeve it came in. I'll use the PDF printable version of the manual to get a nice laminated FM in coil binding.

My first Impression = Awesome. I was expecting TOW Kursk with all kinds of slowdown, erratic infantry behaviour and general bad AI. Nope. What I get is smooth flow game play with everything doing exactly what I've asked it to do, right down to Shermans popping smoke all on thier own. All settings set to quality and everything is gorgeous. Excellent work guys, big salute from me.

Hello freeeman. If you want download only you will have to wait for the official release of the game. Battlefront is only accepting preorders at the moment which means hard copy with the metal disk box, printed manual and download. There are no preorders for download only.