drtechno
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Posts posted by drtechno
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Like this you mean?
But, to be fair, it takes some pretty arcane "internet skills" and "technical knowledge" to find the very first stickied thread.
Unbelievable.. This thread is nutty. What a bunch of jackasses some of you are.
First off, I am no noob to CM anything. I have owned every copy of every CM game produced since the first iteration. I have been on this forum a long time.
Second, what a revelation ! Check the sticky ?? Do a search ?? Excellent advice if any of it made sense. As someone mentioned, searching for this topic is essentially useless since the keywords are too general. As for the silly sticky? Let's read the sticky together:
-"we will release a totally new standalone game"
Ok, pretty clear. Understood. New engine, new standalone module release, full price. Fine.
-"Each distinct "family" of Combat Mission games only needs one upgrade regardless of how many Modules are already owned"
What is a 'family' exactly? What designation in the CMFI title states that it is in a new 'family' ?
-"A few months after the new game releases, owners of previous Combat Mission games can purchase Upgrades to add those features to CM products they already own. "
Ok.. but what if I DO purchase the new game and NOT the upgrade.
-"So, what does this mean in concrete terms for you right now, playing Combat Mission: Battle for Normandy and enviously gawking at the Combat Mission: Fortress Italy feature list? It means that once CMFI is out sometime in August, we'll work on an Upgrade 2.0 for CMBN. You will be able to buy this upgrade (the price is not yet determined), install it and voila, you will have Combat Mission: Battle for Normandy v2.0!!! The upgrade will automatically work for the base game and the Commonwealth module."
Ok.. but what if I'm NOT enviously watching others play CMFI because I own it. They make everything sound as there are only two possibilities: You don't buy CMFI and decide to wait to get the upgrade to CMN because you dont want to fork over $50; or you purchase CMFI and only play that.
CONCLUSION- This discusses that CMFI has new features. It also discusses that if you choose not to buy CMFI, that you can upgrade to get the new features in the original CMN and CMCF. However, it doesn't address clearly what happens to the original engine if you do purchase CMFI. Seriously, how hard would it be to state "Purchasing CMFI does not update the original game engine. If you want v2.0 for the original CMN, you will have to purchase the upgrade at a later time, regardless whether you purchased CMFI"
The confusion lies in how they titled CMFI, since it would seem on initial read that it is simply a module (although standalone) with updated features built into the engine.
How hard is it for some of you semi-computer literate individuals to imagine that purchasing a standalone module CAN update the original game engine and improve prior modules? Have some of you guys seriously not been using computers that long that you can't remember a standalone module updating an original game engine?
Anyway, what ridiculous posts by many of you. Thanks to the rest that actually had useful input (ie-a brief answer).
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If you buy Windows 8 do you expect Win 7, Win2k and Win XP to be upgraded, too?
OMG, what a rude reply! Is that supposed to be an answer or a smart ass remark?
Would that it were so simple.
I started trying to build a base map for CMBN using CMFI's capabilities, but realized I couldn't. Why? Data parameters. A scenario in CMFI has a start date that doesn't exist in CMBN so it won't accept it at all and vice versa. It isn't simply an issue of the engine, there is a lot more involved including building types, tile types, ToE issues etc. Even when CMBN is upgraded to version to this will preclude moving scenarios between the two.Great, thanks. All I needed to know. So I'll look for the CMBN engine upgrade and get that too when it comes out.
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Just purchased CM Italy and installed it. But it appears that CM:N and CM:CF have to be upgraded through the separate later path/patch to get them to CM v2.0 ?? Or can I just copy over the scenarios and campaigns from the N/CF games into the Italy directories to be able to play them with the v2.0 engine and just delete the original N/CF directory?? A little confused on how the upgrade thing works IF you purchase Italy. Unless Italy also patched the original CM:N/CF files which was not apparent during installation.
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For self preservation and concealment purposes, I think infantry should not use small arms against armor, absent an explicit Target Unit command from the player.
The risk/reward for staying quiet in your hole versus plinking away at 300m seems like a no-brainer to me, no matter what the manual says.
Agreed. Case closed, end of discussion.
As an aside, do the manuals say that AT crews should use their rifles/SMGs to pepper enemy armor from a concealed position prior to using the AT gun? Is this to range them? (j/k)
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It's not about which 'system' to use. It's a simple graphical overlay (toggle-able) that helps visualize what the "new" system is doing.
So much easier in the old days to click on the commander and see who he is in contact with... now you have to click through all his subordinates to check who is in command.
One click vs the current 5+clicks. The old method of visualization was much better.
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Everyone agrees that there is such a thing as a perfect combination of temperature and humidity. No one agrees what that perfect combination is. Therefore: angst over the aircon setting.
Changing the values probably is trivial. Figuring out what to change them to is not.
EXACTLY. And more to the point (and I agree with Steve here), there is NO correct value because someone will always find a problem with whatever is chosen. I love it and I don't "game" the system by trying to calculate Power/Point ratios for everything and choosing only "good" items. I like to play with poor choices sometimes because it might be reflective of what was available at that time and what happened to be involved in a particular battle.
I find it boring that every MP game I play you can count on the opponent to ALWAYS select Panthers if possible.
Thats why I loved the randomness rarity factors. That was fun.. Who cares if you can't select the optimal unit for a particular fight. Life is not always optimal. Thats what makes the game fun.
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With a bit of practice it is pretty quick to whittle the larger formations down. The added advantage is that you can see what support formation would typically be deployed in support of your chosen core unit.
While I initially agreed with the starting poster, I have come to the same conclusion as 'flamingknives'.. even on a small unit level, while a bit of a pain at first, its nice to see what typically might be seen with this particular formation.. it sometimes changes my picks to be more 'historical' (ex- oh.. I see they typically had an MG section, ok, let me grab one of those instead)
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Tried that.. it just goes crazy. And do you draw the contour lines using the 'set tile to height X' tool or do you draw them setting the 'underlying tile to +x' ?
I can try to post a screeny.
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My wish list: LemoN accepts the game refund and leaves the forums.
j/k
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There is a radio sound (sounds like static) followed by an onscreen message that "Reinforcements have arrived".
I haven't ever missed reinforcement arrival since I am pretty 'cued in' to that sound. Its the same sound that is played in WeGo at the start of a turn in which reinforcements arrive.
If you want, you could probably replace that sound file with a siren or something loud and more distinctive since its a unique sound, I believe.
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Can someone post a video tutorail on how to use the elevation tool in the map maker?
I know HOW to use it (this button does this, this one does that) but I need to know how to use it effectively.
I find it pretty frustrating when trying to draw precise terrain that it changes the elevation of all non locked tiles.
How do people make effective landscapes? Just find the high points and low points of all your terrain and put only those points in ? Just not sure how to go about thinking about it.
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I'm also having a bit of difficulty with both cover and concealment in CM:Norm. I was used to CMBO, CMBB, CMAK and Farmville. As an expert in Farmville, I found that a surplus of livestock might help. I was spoiled for years with heavy forest, light forest, etc and dropping down to eye level and I could see the depressions in the ground. Its a bit more difficult for me now with CM:Norm but am hoping to adapt.
Yea
This is a lot different than the old days of board games, Advanced Squad Leader, where you could move into the "light trees" and get a +1 defense Now there are actual trees and your individual guys actually need to seek shelter behind them.. -
No-one is saying that complex terrain is a bad thing.
The only question was "now that they are complex, how do I tell what I'm looking at?"
GaJ
I agree with the other posters: Why does it matter? Being intuitive will offer all your answers. If its a tree, can I hide behind it? If its a bush, will it conceal my movement? If its clover, will it protect me from HE shells?
Not quite sure, but it seems people are looking for "Bush - 16.34% concealment, Tall Grass A - 13.65 % concealment, Tree 36.9865% protection" Seriously, ask yourself, does this make a difference? Look outside, can you tell what percentage concealment a shrub gives you ? No, because its an absurd statement. I mean, you NEEDED numbers when everything was abstracted at the level of a hex.. now its more irrelevant as common sense should take over in terms of terrain.
As we move from more abstracted platforms (ie- board games with hexes) to more and more detailed environments (CM1) and now, 1-1 representation, this number crunching is seriously irrelevant.
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I really had a fun time with the 'securing the river' small unit scenario. I love how versatile this engine is.. You can play a large scenario and have a blast, and then you can equally well simulate a small unit engagement where you are zoomed in on the action the whole time. The smaller map is just as detailed and its more intimate.. you really feel a little closer to your silicon soldiers.
Just impressed how you are able to do both things well. Congrats !
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I guess the servers must be getting hammered because I was logged in and downloading 20 secs after I recv'd the email, which presumably we all recv'd at the same time. Battlefront servers were awesome, and I couldn't believe the speeds I got.
So far, great game..
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Agreed.. I don't understand the top armor penetration bars. It seems there is one bar on top that is full length, and a second bar on the bottom which goes down over distance (presumably the penetration value). Whats the top bar then?
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Yea, I think the auto-pause, both player manually unpause, would be relatively easy to code because you already have the 'pause' logic there (hell, even a basic programmer can program a script to simulate hitting the 'ESC' key every 60 secs) its just that you would need to add the code for the 'unpause' portion of the game. You wouldn't need to change anything else, since the engine is still running the 'regular' realtime MP code.
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Hi Battlefront
I know you said WeGo won't be implemented in TCP/IP form, and we can't pause realtime TCIP, so what about a hybrid? Maybe this hybrid version would be easy to implement?
What if a game PAUSE is forced every 30 or 60 secs, at which point both parties have to hit the 'red end turn button' to continue to the next 30/60 phase. No replay or any of the WeGo benefits, but you do get a break in the action to look around the map, issue more orders, etc. and you dont have to code any 'pause' logic for realtime pausing such as when player A hits pause, but player B doesn't hit pause, etc.
You just have to code a forced pause every X seconds, with UNPAUSE (red button) that continues the game.. which should be much easier to do.
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Hehehe Spkr
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Yea I always hit Ceasefire once I secure enough objectives and the enemy isn't putting up a counter attack. Why am I going to spend 20 minutes of my life routing out the last infantry squad? It isn't like they would somehow miraculously take the objective.. hence the ceasefire I always use.
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What is the weakest/lowest spec laptop people have been able to use to run this game at playable speeds? Graphics turned down is fine, but needs to run smoothly.
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When you get older, you will understand that there are some things which are best enjoyed with COMPLETE attention and focus. CM, women, good single malt scotch...
No time for that. You put your focus on one single task and BAM next thing you know your portfolio is down 25%, your iphone is lighting up with calls (blackberry is SO last year), your broker is on call waiting trying to break through, your kitchen sink is plugged and you car has an oil leak. One more second away from multitasking and next thing you know you are eating dog food from a cardboard box under a bridge. You have to keep up! 5 things at once is no longer enough!
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I can tell you are all of "older" mentality. Where is the rest of the multitasking generation?? People like myself play BF while tucking in the missus and doing the bills for the next week.. efficiency!
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My only experiences so far are the AT guns, where they have had 20+secs to track their targets and the targets are in the wide open. And the other one nailed 3 shermans crossing a TRP, so thats accurate.
I started trying to build a base map for CMBN using CMFI's capabilities, but realized I couldn't. Why? Data parameters. A scenario in CMFI has a start date that doesn't exist in CMBN so it won't accept it at all and vice versa. It isn't simply an issue of the engine, there is a lot more involved including building types, tile types, ToE issues etc. Even when CMBN is upgraded to version to this will preclude moving scenarios between the two.
A little confused on Italy v Normandy and engines
in Combat Mission Fortress Italy
Posted
Exactly. This thread should have ended at the second/third (real) posts. Given the generality plus uselessness of the search function and the ambiguity of the sticky, it should have only taken up 30 seconds of someones time instead of turning into a 3 page circus.