apoll

Thanks Womble, good advice. I have, I think, taken the cautious approach a bit far, and not really done the 'where would the opfor commander have placed his troops' bit enough. Hmmm. Need to remedy that. Back to the practice QB map. I guess, where there is a village, the AI enemy is going to place his troops. Where there is a tree line, I can be sure there will be some troops in it. That sort of thing? One thing I have done is purchased much more artillery support for my pixeltruppen; so I can clobber those pesky guns that pop up and whack my half tracks with annoying regularity. One further thing if I may...I have not actually worked out how to lay smoke down for smoke capable mortars/artillery. I don't seem to see any way to select smoke in the fire order format. How does one call for smoke at a certain spot? Thanks again. Apoll

Well, I seem to take an inordinate amount of time doing recon; I really like to know where the enemy's main effort is located (this is a probe/attack scenario). Perhaps I am taking too long? But I can't see how you can work out your plan until you know where the enemy is. I certainly don't like charging ahead and doing recon by fire unless I can avoid it. So I guess I am slow at the 'find em' bit. Maybe I should pause the game a bit more when thinking where to go; I play real time. I've only run out of a 2 hour block of time. Tell me something...the half or transparent/dimmed enemy location markers, which I see a lot of, represent what exactly? Sound of the enemy? Eyes on? Apoll

Yes, maximum of two hours...cuts off abruptly at that point...in the middle of my master move...

Well, it takes what it takes, re time. Sometimes quick, sometimes not. But IMHO, always best to proceed carefully... if you don't want to walk your pixeltruppen into a mess. That's my view anyway. So, it seems locked...ok. I'll live with that then... Apoll

Title says it all: in quick battle mode, I was well on the way to implementing my Napoleonic strategy for victory against the perfidious Reds, when, right in the middle of a master stroke, BLAM!! I am summarily catapulted into the end screen, with the 'time limit reached' message explaining said rude interruption to my sneaky flank attack. What!? Outrage and frustration! Any way in all Christendom that we can rid of that pesky time limit? Regards, Apoll

Yes Destraex1, check the article out: http://www.army.gov.au/Our-future/LWSC/Our-publications/~/media/Files/Our%20future/DARA%20Publications/AAJ/2012Summer/Decision-Making-AAJ-Vol9-No3-Summer-2012.pdf The author makes the point that the junior officers are often using SMEAC, the quick orders format, as a substitute for the steps of the MAP, because it is easier to remember under pressure. But this is a way of communicating the results of the decision process, NOT the process itself. Thanks Combatintman, I'll give that a go. Just need to bring some more planning to the process... Apoll

The thing I'd like to see is some way to set formations. Say, if I wanted to advance to contact with two companies/platoons up, one back, with the command element in the middle, then a button that would make that happen, so the battalion would move as a whole like that, and keep that formation. So it did not have to be such a micro managing manner as at present. A selection of say six formations, like one up two back, two up one back, linear, diamond, column, and irregular, for example, or something like that. Or the AI tried to keep formation that you set up in the first place. That would be my request. Apoll

Yes Kuri, would be useful to see what people here, especially the vets of this game, are using in terms of a structured approach to planning, and then once the battle starts what process, if any, they use. Or do they just 'wing it', and hope for the best. Of note, where I'm from, Australia, I read a recent article in the army journal about how junior officers in the Australian regular army generally have a poor understanding of the MAP, don't use it, or don't think there is enough time to use it in operations. According to this article, a lot of junior officers are instinctively reacting to enemy contact, which is very interesting, if it is true. That got me thinking about my own approach to planning in this game, and in find that I am also reacting instinctively, and I gotta say it us not working too well for me at present. Getting my butt kicked most times, and while some of it I'd still working out the cameras and game 'rules/mechanics', a lot is also a slap hazard approach to planning, and 'gut reaction' upon contact. This game seems so realistic that it got me wondering whether the MAP might actually help. Hence my post... Apoll

The titles says it all; are people using a military appreciation process to plan their attacks/defences/battles in Combat Mission? If so, what steps are people using? I have watched the Armchair General series, and note that the ugh there is using OCOKA. But apart from using a terrain appreciation process, are there other steps that can bring a rational approach to planning and conduct of a battle? And once the action starts, I'm finding that any time consuming appreciation process is too long, when decisions need to be made. Do real world appreciation processes actually work in this game? Grateful views and opinions. Just trying to make better decisions on the battlefield and, more importantly, trying to bring more rationality to combat the instinctive reactions that seem to dominate my planning and conduct of battles. Apoll

So..here I am, armed with hours of watching YouTube vids on CM still tactics, reading manuals, and practice. I have a Bn of infantry, supported by heavy mortars and 2 x half tracks fwd observers. I push fwd a coy into a treeline, and I push out some enemy recon. One of my squads, however, runs into an anti-aircraft gun, and gets wiped out. Right! I know how to deal with it: mortars at a thousand yards! I push forward the Coy comd to spot and call in heavy mortars. I fill out the order template: point attack, medium etc. This should really sort him out, and I have eyes on. The long wait, a few spotting rounds, and then.... nothing. There is a barrage, but it has gotta be enemy, because it is nowhere near the target. In fact, a few stray rounds hit my own troops. Thus can't be right! But utterly is; my spotter sucks, the enemy gun remains in action, and my mortar barrage is over. Crap! How can a spotter get it so wrong??? A good lesson to make sure the spotter really has a good sight on the tgt! Apoll

Grid line mod?? Yes, I need that for sure. Where is it...can't find it. Thanks. Apoll

To all that have replied...thanks very much for advice. I have already started chasing down the links and watching the vids and reading. Some really good advice out there. And I'll keep practising. Thanks all. Apoll

Hi all. I posted a while ago looking for some help re which controls to use, and some stuff about radio coms. The community was great; gave me, a newby, good advice and many people chipped in. I have to say that I'm getting to grips with the game mechanics, and one thing I have learnt the hard way is to pay real close attention to the lay of the land. What is dead ground and what is not. And to micro manage what my units are doing, getting down view wise to their level. A case in point, when it all goes to clag, was when I moved a mech inf platoon into some dead ground to form up for an assault. Except it wasn't totally dead ground; the AI was brutal. I lost half track after half track, and my attack turned into a route even before anyone had crossed the LD. I was slaughtered by guns I could not locate, because no one had eyes on. Good lesson. The other thing I'm realising is that one can't rush this, or get impatient. Careful scouting and preparation of the battle field is definitely needed. Finally, the thing that strikes me is that the AI is such (I saw it wheeling guns around the place to take advantage of my positions!), that I need to employ real world tactics in this game...or at least, it will reward such realism. I keep getting my backside handed to me, but I am learning. Any good guides, or you tube vids on how to play well, out there? Apoll

Where is this mod uploaded? Cannot see easily where to download from. Thanks. Apoll

PhilM, hmmm. You have given me plenty go think about. I did think the arty button wad greyed out got all, but it need to check again in game. Re the mortars, they part of the battalion's 4th company, so generic to the battalion, and not attached in support from another unit. Which makes me think they were the smallest calibre weapons. Maybe that was the issue? Re command lines,..that's the Alt-x command? No, did not have that on. Will need to check as well. I just con't understand why the company HQs could not talk to the battalion HQ,given all had radios. Is there an issue regarding the company HQ, and the company commander I'd separated from his radio man? Is that level of detail modelled in the game? Could the company commander have not been beside his own radio man, and thus, out of radio contact? Apoll

PhilM, thanks for the advice. Well, yes, I thought CO A Company, with a radio, and in contact with Bn HQ, who were co-located with the battalion mortar section, should have been able to call in an indirect fire mission into the tree line in front of his company position. But the artillery support call button was NOT green, rather greyed out, and so, NO, he could not call in fire. Why not, is my question. And do I have to have a dedicated spotter, or do something special, so someone can call in indirect fire? And why is it that there is a radio supposedly with each company HQ, but not all of them are connected to battalion HQ? (Little green button is a red cross in the information pane of the HQ unit). This whole C2 arrangement and mechanic in the game is black magic to me at present. Seems no rhyme or Eason to it. That's my dilemma. Apoll

76mm, that is a good point! Didn't think of it that way. Especially given every unit needs micro managing, or they end up doing stupid things like advancing across an open field with no fire support or cover. I will give it a go, thus WEGO system. Another thing people might be able to comment on is how this spotting and C2 stuff works in game. I can't crack it. Say, for example, I have on map mortars in the bn orbat. I co-locate them with Bn HQ, so the mortar section is right beside a radio, if they don't have a radio themselves. I push forward a Company strength probe, and they hit a line of enemy in the tree line to the front. The Bn HQ is a little way back, but the mortars are still co-located with Bn HQ, and the tree line containing the enemy is well within mortar range. They, of course, do not have direct line of sight to the enemy, but there is a radio nearby. How do I get an indirect fire mission onto the enemy tree line to aid my forward company? I push forward the Co. Commander, as he has a radio, and is in contact with Bn HQ. He should be more than capable of calling in a mortar indirect fire mission onto the tree line in front. He talks to Bn HQ, who relay the cords to the co-located mortars. But no, every time I try to use Target for the mortars, it gives me a "so sorry, no direct kind of sight". What do I have to do to get to use the mortars in the indirect fire mode? What kind of spotter works? How do you allocate a spotter? Do you have to do something special? On the question of radios, how come ALL my company HQs don't have coms with the Bn HQ? They all have radios in the Co. HQs, so they should be in contact with Bn HQ. Yet, regularly, only one or two HQs have coms with higher HQs. How does this C2 work? I can't get it... Thanks in advance. Apoll

Thanks Half-Track Goner, I'll that a go. It's hard keeping situational awareness, but that should help. Apoll

Thanks to all who have contributed. I omitted to say that I always play RT, as I think that is as realistic as you can get. Real life doesn't hang around waiting for you to make up your mind, so indeed this sim doesn't. But I will give WEGO a try and see if I can do any better. I am enjoying the challenge of this sim. It's just getting the hang of the views and bring able to really understand the game mechanics that is proving difficult. I mean that in real life, it is much easier to read the terrain, but the limitations of computer screens make what is pretty much an instinctive task, much harder. I must say I like the C2 modelling, with the req to make sure coms are intact, and the relative spotting mechanics. That changes the way I play in a big wAy, and I fjords d I am much more careful about who goes where send when! send maintaining cohesion. Oh well, more practice. I smile picking the smallest scenarios I can generate in quick battle, and practicing in those environments. Thanks again for all the advice. Apoll

So, if I can expand this thread a bit to the subject of how to ensure your units are placed in the correct spot on the ground re clear lines of shot etc. firstly, do people use the 'clear vegetation' command to endure they have placed units correctly in hedges and forests? Is this cheating? And what about formations? I'm am assuming if I want to advance two up, one back, I have to place the platoons in the correct formation? Will they stay in the correct place when I advance the company across the ground? (Does this game have formations, actually?) finally, how do I ensure that the unit is placed correctly? I'm using the tab key, getting down to eye level, but how do I ensure a clear line to the target/prospective target? Is there 'line of sight' button or trick? Think you. Apoll

Ok. Tks everyone. One more stupid question if I may: how to I move units in the pre-start phase? I've looked everywhere, and I'll be a monkey's uncl;e if I can find it. I've tried right clicking on units, left clicking, dragging etc. Thanks. apoll

Hi. New to this series, and bought CMRT. Given the need to micro manage your units every step of the way, effective use of the camera is essential, I am finding. I'm having trouble, however, following units, zooming in enough to see the lay of the land, and then following units when they move. Placing them correctly in tree lines is also awkward. In fact, awkward is a good descriptor for my use of the camera. I find I need to get a big picture overview, but also need to get down to the eye level of the unit to see if they have cover or not, then out again to watch them move, and then in to see the placement on the ground. All in all, it is difficult as it stands at the moment, and I am getting my butt hand to me in large part because I don't really place the units well, or move them well. Given the micro management needed in this sim, can people give me some advice on the best camera mode, how to best use the camera to follow and place units correctly according to the ground, and how best to micro manage my units. As it stands, it us frustrating. Any advice from you veterans out there if this series very much appreciated. Regards, apoll

Hello. Just bought ToW2-Kursk. Deep simulation, but I have to say the manual sucks....can hardly read it it is so small...and some things not covered. So have a few questions on controls I'm hoping someone might be able to enlighten me: 1) It says 'double left click' on a figure/vehicle to have it and its unit be highlighted: when I do this, nothing. How do I get to select the enture unit? Especially important for infantry when they are in close proximity with other infantry units, and I want to only give orders to that unit. Help please. 2) Is there a way of seeing your orbat during a battle: I want to check to see what I have in total...how do I call that up quickly without zooming right out and drawing a HUGE rectangle around the map to select every unit? While I have your attention, if I may, a few graphics questions: I have crossfire ATI 5970s, using Catalyst 10.7 drivers. This seems to currupt my mouse pointer; ghosts and generally scrambles the mouse pointer in game. Are there some no-nos with an ATI card? Do I have to turn off something in the CCC anel, like Catalyst AI for example? Are there any tricks with using an ATI card and ToW2 Kursk graphics? Grateful any help on this front. thanks in advance, apoll

Mongo...as a matter of interest...what AA settings do you have for your ATI card? Setting factory preferences for me didn't work. And your other settings, if you don't mind? See if I am doing something wrong there... regards, apoll

Well yes...it seemed to work for a moment, then when I shut down and start up again...Bang! Same problem. But for short while, it seemed to work. I do not know why and cannot repeat it. apoll