ravells

This looks like fun, but I think I need to get some more PBEM quick battles under my belt first. Can I join at any time or are there specific set times for joining?

Oh wow. I've been using them as glorified observers....never thought they were that effective!

That's interesting....when I save a PBEM game, it doesn't give me a choice. Did you read the last post where I posted the assistance received from Battlefront's helpdesk? Your PBEM folder doesn't actually reside in the CMBB program folder. See this: Windows 7 and Windows Vista both have a feature called User Account Control (UAC). This feature is a security measure that among other things prevent programs from writing data to program file areas, such as the directory 'Program Files'. Instead such files and directories are re-directed to another directory within the User's folder called a 'VirtualStore'. With a default install this will often be '/Users/{your account name}/AppData/Local/VirtualStore/Program Files/Battlefront/Combat Mission Barbarrossa to Berlin/PBEM' for the CMBB PBEM folder. You'll find any other folder in here for CMBB that gets data written to it, such as a Scenarios folder, Save Games, etc. You'll also find other program folders/directories in the VirtualStore directory.

I had this problem too (see my thread about 10 posts below this one: PBEM Problem - can't find PBEM folder). I assume you know the secret place where your PBEM files are really being saved (see the post I referred to). Just make a short cut of that and put it on your desktop. That's what I've done and it works a treat - you don't need to cut and paste anything.

All done, you should have an email.

I'm a newbie and am currently playing a PBEM game with a more advanced player on these boards...which is good for me as when we're through he'll kindly explain to me where I went wrong! I'm happy to get another game up and running - I need all the practice I can get. I'll set up a quick Battle and email you shortly Best Ravs

Thanks guys, I've got CMBO as well (bought it many years ago), but CMBB and CMAK are so much better - the covering arc command alone makes them very different games to me.

Thanks all for the emails and the information here. I now have a huge amount of information to get through, so please no more! (yet!) All the best Ravs

Thanks for all the goodness! I will read it all, Many thanks again, John!

Fritz, You mention that I can find your article in the respository - can you tell me where the repository is please? (Sorry if I'm missing the obvious!) ta ravs

I'd like to learn how to play both. One of the crucial differences, I am begining to find in playing CM rather than board games, is that with board games, you can work out the odds with the information to hand (usually an attack value, a terrain modifier and a table to roll agains). With CM there is no table, so you have to really know (at least roughly) the effectiveness your weapons against the enemy (range / terrain and if applicable armour). I appreciate that CM does give you a rough 'to hit' percentage, but that's only once you're committed. So I guess experience is a great teacher in this game and reconnasance is hugely important. Thanks for the primers, I will read them with great interest. My email address is ravifelicity [at] yahoo dot co dot uk - thank you so much for the offer of sending the article. I will start looking around for articles on real tactics too. I have a rough idea: machine guns creating fire-lanes, AT guns with a narrow field of fire to a strategic point and covered from as many directions as possible by terrain, using smoke to cover an advance or retreat. Artillery prepping before an attack, flanking etc. but it's so much more difficult when things are moving around in real time then when you're pushing around bits of cardboard!

I'd love to read some well written AARs. I've just been slaughtered by the AI on the Ford Crossing scenario (me playing Axis) and could use some tips! Are there any other AARs besides the ones posted by this gent? Many thanks Ravs

Wow the tech support on Battlefront is good! I posted my query this (Saturday) morning and there was the answer (along the lines of Vulture's answer) - just cross posting here in case anyone has the same problem): Windows 7 and Windows Vista both have a feature called User Account Control (UAC). This feature is a security measure that among other things prevent programs from writing data to program file areas, such as the directory 'Program Files'. Instead such files and directories are re-directed to another directory within the User's folder called a 'VirtualStore'. With a default install this will often be '/Users/{your account name}/AppData/Local/VirtualStore/Program Files/Battlefront/Combat Mission Barbarrossa to Berlin/PBEM' for the CMBB PBEM folder. You'll find any other folder in here for CMBB that gets data written to it, such as a Scenarios folder, Save Games, etc. You'll also find other program folders/directories in the VirtualStore directory. This community and the people who run it, just rock....thanks everyone! problem solved! Thank you for the tech support person (name not given in the reply) who answered my query so promptly. Hope you didn't get too much wife / gf ack for working on a saturday morning! best Ravs

Thanks Joachim & Vulture, Joachim: No the folder doesn't appear in the directory when I use windows explorer. When I search for the PBEM file it appears as a result but when I click on it I get a 'shortcut not found' message. All of this tends to confirm Vulture's diagnosis. The file is somewhere on the system but not where it's supposed to be and the 'shortcut' which if it was there would look like a normal folder in the CMBB directory has gone. I originally loaded the CMAK AK demo about a month ago (noticed that the PBEM folder wasn't in the directory either) when I was running Vista. I then ran (stupidly) a PBEM manager which I think was configured for XP only. I upgraded to Win 7 last week and have noticed a number of little niggles which I think have resulted from upgrading rather than doing a clean install of Win 7. So I'm backing everything up and am going to do a clean Win 7 install. Hopefully that will solve the problem. Another thing I found which was a bit weird (but again underlines what Vulture was saying) is that when I uninstall CMBB and reinstall it, all my saved games are still there. So not a clean uninstall / reinstall. Let's hope the nuclear option of a reformat does the trick! Thanks for your help guys. If I don't post over the next few days it's probably because I've forgotten to save some vital driver! The fact that it appears from a search on the site that I am the only one with this problem suggests something locally screwy on my puter rather than anything incompatibility between the game and Vista / Win 7. I think it may have been running the PBEM manager software which has ruined it for good. I've uninstalled the manager software but I think that's a bit too late now. Anyway have posted a ticket on the Tech support forum, let's see what they have to say. Best ravells.

Hi all, new recruit here. Used to play CMBO a long time ago and have come back to it and got CMBB and CMAK. Here's my problem. I've done a search on the forums but can't find any help to it. I want to play a PBEM game but the PBEM folder in my CMBB directory is hidden. I know it's there, because I can see the PBEM file I have generated by going into the game and pressing the 'load game' button. It points to the directory where CMBB is loaded (the default one) My Computer / programs (x86) / Battlefront / CMBB / PBEM. The problem is that when I navigate to the same directory using my email client to attach the pbem file, the PBEM folder just isn't there in the CMBB folder. I'm using Windows 7 and have enabled viewing of hidden files and folders, but that doesn't help. :: Edit :: Have tried an uninstall / reinstall, but that doesn't solve the problem. Can anyone help me please? Best Ravells