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Sgt Schultz

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Posts posted by Sgt Schultz

  1. I use them as streetsweepers to take care of casualties my troops do not have time to deal with.

    The higher level HQs are back anyway, so I send their XOs between the HQs and the front line boys to take up the medic slack. This keeps a plan moving even if an ambush vapes a squad or two.

    I think we need a coffee urn and typewriter mod for the XOs to carry.

    EDIT - A real idea would be to add an "unload" command so XOs/etc can drop all the goodies they scavenge into a truck or halftrack. Then others in need could stop by the store and acquire.

  2. How about a variation on a theme?

    Variable TRPs

    Editor/Purchase defined by titles like ..."Recent", "Aerial", "Registered", or whatever.

    Each type gives a different amount of time and accuracy bonus.

    Let's say as an example the "Registered" is our best TRP type and gives full bonuses like what we have now. A "Recent" would give less of a time bonus and be less accurate.

    Rarity points for TRPs to make it worthwhile, along with variable standard pricing. "Registered" could eat into your Tiger points.

    A designer could put only certain types of advantages on the board for each side, instead of giving the fingerprint of an angry god to anyone with a TRP. Unless that is what is called for of course. ;)

    ME allows "Aerial" or "Recent" TRPs only.

    What say ye?

    -

  3. Before we get the torches lit and the pitchforks sharpened, I have more info on the subject.. and an opinion or two.

    ALTHOUGH you cannot cancel 'pack up', it is not the end of the world if you want to remain in place.

    Once "PU" has been issued, you can press "deploy weapon"(light it back up) and give a target command.

    The full pack up time is required ... BUT .... at the end of that time, the gun is back in action instantly and firing within seconds.

    You do not have to re-deploy, with the time penalties involved.

    So the bad news is... if you issue the "Pack Up" command by mistake you are hosed for the full time.

    The good news is you can insta-deploy after paying the "oops" penalty.

    Opinon time.

    1. Unintentional on BFC's part. It may have fallen into the stuff that was at the tail end of dev resources... and didn't get checked. Any beta testers try to pack up and cancel during beta?

    2. Coding issue that the brain in a jar didnt tell anyone about. Maybe it cannot be cancelled for some odd reason. Or, to reasonably calculate how to halt and reverse the process is more resource intensive than feasible.

    3. From my perspective, I could live with it. You don't make a decision like packing up a camouflaged gun and bringing up transport lightly. Once you start that process, you have to do everything in reverse again to deploy again.

    So as long as you change your mind after the halfway point of packing up, you are ahead of the game since there is no deploy time if you change during packing.

    If you see a burning need to change before pack up time is done, well it kinda sucks to be you. I hear things like that happen in wartime. :) Be mindful of your surroundings.

    -

  4. I found a few things during my endless hours of AI plan testing for towed guns that may have bearing. Hope something helps. I have yet to test packing up, as just getting the AI to tow and deploy properly is enough to drive me mad.

    1. IF any member of the crew is showing as 'moving', then deploy will not be initiated. They all have to be completely settled in before they start any other action. Tight spots in trees will make a single crewmember wander all over the county before finding a spot.

    2. The crew members have a "deploying" action descriptor, which will let you know what they are doing. (edit... just a few deploy but everyone chips in to pack up)

    3. The 'limbered' tag will stay until the moment the gun is fully operational.

    4. The 'deploy' and 'pack up' times in the UI do not change during those actions. They are for reference only.

    5. I will have to test the 'pack up' action to find out if it can be cancelled or not. Be back in a few...

    EDIT - Back and I found GaJ's problem.

    Test was conducted with German PaK 75mm.

    "Pack up" CANNOT be cancelled. Once you tell them to pack it up, nothing short of death will stop that process.

  5. Static Operations and persistant damage to all Operation/Campaign maps for the duration.

    Reinforcements option every minute instead of every five.(para drops)

    Tank riders.(the russians are coming)

    Adjustable artillery ammo loadout in editor.(more smoke without more HE)

    Editor clues as to base structural integrity of structures.

    Multi-level water.(I want my dam and reservoir back)

    Click-n-drag path points for path adjustment, rather than re-do the whole thing.

    "Dig-in" command at setup for perma-hulldown.

    Normandy without glider and 'chute flavor objects is just ... wrong. :D

    Assault Boats.

    Bailey bridges.

    More groups.

  6. The hedge foliage is thinner, shorter, different colored(mod-dependant i suppose) and as stated above; hedge has a flat base while low bocage has that hump.

    The best way to really get used to the difference is to crank up the editor and lay a few of each in rows near each other.

    ... give me a minute ... :) BRB

    Back ...

    hedge ...

    hedge1.jpg

    low bocage ...

    hedge2.jpg

    combination of the two ...

    hedge3.jpg

    Once you see them next to each other the differences becomes more apparent.

    When a designer doesnt want to give a full break in bocage, a single tile of hedge can work.

  7. Possible reasons for this behavior...

    He was running to that cute French girl he met two villages back.

    Got fed up lugging mortar rounds across Europe, and just quit.

    Was lonely and heard the love call of a sheep.

    Glimpsed a Winery off in the distance and thought no one would miss him.

    Looked at who was directing the mission and decided to take a break. :D (j/k)

    ---

    There is no telling how detailed BFC went with behavior modeling.

  8. OK, got home and ran the editor through its paces.

    The Low Bocage with the man-width entrance built in is our friend.

    They peacefully coexist with a 3 bush selection.

    Placing a few bushes on the outer slope helps as well.

    I used double D trees inside the ridge with the bush/bocage combo on the ridge.

    JpzIV outside could not see a PzIV inside unless the tank had no bocage in the way.... but the Tank could see the JPzIV. ;)

    Naked -

    thicket1.jpg

    With trees -

    thicket2.jpg

    Ground level same direction -

    thicket3.jpg

    more to come ...

  9. To improve the 'thicketness'(concealment) of an area with the tools at hand, one may wish to delve into the elevation editor.

    A line of locked tiles set to the main forest elevation just inside the treeline.

    Then a line of locked tiles along the edge at one elevation higher.

    Then a line of locked tiles back down one, outside the high locked tiles.

    One and two bush along the lower outside.

    Three bush along the rise.

    D trees just inside.

    I have to go to work, so if someone wants to make it and show it before I get home to do so, feel free. ;)

    That should reduce LOS into the trees nicely.

  10. Duck, the closest thing you will get to that is playing a scenario in scenario author test mode.

    You play one side, the AI plays the other, and you can see everything all the time.

    Normal unit LOS rules apply, only you the player see the enemy. It's still rather boring but makes great movie clips, as you can structure the scenes and then hit the red button over and over(in wego mode ofc) for more 'takes'.

  11. Rather than necro an old thread from pre-release, I thought I would just start anew.

    Now that it's been out a while and we are back in the WW2 groove, what kind of music are listening to before or during your play or design time?

    For a while just after release I was staying with my usual lists of bluesy, folky(John Hiatt, John Prine, Steve Goodman etc) stuff to keep me calm while I learned the editor and the new game.

    Lately however, I find I cannot really get into my designing or test plays without a little more 'immersion'.

    Now I have always preferred Heer, and design my battles around their trials and tribulations. I re-discovered the perfect music to get me right in the zone.

    Or even better version ..

    One critic even described it as "Music to invade Poland to..."

    French may be the language of love, but German is the language of anger.

    :D

    ---

    So what are you folks listening to? 40's music? Hogan's Heroes Theme? Your regular playlist?

  12. OK GaJ, how about something like this then ...

    Off-map only, 81mm for both sides with reduced ammo. By using the "Scarce" or "Severe" settings for artillery ammo, target selection becomes a tad more important. With no on-map mortars, plinking point targets is not possible.

    Would this be acceptable for retaining a usable amount of support without become the finger of an angry pagan god? ;)

  13. Hi,

    Better game play/good game play means historical accuracy to me. My interest in CM comes entirely from its historical accuracy, as a form of military history. I have never taken part in high-intensity warfare in the real world but am strongly of the view that our digital heroes tend to be too heroic, too competent rather than less so. Thus I like units to average Regular in experience and Normal in motivation. With experience levels never going over Veteran and motivation never over High. As an average within a unit. The most “crack...” units on any front I would never set to great than an average of Veteran experience and High motivation. And only that very rarely.

    Do remember that in WWII all units were effectively conscript.

    I completely agree if we are talking about scenarios, or QBs with pre-arranged parameters between opponents.

    A random QB with someone ... not so much.

    Unless you have your tactics down cold, a historical purchase could have difficulty with a gamier purchase, especially if the gamey player knows his business.

    Tweaking can yield very nice benefits for a reasonably small increase in price.

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