Rangoon

Great, thank you!

Does this include the original campaign(s) from CMA? If there will never be a CMA2, this mod pack seems like a godsend.

An updated CMA would be outstanding! I keep wanting to fire it up again, but since CMSF2 released, it's just not going to happen. I would definitely purchase an updated CMA.

If no one is recognizing this as a bug, is this normal behavior? It doesn't line up with what the tutorial is saying, but perhaps this has changed from when the tutorial was written? Has there been an increase in the time it takes for this kind of information to propagate up/down the chain?

In the third mission, the tutorial in the PDF manual tells you to expect the armor contacts from A Company HQ to be shared with 1st Platoon 1st Squad. After three turns of just sitting on top of OP 1, no armor contacts have been shared. Contacts from 1st squad are being shared with the Syrian infantry next to them, as expected. As far as I can tell, there is a broken link in the chain. 1st Squad has radio and PDA link with 1st Platoon, but it seems there is no 1st Platoon. Nothing happens when I click on its link in 1st Squad's unit info. Similarly, clicking on 1st Platoon in A Company HQ's formation list does nothing. Is this a bug and is that why no contacts are being shared down the chain of command? Edit: I also now see that the Alt-Z feature shows no link between A Company HQ and 1st Squad, though it does show links with its other subordinates. So I assume this is the reason the tutorial is broken. But is it simply because there is supposed to be a 1st Platoon HQ somewhere and it's just missing from the mission? Or is there something else going on here?

I'd also love to see CMA updated, and I'd buy it all over again.

I would as well.

I completed the mission, this time before the timer hit 0:00. SPOILERS in white text: I think the difference was that this time I spread out a bit and prevented the enemy from ever reaching the bridge itself. As soon as the enemy began a withrawal from the bridge area, basically, they surrendered.

Thanks agusto. I'm playing through it again (it's an oddly fun mission...well, maybe not even oddly) and will just go ahead past 0:00. I assumed at that point last time I'd done something wrong.

I just thought I finished the mission "Night Watch" from the campaign "Afghanistan 1980 - The Invasion". I figured the mission would end when the clock reached 0:00, since I was holding back the enemy. The briefing just says to dig in and prepare for the assault, and that I need to hold my defensive perimeter. I've done that. I do have maybe two enemy infantry stragglers still alive on the bridge itself, but the workers aren't there and the briefing doesn't say anything about occupying the bridge, or killing all enemy. How is this mission supposed to end?

Hey Vherid, why am I not surprised to see you here, in one of the true havens of quality PC combat simulation? Couldn't agree more. I myself just stumbled on waclaw's HQS for CMBN etc. Good stuff.

Sorry I didn't see the PM right away (just changed my User CP to email on PM). I sent a reply. Thank you so much for this mammoth undertaking, waclaw! I really enjoy what HQS brings to the experience. And that you so kindly added the CMA content/compatibility as well is really appreciated. Going to go download the final version now and sit down to savor a (slow and methodical) morning of Combat Mission with HQS.

Waclaw, I had a chance to look at what you sent. This "vehicle loop move medium track" file is interesting, and I'm not sure exactly what to say about it. So the flames first... The flames individual tracks are all fine as is, and then when combined you do get some clipping throughout, but that track is textured in a way (percussive) so that I don't really hear it (I only see it). If you were to normalize the loudest track (1.wav) below zero db at least, then I would think you wouldn't be hitting the limit. Again, that said, that was just a good example file to look at and see what was going on, but I don't think it needs fixing because you don't hear the clipping in that texture. The "vehicle loop move medium track" file is quite perplexing. I see that you literally just took those three files and mixed them. And when I listen to the engine track individually, I hear between about 1.7 seconds in through about 3 seconds in, during the roar of the engine, some distortion, but now that I hear it by itself, I have a few thoughts. 1. I think now that it's more of the extreme compression I'm hearing and not actual clipping. It sounds distorted, but what I can see about it is that the file is significantly compressed. Maybe that's the nature of the noise I hear. 2. I think it actually sounds good ("true" for the most part; obviously it's accurate because it's the real thing) except in a couple short regions like I mentioned above. 3. nothing can be done because it's in there inherently 4. I think the combination of those textures mislead my ears a bit during those more compressed bits, with the overall mix sounding clipped but it's not. So in the end, without looking at other specific cases, I think I just wish the source files weren't compressed so much. You couldn't fix these by normalizing the engine lower by a few db and remixing, because it was already compressed and normalized below zero db to facilitate the mixing! I have heard tanks (at shows, not on a battlefield), and of course they are loud, impressive, and huge sounding, but they don't sound compressed like that in open air. In this case, you couldn't have done a better job with the sources you have. So I think that considering this recorded format, I just need to shut up and enjoy the sound for what it is. There is no doubt you've done an excellent job with the files. Again, maybe some files could be fixed in the way that flames.wav could be (though flames.wav doesn't need to be), in a way that would help. But this medium track file that you sent can't be unless you change the source. And maybe the recording is fine and that's just how you record tank engines (I've never tried to record tanks) - with huge amounts of compression. I'm more than happy to look at any other files, but now that I see what you're working with, you've only improved them with the excellent mixing with other textures (earth, tracks, wheels, etc.). Really nice work on those. Sorry if I misidentified what I was hearing, and thanks for sending those files to investigate. Other files where I hear this same phenomenon at work: "vehicle loop move abrams.wav" "vehicle loop move wheeled heavy.wav" "vehicle loop move bradley.wav" "vehicle loop move challenger2.wav" "vehicle loop move heavy track.wav "vehicle loop move leo2.wav "vehicle loop move warrior.wav"

Exactly as is?

Sure. If you can send them today (I'm Central Daylight Time in the US) I will work on them for sure tomorrow. Let's start with: flames.wav (is this from just one source file? Or multiple? Either way I will see what you see before the final mastering) vehicle loop move heavy track.wav vehicle loop move medium track.wav These are files in which I not only hear the distortion but also I see it in the waveform (flat/clipped peaks & valleys).

This is great to have a version for both CMSF and CMA, thanks Waclaw! Just out of curiosity, I did open up your file "vehicle loop move heavy track.wav" as an example of a file that sounds much too hot. You can see clearly in the waveform (just expand the first second or so out to whatever level of detail) that the amplitude flattens out at the tops and bottoms for large stretches. So you get that clipping. Without knowing the source files you're using, I can't suggest where along the process it's happening. But even if I normalize the file where peaks are less than zero db, it won't help because the clipping is already in the file. It would just clip more quietly. Are you mixing multiple files into one? It seems to me that the engine/trasmission source is either inherently clipped like this or it's being normalized too hot and then mixed too hot with the other files. I would think you could get the same, heavy, huge sound but without the distortion, unless the original source is already tarnished. There are some cleaning plug-ins that I haven't used in years which can help a file like that, but to do it by hand would be way too much work. Well, then again, maybe not...if it had to be done the files aren't that long. It depends on how pervasive the original file's problem is. To touch up flat peaks dozens of times per second would take a long time, obviously. I would be glad to help with an effort like this if you want. Just let me know. The only thing is that I have a very busy summer work season which is just about to start ramping up even more. It should have intensified by now, in fact, so I shouldn't even be able to sit here and write this post, but here I am. It could start Monday, or not for another week. As long as I have a little time still, I would be glad to help. That said, if I am the only one listening to this level of detail, and the only one hearing this in the files while I play the game with this mod, then of course leave well enough alone. I don't want to encourage work where work isn't needed. In my humble opinion, it would be worth it, though. EDIT: I also see it in flames.wav - this extensive clipping throughout the file. EDIT: and really nice work on the new background files for Afghanistan. They needed to be different from the CMSF ones, of course, and I think what you did is perfect. More sparse, more appropriate reports, etc. Very nice.

When I play Steel Beasts, for example, I sometimes shut down my Tank and PC engines in order to vastly reduce my noise signature, but also to cut noise pollution so I can listen for enemy vehicles. Will there ever be a way to do this in Combat Mission. I understand with older WWII vehicles that were harder/more complicated to start, you might be less likely to want to shut them down (though I think it would be reasonable for a commander to at least be able to weigh the trade-off for noise vs. immediate mobility and have the option). But for the more modern vehicles, don't they have a much shorter and more reliable startup sequence? I had hoped that "hiding" would cut engines, or that there would be a command for this, but there isn't to my knowledge. Any word on whether this will be coming? Or is the lack of this as a feature a deliberate design choice which won't likely be changing (presumably for some well-thought-out, good reason)? EDIT: even after "bailing out" the engines are still running. Obviously in PvP humans can hear the other player's vehicles and vice versa, but does AI "hear" vehicles? Isn't that part of the "question mark" contact reports; that they hear something like a rifle report or see something vague? I can move the camera about the battlefield to listen for vehicles above my own vehicle's engines, but that's a bit of a stretch. Does it simulate shutting down engines while I listen? Or is that just gaming the sim?

I noticed that in "explosions" there is no "explosion h 1" but all other letters go zero, one, two, three, etc. I assume it would just use the vanilla h 1, but offer that observation in case it's helpful.

Seems like the CMSF page on greenasjade has been out of service for the past few days. Anyone else having trouble accessing it? Great! I listened to these three files. I think the light track file sounds perfect from a quality standpoint. I can't vouch for authenticity on any of these, but I'm convinced! The light track loop is clean and clear, without being thin or weak. The medium track sounds pretty good to me, but I hear clipping in the groan of the engine throughout. It comes through, for example, at around 2 seconds into the file if that helps. And if you never touched it from here on out, there is a good chance I'm the only weirdo who would ever hear that or care about it. It just sounds like the engine source file was either recorded too hot, or perhaps the sound spectrum was too much for the input device or converter, or possibly somewhere along the mixing/editing/mastering the combination of that component with the others was too much. But it sounds so specifically affecting the engine/transmission that I think it is not a cumulative phenomenon but specifically that source (either originally or in mastering). For example I don't hear any clipping in the squeaks of the wheels/tracks, nor in the dirt/gravel/rocks kicking around. The Stryker sound is so much cleaner now. I can tell you minimized a bit the sound of the engine, so either the clipping is covered up (if it's inherent in the original source) or somehow you managed to clean it up! But I like the complexity of the loop the way you have it now, with more of the whine, the wheels, the earth slinging about, etc. I can only detect the slightest trace of distortion in the engine sound at around 16 seconds in. However, when I run a scenario with Strykers, in context, I don't hear that. I don't miss that little bit of "meaty" quality, either. I think the overall mix is very good. Again, having never stood next to a Stryker while it was driving past, I'm not one to judge the autheticity, but it sounds great to me! Hear, hear!

EDIT for above (not sure why, but I've lost the link to edit posts - the forum still shows I'm able to edit posts, but physically there is no link for the past few hours to do so?)... I just saw an enemy in CMA using an M-16 and I realized, OF COURSE, because the US armed the fighters resisting the Soviets. <facepalm> So I guess there would be some American hardware in CMA benefiting from your sound mod. Any reason I can't just throw HSQ 2.0 in my CMA z folder? EDIT: and suddently my Edit link is back, but only for this post, not the two above. If a moderator cares to, please merge this triple post.

Would this mod work with CMA? If the engine calls specific vehicle and weapon types by name, then if there is an AK-74 sound called, it should just call your mod's sound instead, right? So there may be a lot of clutter files that don't belong because there are (presumably) no American assault rifles or vehicles in CMA (I've only played the first mission of one campaign so far). But if there are calls for a few weapons and all the generic bullet zips, ricochets, etc., and things like that, then it would indeed add something real to the CMA experience, too, right? Or am I missing some unforseen consequences/concerns?

I went back to listen again to the original, and they all yell about tanks, too (maybe not as loudly as in your mod, but in most encounters with tanks I expect your mod is a better reflection of reality). In yours, I do hear "armor, on the road" is whispered, but the rest are screamed loudly. There are many generic "contact" whispers. I don't know exactly, but I assume since your mod is strictly (as far as I can tell?) file replacements, you're not in control of the calls to those sounds. So I assume the problem is with the engine, and therefore the engine will call any of those tank contact sounds whether hiding or not. So when hiding you have this odd mix of really mood-setting whispering, mixed in with loud tank contact calls, followed by more whispering. So it's just funny, but if you can't affect the engine calling sounds, then you'd have to make all tank calls whispers for hiding, which would then sound funny when not hiding and then they're whispering about tanks... So I think what you have by adding more whispering for hiding is the best solution, as it does improve the overall mood. Especially since not every encounter (in fact very few) will involve enemy tanks! I compare your sound with the original Stryker loop, and I hear how much better yours sounds. More hefty, rich, complex, big sound. However, I do hear the clipping/distortion as being in the engine groan/roar/revving. I hear the dirt/rocks, and other components of the sounds, but in the actual engine sound I hear clipping (sound level hitting the analog or digital limit of the input hardware/converter). If you could isolate the actual engine sound from the rest, I would expect to see flat tops and bottoms to the peaks and valleys of the soundwave. That said, I prefer your sound for its other qualities, and would rather keep it than dump it unless I find over time my ears keep getting drawn to the clipping (I can be weak in my OCD sometimes...time will tell). I'm not often down "in the dirt" listening to the Strykers roll along, so amongst the backdrop of all the other sounds, it gets buried and all the good parts come through more. I listened again to the original, and it's definitely there. You move the camera and you hear all the "snaps" in the sound from being abruptly cut off and started again without fade-out/fade-in which makes it so much worse even than if they just stopped and started again cleanly (with micro fades). But that's not your mod...it's the engine for sure. The loops for the engines seem to interrupt with these gaps when you move the camera in various proximities to all the vehicles. Like the engine can't adjust volume on the fly all the time, so it stops the sound and then continues it. Can't think of anything you can do about that without modding the game engine. I agree. I love CMSF. I just keep coming back to it over any of the WWII products (not that they aren't good and fun to play). I would also love a Vietnam era Combat Mission, but CMSF for me is the cream of the crop. I'm also eagerly awaiting CMSF2. EDIT: Oh, and Waclaw, I wanted to add more praise for your background sound file. I like how distant and subtle some of the specific sounds are, giving even more reach to the vastness of the overall scene. You can hear the groan of an A-10 30mm burst, but just barely. Great variety, and handled with nuance.

I finally got to play through a CMSF Task Force Thunder scenario with your mod on turn-based. I went through a couple of Replays switching between stock sounds and your sounds, and really enjoyed the variety and quality of yours. No doubt I will keep your mod in the z folder! I do still notice what to me sounds like clipping in the Stryker movement sound, but only if I listen closely. Also, a couple of things I never noticed in vanilla which may well have been there, but I was never scrutinizing as much as I am with yours: 1. while "hiding" infantry whisper, but then scream about tanks at the top of their lungs and then go back to whispering. Is that behavior from vanilla? 2. there is a lot of sudden starts/restarts of sounds when moving the camera in proximity to vehicles (tanks and APCs I noticed as the sound would abruptly cut and then restart). I assume this must also be a vanilla phenomenon which I never noticed before. Thanks for all your effort on this. I also like the background sounds you put together so much that I turned them into all of the "music" files, so that's what I hear in the menus and mission screens. Really nice stuff.

I like the quality and variety of these. I played at least half of the files, which put me in the mood to fire up the game - always a good sign. I have a couple questions. I noticed that at least two of the files (maybe some others, but didn't go back and confirm) are the same audio, but different names (20mm and 30mm aircraft cannon files). Is this because it's the only way to have a file accessed by two different calls? Or is that an oversight? Also, the Stryker vehicle file sounds like it is clipping (like mike too close, input too high). Am I just hearing the texture in the file wrong or is it actually clipped? Everything else sounds of such high quality, so I give you the benefit of the doubt, but maybe again a possible oversight. Thanks for this!

Okay, thanks for verifying that.