The Steppenwulf

I've got to admit I now have more than two games (as of this evening) on hold because of poor AI behaviour that have stopped play. When veteran troops (and +2), rested and OK are in cover behind bocage but come under pinning fire, they do not run out from the bocage into the exposed field of fire - unless they first panic or at least become nervous. Pinned does not mean panic, it means pinned! Infuriating stuff!

Find audio attached.. Bf really should expand the variety of audio for greater immersion. Weapon sounds, not only ambient sounds are quite restrictive. For a game that prides itself on enhanced fidelity... If the limitation of the 32-bits program is a problem then they might create shorter looping ambient files, which makes more room to expand weapon audio. Only long term solution though is to upgrade the game to 64-bits ffs! background rain.wav

If I recall correct, BF has one, if not a number, of lucrative military contracts for sim development. Given the deadlines and delivery commitments that usually come with software development contracts, this is largely where the team's effort is going to be focused. Can't blame them for that! The net effect is that we have to be patient with new modules, but since other these other commercial enterprises will enrich BF, enabling longevity of the company over the long run, I'm totally ok with it. The modules will come eventually, I'm quite positive. I've already picked up on a hint that SF2 is at test stage with a lot of issues emerging, requiring attention before moving forward with a release. Maybe I'm reading too much into what's been stated, but both of these plausible situations could explain why BF has gone quiet since last December.

+ 1

Devs and publishers are referring to a genre of video game which best defines the game within popular video game culture. There are historical reasons why these genres have developed these tags: eg the type of programming design; be it real time or turnbased and camera top down as opposed to camera first person or platform/side-scrolling games. This is where these genre types belong; they are rooted in the early programming development of video games. Nothing more! An example of how things have moved on is best illustrated if we consider that games developed today cut across many traditional genres. Take a game like Skyrim or Fallout, whilst being defined within video game culture as RPG games, they incorporate aspects of FPS, trading and even strategy, as well as role playing. So the term RPG is nothing more than a vestigial tag which is useful only insofar as to define the game for marketing purposes, to engage a certain audience if you will. So when you quote Wiki definitions as if they are a kind of shibboleth, they have no authority, and are largely meaningless for the reasons outlined in detail above. So you are conflating this use of the word (as a video game genre) with military terms which define tactical and strategic in a much more specific way. In this, Combat Mission would undoubtedly be best described as a tactical simulation game of WW2 and modern warfare. There may well be some elements of strategy involved, that's arguable, but it's overwhelmingly tactical. The term strategy game to describe CM (because it is a turn based/ realtime wargame) is rooted in the past, it's outdated and I've never noted Battlefront use this description in its marketing - most likely for this very reason. So why is the magazine article using these terms you might ask? Simply because they are useful terms to convey to the reader the article's purpose. The article is not dressed up to be anything more than pop. Indeed, I totally agree. But again, the cross-genre of today's games/sims are difficult to compare. The "Strategy" tag is merely for the readers convenience and the article is not to be taken that seriously... it's casual pop reading, nothing more! In a more serious comparative review, Graviteam Tactics would get a mention alongside CM, DCS would be compared with IL-2 and Silent Hunter 3 or 4 should be included on any list of "best ever video war games"!

Wargame is a sub-genre of Strategy game! I don't want to labour this, but really, does a wargame, first have to be a strategy game? CM is a tactical game as well as a wargame. IL-2, like DCS, is both a flight sim and a wargame. Both can be defined as wargames but neither defined as strategy. If IL-2 doesn't belong on that list then neither does CM. I don't know Need for Speed 1944 but I suspect you invented it to make a straw man point!? EDIT: I think the term "strategy games" as a genre of video games is a very loose one which is mainly historic and is clearly ill-defined anyhow, but especially given the cross blend of many genres in today's video games market.

But arguably neither is CM. The Wargamer's Guide To .... the best WW2 Strategy and War Games

Change the byte at hex address 10 (decimal 16) to 0A (this is the flag for CMBS). You'll need a hex editor to do this and you must be careful to overwrite the previous entry not merely insert the changed byte. Note that conversion of maps will often change flavour objects (like tractors in fields become bus-stops - that sort of thing), clearly WW2 specific objects (like posters) are not appropriate for modern... so you need to check in BS editor and make sure it looks right.

Thanks for your response but my point is that all the textures are Ukrainian soldier textures, there are no Russian ones. EDIT: I see.. so you have to set up a battle scenario as Blue on Blue.

I downloaded from the dropbox link but the mod content of files only appears to be Govt (Ukranian) soldiers. Where are the Separatists at?

And the templates:- http://cmmodsiii.greenasjade.net/?p=3653

Bumping this thread in the hope that this idea gets some much needed attention, or at least a informative response from upstairs. What's the chance of H2H campaigns played by email in an upgrade in 2018?

Bridge issue aside, these sound reminiscent of redundant mod material that's no longer recognised by the updated game code. There were many reported issues with this back with BN version 1 and 2 if you recall. I think the problem could also arise (again historically) if the player updates/patches the game in the wrong order.

Conversely its heat signature is terrible due to the fact that it's a gas turbine engine and they run twice as hot as diesel. I would conjecture that Eastern Block vehicles, being diesel, have a lower heat signature in this regard, though there are other factors such as ambient temperature that are at play in all these matters.

Tanks used in defensive situations (e.g. hull down, ambush positions) are almost certain to cut their engines. Gas is not unlimited. Back up electrical supply (APU) allows the vehicle's system to operate for reasonable periods of time without recharge. It's not just sound that can give a tank away, it's also the infrared heat signature provided from a hot running engine. A cold engine being much harder to spot. The question of how long to cool for the benefit to arise, are perhaps reasons why it probably isn't modelled. Nevertheless consider a player wishing to maintain armour in ambush from the start of the scenario and the engine therefore off. Clearly this should confer a "hide advantage" in this particular circumstance - from distant as well as close visual "spotters". A benefit from zero sound signature probably only confer advantage against fairly local infantry on foot, since a force's own vehicles or aircraft own engine sounds will drown out enemy vehicles engine sound anyhow. It's these differentials that may explain why (I suspect) it hasn't been modelled but clearly there are some parameters where it could be applicable and simulated in the current CM engine as a new feature.

I'd like to see some even simpler features such as engine audio file cut out when tanks are on hide command - reflecting lower sound signature!

Thanks for your advice - will upgrade to latest version

@sbobovyc - Just getting round to making use of your tools over the Christmas period and today attempted to load the import export script into Blender. However, I cannot get your script recognised in user preferences. Could it be that I'm on V2.59 (which is perhaps 3-4 years old now) - I'm aware that you listed version 2.77 in the init. script. Is there some functionality that exists only in 2.77? I find that rather incredulous. So at least I was wondering if you could advise before I go through the time costly process of uninstalling my current version, install new version and get it set up with my own preferences and other scripts etc (I don't think it's possible to merely update blender is it?). Your advice much appreciated.

This is great work BTR! Sbobovyc' tools have so much potential and are such a breakthrough for the modding community. I really wish I had time to make use of them myself. Thanks for your efforts!

Open the text file and save it again with .py instead of .txt - that should do it.

Indeed, I concur. I'm glad I asked the question to get some enlightenment about these two functions - it's an easily overlooked feature - I certainly think that there could be an expanded explanation in the manual. Players and games would benefit if they understood their utility better.

The only way to rescind it is to hit cease fire again, at least in real time multi-player. I've never done it PBEM. It will almost certainly work in a PBEM.

Thank you for all your responses - extremely enlightening and useful information.

Looked through the manual and searched the forums to no avail. Seems to me like an under-discussed matter; but some important questions have arisen for me in this area of the game:- 1) Surely cease fire is a feature for two player games? If a player selects cease fire in a single player game, does the AI "ignore" the request - i.e. there is no effect? 2) In cases when a cease fire is agreed, I assume the result is an automatic draw - regardless of the division of VP to each side at that point? Or can a player still win or lose as a consequence of agreeing to a cease fire? 3) If a cease fire offer is not accepted, how long before the offer expires, if at all? 4) If a player chooses to surrender, does the game result in total defeat automatically? Or does the game calculate the VP situation at the point of surrender and give the result existing at that point in the game (which would seem illogical)? Or (most likely) does the game calculate the VP and then tag on a penalty to that (for surrendering) to represent scale of defeat (so there is a range of defeats possible with a surrender)? 5) Considering possibilities in 3) above, is it possible for a player to choose to surrender and still gain a draw?