Glubokii Boy

Yes...but that's limited to the initial barrage at the very beginning of the scenario...isn't it ? What about mid scenario or late scenario ?
Atleast when it comes to standard scenarios the designer is only allowed to specify the turn one bombardment as far as I know.
And even this has some issiues imo...
If the AI force includes several artillery units that is supposed to target multiple location it will do so in a rather random way in my experiene.
That would not neccesarely be such a big deal if it did it in the same way each time atleast...but it does not !
The first time you play the scenario area 1, 2 and 3 out of five will be targeted...for example...the next time you play THE SAME scenario area 2, 4 and 5 might be targeted instead...and the next time area 1, 3 and 4...
There seems to be some kind of random function here with multiple targetzones and multiple firering assets...
This randomness makes scenariodesign a bit more complicated then what it needs to be imo...

Oh buddy, you're in the right place.
I am new to Combat Mission as well, but oh my god, am I ever glad to have found it.  Never been able to get into RTS games, they often look kind of neat, but the base building and whatnot are just not compelling for me. They may be good games, but realism takes a very, very distant backseat to creating an intense gaming experience, and honestly I'm neither good at them nor enjoy them.
I'm much more of a combat flight sim and FPS guy, and what I enjoy most in a game is its ability to allow me to use real life tactics as realistically as possible and achieve success with them. Whether or not it's a "game" matters almost nothing to me, and my ideal situation is a simulator that has as realistic of features as possible, and presents a sort of sandbox or toolkit you can use to create or at least experience a simulated vision of reality.
Well, after literal years of searching, I believe Combat Mission is exactly that, in terms of battalion level and smaller infantry and combined arms engagements.
I only found CM thanks to the Shock Force 2 listing on Steam, and stumbled across it pretty randomly. I was immediately captivated by the mechanics of the game engine, even though the modern setting wasn't really my thing. Like you, I prefer the WWII setting. Curious, I searched Battlefront, and realized that, in addition to Shock Force 2, they had a whole WWII line. I immediately downloaded the Battle for Normandy demo and was super impressed.
Granted, the price is not inexpensive, and the graphics are serviceable though obviously dated. But I really got impressed when I tried out the Roadblock scenario - I was amazed. It was like everything I'd been looking for in a tactical combat simulation, but had never been able to find. While CM veterans probably find that scenario to be a dawdle, I was really pushed to learn the mechanics, and I really got immersed and invested in the engagement. When I ultimately prevailed - with relatively modest casualties - I was so pleased. What an incredible sim this is!
Then I found the Assault on Brecourt Manor scenario and oh man... talk about wish fulfillment! Getting to assault those gun positions was amazing. I got inspired and downloaded some free mods from TheFewGoodMen.com to get proper 101st Airborne uniforms and Lucky Strike's very nice "Hedgerow Hell" scenery upgrades. This lead me to getting under the hood in the Scenario Editor (so I could apply the correct uniforms to the units), and checking out not only the preset scenarios and campaigns, but also the Quick Battles and Map Editor, and I really fell in love. There's also a very comprehensive manual that ships with the game and reminds me of game manuals of yore - it's got tons of great info, and explains very clearly how to use the tool to achieve your goals, whatever they may be.
Over the past couple days, I got inspired to recreate the "German Hedgerow Defense" diagram from Captain Doubler's famous "Busting the Bocage" essay about hedgerow fighting in Normandy. From a cold start, I was able to use the Scenario Editor - with minimal confusion or pain - to setup a roughly 200 x 200 meter field, with German machinegun emplacements, some farmhouses, and similar. I created a US infantry company with a two rifle platoons, a weapons platoon (with MMGs and medium mortars) and attached a couple Sherman M4s for support. Wow! What fun I've had learning how to move across a large open field.
This, to me, is what makes Combat Mission so great. There are a wide range of settings depicted across the various offerings, and your ability to customize the experience you want is nearly unlimited. Want to simulate a single rifle squad taking on clearing a building? You can do it. Want to simulate a battalion or large engagement? You can do that, too. It's really up to you, and the editor is *so easy* to use, it makes it relatively simple - and FUN!
I haven't even dipped my toe into multiplayer yet, either - but oh gosh, Combat Mission is like the ultimate replacement for my miniature wargaming collection. It's much cheaper, has much more accurate rules, and doesn't require any assembly or painting or physical storage.
I'm just over the moon with this find, and I'm so glad it exists. I hope you give it a shot, because despite the high price relative to other video games, this is the real deal! It's probably my favorite software purchase of 2020.
Anyways, wishing you the best of luck!

The AI is competent to pretty good at opportunity artillery fire in reasonably open environments. As RepsolCBR correctly states, from the designer's perspective, currently released artillery tools are very limited, however, especially for any attempts at an attacking AI. You can only choose smoke with an opening barrage, which means the designer only has guaranteed smoke for roughly the first 8-9 minutes of a scenario. After that, the only reliable smoke the designer can call on is using the Withdraw command to trigger smoke carrying units to use it (best done with vehicles). And, arty AI Area fire is limited to on-map mortars, which generally means medium mortars are the only guaranteed form of arty HE the designer has at his disposal after the opening barrage phase.
Arriving at Upgrade 5, it seems to me self-evident that designers should have the ability to plan in what type of round to fire at any point during a scenario. Similarly, all arty assets, both on-map and off-map should be usable as AI Area fire with type of round, duration, and intensity able to be chosen by the designer.
I've no idea what the playtesters have found on the Berlin map, but on the dense urban map I'm working on for CMRT, I've found the AI using arty much less frequently than expected, despite having huge assets. Sometimes, it doesn't use any the whole battle -- which is weird. Perhaps the density of the terrain is causing the AI spotting and decision coding to have a hiccup. Dunno.
The big exception to that is giving the AI TRPs. When I've done that, it's given me some nice wrath of Zeus moments.
Edit:
One way to work things based on the current system might be through enhanced AI Area Fire in combination with 32+ AI Groups. First, add additional options to AI Area Fire that allow the designer to choose round type, intensity level, and building level in the case of direct fire. Then, allow the designer to assign any type of arty asset, including off-map to an AI Group. Then, the designer could set up whatever arty support he wanted and structure it to support other AI Orders. That could work a treat and would be built off current functionality.

Yes...but that's limited to the initial barrage at the very beginning of the scenario...isn't it ? What about mid scenario or late scenario ?
Atleast when it comes to standard scenarios the designer is only allowed to specify the turn one bombardment as far as I know.
And even this has some issiues imo...
If the AI force includes several artillery units that is supposed to target multiple location it will do so in a rather random way in my experiene.
That would not neccesarely be such a big deal if it did it in the same way each time atleast...but it does not !
The first time you play the scenario area 1, 2 and 3 out of five will be targeted...for example...the next time you play THE SAME scenario area 2, 4 and 5 might be targeted instead...and the next time area 1, 3 and 4...
There seems to be some kind of random function here with multiple targetzones and multiple firering assets...
This randomness makes scenariodesign a bit more complicated then what it needs to be imo...

Like most of the AIs shortcommings...they are most noticeable when the AI is attacking.
Yes...you can give the AI a number of FOs and TRPs to improve things somewhat but things are still fairly random and unintuetive (from a scenario design standpoint).
Even with spotters and TRPs the AI artillerysupport many times prove to be equally as dangerous to it's own troops as it is to the enemy...the finer aspects of timing is simply not there...
the combination of scripting the movement of the AI groups and the free use of the artillery by the AI is difficult to time and get right with an attacking AI...
After V.4 the designer can help the AI to get these timing correct to some degree using on-map mortars, triggers, the game clock and areafire...but these options are currently limited to on-map mortars...and HE only...
Imagine if we could have simular possibilities with offboard assets...AND SMOKE !  🤓...the AI would be able to fully support its actions with the desired level of HE and SMOKE...with far less risk of fratiside...
Indirect support would be...on time...and on target...coordinated with the movement of the AI troops...atleast to the degree deemed suitable by the designer...opposed to the currently somewhat random...and dangerous situation.
The challangelevel of the AI as an opponent would increase quite alot...
Wich could only be a good thing...😁

Like finally granting the AI the full bennefit of artillery...
could we please have a function to add triggered/timed barrages with the ability to specify the specific shooting unit, intensity and duration of fire...simular to the ingame artillery interface maybe...to include HE or SMOKE..
The AIs inability to handle artillery is currently a serious shortcomming...and not fair 😉...especially the lack of well delivered smokescreens...
The V.4 on-map mortars are a great improvement...but still somewhat lacking.

Yes 😥...
Especially the info on CM-5 made me happy indeed...and like many others i was about to post a...big thankyou !
But as things currently stand...I changed my mind slightelly...
I wll post A BIG !!! Thankyou ones the CM-5 update has actually been released...and we see what it entails...
And as it turned out...work on this update has not even begun yet...and it will not do so until FR has been finished by the sound of one of the later statements.
Hopefully it we be a fairly simple task to add some of the features already designed for the other version of CM...If not....ooohh well..........
And let me just say this...🙃
I am NOT dissatisfied with CM !!!....I do understand that BFC is a small company...and I do understand that last couple of years has held quite a few challanges for BFC.
The truth of the matter is that NO !!! other computetgame has brought me so many hours of enjoyment as CM.....EVER !!!
But i'm sorry !!! I just can't jump on the wagon and shout out that everything is great....no matter what...I just can't.
Despite the fact that i"m fully aware of the fact that BFC and those people associated with the company are doing their best..
I wish i could but i'm afraid that I have become...a bit disatisfied 
As for CMBS and CMFB...
I would be very supprised if not the majority of the people prefering those games are also quite....dissapointed...or perhaps even...dissatisfied right now.
Even LAST YEARS bone had the goal of RELEASING atleast one of those modules...that year !
This years bone....didn't even mention them...
That's not what I call progress...
I really hope that BFC gets things sorted...soon ! Because as things have been lately...I don't like that...sorry !
In the meantime i will continue to play CM...for many years to come...even if no further work is done to the current game...at all.
But what I want to do...is play CM Barbarossa and CM Case blue 😛🥰
 
 
 

I figured out the problem, the only people that can be happy are the ones that really enjoy any period of time as to the wargaming periods provided.
Because BF really does not have the ability to support the 6 different games they are presently marketing, to keep adding to each has created way to much time between when they can add on and make additions to any one. The interest is lost because of the big time gap.
Only those players that can be content with each and every release until the next one seem to be somewhat content.
If CMBS was the only game that mattered to you as a player, you would be in hell as to how long it takes to get a add on.

Yes 😥...
Especially the info on CM-5 made me happy indeed...and like many others i was about to post a...big thankyou !
But as things currently stand...I changed my mind slightelly...
I wll post A BIG !!! Thankyou ones the CM-5 update has actually been released...and we see what it entails...
And as it turned out...work on this update has not even begun yet...and it will not do so until FR has been finished by the sound of one of the later statements.
Hopefully it we be a fairly simple task to add some of the features already designed for the other version of CM...If not....ooohh well..........
And let me just say this...🙃
I am NOT dissatisfied with CM !!!....I do understand that BFC is a small company...and I do understand that last couple of years has held quite a few challanges for BFC.
The truth of the matter is that NO !!! other computetgame has brought me so many hours of enjoyment as CM.....EVER !!!
But i'm sorry !!! I just can't jump on the wagon and shout out that everything is great....no matter what...I just can't.
Despite the fact that i"m fully aware of the fact that BFC and those people associated with the company are doing their best..
I wish i could but i'm afraid that I have become...a bit disatisfied 
As for CMBS and CMFB...
I would be very supprised if not the majority of the people prefering those games are also quite....dissapointed...or perhaps even...dissatisfied right now.
Even LAST YEARS bone had the goal of RELEASING atleast one of those modules...that year !
This years bone....didn't even mention them...
That's not what I call progress...
I really hope that BFC gets things sorted...soon ! Because as things have been lately...I don't like that...sorry !
In the meantime i will continue to play CM...for many years to come...even if no further work is done to the current game...at all.
But what I want to do...is play CM Barbarossa and CM Case blue 😛🥰
 
 
 

Yes 😥...
Especially the info on CM-5 made me happy indeed...and like many others i was about to post a...big thankyou !
But as things currently stand...I changed my mind slightelly...
I wll post A BIG !!! Thankyou ones the CM-5 update has actually been released...and we see what it entails...
And as it turned out...work on this update has not even begun yet...and it will not do so until FR has been finished by the sound of one of the later statements.
Hopefully it we be a fairly simple task to add some of the features already designed for the other version of CM...If not....ooohh well..........
And let me just say this...🙃
I am NOT dissatisfied with CM !!!....I do understand that BFC is a small company...and I do understand that last couple of years has held quite a few challanges for BFC.
The truth of the matter is that NO !!! other computetgame has brought me so many hours of enjoyment as CM.....EVER !!!
But i'm sorry !!! I just can't jump on the wagon and shout out that everything is great....no matter what...I just can't.
Despite the fact that i"m fully aware of the fact that BFC and those people associated with the company are doing their best..
I wish i could but i'm afraid that I have become...a bit disatisfied 
As for CMBS and CMFB...
I would be very supprised if not the majority of the people prefering those games are also quite....dissapointed...or perhaps even...dissatisfied right now.
Even LAST YEARS bone had the goal of RELEASING atleast one of those modules...that year !
This years bone....didn't even mention them...
That's not what I call progress...
I really hope that BFC gets things sorted...soon ! Because as things have been lately...I don't like that...sorry !
In the meantime i will continue to play CM...for many years to come...even if no further work is done to the current game...at all.
But what I want to do...is play CM Barbarossa and CM Case blue 😛🥰
 
 
 

Rather sobering after all the end of the year hype, don't you think?

Can you elaborate more on the features of the Engine 5 Update?

How do you know that this group is small ?
 Considdering that less then 40 people ever comments on this forum...

Happy New Year, everybody!
Just a quick post to say that I did finish the elevations. So, other than smoothing out anything that pops up that my eyes missed, that giant bit of work is done.
So, the plan now is to add more flavor objects from the current pool while waiting for F&R. I can't really do anything else without the new module assets. I don't have enough time these days to repeat work (map slicing and unit setups for example). So, I want all potential assets in hand before proceeding.
Macisle out.

One German campaign is in the Baltics (Ithikial's), and one is set throughout Operation Konrad I-III. The Soviet one is focused upon the 219th Tank Brigade (covering from Poland to Berlin).

How do you know that this group is small ?
 Considdering that less then 40 people ever comments on this forum...

NO, it does not !
If you are into CMBS you are longing for a module or two for that game...
If you prefer Normandy i'm pretty sure that quite a few guys would like to see some new content (battlepacks) for that game that take advantage of the latest game engine.
Etc...
And its not just playable content that has been lagging behind lately.
Further gameengine updates would be highely approsiated by many i'm sure...
Currently BFC is not even close to live up to the goals they themself set for themself a few years back...that involved far more then a new module ever other year...
 
 

NO, it does not !
If you are into CMBS you are longing for a module or two for that game...
If you prefer Normandy i'm pretty sure that quite a few guys would like to see some new content (battlepacks) for that game that take advantage of the latest game engine.
Etc...
And its not just playable content that has been lagging behind lately.
Further gameengine updates would be highely approsiated by many i'm sure...
Currently BFC is not even close to live up to the goals they themself set for themself a few years back...that involved far more then a new module ever other year...
 
 

I think that we can all agree that the vast majority of CM players considders combat mission to be THE BEST game of its type.
No dissatisfaction there...
But I belive that a decent number of the community feels that the current level of progress is less then ideal...
Dissatisfied or not...their intrest in this game series have no doubt decreased somewhat during the last few years...
The activity on these forums ought to be a decent indikator of this...take away the postning of the 10 - 15 most active members...and what will you have ?
A forum that is very close to dead !
Sure...the most dedicated players will stick with the series...no matter what...but will this numnber be high enouh for BFC to keep going ?
 

NO, it does not !
If you are into CMBS you are longing for a module or two for that game...
If you prefer Normandy i'm pretty sure that quite a few guys would like to see some new content (battlepacks) for that game that take advantage of the latest game engine.
Etc...
And its not just playable content that has been lagging behind lately.
Further gameengine updates would be highely approsiated by many i'm sure...
Currently BFC is not even close to live up to the goals they themself set for themself a few years back...that involved far more then a new module ever other year...
 
 

I think that we can all agree that the vast majority of CM players considders combat mission to be THE BEST game of its type.
No dissatisfaction there...
But I belive that a decent number of the community feels that the current level of progress is less then ideal...
Dissatisfied or not...their intrest in this game series have no doubt decreased somewhat during the last few years...
The activity on these forums ought to be a decent indikator of this...take away the postning of the 10 - 15 most active members...and what will you have ?
A forum that is very close to dead !
Sure...the most dedicated players will stick with the series...no matter what...but will this numnber be high enouh for BFC to keep going ?
 

I think that we can all agree that the vast majority of CM players considders combat mission to be THE BEST game of its type.
No dissatisfaction there...
But I belive that a decent number of the community feels that the current level of progress is less then ideal...
Dissatisfied or not...their intrest in this game series have no doubt decreased somewhat during the last few years...
The activity on these forums ought to be a decent indikator of this...take away the postning of the 10 - 15 most active members...and what will you have ?
A forum that is very close to dead !
Sure...the most dedicated players will stick with the series...no matter what...but will this numnber be high enouh for BFC to keep going ?
 

They only need to change the year of last years bone...since none of those things have been released yet. 🥱...

They only need to change the year of last years bone...since none of those things have been released yet. 🥱...

That would be kind of nice 😁...
The forum is/ has been (for quite some time) very quiet...the majority of threads seems to be some kind of bug/tweaking threads...
I guess we are running out of things to discuss...most things seems to have been brought up at one time or more before...including this topic.
I like the initiativ though...😎
A few more tips:
- don"t forgett about smoke
- recon is a good thing...get- and try to maintain good Intel on the enemy
- try to maintain C2
- "shooting without moving is a waste of ammo...moving without shooting is a waste of lives"