Bud Backer

That's an interesting way to put it - I feel every time I press the red button in one of my PBEM games I'm almost cringing with worry what will happen - and if I totally messed up!

Very neat shot with the M10, Bil. I'm surprised that you got a partial Pen. I didn't think the 76 on the M10 could! Pity it's likely too risky to leave it where it is and hope for a side turret hit if Doug moves them.

Wow, I asked one question but am learning about stuff that applies to many situations. I never knew that about target light!

Totally not just you, Sburke. I think it's human nature (and that seems confirmed by the article IanL quoted above) to want to improve things, but in the desire to improve things - even if only the best of intentions are involved - one can forget to appreciate just how good this game is. I've done beta testing, design work and map and scenario creation for other games. As a tester I know how much work a small piece of code can create for everyone. Changes that seem simple rarely are. In the anxiousness to change and improve things, we can easily lose sight of just how incredible Combat Mission is. Forget for a moment that it can be better. Everything can be better, but forget that because this is about appreciate what we have, not making improvements. I love immersion - to feel I'm in the battle and not just solving a tactical puzzle. To get on the ground watching my troops as they walk, or run or fight, or seeing the suspension move as a tank goes cross-country, or the ball of fire from a tank firing its main gun. Or just the trees swaying from a breeze, or the rain falling down. Amazing stuff!

I have to explore that idea, Heinrich, thank you. I always thought with only 12 rounds that target briefly would barely fire a spotting round and then stop, missing the target.

So far I've used them for harassing because I didn't have the confidence they would be able to spot and hit effectively with such limited ammo, but I'll try this.

That's helpful, thanks!

No kidding. Even unmodded it's pretty incredible!

Don't be afraid to ask questions. Also useful is the search feature in the forum too if you want to see if it's come up before.

Thanks for posting that link, George. Interesting stuff.

Yes, that's a valid point too. Unless you derive satisfaction from adding those touches.

Hi John, No I didn't miss that post. Given that the mortars there are armed only with smoke ammo, and I'm discussing HE in limited quantity I thought I'd ask my own question to not divert the focus of the other thread.

No 4 rifles. And these teams are three men only. I did use them as auxiliary infantry in one battle but they are not that impressive, but are weighed down by the mortar.

Ok, that makes sense. I've used them for harassment fire to get an enemy to displace but so that's very much along the same line as your suggestion, as opposed to using them to soften enemy positions in a more serious way. Thanks!

Hello MC, 1) I cannot see how the Instant Command buttons could have any role in turn based play. Both you and your opponent (were there a human opponent) MUST see exactly the same events in a given replay. If you could influence events, it would of course not be fair to the other player. In WEGO (turn based) battles, I think the buttons will therefore only work when it's the orders phase, but I can't see any reason why one would use them as you would likely have more specific ideas as to what you want a unit to do than what the AI might choose for you. I have never used them for this reason. 2) It is normal that unit lock will be lost if you leave the battle and reload it. From what you describe it *seems* as if you are not moving around the map but seem restricted to using the 9 presets for height/angle and to locking on specific units. You should be able to pan around the map by -Moving the mouse to screen edges. Left moves left, upper left turns the camera counter clockwise, top of the screen moves forward, etc. if your mouse has a wheel you should be able to raise and lower the camera over the map to the height you prefer. Depending on keyboard, Up/down arrow may tilt the camera upward or downwards, but there are other key combinations to do that. Those keys are listed in the manual. -using the WASD and QE keys. W = forward, S = backward, A = left, D = right. Q is rotate counter clockwise, E is rotate clockwise. The mouse is better for quickly moving about, the keyboard gives you fine control. Hope that helps!

I've been playing the Canadians in several battles and as part of many infantry formations, one receives light mortars. They have only 12 HE rounds each. I'm at a loss as to how to use them effectively with such limited ammo. What do you guys use them for, or how do you make them useful?

LOL You're only reading the text! You have to appreciate and absorb the graphics and it will last longer! Thanks for the comment. Dmitry isn't dead, however. I've been experimenting with some minor tweaks to the graphics to increase the ease of seeing details on the next comic.

I find this discussion very interesting because it made me examine my own motivation and desires for what I create and share online. It's not just about scenario or map design, it's about anything one does without recompense and gives freely to others. I have yet to share the maps I've made but I intend to. What I have shared are my Comic AARs, which are each 100+ hours of work. I did them for fun, because I could. I did them because I genuinely enjoyed doing them. But were I unable to share them - say for lack of a venue - I doubt I'd bother after the first one, when the novelty is over. I do them because I do wish for reaction, feedback - not just appreciation, though of course this is most welcome - but because I want to have the feeling that the effort itself is in some measure appreciated or recognized. I can't speak for Umlaut, but he may feel this resonates: -it's not about getting $0.99 per comic or map or scenario. Sure if one could make a living off it legally it might be another matter but then it's a business and not a gift to the community or something done for oneself. -it's not about getting "ratings" such as a star rating or whatnot. Certainly getting a high rating in any system is a nice thing but if that was the limit of the feedback, I don't think I'd be as enthused as I am when someone asks me if my story is going in one direction or another, or that I changed some graphical style and why, or telling me my German was slightly off in a particular panel. What I think it's about - for me - is engaging with the community, having a dialogue about what I've done, offering suggestions, giving me something to think about. The appreciation certainly is a huge part of that, but if every person who read my comics were to say "nice job" and leave it at that I would be grateful but still feel something lacking. I do want to interact, and not just collect praise. I think this is something one sees when one is designing a scenario or map and posts WIP screenshots. One gets ideas, discussion and contribution and it's no longer simply a passive affair. Once the scenario is done, as has been noted, the interaction stops and I think it's natural for a designer to want it to continue. So it's not that anyone is right or wrong in this discussion - certainly designers want something in return for their effort because these creations are a huge amount of time and effort and thought. But those who say design for yourself and you'll be less disappointed are correct in part as well - I do make things for myself, but I'd likely stop were I to operate in a vacuum because how many times does one wish to repeat the same task. What this says to me is that I make things because I want to, I'm inspired, I'm curious, I'm excited to explore something and want to challenge myself, but that it does not end there. I share what I create because now I want to see if my vision, my creation, matters in some way to anyone else. Only the most dedicated and passionate about their craft will bother to work for hundreds of hours on something purely for themselves; others will stop, feeling that nice as it is, they have made a masterpiece only to shove it in the attic, and that is a pity and a loss to the community, in my view.

Certainly looks like an exciting battle from the screenshots and description above. Nice!

Yes, that's the idea! No smoke or flames, so clearly a day or so after the fight was all over. Nice job chopping up the HQ element.

I see this happen now and then, and can never explain why. The unit clearly sees something, but has no LOS. Not a grey line but a blue/pink one. I don't know what causes that.

I have played a number of battles as the Russians, and one as the U.S. The difference in spotting capabilities are startling. Unfortunately I think this is quite realistic. Which means a Russian player has to be very cagey and use his infantry to do a lot of spotting work that the U.S. Player gets from his vehicles. I still struggle with this and I believe many others do too so your experience is not unusual.

Very nice! Looks lifelike. Convert that to greyscale and you'd have a photo from the war.

Nice work, MOS96B2P. Nicely labelled and composed. I could see a bunch of image series like this, showing the evolution of the scout car, jeep, or the medium tank... The only other nation present in both WWII and modern CM would be Russia. Must be a similar evolution there to what you show above.

Unlimbered ATG? Bil, do you mean to say the ATG is ready to fire and mobile? Or is unlimbered meaning it's actually not ready to fire hence can move? I thought to move ATGs had to be limbered....