Jack Ration

I understand a "bundle" buyer might think the price is steep. But as a player who has bought each CMx2-3 title as they have been released I don't think it is that expensive. Back in the day, here in Oz a serious cardboard game cost around the same as a bundle now. And I would suggest the cost to produce a CMx2 game would be more (save on printing, but everything else is more exy). Plus AI, no LOS/LOF to figure out, movement costs, supply, etc ... I figure we are miles ahead!

Somewhere on the forum Battlefront put together an interesting article about air support and their view about how it applies in game. If memory serves me right, basically that it doesn't, but they have it in the game! At CM time scale impromptu/on demand air strikes are theoretically possible at the larger scenario time frames. In Normandy the response rate was around one to two hours. Which was pretty good considering how new Ground-Air cooperation was at this stage. Targeting was another issue, with some allied veterans saying they were just as scared of allied aircraft as the Germans must have been! Certainly not knocking the allied airmen, this was a relatively new mission in the complex argument on how to effectively apply air power to the entire war effort - always a prickly subject between air and army boffins at this time. Remembering we are talking about air/ground cooperation within the restricted timeframe of a CM scenario, there is little scope for impromptu requests for air support unless you are willing to call a mission in one to two hours in advance! Of course, preplanned attacks on formations/fortification is a separate issue.

Also checkout WeBOB - the home of the CM Helper app! If you would like an RT game, setup a scenario you have not played before and send over. At Elite level. I have not played RT a lot so the odds are I will not have played it. Hope you have Dropbox, I always play using that and CM Helper. Makes PBEM a breeze. aus3620 at gmail.com

Some of the cardboard warriors may remember Avalon Hills Third Reich. So when I bumped into HOI3 I had to get it and got all the expansions. I did enjoy the series and hope that HOI4 is a success. May even buy it, although there is only so much time in a day! The other classic game from the era was Squad Leader and I think Battlefront's WEGO CMx2+ is the best example of a contemporary game taking all the positive aspects from that classic, cutting the bush lawyer arguments and adding interesting new features to the concept. It is a real winner in my opinion. Whereas HOI seems to be trying too hard, if you get my drift. It cannot decide if it wants to be a sandbox where anything goes, or a depiction of what the challenges were for the various high commands. As a dinosaur gamer I do like to have a more historic flavour. Of course, that comes with the "it is on rails" type argument. IMHO HOI is looking for gimmicks, like those silly animations! The game looks far better with the military icons and they do not take much to learn. Appreciate every game has to draw the biggest audience possible. So IMHO if you have a cardboard background and appreciate historical aspects, CMx2+ is the best way to spend you gaming dollars and time.

Hi Bryn, If you are interested in PBEM games, checkout WeBOB.

Just dipped my toe into Scenario Designing. Found your excellent resource. Thanks for putting this together Jon, nice work.

An observation for scenario builders regarding TRP. As you would all know, units not assigned to a Group default to Group A1. In the Units - Allied Deployment section I deployed TRP. When I started the scenario, the "game" placed the TRP in the group AI Setup zone - not where I placed them. I then went back to the Unit Purchase dialogue and assigned the TRP to a Group particular to them. Placed them again and when I restarted the scenario they remained in the positions I deployed them. Hope this is of some interest to scenario builders! New to me anyway!

Thx for the links and advice. It is a whole new ball game playing via the AI.

Just getting my head around triggers and the AI component of scenario building generally. Thought it might be interesting to share a few ideas on utilising, what I think is, the most interesting addition in the CMx3 upgrade, ie triggers and the AI module generally. Any clues for budding scenario builders out there?

One day when I was living in a hostel I saw some guys moving bits of cardboard on what looked a bit like a map! Good old Squad Leader! Since then the genre has always held my interest and I think CMx2/3 is the best descendant of that classic game. Plus you don't have to spend an hour between turns arguing about some clause or meaning of a word in the rules!

German's getting smashed in The Passage

Flambe Cat - WeBOB Bagration Cup

<iframe width="640" height="390" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ocLjhI9OolE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Clip of part of the action in Round One of We Band of Brothers Online Gaming Club Bagration Cup Tournament.

Get RT, it has the latest game engine. Or wait until BN and FI get the V3.0 upgrade. All are well produced games, so you cannot go wrong!

Regarding ATG effectiveness. But by dawn the battalion had thirteen of its sixteen 6-pounders in position and six more of a Royal Artillery battery attached for the operation. As soon as it was light enough the men discovered they were close to an Italian tank lager, with a German lager also discernible a little farther away. Early in the day both tank groups moved and the Rifle Brigade quickly knocked out 14 enemy tanks. The 1st Armoured Division tanks now began to advance in accordance with the main plan and the Rifle Brigade scored further successes with its antitank guns at intervals during the morning against German and Italian tanks advancing to tackle the British armour. The climax came in the afternoon when the men of the Rifle Brigade found themselves (though they could not know this) in the path of Rommel's big counterattack of October 27. They continued to score hits on successive waves of tanks crossing their front to join the main battle-or advancing on them to put their troublesome guns out of action. They were an important element of the "immensely powerful antitank defence" of which Rommel spoke in his reference to this battle already quoted. In armoured warfare, as in air combat, it is difficult to establish exactly who is to be credited with how many kills , as an enemy may be engaged from several directions at once by different tanks and guns, and all will tend to say they scored the vital hit. The Rifle Brigade's claim was so remarkable that an inquiry commission examined it after the battle, taking evidence and inspecting the battlefield, making due allowance for wreckage that by then would have been removed. The commission officially credited the battalion with 37 tanks or self-propelled guns knocked out, 27 of which were still incontrovertibly there on the ground. Majdalany, Fred (2013-03-25). The Battle of El Alamein: Fortress in the Sand (Kindle Locations 1593-1595). Endeavour Press Ltd..

In previous iterations of CM, the general consensus seemed to be that anti-tank guns were spotted too easily, and that was my observation. Any comment on spotting of ATG in RT?

Welcome to the game. In many ways it is great to hear you describe the AI as "brutal"! The scripting finally gives the scenario builders a (better) chance to put some teeth in the AI. Lot of good advice in the previous posts. One of the issues I had to come to grips with when I started was "timing", I still grapple with it. You do not have to finish a 60 minute scenario in 20 minutes! Many games have a fast pace and coming to this series you need to adjust to a more "thoughtful" pace. At times quick action is required, but a lot of the recon stage is gaining information and acquiring good jump off spots, then building your fires etc. Sometime a "charge of the light brigade" can be a winner, but more often than not you will get your butt handed to you. Enjoy the learning process, you don't really stop in this series, it is what makes it so compelling at times!

thx for the continued development of this very useful tool.

After all is said and done I think the AI triggers are the most exciting development/addition to the game series. Nothing will beat H2H, but the triggers at least give the scenario designers a chance to throw a few curve balls in. I imagine that nested triggers will be the obvious direction for CMx4.

The Naval Cruiser appeared as support. My current on-map FO is not able to call support. I presume there has to be a naval FO? At what stage does this unit appear? (If it does!). Or am I missing something in the mechanics of naval bombardment (thought it would be the same as artillery, aircraft management). thx

From the "West's" perspective, the West was the winner! National Socialists and Communists smashing each other to pieces! It doesn't get any better than that. Of course, the West could have gone for "gold" if they had taken Patton's and Churchill's advice. Iran-Iraq was another good win for the West, two anti-West regimes giving each other a pasting. Plus a few extra Western military sales to sweeten the affair!

With the v3.0 engine almost on our doorstep it is an interesting time to talk "Scenario Design." The introduction of "triggers" should be a big plus in the scenario designers toolbox. Looking forward to see how this will playout. I am hoping that "triggers" will make games vs the AI more interesting. After playing H2H it is a bit of a downer playing the AI as it currently stands. Considering the number of scenarios and QB options I am surprised anyone gets time to play additional scenarios. Although I do understand that a good designer will attract a "fan base". I wonder how many of those downloads actually turned into games played. Agree with the theme of finding an easy method of providing feedback to authors. Maybe an unofficial Battlefront "Scenario of the Month" Directory - be nice if player's game results could be reported electronically to some type of scoreboard. Something like that might encourage players to download and play scenarios, whether H2H or vs AI. Hardly a new or revolutionary software concept.

nice summary Jason, thx.

Hello Battlefront, As you may have noticed many players like taking screenshots and making videos. The UI can be edited out of screenshots rather easily. However, to remove this in video requires a bit more sophisticated software than most of us are willing to shell out for. Could Battlefront include a toggle that allows the player to turn the UI on and off? Thx