sttp

Whoa!  The pathfinders did their job and I'm on the second mission and the maps are amazing!!  The tension is incredible as I have paratroopers dropping and scattered all over the countryside!  The Germans could be anywhere... This BP is excellent so far. 👍
 

Wow! For just $9-$13 (depending on country of purchase and local taxes), I find the BP2 to be a great value! Given that I know from first hand experience how much work goes into creating maps and scenarios including all the time necessary to test if the A.I. plans are working properly it is a good deal.  I find that for every hour of playing time, creators will have spent 5 to 10 times that amount laboring over their works.
So a big "Thank you" to the designers, authors, and play testers involved in creating BP2.

Post em if you got em.
We'll Start Here.
CMBN BP2. Thanks to all who put this together!
Pathfinders are on the ground in France.

This video series is aimed at those totally and utterly new to creating scenario AI Plans for the Battlefront Combat Mission game series. 
In Part 1 I describe what AI plans in Combat Mission are, what the three key AI Plan elements are, and an overview of how an AI Plan works.
Part 2 will cover step by step how to create an AI Plan.
Hope its of use!
 
 

I've been watching this set of videos, very well done on D-Day.  For several years I've followed this channel for their 'real time' week by week WW2 series which was excellent.
 
 

I could not help noticing that there is the room for one more extension badge on the welcome splash screen ... when is the release planned ? 🤣  .. just kidding (of course)

In another thread I mentioned I had a set of links saved away I called a set of FAQs. I promised to share so here they are.
This is an export of the bookmarks for the folder I call FAQs on my bookmark list so nothing fancy and, while I did a little fixing up, this is really how disorganized it is on my computer. This is a combination of stuff I think will be useful to me, issues that come up frequently that might benefit others and totally useless topics that I got tired of answering again and again and or I got tired of googling for the last answer that was given. The order below is not really planned either. It's just the way they are organized in my bookmarks. Sometimes the link titles are what the poster used sometimes they are my rewrite. The description was automatically added by FF, except when it didn't. I left it all so some of the spelling mistakes are mine and some are yours I could not careless and only mention it cause I don't want to hear about it . It is possible that a link or two is to an internal tester only part of the forum or I might have repeated a link. If that happens - sorry. I would not mind knowing about those.
You might or might not be able to tell which is which. Either way I hope you all enjoy them! Hey, lets collect your FAQ or Important links in the follow on discussion.
Scenario and Map Design
Scenario designing with AI
Hi,I have had reason to be inspired to create a SP scenario that will feature the player as the attacker.It has occurred to me that there are some basic gam...
Making OP Neptune Spear – A Scenario Design Tutorial
Ok a couple of people (yes you @Borg ) have been screaming out for a ‘Special Ops Mission’.  So I thought – hell why not?  But there is a twist to this … ...
Scenario Test & Discussion Thread
I did a lot of work on the scenario yesterday, mostly in the AI Plan. Here are the highlights: Fixed the runaway MG team problem (yes, it was just th...
AI triggers small tutorial
Using Google Earth to create contours
Adding spoilers using the editor
CM Maps Universal Translator Tool - Manual hex edit instructions
Flavor Object Placement and limits
Is there a limit to the number of flavor objects you can insert into a map? Or the number you can have within some set number of square meters? I keep...
Spotting Objectives
An interesting discussion of how Spotting objective work and how you might use them
How to use Mod tags
Instructions on how to use mod tags with scenario authorship
Another Mod How to
This one includes how to add multiple tags
Supply platoons and ammo dumps
A post discussing how vehicles from the same platoon converted into ammo dumps combine into a single ammo dump.
 
Mods
How to install mods
The short and sweet explanation of how to install mods.
Mods and sub folders
Because the short version didn't make it clear.
 
Tank fighting positions
Static defenses
OK I went and did some experimenting.  Here is a scenario with four different prepared tank positions on each side one is T90s vs M1s and one is T90s vs Bra...
Battle positions for tanks/AFVs
I think M1A1TC's description of how BPs are used goes to demonstrate just how hard it would be to code the AI behaviour for them.
 
Writing Briefing Info
CCIR in briefings - Combat Mission - Black Sea - Battlefront.com Community
Commanders essentially do two things - they lead and make decisions. CCIRs are designed to allow them to make informed decisions and are recommended to th...  
 
Destroying Bridges
http://community.battlefront.com/topic/94780-how-do-i-blow-bridges-up-staftesters-q/?tab=comments#comment-1235110
Steve's direct answer to why blowing bridges is not part of CM
http://community.battlefront.com/topic/110304-destroying-a-bridge/
What can destroy a bridge.
http://community.battlefront.com/topic/110851-can-pioneers-blow-bridges-in-mg/
Market Garden specific discussion
http://community.battlefront.com/topic/124968-blowing-bridges/
A discussion about blowing bridges
Spotting
LOS Through Trees and general explination Good discussion.  Picking up on the last train of thought... design for effect vs. engineer for effect...   Spotting and Multi-threading So if the spotting cycle were reduced the chances to spot in any given cycle would have to be reduced to keep the results in the game the same. An increase in resources dedicated to spotting checks could allow the game some room to tweak some corner cases but that is about it.   Spotting cycle explanation   Tactical Tips
Learning the ropes of IFV combat 1 hour ago, Ivan Zaitzev said: I don't know much about modern warfare.I'm more of a WWII guy and can't say I'm very good at that either. So,...   YouTube Play List of Tactic Instruction This playlist includes: Combat Mission Normandy Tactics - by Jeffrey Paulding Combat Mission: Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures - by Chris Maillet Combat M...   Tactical Lifehack - Getting solidiers to Stand up when not moving 15 hours ago, Vanir Ausf B said: The Pause + move command thing does work with the caveat that the unit must be already moving when the paus...   HQ in BMP impoves spotting and engagment I did some tests... 1 BMP-3M  at 300 meters open field against 2 strikers.   Only gunner and driver: average spotting time of strykers and engagem... Hull Down & Partial Hull Down Advantages
V4.0 Hull Down question
           How to use the command and other disagreements.
Sniper Tactics
           Some thoughts on how to utilize snipers - some advice from an actual sniper!
 
New To Multiplayer
Announcing "Whose Turn Is It?" a PBEM turn management program
Use Dropbox / WTII / CMHelper for multiplayer games
PBEM opponent wanted
Search for PBEM opponents
New player resource list
In the meantime, Mishrae, welcome to the forums. Don't forget to bookmark both the repository, and The Scenario Depot III:http://www.thefewgoodmen.com/ts...
  Unit Behaviour
Command Connection - Company CO commanding section   C2 & Information Sharing - Redux   The Relationship between Soft Factors, Morale & Fatigue The Relationship between Soft Factors, Morale & Fatigue    Preface Hi all, I'm pretty new to the BFC forums but I've been milling about over . Buddy Aid: How to handle casulties at the border of AS
XO or 2IC taking over command
 
Targeting Buildings
Targeting with tanks in an urban envionment   City fighting, what are the isssues?? - Page 3   It's got to go It really has. Before we come to the wide open plains of the Rodina. What has to go? The requirement to be able to spot the ground plane at the centre of an...   Urban Combat: share your tips and techniques that work for you With the market garden module on the way and some improvements to urban combat mentioned by BFC I thought now would be a good time to start a thread about w...   It's got to go. - Steve's comment I know this thread has been quiet for over a month, but today I stumbled upon it and figured I would address the issues here since, no doubt, they will come...  
Performance Discussions
Ben's Video settings This what I have ticked "on" in the Nvidia Control Panel ...   Performance Optimization   Notes on Performance for NVIDIA gpu And now for some hard data to prove my point regarding inconsistency in antialiasing levels with my hardware/drivers: AA 4x (default in-game setting) vs AA 16x (set in Nvidia control panel) --> AA 16x wins with higher FPS's. ...   Performace Discission With Steve As my topic, I'm wondering if there's any optimization done on the new Combat Mission. The mouse and control lag is really painful when there's more than a ...   CM:BS Performance Nvida settings   Erratic frame rate investigation Open GL instructions analysis   AMD Graphics card Recommended Settings     Full Battle Playback
Review entire battle?
Future Feature Request: Save Replays for Playback Battle video - Combat Mission: Shock Force
Full replay some thoughts  
 
IP Address Problems
blocked battlefront site
I really, really want to buy new CM .... but My ip is blocked for 2 or 3 years already I know at least 10 other CM fans who can't access www.battlefront....
not allowed to buy your product?
Dear Publishers/Admins/(Devs?)   I am a big fan of your games and products. I find it disappointing that I can not access and purchase any of your games usi...
Battlefront site blocked
While traveling, I found that this site is nearly always blocked at airport lounges even though other game sites are not blocked. Just thought maybe someth...
 
Bones and Future Plans
May 2018 General Update
May 2018 Engine 4 Patch update
May 2018 Update on Shock Force 2
May 2018 CMFI Rome to Victory Bones
May 2018 CMRT Module 1 - to be named later - Bones
2017 Summer Bones
15 hours ago, Apocal said: Someone in another thread mentioned that BF's programmer had left. I immediately assumed it was ChrisND since he ...
July 2015 what's next post
It's been a while since we've laid out our development plans. Time to change that As always we are hard at work on more than one thing at a time. The big pr...
 
Unit Encyclopedia
In game unit encyclopedia Hello. I am a long time Combat Mission player that started with Beyond Overlord and have played most of Battlefronts Combat Mission games. The one thing I ...   Other / Not Categorized
How to update a PBEM game after applying a patch or upgrade of the game   Sell on Steam? Steve's summary   Steve's discussion of DRM   Load Time Varies with Number of Mods?
AT Guns: Re-crewing There are three basic technical complaints as I see it: 1. Rotation speed 2. Pushing speed 3. Ability to take cover far from the gun CM presumes battle...   Any plans for Vin's animated text to be updated On 23/05/2016 at 8:55 AM, CMFDR said: "Cas" versions have casualties in plain letters instead of signs. As you asked for Erwin:  ...   Crews Re-manning Tanks There are a lot of aspects of crew behavior that could be looked at, but I think it would be helpful to keep in mind that tank and crew behavior in Combat...   150mm heat from a 50mm AT gun   Indirect Fire
General Advice
Rate of Fire and Rounds Used
Artillery and Smoke
How come smoke rounds are unusable (and who's responsibility is it to keep track)
 
Saved Links
Command Friction - Applying C3 Effects A set of Rules   Newbie H2H questions - Combat Mission: Battle for Normandy - Battlefront.com Community   Combat Mission Victory Calculator One for the scenario designers. I've been thinking about a dormant Carpiquet campaign I really want to get done and realised it's a bit hard to test objecti...   CM Career Record System CM Career Record System [Now featuring Red Thunder] Combat Mission Red Thunder   Best way to structure objectives for screen scenario What do you want each player to do? Figure that out, then reward them for doing the 'right' thing. It seems to me that the two sides have quite differ...

I remember a bug that was squashed many years ago where Barbed Wire on a map led to crashes. Unsure if you continued to experience problems if the barbed wire was purchased/placed while the bug was active in the game version.
Open the file in the editor and delete all the barbed wire in the unit selection screen. If you can then load the 3D preview with the side that has the barbed wire (I assume the Germans) and it loads successfully that was probably the fix. The downside is you need to repurchase all the barbed wire and place it again from scratch. But it's a path forward.
Juno Beach needs to some love. Tailleville was once on my to do list. @Paper Tiger - Did your Road to Carpiquet idea ever get off the ground?
I can open and play that scenario now with on my RX5900X, 16GB RAM and a GTX3080ti. I don't want to though, as every time I dabble in the old CMBB and CMAK I dream of early and mid war CM2.
In terms of performance with this pack, some of the battles are very large and will take a little bit to load and/or process the first turn from deployment. Particularly the Utah Beach mission in the D-Day campaign. Should balance out once the first turn is processed. Organise your off map support missions and then start moving troops in the second turn if you encounter problems.
4.03 had a bug where the German infantry forces when purchased in the editor had the top of the line small arms equipment regardless of quality selected. So a "poorly" equipped formation still had MG42's and STG44's like they were handed out like candy. This really wouldn't be a good look when you are trying to recreate second tier forces along the beaches in this pack. I noticed BF added in the G41 as a replacement for the G43 in poorly equipped formations as part of the 4.04 patch.
I touched on this in the Dev Diary, but there was a point in the proposal phase where I was asking for the array of small arms introduced in Fire and Rubble / Downfall modules to be available for a second tier German infantry formation in CMBN. Think an Ost Battalion type of formation. The equipment is all over the place so buddy aid really won't help you much if you are scrounging ammo. This was a bridge too far for a pack though.

Really really really looking forward to this!!
 

I'm psyched for this, I still have other ongoing CM campaigns, but they're not going to be completed anytime soon. Sooooo, off to Utah beach it is! 🤣

Huh... seems to be working now(!!), but I swear that what Centurian suggested was one of the first things I tried. So I have a Ranger Battalion from '43 Italy working with a Ranger Battalion from '44, and something similar for early and late German motorized battalions.
Perhaps there was some other kind of limitation on the formations I'd originally chosen, or I screwed something up, but at least it's confirmation that conceptually it is possible. 
Thanks gentlemen!

First, yes, the title is a pun.  As this is foundational data, but it was also drawn from playing around in the CMBN first Basic Training Mission. 
I realized that one of my biggest problems is time and space.  Like last night, I was playing a small scenario of 45 minutes with 5 spatial objectives.  I realized I was running into trouble when the clock said +28m remaining and I had only completed objective #1.  Too much cautious recon (night mission).  So, I pulled out a Major Victory, but it required me for the rest of the scenario to double time it with split squads moving in leap frog bounding over watch.  And I truly finished, right as the clock struck 0m.
Thus, today, I decided to do something about my playing style.  One YouTuber had said he plans based what it would take to just walk the map.  Realizing that I had no concept of time and space, I decided to do some analysis which I will share here.  I realize that most of you ubermensch, do much more rigorous data collection, but I think this should be sufficient to get me started.
 
**********************************
***** MOVEMENT (Scout/Squad) *****
**********************************

RESTED/FIT/REGULAR SCOUTS (MIXED/OPTIMAL CONDITIONS)
Walk:     50M
Quick:   120M
Run:     140M (1t tired)
Hunt:     40M
Slow:     15M (2t tired)
RESTED/FIT/REGULAR SQUAD (MIXED/OPTIMAL CONDITIONS)
Quick:    80M (complete in 1 turn) (same final dispersion as assault)
Assault:  50M [lead team] 0M [rear team] (for long assault)
          20-25M (completes in 1 turn) (same final dispersion as assault)
          100M (completes in 3 turns)
          (linear spacing is very much a function of the waypoint placement)
          (at 30M/min, it is slower movement than manual player bounds)
---
* Squad movement standing seems 66% of scout movement.
* If there is overwatch, and the enemy is suppressed.  QUICK is probably your best way to cover ground.
* HUNT is too slow to cover a map in most time frames, and is in the same class of commands as RUN and SLOW.
* RUN is best used to sprint between cover to cover; especially as teams which find cover easier.
* ASSAULT is probably a toss up between manual squad command and TACAI coordinated.  An ASSAULT should probably be no more than 100M to avoid the squad from getting too spread out.  Additional suppressing fire advised.

I decided a while back to replace one of the house textures (the one with large grey blocks) with something a little different and ended up adding four new house skins along with two new modular building skins.  While I was working on the files, I also added basic weathering to the tile roofs for all buildings.  You can download the file from the link below and place it in your data/Z folder.  
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OjN0AcVIsFzEthIbAaTBq2CXrhVbLQTN/view?usp=sharing

Already subscribed!! Especially useful for me were the vids on mounting and dismounting and (especially) how to tell the blast command exactly which section you want blown up. Who knew?!?!

The Relationship between Soft Factors, Morale & Fatigue 
 
Preface
Hi all, I'm pretty new to the BFC forums but I've been milling about over at the FGM for a little over a year. I recently created the below post and it received a lot of positive feedback to the point that it has now become one of the sitcky threads over there.
I have been prompted to post the thread here and after a conversation I had in another thread on this forum, I thought that by placing it here, then non-FGM members can have a read through without me having to copy and paste snippets from the original post at the FGM.

Introduction

Whether selecting unit attributes in a quick battle or whether in game wondering if you should use your +1 Leadership squad or +2 Motivation squad to assault a farmhouse. it can be difficult to make an informed decision due to the fact that there is not a lot of information in the manual which explains how the attributes of Experience, Leadership, Motivation and Fitness (hereby collectively known as the 'Soft Factors') affect certain game concepts such as Morale, Suppression, Firepower and Fatigue.

The forums can be slightly misleading as some posts describe exactly how something works whilst others are more how people feel something is working and it can be difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff.

The information below is based on a painstaking process using the editor to separate out the impact of different factors by isolating them and testing them under different conditions. By isolating and testing these factors, the mechanics behind the concepts of Morale, Suppression, Accuracy, C2 and Fatigue start to reveal themselves and after several red herrings, dead ends and lots of repetition the information below has been teased out from the game.
2 videos accompany this post to explain some of the findings, however all of the findings can be backed up by video evidence.

The editor used was the one for Fortress Italy v2.00 Engine 4.0.

SPOILER ALERT - if you prefer the murkiness of not knowing how the Soft Factors affect gameplay then please stop reading.

Having said that the following information does not quantify the game concepts affected by the soft factors but instead generalises as what is likely to happen within a certain concept under certain conditions to units with high and low values for the soft factors.


Morale

Before being able to explain the characteristics of the 'Soft Factors', it is imperative to understand how Morale works in the game.

Morale reflects the psychological state of a unit and determines its ability to respond to orders and fight.

Morale states from highest to lowest are;
 
Ok > Cautious > Nervous > Rattled > (Shaken) > (Panic) > Broken
States shown in brackets () are temporary states.

The states Ok through to Nervous are simple gradations and a Nervous unit will not behave differently from an Ok one.

Rattled troops which become Pinned (or highly suppressed) will dash for safety, even if they are stationary when they become Pinned (or highly suppressed).

Shaken troops will cower in their current position in the hope that the pressure will ease. They will not respond to orders or fire their weapons.

Note: Shaken troops observed running for cover have been Pinned (or highly suppressed) in the Rattled state prior to becoming Shaken.

Panicked troops will try and run away from the perceived threat to save their own hides. They will not respond to orders or fire their weapons.

Shaken and Panicked states are temporary and will eventually revert back to one of the other persistent states depending on the situation and the Experience, Leadership and Motivation of the unit.

Broken troops will respond to orders but are 'Brittle' and will quickly become Shaken or Panicked if fired upon. Broken troops will remain Brittle for the remainder of the battle irrespective of their Experience, Leadership, Motivation and Fitness.

Morale is affected by 2 conditions of the battlefield and each of these conditions impact on Morale in different ways.
 
1. Combat Stress

Combat Stress has a persistent impact on Morale and is caused by casualty build up.

Casualties sustained reduce the Morale of the unit for the remainder of the game and is therefore known as a persistent effect.

Morale affected in this way cannot be regained (except under one specific condition - see Leadership). The impact of Combat Stress depends on the number of casualties sustained over time and the Experience, Leadership and Motivation of the unit.

Not only does taking casualties effect the Morale of the unit directly impacted, other units organisationally closely connected are also affected in the same way but to a lesser extent. The persistent Morale effect of casualty build up only effects other units via organisational connection regardless of geographical proximity.

Example 1 - 1st and 2nd Sqd of 1st Plt are separated by 500m. As 1st squad sustains casualties and suffers a persistent Morale impact, 2nd Sqd will also suffer a persistent Morale impact even though it is 500m away and has no LOS to 1st Sqd.

Example 2 - 1st Sqd of 1st Plt is within 10m of 3rdSqd of 2nd Plt. 3rd Sqd of 2nd Plt receives incoming fire and half of the unit is wiped out and the Sqd is instantly Shaken. 1st Sqd of 1st Plt receives no impact to their persistent Morale state due to the fact that they are in a different Platoon. 2nd Plt would have to take far more casualties before any of 1st Plt become affected.

The way that Combat Stress is distributed to other units is vertical between different platoons and companies although it is horizontal between units of the same platoon.


2. Combat Shock

Combat Shock has a temporary impact on Morale and is caused by suppression.          Suppression has a temporary impact on Morale and the affect is removed once the suppression is lifted.

         The duration the unit remains suppressed for depends on the amount of incoming Firepower, the immediate casualties sustained, Experience & Leadership of the unit.

         The temporary impact on Morale of being suppressed depends on the amount of incoming Firepower, the immediate casualties sustained and the Experience, Leadership & Motivation of the unit.


Suppression Indicator

The Suppression Indicator is not merely a measure of incoming fire, more accurately it represents the units perception as to how much danger it is in based on the incoming Firepower, the immediate casualties sustained, and the Experience, Leadership & Motivation of the unit.

Inexperienced, poorly led and unmotivated units suffer the greatest Morale impact from being suppressed whilst inexperienced and poorly led units can remain suppressed for sometime after the last shot was fired in their direction.
 
Pinned

If the Suppression Indicator becomes full the unit becomes Pinned. Stationary Pinned (or highly suppressed) troops will return fire but will not respond to movement orders until the suppression has reduced.

Troops which become Pinned (or highly suppressed) whilst moving to a waypoint will attempt to dash for cover. If no cover is nearby, they will hit the deck.

Rattled troops which become Pinned (or highly suppressed) will dash for safety, even if they are stationary when they become Pinned.

Experienced and well led troops recover from being Pinned quicker than inexperienced or poorly led troops.
  C2 - Command & Control

C2, or Command and Control, reflects the effect of having a unit being able to receive orders from and deliver information to its HQ team.

Being within a C2 link does not provide resistance to the persistent impact on Morale caused by Combat Stress.

Being within a close C2 link (Close Visual/Voice) does provide resistance to the impact on Morale caused by Combat Shock - troops within C2 range of their HQ unit are less affected by the temporary impact of suppression upon Morale as they are less stressed by being shot at and the immediate impact of seeing team/squadmates killed & wounded is reduced.

More experienced units pass on information to their buddies and superiors quicker than less experienced units. This includes verbal, visual and radio communications.

The range of visual and audio C2 is fixed for all Soft Factors, Morale and Fatigue states but will vary by terrain. In open ground;
: Voice range < 50m (unless the HQ is hiding in which case voice range drops to <25m)
: Close visual range <100m

  Experience

Experience reflects the amount of training and combat experience the unit has.

Experience levels from least experience/training to most experience are;
 
Conscript > Green > Regular > Veteran > Crack > Elite
Experience has 6 characteristics which impact on the unit;
 
1. Spotting - troops with higher experience are able to spot enemy contacts sooner than less experienced troops.

2. Firepower - higher experienced troops will engage at longer ranges and have greater accuracy than less experienced troops. They therefore tend to cause more casualties to the enemy than their less experienced counterparts during a firefight.

3. Resistance to Combat Stress - more experienced troops are less affected by the psychological impact of losing team/squadmates.

This characteristic is cumulative with Leadership and Motivation. 

4. Resistance to Combat Shock - experienced troops are less affected by the temporary impact of suppression upon Morale. They are more used to being shot at and better desensitised to the immediate impact of seeing team/squadmates killed & wounded than less experienced troops.

This characteristic is cumulative with Leadership and Motivation. 

5. Suppression Recovery - experienced troops recover quicker from being suppressed (including being Pinned), they realise when the incoming fire has shifted away from them sooner than less experienced troops do.

This characteristic is cumulative with Leadership.

6. More experienced units pass on information to their buddies and superiors quicker than less experienced units. This includes verbal, visual and radio communications.

Leadership

Leadership reflects the quality of NCO's or other team leaders in the team or squad to organise and support the troops. Leaders can be of varying quality.

Leadership is shown as a simple modifier ranging from;
 
-2 > -1 > 0 > +1 > +2 Note: A Leadership modifier only applies to the unit with the Modifier (like all other modifiers). In other words it does not filter down to sub-ordinate units (see HQ Leadership Modifier Example).

Leadership has 3 characteristics which effect unit behaviour under duress;
 
1. Resistance to Combat Stress - better led troops are less affected by the psychological impact of losing team/squadmates.

This characteristic is cumulative with Experience and Motivation.

2. Resistance to Combat Shock - well led troops are less affected by the temporary impact of suppression upon Morale. The NCO's are better at encouraging the troops under fire and getting them to remember their training when faced with the immediate impact of seeing team/squadmates killed & wounded.

This characteristic is cumulative with Experience and Motivation.

3. Suppression Recovery - well led troops recover quicker from being suppressed (including being Pinned), they realise when the incoming fire has shifted away from them sooner than poorly led troops do.

This characteristic is cumulative with Experience.  Unlike the characteristics denoted by Experience, if the Leader of a team or squad is incapacitated, the Leadership value of the unit will change to that of the next most senior member who steps up as the Leader. This value can go up as well as down, for example, a unit with a +1 Leader incapacitated and replaced by a -1 Leader will suffer a hit on Morale which may be enough to cause a persistent drop in the unit's Morale state. Similarly however, if a -2 Leader is incapacitated and replaced with a 0 Leader, the unit will receive a boost in Morale which may be enough to cause a persistent increase in the unit's Morale state.

Note: In Engine v4.0 manual page 68 it states that a Leadership bonus will help "direct fire to be more effective". However, this has not been possible to reproduce using various tests. Whereas the difference in accuracy between Crack units and Green units is repeatable and obvious, the effect of Leadership on accuracy is not apparent.

  HQ Leadership Modifier Example

Reading some posts, there is a lot of confusion over how this Modifier works with HQ units. So I will clarify it here.

The Leadership (Ldrshp) modifier for all units (from Btn Hqs through to Plt Hqs down to squads and teams) only effects the unit that the modifier is for, in the same way that a -2 Fitness modifier only effects the fitness of the unit that the modifier is for.

In fact, it helps to think of the Leadership modifier in the same was as the Fitness modifier. An unfit Plt HQ does not make all of the squads in that platoon unfit aswell.

So a squad with a -1 Ldrshp modifier is not offset by the +1 Ldrshp modifier of its Plt HQ. The squad will still suffer the penalties of having -1 Ldrshp.

So how does having a Plt HQ with a poor leader affect the performance of the Platoon?

This is best illustrated with an example;
  Lt Bike is the Plt Leader of 1st Plt. He has a Leadership modifier of -2. All 3 of the squads in 1st Plt are Regulars with average ability NCO's so no Ldrshp modifiers for the squads. For reference 1st Plt HQ is also Regular.

1st Plt are on a patrol and 1st Squad makes contact with an enemy force. After a couple of minutes, the casualties from 1st Sqd begin to mount. Not only does this have a persistent Morale affect on 1st Sqd, it also has a persistent Morale affect on the other 2 Squads and the Plt HQ because of their close organisational link.

However, because the Plt HQ has Lt Bike with his -2 Ldrshp modifier, it suffers a greater impact on Morale than 2nd or 3rd Sqd does from the build up of 1st Sqds casualties.

After another minute of combat, the persistent morale states of the Platoon are;
  Plt HQ - Rattled
1st Squad - Rattled
2nd Squad - Nervous
3rd Squad - Nervous As the combatants manoeuvre for position, the Plt HQ comes under fire. As the HQ team is already Rattled, it doesn't take much suppression to drop their Morale state temporarily into Shaken.

Now that the HQ unit is Shaken, the C2 link between the HQ and the 3 squads is cut. This makes the squads more vulnerable to the Morale effects of suppression (see C2 - Command & Control).

As 1st Squad is already under suppressive fire, its Morale state instanteously drops from Rattled to Shaken because of the loss of the C2 link (see C2 - Command & Control).

The HQ will take longer to recover from the supression than it normally would for a Regular unit because of its -2 Ldrshp modifier, meaning that as a consequence, the C2 link is broken for longer.

So we now have the following situation after 5 minutes;
  Plt HQ - Shaken
1st Squad - Shaken
2nd Squad - Nervous
3rd Squad - Nervous If we rewind the clock and give Lt Bike +2 Ldrshp modifier, then re-run under exactly the same circumstances the situation would have been after 5 minutes;
  Plt HQ - Nervous
1st Squad - Rattled
2nd Squad - Nervous
3rd Squad - Nervous This is because the Plt HQ would not have been so affected by the casualty build up of 1st Sqd so that when the HQ came under some suppressive fire, it was still in a high enough Morale state not to become Shaken by it and therefore the C2 link between the HQ and the Squads and the benefits it brings (see C2 - Command & Control) would still be intact.



Motivation

Motivation reflects the units dedication to the cause and their willingness to sacrifice themselves for their squad mates and commanders.

Motivation from best to worst ranges as;
 
Poor > Low > Normal > High > Extreme > Fanatic Motivation has 3 characteristics which effect unit behaviour under duress;
 
1. Resistance to Combat Stress - better motivated troops are less affected by the psychological impact of losing team/squadmates.

This characteristic is cumulative with Experience and Leadership.

2. Resistance to Combat Shock - highly motivated troops are less affected by the temporary impact of suppression upon Morale. They are less psychologically affected by being shot at and better desensitised to the immediate impact of seeing team/squadmates killed & wounded than their less motivated counterparts.

This characteristic is cumulative with Experience and Leadership.

3. Resistance to Panic and Breaking - highly motivated troops can be Shaken but are less likely to Panic and try to run from the fight to save themselves. They are also more likely to recover to a positive morale state after being Shaken than less motivated troops and are less likely to become Broken and Brittle.

Fanatic units will not surrender.
Fatigue

Fatigue is the physical effect of running around and using up energy.

Fatigue states best to worst are;
 
Rested > Ready > Tiring > Tired > Fatigued > Exhausted
Tired troops cannot Fast Move.

Fatigued troops cannot Fast, Assault or Hunt Move.

Exhausted troops cannot Fast, Assault, Hunt or Quick Move.

More tired troops do not move slower than less tired troops moving at the same movement command, ie Unfit troops moving at Fast Move, cover distance at the same rate as Fit troops moving at Fast Move, they just won't be able to keep up that pace for as long.

Keeping troops stationary recovers their fatigue relatively quickly. Hiding troops has no additional benefit.

Troops will recover fatigue whilst at the Move but it is at a slower rate.

Experience, Leadership and Motivation do not effect Fatigue states or recovery times.

Fatigue has no effect on Morale either from Combat Stress or Combat Shock.

Fatigue has no effect on accuracy nor the range at which targets are engaged at.


Fitness

Fitness represents a units physical resistance to Fatigue.

Fitness states from best to worst are;
 
Fit > Weakened > Unfit  
Fitness has 3 characteristics which effect unit behaviour under physical exertion;

1. Fitter troops tire less quickly from Fast Move (sprinting), Slow Move (crawling) and Quick Move (jogging).

2. Fitter troops recover from tired states sooner than less fit troops.

3. Weakened and Unfit troops recover fatigue on the Move extremely slowly.  
Closing

All of the conclusions made above have been arrived at through thorough isolation and testing procedures which can be backed up by video evidence.

There is more stuff in the CMx2 engine to dig up than what has been uncovered here but for now I'm unable to go further into this rabbit hole.

Hopefully the information presented here clears up some of the historical confusions that have been around on the various forums. It may also affect the way in which unit purchases are thought about, and hopefully it allows players to make better informed tactical decisions and enhance the way their game is played.

Josey Wales updated 24/09/17

A while back, I had modified Juju's excellent floating icon pack to match my own preferences.  The colors I chose were based on the old Squad Leader board games; Axis icons are blue, USA and Russia are green, and British is khaki.  Since USA and Britain share some icons, I ended up making the common icons (command units, snipers, spotters, etc.) a color halfway between green and Khaki.  It's a little distracting but I really wanted the two nations to be unique. 
I did end up adding a few icons for DLCs but if you notice any others that are missing, please let me know.  Icon sets for all four WWII games are included so only pick the one folder that matches your game and move it into the Data/Z folder.     
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QWeUcUfywL08RQrjnJY1Kr30PtQxc3rH/view?usp=sharing
 

Blueballed once again!
C'mon Battlefront, tell us already!!!!
In the meantime, really looking forward to this Battlepack.

Blueballed once again!
C'mon Battlefront, tell us already!!!!
In the meantime, really looking forward to this Battlepack.

What about AI for pixel troopen that would (1) not run into mine fields when those have been clearly marked by engineers and (2) not run into a rolling artillery barrage (kind of stopping before) …. Overall just little smarter pixel trooper when it’s about their virtual life 😁
That too nobody expects it 😬

Still playing the Spearhead campaign, I have finally reached the big Elsdorf scenario, which seems to represent an early highlight of the campaign:
 

This little mini documentary shows how lucky Wittmann was.
Excellent work by the tank museum!!!!

What might help your is that there are mods for gridded terrain, that help you see the subtle contours of the ground. Some people like them, others prefer to crawl around the map. Check the repository at The Few Good Men and look under the terrain headings. 
Dave

How To Enjoy Hassle Free Convoying in CM. 
https://youtu.be/3Lz97ZDXSWs
The video uses Red Thunder but techniques shown apply equally to all the CM games. 

The weapons serve different functions so they're kinda hard to compare. Having played through most campaigns/scenarios, I can say that I never paused and went "uh oh, a Bren" whereas the MG42 unexpectedly rearing its head was often akin to getting smacked across the face. In-game, the MG42 on a pod is possibly the deadliest anti-personnel you can put into the hands of infantry. I'm not sure what the soft factors are for the Bren but having used it I didn't notice anything lacking per se, it effectively does what you expect it to do. I think it's closer comparison is maybe the BAR, of which the Bren is better, IMO, though the American squads overall end up having way more firepower thanks to the Garands mostly.

🥹
CMx3 with a modern 3D engine to allow smooth evolution of our hardware behind, and in Normandy of course ... !?!?
=> Take my €€€€€ Battlefront 😍
Bye from Normandy 🫡