Xorg_Xalargsky

Can't say much about Allied halftracks due to a lack of experience, but I find German halftracks are best used to provide an immediate and debilitating amount of firepower on few targets, preferably one per vehicle.

Pretty easy. As I understand, Combat Mission at its core is comprised of three elements. The game's .exe which contains all the game's logic (game code, TO&E, AI, unit statistics, etc...). The .brz data files which contain all the assets (those are packages of other file types such as .bmp images, .wmv audio, and text files) Third-party .dll libraries (of redundancy) that have various uses. When you update a game, the .exe is replaced and .brz data files are added. To go to any version, all you need is the version's .exe and all data files up to that version (.brz are named in sequence). So, just run the update that brings you to the version you want and delete all .brz files from later versions. In your case, run your game's 3.0 Engine Upgrade patch... if it was a stock 3.0 title, then your only option is to re-install (unless someone can get you hooked up with the game's 3.0 .exe).

Oh, sorry, I didn't go into details because my findings were somewhat disappointing. I setup 20 or so clear firing lanes, ~500 meters long and ~32 meters wide. On one end of each was an elite German sniper, on the other was the 1st squad from a Soviet SMG platoon lined against a wire fence (so they are all upright and visible, they each have a platoon leader and a squad leader). I had the test running for a few turns and I counted the casualties by rank. I had my data on a whiteboard so now it's all erased, but I found that ranks became casualties at un-natural rate. Now, this was a simple test and already I can see a few ways it could be improved. For example, maybe add a captain-level officier to the mix as they are more visually distinctive, maybe reduce the range, maybe use other snipers (even with Excellent equipment quality, some German snipers end up with the low-powered scope with the K98K)...

Just performed a basic test and it seems a sniper's target is picked somewhat randomly.

@jonPhillipsHmm... This seems like something that should and could be tested... I've got some hours to kill before work, I'll try to jerry-rig something.

Oh boy, wouldn't that be awesome! It would also be nice if you could save the state of a map after any battle (not only in campaigns) to be able to re-use it later with all the damage. That way, you could have QB's with friends or tournaments that happen on the same battlefields.

I'm afraid we'll have to wait for another bone closer to Rome to Victory's release, the only information we have so far is "additional Commonwealth nations/ethnicities".

Well... not really. You can replicate its functionality with the Target Arc or Target Armored Arc command. All Ambush did in Close Combat was prevent a unit from engaging enemies until they came within ~30 meters or they came under fire.

I've played most Close Combat games, but I don't understand your question since Close Combat has much fewer commands.

I sense a business opportunity, licenses for the right to be rude and insulting.

A proper way to perform "Shoot and Scoot" is certainly on the very top of my wishlist for new commands. As of now, it is possible to replicate the functionality, but its results vary wildly, especially when stealth, surprise, and timing are required. The ultimate use-case would be to have a tank hunter team discharge their weapon, then get the hell away from the target's LOS.

Fortress Italy was always focused on Sicily and mainland Italy, so I'd be very surprised. However, it's probably safe to assume that you'll find most of the core building blocks to protray at least some of that, assuming the vegetation and architecture is more mediterranean in that area.

The word "bone" on this forum is the ultimate dog-whistle. I'm sure we have dozens of people furiously mashing F5 while the supper is burning.

Very good initiative @IanL! Makes you wish for a sub-forum dedicated only to tactics and gameplay tips for all CMx2 titles. The series' wiki is also kind of dead, perhaps this could spark a revival...

@Mannschaft There are a few projects planned as far as we know. Fortress Italy - Rome to Victory module : set to extend the game's timeline to the end of the war, new content is unknown aside from various additional nationalities (colonial troops) for the Commonwealth. Should be released sooner rather than later. Red Thunder - late war module : the only thing we've been told is "IS-2's in the snow". The original plan was for a late 2017/early 2018 release. Shock Force 2 : a re-master of Shock Force which is supposed to bring the content from the game and its modules to the CMx2 4.0 (or newer) standard. No dates given.

@MOS:96B2P I can attest to KG Von Schroif's quality, I'm currently deploying my troops in the 3rd mission! The briefings are well written and the maps are just gorgeous!

@Josey Wales Brilliant investigative work!

I've done simple tests in the past and troops will exit trenches placed in the open. It also seems this is something you see mostly with infantry occupying fortifications against off-map artillery.

As far as I know, Equipment Quality has two effects... 1 - it pre-configures the selected unit in terms of the various force customization options you have access to : Grenadier/Standard, Medium mortar/Heavy mortar, PIAT/no PIAT, StuG III G (mid)/StuG III G (latest), etc... (you get the idea) 2 - small arms loadout, but this varies greatly, and it's not very consistent and depends heavily on the force/time period. In some formations it will have a major effect and in some none at all. For example, in Final Blitzkrieg an october 44' Volksgrenadier unit set to Poor will have a much greater proportion of MP40's, Pzf30k's, and MG34's, as opposed to the same unit set to Excellent which will get more MP44's than you can shake a stick at, mostly Pzf60/100's, and pretty much only MG42's. This option won't make your wunderKriegsmarine squads into something more useful nor issue your Gebirgsjägers with pitchforks and molotov cocktails. It's a bit of a bummer though, I'd love to have more granular control on the distribution of small arms. This could help simulate scenarios where key weapons were lost or where men had access to much better equipment.

Hmm, from a real quick n' dirty test, it seems like the cupola's hatches don't effect the spotting ability of the tank commander. I had 4 IS-2 (mid) look at German rifle squads ~120 meters away in grassy terrain. 2 of them had the commander turned out. The 2 turned out tanks were able to spot all members of their respective enemy squads after a turn where the two buttoned-up were only able to spot 1-3 members. I'd say it's quite likely that opened vehicle doors and hatches don't affect spotting. Likely for gameplay or coding reasons. Still not sure about hitboxes though.

I've just tested this. The IS-1, IS-2 (early), IS-2 (mid), and IS-2 (late) all have the same issue. From estimated measurements, it seems that the commander shares the height used by the T-34 tanks with a cupola, perhaps a case of hasty copy-pasta. In a small not-so-scientific test, German riflemen were able to kill the commanders of the 4 previously mentioned tanks from the frontal quarter.

@Apocal You might want to check on Reddit, there are communities with people dedicated to answering questions about history. https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/ Very large pool of qualified people, even a few resident Soviet experts! https://www.reddit.com/r/WarCollege/ Small, but very dedicated pool of users who focus on military theory and history.

@sbobovyc again with a ground-breaking CMx2 tool, doing god's work!

Interesting, I wasn't aware a full prototype was even assembled! Bit of an anti-climactic end, if not predictable, for the completed tank... On the downside, I'm sure this tale will fuel the Superheavy tank dreams of fanboys world 'round.

Nope, the only batteries equipped with VT-fused shells are the 105mm, 155mm, and 203mm canons.