DerKommissar

I mean I'd definitely be interested too -- I'd love a 3d SP (the WW2 one is also very good). Yet, is the CM engine good for SP? SP has always been a you-go-I-go hex-game. If you made SP we-go/RT, like CM is, it wouldn't be SP. One of the benefits of 2d, is that it's easier to make sprites than 3d models and the hex-grid also simplifies map making. One of the reasons SP games have SO MUCH content. ... did someone say Fulda Gap?

I'd be pretty happy even if they pick VDV over VMF. VDV got a lot of really unique vehicles. I'd love to play as/against a modern day Mobile Infantry. APCs, IFVs, SPGs and tank destroyers falling from the sky! Oh well, maybe not that... still want to see those ****ty little BMDs. Uncons would make a lot of sense too. I'd be pretty happy with introducing asymmetric gameplay to BS.

Yeah, CM: Fulda Gap is great! Visible helicopters, all T-72 variants for the entire Warsaw Pact, all M113 variants for the entire NATO forces, dynamic campaign, improved graphics... I got it bundled with KoTOR 3, Half Life 3, VSB 3 and Starcraft Ghost (3)! I'd post videos, but the CIA is in the process of ransacking my apartment.

Thanks for the clarification. Pretty happy with the content on the horizon. Not complaining about the amount of content in BS. IMHO it probably has more content than most other titles. I love that it has 3 unique factions. USMC is my favourite American service. I like them more than US Army. I also prefer the VMF, and the VDV, to the MSV. Pop-culture-induced favouritism aside, I see why they picked US Army and MSV. It pleased the ravenous Fulda Gap fanatic, inside me. Hope the modules take less time to push out than a redesign of an entire game and all its expansions.

Yeah, even more reason it's strange that USMC, Ukranian Marines and VMF don't appear in Black SEA.

Aye, an issue with my suggestion of modeling various AFV Steering systems too. It'd be a nightmare for path-finding. I would be happy to see pistol ports fully functional or crew hand-grenades. A CM1 feature I always desperately wanted in CM2 is random map generation. I really liked the CM1 one. That would really take CM2 to new heights (get it?).

Yeah, as of late, I am not happy with Bohemia Interactive. I'm much more interested in Virtual Battlespace then in more garbage survival shooters. The trend seems to be that they are going to be making kiddy games for the consumers and proper simulations for governments. Thank the Nine that BFC is sticking to their niche. I can't wait until Rome to Victory, let alone the unnamed Red Thunder module. Hopefully CMSF 2 does really well and cash can expedite the development of these. I'm curious regarding BFC's opinion on crowdfunding. I'd be glad to be a backer of more content.

My computer doesn't like large busy maps in CM, even less so than in Arma. Performance/technical optimization would be very much welcome.

Great AAR, by the way. Really inspires me to make one for a Final Blitzkrieg campaign I'm doing!

It's actually funny because Canada did what the South States tried to do, but had a lucky star when it came to Confederation. If it were not for Confederation, Canada would be a series of British territories. The current Ontario and Quebec was cut into Upper Canada and Lower Canada, prior. While the US was fighting a GB proxy down South, GB colonies up north decided to band together against a potential US invasion. The irony being that Canada and the US have the warmest relations now, while both states were founded on mutual distrust. 1812 got the Canada ball rolling, as it demanded centralization and also drew a distinction between Canadian domestic doctrine and British imperial doctrine. A lot of revolts occurred soon after, for the same reasons the American revolution did. There was a guy called William Lyon McKenzie that tried to overthrow Upper Canada (in 1830s, prior to civil war/confederation) and make it an American style Republic -- and got pretty far, too. Now, I'll try to prevent this thread from turning into the North American 19th Century History Thread. A friend of mine told me about his cousin in Russia, who flunked out of Uni and then managed to BS his way past conscription. Then I remember reading that most young men eligible for conscription can "opt" out via bribes/medical simulation. When able guys can easily dodge the draft, who remains?

Yeah, I found @Vet 0369's ideas pretty good. I believe Isreal has a similar system? It's surprising that women serving in the military is still a taboo in America. I remember reading that they cannot be snipers. I remember seeing a picture of some female tankers of the Russian military. If there were more female tankers in America, I can imagine the Abrams' stowage would be much neater, xD. I am not entirely sure I see much purpose of a conscription army for the USA. USA, like Great Britain, has always relied on fighting on foreign soil. Even now most of the military is deployed outside of the mainland. Unless you need a bunch of people to watch the borders to Canada and Mexico, the only need for conscription is if WW3 happens, or space aliens attack. In Canada, conscription has a really bad history. It was invoked in WW1 and, eventually, in WW2. The one in WW2 was conditional, as famously put "Conscription if necessary, not necessarily conscription". Granted, nobody likes conscription -- but these were two of the largest crises in our history. It encouraged separatism that is still felt today. Was this not the case, I'd think Norway's system wouldn't be bad for us. We have similar climates and low population density. Then again, the British system of keeping a small professional army is working adequately. But implementation depends more on internal politics, much more so than any external military threats. Unless the US wants an 1812 rematch, that's not going to change.

It's like you got a bunch of fussy grannies waiting at the bus stop. "Oh, it's those bus drivers, again. They're always late." "It's not their fault! The traffic here is always bad." "Oh? You're in love with them, then? You always defend them." "No. You're just putting blame on something they can't control." "Oh, the bus company should at least give us better schedules." "No, no... Then you would complain about that schedule when the bus is inadvertently late or early." "Well, I have a right to complain if the bus is late!" "If it isn't convenient to you, learn to drive!" "How about /you/ learn to drive! I expect these bus drivers to do that, that's why I buy the tickets." "It's a busy road, even if you're the best driver you couldn't always be on time." "Oh, so you're defending them, again?" Other people waiting for the bus have heard these grannies argue the same points yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that... If you want to amuse yourself, read these discussions in the voices of John Cleese and Eric Idle.

Yeah, it's not a simple scenario. I lost myself more than one Sherman too. I think the Germans are using the Pak 40 in that scenario, could be the Pak 38. Those are really good AT guns, arguably the best. The Pak 40 can turn your Sherman into a smoldering trash can with one shot. The bocage stunned me, at first, as well. I could not believe some hedges could be a serious obstacles until I started reading some Normandy memoirs. These bulwarks of thick dirt, rocks and wood are a force of nature. Your success in Normandy depends on if you can use it better than the Huns. How were they dealt with? Well, nothing short of a demolition charge can break it -- do not waste valuable HE ammo on it (I've tried). Specialized Sherman variants were created that had giant metal teeth on their front that could cut through. They were a much needed solution to the bocage problem. The sappers/engineers/pioneers are invaluable and carry demo charges, you need to command them to BLAST through the bocage. This will open a path for your tank through the hedge and let you go where the enemy does not expect. Remember tanks are useless without infantry. Even with today's technology the situational awareness of an infantry man is better. The bocage is infantry's best friend. Not only does it provide serious resistance to bullets and shrapnel -- but it also conceals its tenants (Paks aren't the only ones that can benefit). Bring up your rifle squads to take cover behind the hedgerows and they will look beyond. Only move up a tank where you are 80% certain that there are no AT weaponry deployed (including panzerfausts). Much like you need infantry to cover your tanks. You need tanks to cover your infantry. Germans rely on their excellent GPMGs to keep your squads pinned, snipers to murder your NCOs and grenades to blast any GI that gets too close. Your tanks are immune to all these. Their HE can destroy enemy strong points and do not be afraid to use it at suspected enemy positions. With a tank nearby, your infantry can rest easy -- as it will outgun anything shooting at them. Move up your infantry when a tank is watching their intended destination. LOS is indeed a valuable commodity in Normandy. Look for better elevated positions or positions overlooking fields unobstructed by the bocage. Put HQs with radios there, so you can spot and report any enemy contacts. Last piece of advice: try to think like a German. I'd even suggest watching documentaries to really understand their goals in Normandy. More practically, think where they would deploy an AT gun, or an MG. The Fritz thinks of force multipliers (most of their power is tied up in the East), and has the choice of terrain -- which means he need to optimize his assets. What does this mean for you? a. Roads are either mined or have AT guns pointed at them. b. They have spotters overlooking any entrances/exits from/into the bocage. c. They do not have enough AT assets or men to secure every possible angle of attack. d. All they need is 1 AT gun to suppress 3 tanks, or 1 MG to suppress 3 squads. e. Do not pool your assets into a single path of attack. f. You need to sneak up on them from the least obvious angles. Take your time to position your forces well. g. To maximize effectiveness launch simultaneous attacks from different directions. h. Your tanks have weapons an ammo up the wazoo. Sometimes sending copious amounts of HE and MG fire at shadows can flush out, suppress, demoralize or destroy unsuspecting enemies.

Fulda Gap! Fulda Gap! Fulda Gap!

Should I start whining about people whining about people whining about people whining? I think all of us want to get our hands on CMSF 2, or at least get an update. I even want an update on Rome to Victory, but what can just one of us do?

Has the current commander of the Aerospace forces ever flown a plane? I forgot his name, but I remember reading some shady stuff about him. The previous one was an Afghanistan vet, eh? I think they need intensives to retain enlisted men, to encourage more experienced NCOs. Either with more money or some sort of benefits.

I know I'm gonna get yelled at for suggesting this, but: OrBat creator/editor for quick battles, and maybe even campaigns. Make your own battalions, companies, etc. per point count and then use them -- like tabletop.

Yep, it was great! I'm pretty pumped for it. I really liked those gifs one of the testers posted.

I see your point, a hybrid system has benefits. I recently read a US Army article about the potential challenges with Russia's diverse military and paramilitary forces. I think it could work, if done right. My problem with the current system is that it lacks the meritocracy of a proper professional system, while also having a corrupt conscription process. So, you're not giving much incentive for career soldiers/officers and meanwhile letting anyone with money/connections skip conscription. A lot of the top brass, including Shoigu have questionable credentials. I would not consider them for the positions that they occupy, based on merit alone (more on backroom politics, corruption, etc.). I believe the saying goes, "The fish rots from the head." Maybe one thing I would take from Marshal, is to fire a good portion of top commanders. Introduce some sort of meritocratic framework for advancement, and somehow bring back prestige to the service. Everything from the Branches down to the NCO corps, everything needs rigorous standardization. No matter if a professional, conscription or a hybrid system is best -- the fat needs to get cut. We have these problems in the West, plenty too. Our own Minister of Defense arrogantly lied, and took credit for an operation that he had almost no participation in. I think Russia has been improving on these points, in recent years. Yet, they are fighting the symptoms, not the disease. Not sure how sustainable that is. I'd roll it more subversively and attempt to create an unofficial hegemony. I would attempt to salvage relations with the west, while funding and arming enemies of my enemies. Attempt to kick-start the arms industry by modernizing my own forces, while putting a lot of equipment on the market for cheaper than the competition. As for the armed forces, I'd focus on the VMF and VVS. The key here is rapid mobilization. I want to be able to intervene in hotspots before the US can. I'd try to join NATO, just to screw with everyone. xD

"So, for our school science fair project we're going to compare how video game genres affect success in life. For this we will be playing various games through out the school year. Then we shall record the success rate of our existence out of a 100 percent." You're a genius, Erwin.

Yeah, I reviewed that. During Bagration, most would be PPSh-41. Despite the ease of producing PPS-43, by '43, they already had a crazy amount of factories pumping out PPSh-41s. They still made around 2 million of them, I'm guessing we'll see more of them in Berlin and Budapest when they appear in the expansion.

I wouldn't mind a Combat Mission Encyclopedia, like in ToW or Graviteam. So, you can read and learn about the equipment as it is presented in-game, compare them and maybe even just mess around. Or maybe give every unit in the game a more verbose unit card, like in Wargame. Where it tells you what the viewing angles and spotting modifiers you get. Maybe a cross-section of the vehicle with all its components specified? I usually look these things up on google and expect them to work the same way in-game. So it's no biggie. Would be helpful for newer players though, especially those unfamiliar with certain equipment. There's always this: http://combatmission.wikia.com Really recommend this site, if any of you guys post there: thank you!

Precisely. It would be cool to get some screenshots from the new demo of unique features not found in SF 1. But I hope the full game is released by then.