FlemFire

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I do have the update (from a PBEM game): the uncons blew up the Stryker's wheels with their nades. I should mention that later in the very same match they elected to NOT throw grenades but instead try and shoot the guy standing out of the hatch. So... if a tank rolls close, it seems AI infantry have a tendency to go for the fleshy kill shot instead of throwing nades. At least that's what happened in this 1-off scenario. Here are those lovelies about two seconds before they're turned into spaghetti:

I don't know about historicity of these things, but as far as effectiveness is concerned I did have an entire American squad get deleted when it took a hit from German self-propelled arty. They seem pretty jank and easily destroyed, but they do put very explosive and deadly rounds down the range for whatever time they still live.

I really wish the scenario designers would just stop using mines until there are better solutions. But also... how often do engineering feats even take place WHILE action is occurring at the level of your average CM battle? Like does one expect to see minesweepers out there blowing up mines while enemy armor is active within 1500m? If you blow a bridge, doesn't that basically elevate the problem to a much higher operational level? Just seems a weird clash of scope to me.

I didn't realize FRAPS was still around. If you're okay with alternatives and the NVIDIA Shadowplay isn't kicking, try a tool called OBS (stands for Open Broadcaster Software). You can use it to stream, record video, and take snapshots. It runs with minimal hardware drag on my PC which is why I like it. NVIDIA's tools are very crafty as well if you can get that to work -- they have things like record the last x-minutes on the fly, so that if interesting things happen you can record things in the past. Very cool technology, even if most of CM has the replay function going already heh.

Watched an AMC show on this called The Terror. I thought it was quite great. Not to spoil anything but it isn't 100% history-based. However, the bits about the ship, its crew, hierarchy, and all the awful decision making was really interesting to watch. The depth of organization and inventory needed to undertake such explorations is incredible, and then to watch it all crumble slowly but surely is quite sad. As for cannibalism. If actual murder wasn't involved, then I think the action serves as a form of "punishment" in and of itself.

I ended up taking the 'battle' route and I gotta say, it seems to have been well worth my time as the next mission is a doozy of creativity. I don't wanna spoil anything but just by the unit selection & briefing, it's the sort of stuff you don't see often in SF2. BTW, forgot to add to the above -- a few of the missions so far it'll say reinforcements are coming in x-time but they never seem to. At this point I'm chalking it up to the nature of battles and that you can't depend on time tables much. However, the reinforcements DID come, even if some were late by 15-30mins.

Bumping this so as to keep the campaign talk in one area -- but what's up with Mission 4 in this campaign? You can either fight across boggy ground/road to 'choose' one of two future battle maps. However in the campaign briefing it tells you that choosing one of these designations will result in a defeat (by design). Which means that if I just hit cease fire, it automatically does that. Is that right? Who designs a situation like that? Why not have the selection process be separated out, why are they being mashed together into one battle/non-battle? My options are to risk troops for a vague future map which has no real difference, or just hit cease fire and preserve troops to go to the next battle? And why would anyone want to fight a mission just to have it serve you a defeat? Seriously, what? Am I missing something here?

#1 would be dynamic campaigns. Even something simple like the way the Close Combat series does it would be nice. I think it's the biggest thing missing by far. "Nice to have" would be something like a replay feature that lets the player watch the whole battle once it is finished. Better vehicle dismount/mount rules for interactions between infantry and vehicles.

Got a clip of it? I know you can detonate mines as an ancillary result of blowing stuff up around them like wires and hedgerows, but I've never been able to apply Blast to the mines themselves even if marked.

I feel like both rigging bridges and laying mines occupies way more time than is captured in CM's scale. Now what would be really nice is if you could use breaching charges to destroy mines...

Ran into the same issue. https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-update/system-file-check-sfc-scan-and-repair-system-files/bc609315-da1f-4775-812c-695b60477a93 I uninstalled the game, reinstalled it, verified it, ran the above scan/replace (which did replace 1 file but I don't know which, some dll thing most likely), and then it worked. This has happened in the past with Steam and I don't know what causes it other than it's likely tied to Windows updates. For example, my Win10 updates will about half the time delete my audio drivers. So if they're at that level of ineptitude I'm sure there's other little files getting jerked around. But all tech problems tend to be a little different so I can't guarantee it'll work. Best of luck.

As others have mentioned, the LOS tools are not exact measuring tapes & the TacAI can make spots of its own here and there. General rule of thumb is that if it looks visible it USUALLY is. I think the exceptions to this are strange elevations and urban enviros with long stretches of city-blocks. Those can get a little screwy on occasion. Experienced scenario designers seem to know this, IMO, and usually work to avoid them. Everything else tends to follow the general notions of "if I can see it, then my guys will shoot at it if it becomes available." If you find that frustrating, try out some PBEMs and watch as more cautious players start doing recon by fire and mowing down whole swathes of areas, the general suggestion that it'd be a good spot to place your guys more than sufficient "contact" for them

This is from the demo as I don't own RT, but an amusing clip of two tanks operating in Mutually Assured Destruction. https://streamable.com/4pvcuf

They may have in that latest update that changed infantry dynamics quite a bit. I know what you're referring to cause I've seen it mentioned here and there, just never ran into it myself. There might be other metrics involved as well but I've never really tested it with any strain. But, basic point is I don't like blaming TacAI for not dropping-and-rolling when your command is to get from point A to point B. I'd rather the TacAI assume that my assessment of Point B is that it is the safest area to be, and get there, instead of deciding for itself that rocks and grass would be preferable cover. And that's what it does, thankfully. On the other hand, taking too many casualties too quickly or expecting too much out of inexperienced soldiers causes the commands to breakdown in sufficiently realistic ways, IMO. Also, when you make an ill advised move command and your troops follow it to unexpected doom... definitely feels like my fault which is how it should feel

Looks fine to me. https://streamable.com/1bqi8b

I have the same card, no issues however I did have some launch issues a little while ago. Try running Win10 scans/repairs. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/using-system-file-checker-in-windows-10-365e0031-36b1-6031-f804-8fd86e0ef4ca

Potato potatoe. The point is if you want them to stop mid-stride then you give them that command, or you set forth a series of leapfrogs with timed Pauses as prep. If you jet them across a field on a Quick/Fast command you can't really question their mentality to get where they're going instead of stopping where they're at. I've seen the exact inverse complaints numerous times where someone uses the Hunt command, the guys stop right in the middle of an open field/street, and promptly get cut to ribbons. You give them the command most suitable for the job.

Don't see the issue here. If you give them a Hunt command, they will always stop on contact/fired at, and the speed of that stopping seems tailored to the experience level. If you give them a regular Move/Quick/etc., then they will pursue the end goal the best they can. This isn't stupid tac AI, but the belief that where they're going is safer than stopping where they're at. If they're getting shot halfway through the command and contingencies were not used to prepare for that then it is the fault of the order itself. Now I don't wanna point any fingers but...

Pondering aloud: if you pair Hunt on the tank with a regular move command on the soldiers, would the soldiers disembark the second the tank stopped on enemy contact, similar to the way they'd disembark if the tank's move command reached its natural conclusion?

Thanks. Got to see this for myself quite recently -- uncons disabling a Stryker (though just how much damage they did is not something I'll likely know for awhile).

I don't have the #'s with me but if I remember right the stats suggest a lot of these vehicles (half-tracks, armored cars) did not see combat nor were they intended for it. Basically the loss-rates imply they were used to shuttle troops around or in the case of the armored cars to probably act as big metal Military Police or on occasion scout cars at the other end of the spectrum. I think at the point battles in CM take place, most vehicles like this would probably be getting the hell out of dodge. Regarding ad hoc infantry manning weapons, there's an Operations Team who I believe is designed for this? I did play a scenario where I used one to man the mortar on a half-track. I don't even know if that was the intention or what exactly that team is for. I can only find it in the Battalion layout so it might just be the backup for the Bat HQ?

Oh I knew he was back there somewhere. That BMP and the sniper teams were flirting with each other all match

Oh, and a bit of creative landscaping to spot a sound contact. Dunno how to embed videos: https://streamable.com/pobbhj

Some screenies from a recent PBEM. Snipers bugging out. Weapons team crossing the street gets a bit of collateral damage as an ancient Leopard tank does battle. Main street.