RMM

The group order (double-click and select multiple units) can be used as a basic "formation" order. It depends on how the group is arrayed at the move's start, but they will hold that formation pretty well. It's especially useful at the start of a scenario- particularly where larger distances might need to be covered. Couple that with adjustable waypoints, and it's effective.

By splitting up your post, the numbering scheme you used has been thrown into disarray.
I've found that if I select "Show All Movement Paths" (one of the various hotkey selections), it is pretty obvious when I do this. Yes, I have done this. Yes, many of my men died before I learned that lesson. They were grateful that their sacrifice was able to help me.
Otherwise, be very aware of how many of your units are orange (selected). 
 
First, I agree.   However, after a LOT of experience, I've gradually discovered what hedges, bushes, walls, fences, and hedgerows are passable and by what units. 
Yes, it still takes some re-calibration if I've been gone for awhile, or if I'm playing a new theater.
Why doesn't the game do this "on the fly"? Because the PATHING calculations are NOT calculated until AFTER you hit "go". 
But, there are still issues. For example, I just had a team at a gate in a wall behind a house. I ordered them to run to the back of the house, look inside (face + pause), then enter. Instead, they ran around to the front of the house...and all died. (I consider that a bug, so I've posted it as such. If you get a solid example of mis-pathing, pictures and a save are very helpful to squash them.)
 
 
 
See my answer above. Yes, it'd be helpful to have a red underline or some other obvious toggle to see what walls/hedges are impassable to vehicles.
 
 
Hmm....I don't see that as much of an issue. Is there a specific squad type to which you're referring? (And that they would historically split their sniper/marksman out to operate on their own?)
 
Ken

That would be sensible. After all these years I'm still not 100% on what a tank can/cannot drive through.

Something that occurred to me the other day is that you can't buddy aid a casualty in a vehicle. Didn't notice whether the ammo still gets shared but you lose their weapon.

I just checked - this bug has been logged. I agree with @Swant that if an FO has called a few missions and those missions are still on going they should be able to adjust any one and have that adjustment only apply to the parameters of that one mission and leave the other ongoing missions alone.

The FO's can't call in simultanous missions, but when the mission are fire for effect he can call in another. If he have a howitzer FFE at one place, and adjust a completely diffrent asset like a mortar at another place, then why wouldn't the howitzer mission just keep going? It makes no sence that the howitzer, have to adjust to the mortar. 

Nope. Newer versions typically can read older saves. The demos are treated as separate products so the full game does not view them as one of this files. It's just how it works.

I've always had trouble close assaulting enemy vehicles. Infantry doesn't seem at all overpowered to me. They often miss their grenade throws entirely or the grenades explode in the air too early. They usually at least immobilize the target though.
I just had a game of Shock Force 2 where my insurgents threw at least 7 grenades at a Stryker and still failed to knock it out. The Stryker then blew everyone to bits with its grenade launcher.
Sometimes my infantry will do nothing but sit there next to the enemy vehicle for long periods even though they have plenty of grenades, and sometimes they will seem to pin themselves down with their own grenade explosions before getting machine gunned by the enemy vehicle.
I have certainly seen infantry knock out vehicles with one or two grenade throws, but it's not very reliable. I find that I often have to swarm the vehicle with a lot of guys from multiple directions to reliably knock it out, and they will usually fail if they have any kind of suppression at all.

Absolutely the best game I've ever played. Spent more time on it than every other game I've played put together.

Oh, I've gone ahead with the purchase

I am reminded of a RL story. A few days after D-Day, German forces were counterattacking in the Canadian sector. At dusk, two Panthers approached a village. Crouched on the edge of town was sergeant J.L .Lapointe with a PIAT. One Panther went ahead while the other provided cover...
sgt. Lapointe coolly waited until the tank passed, then took it out with a PIAT shot to the rear. He then machine gunned the crew as they tried to escape. The second tank, having witnessed the event, proceeded to shell the village for a few hours before withdrawing. All this time Sgt. Lapointe remained hidden, waiting for a second kill...
Never underestimate a determined infantryman.

This thread was about whether to get CMBN, and none of this changes the answer -- YES.  This is all quibbling about details and overlooking the big picture.  Infantry should run away when they see tanks and be gunned down by machine guns?  or stay under best available cover?  We could argue this into the next century yet the reality is that basically everyone here plays CMBN and loves it so this is very much a small detail.

Yeh, true 'nuff

Yeh, fair enough, but it sounds like the balance could do with some tweaking in favour of the AFV

Agreed that in an urban setting, that makes sense and is realistic

Anyone on here able to confirm whether the game does in fact take into account an intimidation factor for infantry v's AFV's? Perhaps the earlier complaints against such a factor were based on that 'TC' being too restrictive?

I would hope that there is something akin to the TC that ASL used, since any reading of memoires makes it clear how infantry were far more shy of dealing with tanks than vice-versa. Hell, people were given medals for taking out tanks single-handed or in close quarters, so that shows the value placed on such actions in real life. To danfrodo's point, true, some AFV's were vulnerable in the rear, but it still, generally took a well placed grenade to affect such areas, and from mid '43 onwards, the introduction of shape-charged weapons such as PF and bazookas, certainly made tankers, sensibly wary of keeping their distance. Regardless, I think John1966 makes a good point about the psychological effect any lumbering hulk of metal is going to have on exposed and unprotected personnel nearby. Well, I'm still waiting for my download link, but hopefully it'll show up soon and I can meet some of y'all on the field  .

I would hope that there is something akin to the TC that ASL used, since any reading of memoires makes it clear how infantry were far more shy of dealing with tanks than vice-versa. Hell, people were given medals for taking out tanks single-handed or in close quarters, so that shows the value placed on such actions in real life. To danfrodo's point, true, some AFV's were vulnerable in the rear, but it still, generally took a well placed grenade to affect such areas, and from mid '43 onwards, the introduction of shape-charged weapons such as PF and bazookas, certainly made tankers, sensibly wary of keeping their distance. Regardless, I think John1966 makes a good point about the psychological effect any lumbering hulk of metal is going to have on exposed and unprotected personnel nearby. Well, I'm still waiting for my download link, but hopefully it'll show up soon and I can meet some of y'all on the field  .

I'm had 20 years of enjoyment from playing the various Combat Mission games, having bought every title and module except 'Afghanistan'.
There's a lot to learn, in terms of gameplay, tactics, unit capabilities, and so on - it's endless. Mistakes are messy.
That's why it remains such fun.
When you want something different - there's a whole world of map, scenario and campaign design (I love making and playing my own QB maps).
It's an amazing game - the frustration is part of the challenge. Just buy it

I remember playing that scenario in the demo.  I didn't really know what I was doing at the time so may have missed it, but I don't recall the behaviour described with the infantry. 
As far as I can remember my infantry gun didn't get into the action either, but I thought at the time that was due to lack of targets.  Did your arc cover the target both in angles and distance?
Unless someone says otherwise I don't think you can grind the enemy infantry under your tracks - I try to keep a healthy distance anyway if I can.
You may be able to recover the MG if your original crew are wounded.  Place the ammo carriers (or another infantry unit) 'on top' of the wounded crew and they should in a short while perform medic / buddy aid action, part of which is recovery of weapons / ammo.  No guarantees though, and I haven't tried it with ammo carrier units but I assume it's the same as for other infantry units.
As for buying the game, I would totally recommend it.
 

I bought CMBN first ~5 years ago.  And still haven't played all of it, there's just so much if you get the big bundle.  Part of that is that I now have all the games except Afghanistan, so bounce between them.  You have hundreds of hours of epic battles -- jump in.  Learning curve just takes a little time; watch gameplay & tips videos from youtube, you'll be a pro very quickly.  And you'll still lose battles sometimes, that's what makes these games such an enduring challenge.

Hi, as mentioned above, units will ONLY execute the orders you give them. The only time they move on their own is if they perceive an imminent threat, are under fire and suffer a severe morale hit. As mentioned above, you highlighted all the units which the game interprets as giving the same order to every unit. A common mistake when first playing the game, but you quickly get used to it. Note that you can show all movement paths for all units with the alt+p hotkey which allows you to do a quick check before you hit GO.

It could be that those are all old bugs that havent been corrected for the demo for as far as I am aware Battlefront doesnt update them.
Infact, just before I bought Battle for Normandy i also downloaded the demo, and it was still using the v1 (or v2, dont really remember) version of the game engine ( When i bought it, v3 had just been released).
There is an easy way to see if this is still the case. Do the sound contact icons have an interrogation sign or do they show an infantryman or tank silhouette?? If the former, the demo is still running an ancient version of the game engine

That's a valid point, demo is engine 3, game is now engine 4.  Not sure if that explains the behaviour though.