This is why I'm still playing...

[womble]

Well said womble. Reminds me that if one works hard enough and takes time to get down and dirty, you as overall commander can find small depressions and/or gullies for your squads/teams to make it across that field in one piece...or at least in numbers to make a bonofide assault.

Or, indeed, a slight convex slope across a field turn what at first sight looks like a place for the simple applicaction of a lead broom between hedgerows into a high-exposure approach into a potential reverse slope defense at murderously close range.

...I can ignore the cow paddy sliding pixeltruppen and quick changing tank positions, but others can't. It's just the way we are wired.

It's testament to the quality of the game that I find it difficult to ignore such "blatant foulups" in other games, but the general quality of the simulation is so high that even my pernickety nature can overlook such things in CMx2.

[sburke]

Or, indeed, a slight convex slope across a field turn what at first sight looks like a place for the simple applicaction of a lead broom between hedgerows into a high-exposure approach into a potential reverse slope defense at murderously close range.

I had something along these lines in Hamel Vallee. I was surprised at how this one team seemed to be holding the line all by itself under an intense amount of fire. On closer examination I realized when they cowered they were effectively out of line of fire on a reverse slope behind the hedgerow. So they'd cower a bit, then recover and pop up fire a few rounds at any target they could see (which was usually infantry now exposed in open ground) receive some suppressive fire, cower, recover etc etc I think the only way they were going to be eliminated is some mortar or artillery fire on the position or someone was gonna have to charge the position during the interval they were cowering with potentially disastrous consequences.

Someone not paying attention to that dynamic would probably be crying long and hard about uber soldiers or the ridiculous defensive value of hedgerows when in reality it was a very simply aspect of the terrain. The subtleties of this game should not be under estimated.

[slysniper]

Here is mine for the day.

Here is an event that I would never have seen in any other tactical game I have played to this point.

Just last night I am playing a scenario where I have sniper teams forward of my line as spotters.

So I figure I want them farther forward, to gather info. Maybe harass the enemy and slow down their assault.

There is three teams of them, one of the teams actually had both men with sniper rifles (so cool-first time I have seen that), is that something I can get intentionally in the future when selecting units?

Anyway, it so happens these two Brits are overlooking large grain fields. So sure enough, they spot a large infantry formation moving through the fields toward my lines.

I let them take a few shots once the enemy was about 200 meters away. Then I quickly remove them from their hiding spot, they move with concealment to a new spot farther back, ready to ambush the enemy again when they start to move. As they leave the first spot enemy light mortar shells start to rain on their old location, moved just in the nick of time. Again they hide wait for a good amount of infantry to expose themselves as they enter the next field. This time both men are firing their rifles quickly and I see enemy soldiers drop, knowing they are kills before any indication is given. With the quick loss of life, it appears one or two squads panic; they start to flee from the field, giving my snipers more chances to shot. I see more men drop, doomed to take their last breath.

So my two snipers have given me something I have not felt in a game since ASL, but even then. This is much more realistic, since I see it in the 3d world of modern computers.

I have now pulled them back to a new spot, daring to see if the enemy is foolish enough to try it again.

But each battle is made of these small stories, most of the time they play out more predictable, but now this game has added a level of unpredictability that makes it fun and most of the time realistic to the chaos of war.

There is many players that just cannot handle it when their plan fails in the mist of this type of chaos, they are not mature enough to accept bad fate in the mist of battle, let them play what games they can control with the most predictable outcomes, for us that like the more unpredictable nature of this game, I think we have a game that is providing us more of what we would expect to see on the battlefield.

[A Canadian Cat]

There is many players that just cannot handle it when their plan fails in the mist of this type of chaos, they are not mature enough to accept bad fate in the mist of battle, let them play what games they can control with the most predictable outcomes, for us that like the more unpredictable nature of this game, I think we have a game that is providing us more of what we would expect to see on the battlefield.

Excellent story. I do love snipers. Nice job moving them out of harms way. All too often I say to my self "one more minute here and they will get a lot more kills". I will remember this story next time.

I also like your comment about handling things when your plans coming apart. When playing sports I always tell my kids that the true test of our character, as a team, happens when things are going badly; character is finding away to make a new plan and get back in the game. I love that about sports and this game.

[c3k]

For me, it's the ability to watch from afar, much like PanzerBlitz/Panzer Leader, or, at my will, zoom in to ASL level - and closer - and watch the action. Replay allows me to see EVERY vignette from EVERY angle.

Here's where it came to life for me: I was US, attacking Germans. One US team was firing on a German team, heavy forest. Eventually, the German team was down to one man, who soon surrendered. There he was, on his knees, hand up (hande hoche!) to the first US team. Meanwhile, the other US team was executing its flanking move. That team saw the German JUST as he was surrendering. As he knelt there, the second team shot him in the back. That was a kick in the gut.

It highlighted relative spotting: team 2 did not know the status of the enemy. Team 1 did, and they'd stopped shooting. It also, for one of the first times, brought up a "moral" issue in a game, in visual splendor with 1:1 modelling. It's not the same when your enemy is limited to saying "zerg zerg".

So, removed airborne perspective down to an in-the-weeds view and everything in between. What else does that?

[Lt Belenko]

I really love the first 20-25 turns of a battle.

Then when things go south (pretty much every game) I curse the game, my computer, Avalon Hill for ever getting me into wargaming, Bill Gates for DOS and windows, and most especially Al Gore for ever inventing the internet.

Damn you, Damn you, all to hell:D

Then in a day or so, I start another and go thru it all again.

[Frankster65]

Here is mine for the day.

Here is an event that I would never have seen in any other tactical game I have played to this point.

Just last night I am playing a scenario where I have sniper teams forward of my line as spotters.

So I figure I want them farther forward, to gather info. Maybe harass the enemy and slow down their assault.

There is three teams of them, one of the teams actually had both men with sniper rifles (so cool-first time I have seen that), is that something I can get intentionally in the future when selecting units?

Anyway, it so happens these two Brits are overlooking large grain fields. So sure enough, they spot a large infantry formation moving through the fields toward my lines.

I let them take a few shots once the enemy was about 200 meters away. Then I quickly remove them from their hiding spot, they move with concealment to a new spot farther back, ready to ambush the enemy again when they start to move. As they leave the first spot enemy light mortar shells start to rain on their old location, moved just in the nick of time. Again they hide wait for a good amount of infantry to expose themselves as they enter the next field. This time both men are firing their rifles quickly and I see enemy soldiers drop, knowing they are kills before any indication is given. With the quick loss of life, it appears one or two squads panic; they start to flee from the field, giving my snipers more chances to shot. I see more men drop, doomed to take their last breath.

So my two snipers have given me something I have not felt in a game since ASL, but even then. This is much more realistic, since I see it in the 3d world of modern computers.

I have now pulled them back to a new spot, daring to see if the enemy is foolish enough to try it again.

But each battle is made of these small stories, most of the time they play out more predictable, but now this game has added a level of unpredictability that makes it fun and most of the time realistic to the chaos of war.

There is many players that just cannot handle it when their plan fails in the mist of this type of chaos, they are not mature enough to accept bad fate in the mist of battle, let them play what games they can control with the most predictable outcomes, for us that like the more unpredictable nature of this game, I think we have a game that is providing us more of what we would expect to see on the battlefield.

Very, very cool. I would have loved to see a video of that up on youtube.

[altipueri]

Oh come on girls, this thread is all a bit gushing.

[sburke]

Oh come on girls, this thread is all a bit gushing.

Yeah isn't it though? Damn I love this game.

[Crushingleeek]

Oh come on girls, this thread is all a bit gushing.

stop trying to foil my secret corporate plan to boost CMBN enthusiast morale so that more WWII CM's will come out.

Troll.

[Sgt Joch]

I have a few recent ones, all from CMSF:

-my U.S. forces are assaulting through a town before dawn, Syrian infantry keeps popping up in a roughly 60 degree angle to the front. All of a sudden, one of my teams on a rooftop turns around and starts firing at another friendly team a block over... :eek: Fortunately, the other team hunkered down and suffered no casualties.

-in another one, I called a 155mm artillery strike on a building. A squad is in the open 300-350 meters away, but all are lying the ground waiting for orders. Shrapnel from the explosion kills one of the soldiers... :eek:

Even though I have played these games for a long time, I still see things I have not seen before.

[slysniper]

Very, very cool. I would have loved to see a video of that up on youtube.

Now , that is something I cannot do, this last year I finially sat down and figured how to post decent photo's to this site.

But I have not been able to do video. I only tried the free Fraps for trying to capture it, but it does not want to work on my machine. As I recall, I had video, well sound seemed fine, but the picture was just lines, almost like the old white out on old TV's

[Frankster65]

I have a few recent ones, all from CMSF:

-my U.S. forces are assaulting through a town before dawn, Syrian infantry keeps popping up in a roughly 60 degree angle to the front. All of a sudden, one of my teams on a rooftop turns around and starts firing at another friendly team a block over... :eek: Fortunately, the other team hunkered down and suffered no casualties.

Hhmm...that sounds very familiar. I pity the poor Syrian commander you are fighting.

[Sgt Joch]

Hhmm...that sounds very familiar. I pity the poor Syrian commander you are fighting.

I am sure he is very good.

[Vinnart]

I still play it because it is still the best thing out there in this genre. To me the game is as timeless as chess. Like chess it is a hard game to master with many possible outcomes so it keeps my interest.

[Ultradave]

. I can play on my Mac (PC hates me)

YES!! Let me offer my thanks again for bringing CM back to the Mac. I can run most PC games using Parallels and W Vista but still much prefer running Mac native.

Still waiting 1-2 weeks (ha-ha) for the announcement of the Mac big huge package version Shock Force.

Dave

[Ultradave]

Others have mentioned, but I like the subtle contours of the ground that really allow you to make a covered approach, find a hull down position to cover from. The process of checking the ground and looking for those avenues and positions is very close to real life.

Get down low in the view at 2 or 1 and you can suddenly see that what looked pretty flat is full of minor little rises, small depressions and such that are valuable.

Great stuff.

[Frankster65]

Others have mentioned, but I like the subtle contours of the ground that really allow you to make a covered approach, find a hull down position to cover from. The process of checking the ground and looking for those avenues and positions is very close to real life.

Get down low in the view at 2 or 1 and you can suddenly see that what looked pretty flat is full of minor little rises, small depressions and such that are valuable.

Great stuff.

So very true. I am constantly at eye level trying to figure out the best pathing routes for my troops. Sometimes I do a good job, other times I miss something from an angle and they pay for it. Ever notice that the tactical AI actually does a pretty good job of following contours which provide some cover?

[TheBlackHand]

I'm still playing because . . . I just want to get one more turn in before bed.

Two hours later . . . I'm still playing because . . . I just want to get one more turn in before bed.

Two hours later . . .

[Crushingleeek]

that pretty much sums it up right there.

[slysniper]

Here is mine for the day.

Here is an event that I would never have seen in any other tactical game I have played to this point.

Just last night I am playing a scenario where I have sniper teams forward of my line as spotters.

So I figure I want them farther forward, to gather info. Maybe harass the enemy and slow down their assault.

There is three teams of them, one of the teams actually had both men with sniper rifles (so cool-first time I have seen that), is that something I can get intentionally in the future when selecting units?

Anyway, it so happens these two Brits are overlooking large grain fields. So sure enough, they spot a large infantry formation moving through the fields toward my lines.

I let them take a few shots once the enemy was about 200 meters away. Then I quickly remove them from their hiding spot, they move with concealment to a new spot farther back, ready to ambush the enemy again when they start to move. As they leave the first spot enemy light mortar shells start to rain on their old location, moved just in the nick of time. Again they hide wait for a good amount of infantry to expose themselves as they enter the next field. This time both men are firing their rifles quickly and I see enemy soldiers drop, knowing they are kills before any indication is given. With the quick loss of life, it appears one or two squads panic; they start to flee from the field, giving my snipers more chances to shot. I see more men drop, doomed to take their last breath.

So my two snipers have given me something I have not felt in a game since ASL, but even then. This is much more realistic, since I see it in the 3d world of modern computers.

I have now pulled them back to a new spot, daring to see if the enemy is foolish enough to try it again.

But each battle is made of these small stories, most of the time they play out more predictable, but now this game has added a level of unpredictability that makes it fun and most of the time realistic to the chaos of war.

There is many players that just cannot handle it when their plan fails in the mist of this type of chaos, they are not mature enough to accept bad fate in the mist of battle, let them play what games they can control with the most predictable outcomes, for us that like the more unpredictable nature of this game, I think we have a game that is providing us more of what we would expect to see on the battlefield.

Now for a update on my sniper team.

They did manage to get a few more shots off from the new spot but a MG started to return fire so it was time to pull them back again.

The enemy units pushed on to my front lines where I then positioned the twin snipers to the flank to help support the defence from a flanking position.

Both are still alive and they now have 15 kills between them.

This might be one of the best outings I have ever had with a sniper team, but both of them with a sniper rifle is sure helping.

Just as a side note, As I mentioned, I had 3 teams I pushed forward, the other 2 had the standard scout & sniper. The team in the middle was overrun and managed no kills before their deaths. The team on the right flank spotted a armored infantry unit moving up that flank. they stayed hidden and kept track of their location. One halftrack came to close at one point and the team shot one man peering over the wall. They then followed the enemy from the rear. when the unit hit my front lines I had them engage from the rear.

they managed one more kill and then was spotted and gunned down by a machine gunner.

They are more of the stories that generally happen. But my heroic team has done so well. I now feel attached to them and would hate to see anything bad happen to them. But I see this battle looks like it is going to cost me many men to defend and try to win, so their fate is still to be decided.

[theFightingSeabee]

I love the game, the community, and the developers. Been around so long it feels a bit like home.

I have those special moments all the time. I'm still seeing things that just tip a scenario toward being a great story instead of just being a game. I play as if it's real. I can almost hear the salty old sarge yelling at, uh, motivating his guys. It sorta feeds my lust for glory.

[Michael Emrys]

Ever notice that the tactical AI actually does a pretty good job of following contours which provide some cover?

The Tac AI has every detail of the map memorized and instantly available for recall. It sorta helps balance things out for not being able to plan several moves ahead.

Michael

[A Canadian Cat]

Now for a update on my sniper team.

They did manage to get a few more shots off from the new spot but a MG started to return fire so it was time to pull them back again.

<snip>

But my heroic team has done so well. I now feel attached to them and would hate to see anything bad happen to them. But I see this battle looks like it is going to cost me many men to defend and try to win, so their fate is still to be decided.

Thanks for the update. Great story. Are you playing against a human opponent or the AI?

[Sublime]

Slysniper,

Ive only seen the two scoped rifle setup in Brit/CW sniper teams, and even then not always. I like it too.

Lemme guess - your playing NEDforce?