How did you hear about Combat Mission?

[emccabe]

I first heard about the combat mission games when I was reading a list with the best strategy games of all time

[John Kettler]

Pelican Pal,

I never heard about CM. Instead, you might say it drove headlong into my life. I used to be an active member of the PEDG (Panzer Elite Development Group), a bunch of people (including our own Jeff Duquette) devoted to correctly depicting the characteristics and performance of tanks and other weapons in the game. There I was minding my own business when my eye was drawn to this onrush of German armor ("The enemy is attacking!" it proclaimed) in an animated banner across the top of the page I was on. I clicked on that, DLed the Beta Demo and proceeded to lose my wargaming mind. I fully expect this condition to be terminal.

I called the game Micro Armour™ That Moves and was completely blown away when I watched a StuG III deal with a crossing Sherman, even traversing the gun in the casemate before firing. Fairly sure the gun recoiled, too. Not only did the tiny AFV model do all that--to my utter wonderment--but the Sherman took the hit through the upper left hull, didn't explode and rolled to a stop! That sold me then and there. Thereafter, it was being on what used to be the only Forum here for CM, playing the two scenarios (Last Defense and Rieseberg) to death, endless waiting, then brief relief when we got one more demo, Valley of Trouble, in the CM Gold Demo.

By doing this, BTS narrowly avoided a wargamer insurrection. Barely. Great were the rumblings of discontent, and it was feared the desperate tactical wargaming masses might storm the state of Vermont were something not done to placate them.

One fine day, after whatever takes longer than aeons, CMBO was released. The disk it came on had both Mac (on which CM was developed) and PC versions. My world has never been quite the same. As you can see from my sig, I have played CMBO a bit.

Thanks for a chance to share some very happy memories and describe the period known as the Time When CMx2 Didn't Exist.

Regards,

John Kettler

[sfhand]

I read the PC Gamer CMBO article (I remember a picture of a Greyhound with its movement path flanking a Stug?). As one who has delighted in pc games I had to order it asap. I knew nothing about wargames and was getting my @$$ handed to me. I quickly found my way to the forums and started reading AAR's, which helped a little. I then "manned-up" and made my way to the opponent finder forum where I found a few really good players who were willing to not only beat me but offer critiques of my non-existent playing style. (I have always tried to play against players who are better at the game than I am, that way I get better and when/if I win I can see my progress as a player.)

So, for me, while finding the game was important, finding you guys was the icing on the cake (with my pbem opponents being the cherries on top - don't take the visuals on that too seriously fellas, it helps keep me in the fight against clearly superior players).

[Oddball_E8]

Whoa... I can't remember stuff like that!

I'm guessing I was playing Close Combat alot and I heard of this game that was really realistic but still easily accessable as a new player...

All I remember is that I tried the CMBO demo and was (litterally) blown away by the realism.

[Doodlebug]

I find myself in some very exalted company here having followed a very similar route to many. It was via the September 2000 edition of PC Strategy Games, which as a matter of interest I retained for posterity, where I read their review of CMBO and loaded the demo from the attached disc.

In a like fashion to Juju's post (and how often in a lifetime will I be able to say that?) I deleted it PDQ, but upon installing the demo for a second time was well and truly hooked. The rest as many say is history. Funny thing is, if I don't like a demo game I never reload them. Why would I? CMBO was an absolute exception to the rule and I am so glad it panned out that way.

Best £4.99 I ever spent.

[ratdeath]

It all started with a big bang... err... no... it all started with (Advenced) Squad Leader back in the 80's

Though my brother was the one mostly into tactical/strategy wargames on the C64/Amiga and early PC era, personally I was more into simulators and roleplaying games.

Anyway, I played Steel Panthers, Close Combat and eventually my brother introduced me to CMBB and CMAK, first I was a bit put off by the graphics but came to really like them for the awesome games they are and eventually I also came to appriecate the graphics, they have/had a certain charm

[bobo]

The Atomic project was Beyond Squad Leader. That title I think gives you the fundamental difference in the goals of the two

OMG. The wayback machine has some of the original forums captured. Take a look at this post:

CASL-A dissenting view

It was Moon.

Good example that shows that Charles isn't just a brain in a jar!

Thanks for that link.

[ChrisND]

Good example that shows that Charles isn't just a brain in a jar!

Thanks for that link.

Holy crap there are also some Michael Emrys posts in that link. He is speaking English and everything, instead of Aramaic!

[ChrisND]

I discovered Combat Mission in a PX in Fort Bragg. For some random reason, I decided that I wanted a new computer game and walked by the game aisle. I saw CMBO and thought the box art looked cool, and the description on the back reminded me of ASL. And the rest is history...

[Paper Tiger]

I was an avid SL/ASL player and walked into the Electronic Boutique in Ipswich and saw a copy of CMBO. It looked more likely to satisfy my ASL-itch than the competitors so I bought it, took it home and started playing. Then started work with the editor adapting my favourite ASL missions.

[George MC]

Left wargaming when I was about 15 (Microarmour WWII Ost Front and Napoleonics stuff - again 1:300).

Not until I got a/ new PC b/ found Panzer Elite (by chance just browsing on-line to see what was what in wargaming). Got Panzer Elite but soon after (dissatisfied with the lack of combined arms) I found CMBB - liked the screenshots. Bought the game. Never looked back.

[majorbly50]

PC Gamer magazine. 2000-ish. They did a short review on it as they did on several games in each monthly issue.

I saw it.

I had to have it.

The rest is history.

I have never looked back.

Yeah I think it was about that time for me also. I read that PCgamer and it looked interesting and new. So, I went down to Software Etc. (or local software outlet at the time) and found it on the shelf and like you, bought it and the rest is history.

[Myles Keogh]

Like many here, I was a former ASL fan who stumbled upon CMBO's development website in either late '98 or early '99. I occasionally followed its development and gave "The Last Defense" demo a whirl, but my PC couldn't handle it. So, when it was released in 2000 I passed it by.

However, "Band of Brothers" debuting on HBO in late summer 2001 got my WWII tactical juices running again. With my ASL modules collecting dust in my parents' house, my old opponents scattered around the country, Talonsoft's "Panzerblitz for the PC" games not providing the detail I desired, and my recent purchase of a new PC, I took another look at CMBO.

Reading the AARs on MadMatt's old site is what finally sold me. The AAR featuring Fionn crushing Bill Hardenberger in "The Sunken Road" really emphasized the game's depth and detail.

So, living in Manhattan, I ordered it either late on the night of 09/10/01 or very early on 9/11/01. I received my copy with the smell of smoke still heavily in the air. For me, purchasing CMBO is just one of those insignificant trivialities that got impacted into the memory due to a tragic event occurring around the same time.

[Mace]

I was always fond of tactical WW2 combat: miniatures, Avalon Hill and S&T boardgames, computer war games (loved SSI's Panzer Strike).

Anyhow a good friend from my high school days and a fellow gamer (Brian Rock aka Rocky) was on the CMBO beta, and let me have a bit of a play of a small quick mission way back when.

Hunting and killing a Hetzer with a M36 Jackson had me hooked, and it's the only series of games that is always loaded on my PC.

[Lt Belenko]

....and it's the only series of games that is always loaded on my PC.

Yup. Only games that have stayed on my computer machines continuously.