"Advanced Fire"

[Vince]

I think this hasn't been discussed yet, but I might be wrong.

I think it would be nice - if possible - to have an "intelligent" pop-up when planning your movement,just like when targeting. I mean a little phrase saying how far you are going that way and, most important, how much time you will need to get there.

So you could know how much time your unit is going to stand in front of a serious threat, or how many rounds it could fire after completing the move to a new target, or how many turns you will need to go there. Maybe a rough calculation could be made by approx., but having this feature when firing, why should we miss it when moving? It could help to "plan" a sort of "advanced fire" for your units, with the help of their AI: I mean the concept of telling them "go there, see that, do this". Hope all is clear.

------------------

Thanks,

Bye

V.

[Guest Big Time Software]

Hi Vince. This type of exact control is something that we don't want to give the player. Each turn is only 60 seconds, which isn't a lot of time. You shouldn't be allowed to figure out that something will be somewhere 33 seconds and someone else at 32. You should be taking several turns to coordinate some sort of attack properly, not one or two. Exact knowledge of timing would allow people to do this too easily.

After playing for a bit you will get a sense of distance and capabilities of your units. IMHO, this is one of the most interesting challenges for the player to master. The person that can move his units around with a good understanding of movement rates will have an advantage over someone that constantly under or over does movement. And that is something we feel is very good for both gameplay value and realism.

Steve

[guachi]

At first, I wanted something like what Vince is looking for. Then I realized it would be too much like using a crutch.

After a few times playing the beta demo I changed my mind and agree with Steve. After a couple of attempts I finally managed to pull off a well coordinated asault against the computer. If I had been able to coordinate everything down to the second it wouldn't have been as satisfying.

In fact, I think that knowing the orders delay time of a squad down to the second is too much information.

Jason

[Wild Bill Wilder]

War is uncertain at best. Uncertainty is a big part of the challenge. Will that unit break, or perform heroically?

Will they hold the line or will they break?

Is that a tank over there or a half-track? You hear the engine, but you can't make out the sound.

Too many games are too easy to figure out. The AI is too predictable. I can understand

Vince wanting this kind of info. Any commander would. But the thrill of uncertainty in battle and its recreation electronically is a thrill I don't want to miss.

------------------

Wild Bill's Raiders

Director of Scenario Design,

The Gamers Net

[Doug Beman]

I enjoy refining my judgment of distance/movement and ETA on-station. My goal is (for example) to be able to order a platoon to proceed together from A to a stop-off at B (to check a treeline, for instance) on their way to C, and have no squad either hit their B-point with more than 10 seconds left in a turn, nor have a squad be farther than a couple dozen meters from B at the end. That way I waste as little time as possible, and I don't have to cancel a movement order and face the time delay (because if they're only 15 meters from the B-point I can tweak it, and then order them further from there)

DjB

[Vince]

Thanks to all, especially to Wild Bill Wilder (I've been getting benefit from his designing since my very first computer wargaming, about fifteen years ago).

I can see the point and (with a little more testing) agree. I thought that a "ruler" could be helpful at the beginning in a 3d environment, but one could also "look" checking the LOS and then move: that's more realistic indeed.

Nothing to say: CM seems really going to be a real experience. A game not to learn, but to learn from.

Just two other questions: are we going to have in the a game a quick menu to access unit list (just to go fast there, without roaming)? will graphic and sound be more helpful in catching where the action is (in the demo I can't see bullet flying and explosions)?

------------------

Thanks,

Bye

V.