Hello everyone...and some concerns/ questions :)

[chohan85]

Hello All

 

i am from pakistan and after watching a lot of videos of CMBN i finally purchased Combat mission black sea instead.

 

anyway..i am no expert in this, learning slowly as the learning curve is hard but not impossible. as much as i learn i start to like the game more. its challenging and fun as long as i am able to manage soo many units (if not then i close the match )

 

But i have some concerns so maybe one of you more experienced players can help me out here and answer my questions.. (i am not playing with any mods, so if any good mods are suggested please do tell me)

 

1. Mortas/ off map arty.. now this is the most annoying/ frustrating/ unfair element i find in the game. the enemy can call in off map arty on your location within few seconds of the match start (like 10-15secs) while whenever i call in off mapr/ on map arty/ mortars it takes 3-5 mins before it comes in, this is very wrong imo. how can the enemy call it on my position when it cannot possibly bring any spotter or hq person to spot and call arty withing 15 secs... the first few seconds are when i have my infantry ordered to move around and they get under enemy arty...so whats happening here?

 

2. Air support. this is a general question. when calling air support to a specific location, will it target any enemies in that area?? like calling an apache. or do i need to have enemies spotted via my own units for the heli to engage them?

 

3. Fire pause. is there any command where i can tell my infantry to not be spotted? i.e. not firing at the very first enemy they see and give away their positions. also is there any command which tells the unit to move to a location but not fire at the enemy? or only return fire if fired upon? kind of like a quite move.

 

4. Special forces.. just curious, why are their no spec ops units in game? we got a lot of unit types so why not them?

 

 

thanks you

[Thomm]

Ad 1: Artillery strikes plotted during the set-up phase of the game will arrive with minimal delay once the game has started.

 

Ad 2: Depends whether you chose an Area Target (targets of opportunity will be engaged) or a Point Target.

 

Ad 3: There is a "Hide" command for this.

 

Best regards,
Thomm

[TAKODA]

Hello chohan85, I recommend veins cmbs effects mod -

http://community.battlefront.com/topic/117756-veins-cmbs-effects/

 

Also any mod made by kieme which can be found in the CM Black Sea Maps and Mods thread.

[Placebo]

My general tip would be start small, battles can be daunting but start small so you can see how individual units react.  It will help you understand how to use them correctly.

 

For question 3 - if you are moving and want to limit firing the select a small target arc, that should stop them firing at anything that moves (unless it is inside the fire arc!!).

 

Q4 - Spec ops is not really in scope of the game.

[chohan85]

Ad 1: Artillery strikes plotted during the set-up phase of the game will arrive with minimal delay once the game has started.

 

Ad 2: Depends whether you chose an Area Target (targets of opportunity will be engaged) or a Point Target.

 

Ad 3: There is a "Hide" command for this.

 

Best regards,

Thomm

 

 

thanks

 

1. if you cannot spot the target area during setup phase, then what? cause AI still seem oto bring in the arty

 

2. do the targets need to be spotted in that area? or will the heli pick itself?

 

 

Hello chohan85, I recommend veins cmbs effects mod -

http://community.battlefront.com/topic/117756-veins-cmbs-effects/

 

Also any mod made by kieme which can be found in the CM Black Sea Maps and Mods thread.

 

 

thanks..looking into it

 

 

My general tip would be start small, battles can be daunting but start small so you can see how individual units react.  It will help you understand how to use them correctly.

 

For question 3 - if you are moving and want to limit firing the select a small target arc, that should stop them firing at anything that moves (unless it is inside the fire arc!!).

 

Q4 - Spec ops is not really in scope of the game.

 

!4...any specific reason? cause in a conflict like the one in game, wont the US or Russia send out its spec op parties as advance recon units? cause i know in our country when major ops had happened against insurgents it was basically the spec ops guys being inserted before the main infantry moved in

[chohan85]

one other question. how does the game update? do i need to manually download the update when it comes out (v1.03) or the game updates automatically?

[Codename Duchess]

No one means special forces won't have a role in the hypothetical conflict in game. In fact they'd be very busy on both sides. The thing is though that the CM system isn't meant to handle those types of missions. You'd need to make a totally different game in the background, which isn't feasible.

[vincere]

thanks

 

1. if you cannot spot the target area during setup phase, then what? cause AI still seem oto bring in the arty

 

2. do the targets need to be spotted in that area? or will the heli pick itself?

 

 

 

 

thanks..looking into it

 

 

 

!4...any specific reason? cause in a conflict like the one in game, wont the US or Russia send out its spec op parties as advance recon units? cause i know in our country when major ops had happened against insurgents it was basically the spec ops guys being inserted before the main infantry moved in

1. It's considered a Prep fire- pre plotted. If you play vs Human a good house rule is to not arty the opponent's set up zone. If you want to shorten your arty response time in Quick Battles buy target reference points.

 

2. The Heli or Aircraft will attack what it sees itself. It's one of the missions that you can plot across the board without a spotter seeing to zone.

 

3. Use a shorter range target arc- this helps the units face where you want it to and stops them firing off into the distance.

[womble]

Some elaboration and enlargement on points already answered:

 

i am from pakistan and after watching a lot of videos of CMBN i finally purchased Combat mission black sea instead.

 

...as long as i am able to manage soo many units (if not then i close the match )

Welcome to the forums, and an infinite well of combined arms tactical sim game goodness!

 

I recommend starting off in turn-based mode, often called "WeGo", while you learn what handles to pull to make the game work. As you say, trying to figure out what's going on while the bullets are flying real time can be even more daunting. With turn-based you get as much time as you feel you need to carefully consider the options available to you and find out how to execute them. And you get to watch a replay of things you'd miss playing real-time, so you can learn more about the effects of what you're telling your pixelTruppen to do.

 

1. if you cannot spot the target area during setup phase, then what? cause AI still seem oto bring in the arty

During the setup phase, you too can plot support missions anywhere on the map, same as the AI. You don't need to be able to spot the target area. You and the AI always work under the same rules; indeed, the AI has more restrictions than you (it can't use Target Area, its ability to use Target Arcs is very restricted, for example). Just try it during the setup phase: any unit will be able to call any of the support assets that it is eligible to use and which is eligible to be controlled by that spotter to any point that asset can reach. As has been said, this is considered to be "pre-planned" bombardment, with ranging in done carefully beforehand so no setup time or spotting rounds are necessary. You can also achieve the same sort of effect over a limited area later in the game by using "Target Reference Points". It's probably worth noting that calling preplanned strikes on your opponent's setup area can in some circumstances be considered unsportsmanlike: often the attacker's setup area is unrealistically crowded, and a heavy bombardment in turn one before they can disperse would pretty much end the game. When you graduate to playing vs another human, it's worth discussing with them any conditions they expect to be applied.

 

 

3. Fire pause. is there any command where i can tell my infantry to not be spotted? i.e. not firing at the very first enemy they see and give away their positions. also is there any command which tells the unit to move to a location but not fire at the enemy? or only return fire if fired upon? kind of like a quite move.

Previous posters have mentioned Target Arcs (TAs). Those are the primary means of enforcing fire discipline on your troops. It can be a good idea to start your setup by shift-dragging a box over your entire force and giving them all a short (say 100m) circular (by holding shift down when you click to set the range) arc. It is important to understand that TAs (and Armour Target Arcs, ATAs) are explicitly limitations on where your units will fire. They don't, in and of themselves, confer any spotting or aiming benefits, and it takes a serious threat for a unit to consider firing at a target that isn't in the area covered by the TA. They just tell your troops "Don't fire on anything further away than this, or outside of this arc." They do also imply a "Face" command, so your infantry will orient themselves in that direction when considering where to take cover and firing positions, and your turretted AFVs will rotate their turret to the midpoint of the arc they're given. This tends to mean more eyes and vision systems are pointed in the general direction of the axis of the arc.

 

Hide has also been mentioned. While it has its uses, it isn't something that you should just slap on any unit you don't want seen. It prioritises staying unseen over everything else, and your troops will spend more time "Hiding" than "Spotting", so the number of "eyeball-spotting cycles" will be greatly reduced for an element that is Hiding. They will be reluctant to open fire even on very nearby enemies, if they do spot them, which can be very unhealthy. Most of the time, the inherent behaviour of your pTruppen is to seek the best-covered firing positions that allow them to engage targets in the rough direction they're facing while remaining as concealed as possible. Static infantry in good concealment are already difficult to see with the unaided eye; most of the time, Hide isn't necessary, and a restricted Target Arc will take care of fire discipline.

 

Hide does have its uses, though. Just don't think you want or need to hit Hide at the end of every movement order.

[Wiggum15]

You could also watch the "Armchair General Combat Mission Normandy Tactics Episodes", they focus on WW2 gameplay but explain a lot of basic Combat Mission stuff.

There are six episodes.

[A Canadian Cat]

Hide does have its uses, though. Just don't think you want or need to hit Hide at the end of every movement order.

 

You have lots of good advice and answers to your question.  As usual @womble beat me to the one thing that I thought could use elaboration.  I have to get up earlier or something   The main use of hide is if your men get caught in an artillery barrage.  If your men are in a trench or fox holes and you give them a hide order they will be well protected.  Even if they get caught in the open hiding is better than running through the shells.  To me that is the primary use for hide. Many other times I have used hide my men end up failing to see threats as they get near and they end up suffering for it.

 

one other question. how does the game update? do i need to manually download the update when it comes out (v1.03) or the game updates automatically?

 

You will have to manually download updates and run the install. BFC have been making changes to improve the install process but they have not announced anything about doing updates automatically.

[womble]

 As usual @womble beat me to the one thing that I thought could use elaboration.  I have to get up earlier or something

 

Or move a few time zones east

 

As Ian has said, Hide is great for mitigating artillery barrages: prone troops present a much smaller cross section to most shrapnel than standing or kneeling ones, and Hide tends to have your troops prone more. It does also have concealment benefits (beyond keeping your mens' heads down), and so is situationally useful for keeping your positions hidden. One approach is to leave the small teams with the best vision aids (FOs, Snipers, HQs, maybe some specialist team Scouts) unHidden while your larger fire teams stay well down with Hide orders. Larger elements are more likely to be spotted than small ones. This way you maintain situational awareness and maximum concealment. Being prone, though, you risk being unable to assign target orders to the Hiding teams until after you've cancelled their Hide orders.

[Alan8325]

If you create your own scenario or play a quick battle you can simulate a special forces unit by setting the unit's experience to 'elite' and its motivation to '+2.' Most special forces use the same or very similar small arms as the best equipped conventional forces so the only thing you will be missing from explicit SF is some of the unique uniforms and small-unit tactics.

Edited April 13, 2015 by Alan8325

[womble]

If you create your own scenario or play a quick battle you can simulate a special forces unit by setting the unit's experience to 'elite' and its motivation to '+2.' Most special forces use the same or very similar small arms as the best equipped conventional forces so the only thing you will be missing from explicit SF is some of the unique uniforms and small-unit tactics.

You might also want to build your elite SF out of "Specialist teams" to get the right concentration of high powered/sophisticated systems, demolitions expertise and such, depending on which branch of which nation's SF you're trying to represent. But a Delta team on the CM battlefield is kinda operating out of its intended role...

[chohan85]

Some elaboration and enlargement on points already answered:

 

Welcome to the forums, and an infinite well of combined arms tactical sim game goodness!

 

I recommend starting off in turn-based mode, often called "WeGo", while you learn what handles to pull to make the game work. As you say, trying to figure out what's going on while the bullets are flying real time can be even more daunting. With turn-based you get as much time as you feel you need to carefully consider the options available to you and find out how to execute them. And you get to watch a replay of things you'd miss playing real-time, so you can learn more about the effects of what you're telling your pixelTruppen to do.

 

During the setup phase, you too can plot support missions anywhere on the map, same as the AI. You don't need to be able to spot the target area. You and the AI always work under the same rules; indeed, the AI has more restrictions than you (it can't use Target Area, its ability to use Target Arcs is very restricted, for example). Just try it during the setup phase: any unit will be able to call any of the support assets that it is eligible to use and which is eligible to be controlled by that spotter to any point that asset can reach. As has been said, this is considered to be "pre-planned" bombardment, with ranging in done carefully beforehand so no setup time or spotting rounds are necessary. You can also achieve the same sort of effect over a limited area later in the game by using "Target Reference Points". It's probably worth noting that calling preplanned strikes on your opponent's setup area can in some circumstances be considered unsportsmanlike: often the attacker's setup area is unrealistically crowded, and a heavy bombardment in turn one before they can disperse would pretty much end the game. When you graduate to playing vs another human, it's worth discussing with them any conditions they expect to be applied.

 

 

Previous posters have mentioned Target Arcs (TAs). Those are the primary means of enforcing fire discipline on your troops. It can be a good idea to start your setup by shift-dragging a box over your entire force and giving them all a short (say 100m) circular (by holding shift down when you click to set the range) arc. It is important to understand that TAs (and Armour Target Arcs, ATAs) are explicitly limitations on where your units will fire. They don't, in and of themselves, confer any spotting or aiming benefits, and it takes a serious threat for a unit to consider firing at a target that isn't in the area covered by the TA. They just tell your troops "Don't fire on anything further away than this, or outside of this arc." They do also imply a "Face" command, so your infantry will orient themselves in that direction when considering where to take cover and firing positions, and your turretted AFVs will rotate their turret to the midpoint of the arc they're given. This tends to mean more eyes and vision systems are pointed in the general direction of the axis of the arc.

 

Hide has also been mentioned. While it has its uses, it isn't something that you should just slap on any unit you don't want seen. It prioritises staying unseen over everything else, and your troops will spend more time "Hiding" than "Spotting", so the number of "eyeball-spotting cycles" will be greatly reduced for an element that is Hiding. They will be reluctant to open fire even on very nearby enemies, if they do spot them, which can be very unhealthy. Most of the time, the inherent behaviour of your pTruppen is to seek the best-covered firing positions that allow them to engage targets in the rough direction they're facing while remaining as concealed as possible. Static infantry in good concealment are already difficult to see with the unaided eye; most of the time, Hide isn't necessary, and a restricted Target Arc will take care of fire discipline.

 

Hide does have its uses, though. Just don't think you want or need to hit Hide at the end of every movement order.

 

 

Thanks thanks thanks

 

this cleared a good number of things for me

 

 

You might also want to build your elite SF out of "Specialist teams" to get the right concentration of high powered/sophisticated systems, demolitions expertise and such, depending on which branch of which nation's SF you're trying to represent. But a Delta team on the CM battlefield is kinda operating out of its intended role...

 

will try that.. anyone made a uniform mod to make them look like SF units? just curious