Sgt.Squarehead Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 Video of Mine Team using 'Blast' finally uploaded, here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/fq2hkjdetckaexd/CM Afghanistan - AI Controlled Mine Team Blasts A Wall.avi?dl=0 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erwin Posted April 15, 2017 Author Share Posted April 15, 2017 Slightly OT, but (in CMSF's "into The Green") I had an engineer use a charge to blast thru a wall into a building - and it seemed happy to run thru the hole into the bldg. However, afterwards other units still insisted on going around and using the door(!) The ground looks level and I can't see why the breach team entered, but no one else wants to use the opening. I tried giving a waypoint directly in front of the hole and a final waypoint inside. But, the units would still run around to the door. Ideas? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOS:96B2P Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 20 hours ago, Sandokan said: <Snip> The initial mortaring comes as a surprise and the few people hanging around in the parking lot of the embassy scurry for cover. The bombing is no exceedingly intense but, anyway, I spend a couple of turns moving everybody away from the first and the highest floors and ordering hide, too. At the end the results aren’t that bad. Two, three KIA among the militia and a few light wounded. <Snip> This is interesting. I missed it the first read through until @Erwin pointed it out. I knew about placing troops on Hide but I didn't know the floor of a building mattered to incoming artillery/mortars. So in an artillery barrage (in the game) most casualties are taken by troops on the first floor and the top floor? If you had a three story building the second floor would be the safest from the artillery? In MOUT fighting when selecting positions for crew served weapons etc this is useful information. Not that I would do anything gamey with this information Erwin. My quest is only to obtain a broader more complete and scientific understanding of the game . I may have to put this on my list of things to test .................. in the interest of science . 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erwin Posted April 15, 2017 Author Share Posted April 15, 2017 Yes, amongst the lower forms of life like the "gamey" classes, this artifact of the CM2 HE arty FX is well known. I would never use this knowhow myself of course. Seriously however, designers need to design so that novices don't get creamed by phenomena like this. Best to design the barrage strength assuming the troops are left on the ground floor. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted April 16, 2017 Share Posted April 16, 2017 I'm not convinced it makes all that much difference TBH.....Hiding helps, but the rest of it seems to be in the lap of the gods (I've watched these mortar barrages very closely since Erwin's unfortunate incident). Version 1.4 is done bar the shouting, want to play it through a couple of times before I move on to 1.5.....I have discovered an issue in the AI that means 1.3 is a bit easier than it should be though. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOS:96B2P Posted April 16, 2017 Share Posted April 16, 2017 20 hours ago, Sgt.Squarehead said: <Snip> I'm not convinced it makes all that much difference TBH.....Hiding helps, but the rest of it seems to be in the lap of the gods (I've watched these mortar barrages very closely since Erwin's unfortunate incident). <Snip> Yep, I just did a quick experiment in CMFB v2.0 Engine 4 and CMSF v1.32 (I don't have CMA) and found no really consistent difference. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 (edited) Why do so many people who obviously love CM:SF not also have CM:A? Seriously guys it's about the price of a round of beers and it'll give you a hell of a lot more pleasure! The CM:A game engine is slightly more sophisticated than CM:SF (actual water & exit zones too) and the units are better thought out (except the trucks). For unconventional warfare it's the best title in the whole CM series, which is good news when you consider the environment! The game runs from 1978 to.....Wait for it.....1992! You can set your scenarios in the Saur Revolution, the Soviet period, or the Warlord period after the Soviet withdrawal, all with the basic game. That's fourteen years of non-stop fighting all with suitable (if occasionally difficult to choose) units, including some you won't see elsewhere such as the T-55AD & T-62D with the Drozd active defence system. Plus I really could use some more testers & stuff, this game hasn't been very thoroughly explored at all.....It's kinda lonely in here! Edited April 17, 2017 by Sgt.Squarehead 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 (edited) So I made this test, to see how reliable 'Blast' is under AI control: BlastTest.btt Works well! I've just discovered that an identical test works equally well in CM:BS.....I presume it works for all the CMx4 games? Not sure how reliable it would be if there were alternative entrances to the structures, perhaps the facing command might have an effect? Edited April 17, 2017 by Sgt.Squarehead 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erwin Posted April 18, 2017 Author Share Posted April 18, 2017 Some of us are here. Just busy finishing up other uncompleted games. Am thinking that a major issue with CMA is that the majority of scenarios and the campaigns that came with the game were poor. There have been some wonderful user-made scenarios and campaigns over the years, but many players didn't last that long. Not many mods made for CMA either. I have some good Russian and uncon mods, uniforms, clothes and skins plus some vehicles. No DRA uniform mod at all, and the stock looks poor. And it seems that the DRA face mod that I have doesn't seem to appear in game - not sure if they are named correctly or if it's a date problem (the mod says "summer" in the name). 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 (edited) Aye it looks like there are other problems too, truth to be told.....AI controlled artillery appears to be broken, I'm trying some more tests but it doesn't look promising. Forgot to say the Blast Test should be played as Red, WEGO, Scenario Author Test. Edited April 18, 2017 by Sgt.Squarehead 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOS:96B2P Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 21 hours ago, Sgt.Squarehead said: Why do so many people who obviously love CM:SF not also have CM:A? Seriously guys it's about the price of a round of beers and it'll give you a hell of a lot more pleasure! <Snip> Thanks to you and @Erwin I finally bought the game . However, nothing is easy of course, I can't get it to run. I submitted a help desk ticket about 4 hours ago. Have to see how that turns out. It originally said the game encountered a problem and Windows closed it. After several attempts including "run as administrator" I got the window that said, unable to get or install license. Error code 501. Maybe the second message was from multiple entries of my license key trying to get it to run?? In any case waiting on Battlefront. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 (edited) Hope you get sorted soon. Could it be an Antivirus issue.....Webroot caused me all kinds of grief with my new installs (and probably will again at the next CM patch of major significance)? I'd recommend 'Combing The Green Zone' and 'A trouble in Herat' as fun stock scenarios (the latter was the basis of the map used in this scenario), there's loads of goodness at The Repository too.....Playing about in the CM:A editor is kind of satisfying, you've got a quite a few more options than CMSF and there is plenty of potential for some really original scenarios. This game is slightly unusual in that the uncons, especially Mujahideen, may well actually be better fighters than the DRA or Soviet forces they face.....Not very well trained perhaps, but every bit as used to living in the field and being shot at, and a damned sight less bothered by it too (I typically set Mujahideen at Regular, -1, Extreme, Average, Limited and Tribals at Green, -2, High, Fair, Scarce). One big issue with the game is that AI artillery may be borked.....Scripted AI Targets work as normal, but after that I cannot get AI forward observers to fire artillery in game. I haven't thoroughly tested air controllers yet, but my optimism isn't high. Kind of hoping @Battlefront.com might spare a moment to let us know what the actual situation regarding AI artillery is in CM:A.....I'm hoping that it's down to something in the AI scripting that I've missed. Then, of course, there's the trucks...... If you want to try to get one to work on the other, try this test as Blue, WEGO, Scenario Author Test: ArtyTest.btt Your silly-pointless-waste of space trucks should (with some delay) get blown to smithereens by nine 152mm tubes.....But they don't! Edited April 18, 2017 by Sgt.Squarehead 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOS:96B2P Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 18 minutes ago, Sgt.Squarehead said: Hope you get sorted soon. I'd recommend 'Combing The Green Zone' and 'A trouble in Herat' as fun stock scenarios <Snip> 18 minutes ago, Sgt.Squarehead said: Thanks. Just reading through the PDF game manual for now. What's wrong with the trucks? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 (edited) They can't do anything, there are only one or two crew slots and they don't carry ammo! They are utterly useless apart from as targets in not terrifically exciting convoy missions.....Apparently BF's Russian saboteurs partners wanted them this way or something (I really do not understand why they didn't just port the CM:SF trucks). On a brighter note CM:A does have one of the most beautiful & clever CM maps I've seen, RommL's 'Salang Pass': http://www.battlefront.com/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=314&func=fileinfo&id=1024 This map actually works for AI convoys.....No trucks routing via mountaintops here! Traffic jams though remain largely unavoidable! PS - I think there's actually a scenario scripted on the Salang map, but I've never tried playing it. Edited April 18, 2017 by Sgt.Squarehead 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erwin Posted April 18, 2017 Author Share Posted April 18, 2017 (edited) 1 hour ago, MOS:96B2P said: Thanks to you and @Erwin I finally bought the game . However, nothing is easy of course, I can't get it to run. I submitted a help desk ticket about 4 hours ago. Have to see how that turns out. It originally said the game encountered a problem and Windows closed it. After several attempts including "run as administrator" I got the window that said, unable to get or install license. Error code 501. Maybe the second message was from multiple entries of my license key trying to get it to run?? In any case waiting on Battlefront. That's wonderful. I could do with another big $commission$ check from BF. FWIW I have about 36 scenarios (plus SS's) and 6 campaigns for CMA. The newer ones are better than the one's that come with the game. I recommend "Competent Incompetence" campaign. Edited April 18, 2017 by Erwin 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 (edited) Just checked the manual to see if I'd missed anything regarding AI artillery plotting, this section: Quote Any support assets that are not used up for the pre-planned bombardments are available for the AI Player to use dynamically during the battle as long as it has what it needs to call in a strike (e.g. proper spotter, adequate communications links, etc.). In other words, the AI Player is bound by the same rules as the Human Player, as explained in various sections of this manual. Implies it should work as normal for both sides.....In my experience it doesn't. I'm going to try a FAC & a couple of Hinds on those trucks, see how that goes......Nope they're borked too! AirTest.btt On the scenarios/campaigns front, it's well worth tracking down 'Major Nosov's Brigade': It's not at the Repository any more as far as I can see, but the link about half way down this page: http://combat-mission.fredrock-racing.com/downloads.html Still works. Edited April 18, 2017 by Sgt.Squarehead 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 This bit of the manual: Preplanned strikes arrive at the beginning of a scenario, but not always immediately in the first few seconds. Normal C2 delays apply. Each target is attacked in order, and if multiple assets are available, several targets can be attacked simultaneously. Regarding pre-planned 'AI Targets' appears to be incorrect, based on my experiences with this scenario and others it seems that the AI chooses randomly from the painted targets rather than striking them in sequence, I have seen no evidence of sequential targeting at all. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 (edited) For a change of pace I've got a wee scenario for Blue almost ready for testing.....Same map, opposite side, two years earlier. It starts a bit like this: Abdul Gul has a plan! In the process of making this I found four more borked buildings and had to fix them on four copies of the map.....Talk about making a rod for your own back! Edited April 21, 2017 by Sgt.Squarehead 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erwin Posted April 21, 2017 Author Share Posted April 21, 2017 I see a black screen with green ovals. (Plus info bar at bottom.) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 You need a better monitor. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erwin Posted April 21, 2017 Author Share Posted April 21, 2017 I have a wonderful monitor... You need a better screenshot... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 (edited) Just ran a full test on the new scenario.....It all went absolutely swimmingly until a routed group of Bank Guards, ran straight through a solid wall into the vault with the 'Bank-Tellers & Loot' (Spies), all of whom were routed, ruining the whole scenario. Dammit! That's just not fair! Fortunately I have a simple fix. Edited April 21, 2017 by Sgt.Squarehead 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 (edited) I'm seriously confused.....I can't seem to get AI controlled artillery to work in my scenarios, yet I've just played a scenario (Desperate Crossing) in which a Red AI Forward Observer appeared to be directing fire against my Mujahideen normally (I was sure I'd experienced AI controlled artillery in the past, hence my surprise when I couldn't make it work). I've looked at the scenario in the editor and I cannot see any obvious differences between the designer's scripts & my own......Can anyone help! Just checked that scenario in Author test mode and sure enough the spotter is behaving exactly as I recall from my earlier efforts and also from CM:SF, he's surrounded by a big yellow circle (his field of view at a guess) and has a green line pointing to the artillery's target. Could my install be broken somehow, what the hell is going on? Edited April 24, 2017 by Sgt.Squarehead 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 Finally got the blighters to fire.....It seems they won't fire at trucks or pickups (the target in my test) but they will call fire in on anyone who fires at them (I used a Mine Team instead). But this doesn't completely explain why the damned things wouldn't fire in Action & Reaction, there were plenty of non-truck targets.....I really need to figure this out. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 (edited) It seems that AI spotters are just incredibly myopic, unless they are actually looking down the barrel of a gun (either direction will do). I ran the test with the Mine Team again, but instead of shooting at the FO to attract his attention I ran my pixeltruppen backwards and forward until he spotted them and started shooting, at which point I ran 'em around a bit more just to make sure, then hid behind the house.....I was rewarded with a 'Linear Barrage' no less! I guess this means the best way to avoid a rain of HE is to not shoot the enemy artillery spotters, better to drop your own arty stonk on them or nail them with a Hind. Edited April 24, 2017 by Sgt.Squarehead 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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