Night sky in Combat Mission

[George MC]

So I'm playing around in the editor with a night action. Out of curiosity I was wondering re the stars and their constellations. So I used a phone app I have, which identifies the constellations in the night sky, on the night sky in my scenario (Poland). And it worked - identified the various constellations. How cool is that?!

Edited October 12, 2019 by George MC

[Vergeltungswaffe]

Totally cool.

Sounds like something for the RT module,...hmm.

[MikeyD]

I recall that star constellations were accurate back when CMSF1 first showed up but I didn't know they had kept that going all these years. So that's really cool. Not one hour ago I was doing an internet search of lunar phases for 1944 in order to decide on which moonless night I want to set a certain battle in.

[rocketman]

17 hours ago, MikeyD said:

I recall that star constellations were accurate back when CMSF1 first showed up but I didn't know they had kept that going all these years. So that's really cool. Not one hour ago I was doing an internet search of lunar phases for 1944 in order to decide on which moonless night I want to set a certain battle in.

Isn't also the sun's position in the sky and where it rises/sets also modelled? It is cool that the moon shows the accurate phase in night battles. So it begs the question if out pixeltruppen fights worse on a full moon night 

[General Jack Ripper]

On 10/11/2019 at 7:26 PM, MikeyD said:

I recall that star constellations were accurate back when CMSF1 first showed up but I didn't know they had kept that going all these years. So that's really cool. Not one hour ago I was doing an internet search of lunar phases for 1944 in order to decide on which moonless night I want to set a certain battle in.

I recall the night sky was actually applied backwards, and no one noticed. 

When I saw Ursa Minor circling Polaris in the southern sky, I sighed heavily, and then kept playing 'From the Dawn to the Setting Sun'.

Oh well, you can't have everything.

[grungar]

is it just me or does the sun really rise in a dawn scn. it sure seems that way to me.

[MikeyD]

Oh yeh, scenario designers are known for fine-tuning the scenario times for just the moment they want when the sun breaks over the horizon (see CMSF2 Abus susah). Originally the default time in the scenario editor was 9am. But when they started work on CMFB they found 9am mid-winter northern Europe was still kind'a dark! So the default time got moved up to 11am. The winter sun is soooo low in the sky in CMFB.

[Warts 'n' all]

I love that effect.

[George MC]

Good to see others share my celestial fascination for the sun, moon and stars in-game!

Yes the sun does slowly rise in game. I've used this in one scenario where the player approaches under cover of the poor light early dawn. However as the light becomes better so does the spotting range and that is when the player, if not careful will drive into an ambush from anti-tank guns set-up a 1000m away. Which in reality have had potential LOS/LOF from near the start i.e. players vehicles quickly will move into it - saved by the initial poor vis.

Phases of the moon also appear to be accurately modelled.

[A Canadian Cat]

Rediscovered for the first time.

I remember when the fist post about stars showed up after CMBN came out (I wasn't around for CMSF). It was a cool moment. Really sold me on how awesome this game is. Yes, I know it has nothing to do with game play but is is really cool.