What's This? Combat Mission: Fortress Italy

[kevinkin]

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/05/11/colonel-croesus-turn-10/

[Sublime]

crab? it was in the odds and sods pack

I only glanced if thats your question

its a flail tank

you turn the flail on in game and it sets mines off in front of tank (it whips chains around a spinner in front of tank)

[StieliAlpha]

I believe, @kevinkin refers more to the co-op game play. I have never seen that before in CM, but it is an interesting idea.

Though the map looks like crab, eh: crap, indeed.

[kevinkin]

Posted since the concept with respect to WW2 ground combat blindsided me and the concept might be of passing interest here. I think you give orders to a referee that tries to execute those orders in a fair way for both sides. Very old school coop wargaming technique that I believe the Naval War College has used for years. What really got me was the crazy terrain depicted in the screen shots. 

Kevin

Edited May 18, 2020 by kevinkin

[StieliAlpha]

10 hours ago, kevinkin said:

Posted since the concept with respect to WW2 ground combat blindsided me and the concept might be of passing interest here. I think you give orders to a referee that tries to execute those orders in a fair way for both sides. Very old school coop wargaming technique that I believe the Naval War College has used for years. What really got me was the crazy terrain depicted in the screen shots. 

Kevin

After reading the comments, I had the impression, they use a „command system“, where say Company Commanders give „radio-link“ like orders (via a Chat Forum) to subordinates. Nice idea.

I once played a sailing ship online game, where in game communication is by flag signals. This works really fine (and can be quite frustrating, if the receiver ignores your orders. But for that, there are court martials...)

Though, I admit, I doubt that the radio command communication is very relevant in the scale of most CM scenarios.

Edited May 19, 2020 by StieliAlpha

[kevinkin]

I understand your point completely. I am not sure this type of multiplayer is all about radio commands per se but where Command orders maneuvers when they can't see the terrain other than on a map or within their immediate LOS. The pixel Commander might have to run around in a confused tactical situation with a lot of FOW and at times position (not fire) light MGs and mortars. And then run over to a radio or to another a subunit "face to face" to issue orders related to the local situation.  If anyone has read "Clay Pigeons of St. Lo" , you might understand the Command problem. Translating that into a wargame does not produce a sexy wargame. There is a game in development called Radio Commander that's in early stages. But I would not be interested unless the Commander can move outside of their bunker and have some ability to fire at targets.  Always been interested in rules sets placed on top on commercial wargames. They are difficult to pull off without finding players really dedicated to the process. 

Kevin

[StieliAlpha]

I am not saying such a command system is simple to introduce. Probably it would indeed need an umpire. But that would become pretty complicated and go against the relatively „fast pace“ of a CM game.

As said in my previous post, I don’t believe it is really applicable to most CM situations anyway. At least not to small scale scenarios. The many professionals here may correct me, but I tend to think in a 45min company level scenario, the company commanders input would be very limited anyway. Not much more, than to issue a plan in an initial order and the give the execution order. And thereafter to rely on his platoon commanders and hope for the best.

i can imagine a working command system in battalion level scenarios. But that is certainly not what we see in the original example.

[kevinkin]

The beauty of a tactical wargame like CM is the seamless gameplay that allows the player to go from low to higher level of situational awareness when planning the same turn. Not really realistic in a strict sense. But without that ability the the product would not be all that fun to play. So we are actually allowed a company commander's level of awareness while planning at the squad leader level. Over the years, players have experimented with playing at only ground level (no over head view). It's interesting to try, but never caught on. 

Kevin