Engine 5 Wishlist

[luigim]

No difference for me with a SSD... it's mainly clock speed related and I own a i5 2500k 4.4ghz... but it uses mainly one core

[Redwolf]

Yes, loading time is mostly CPU time. Storage speed plays almost no role.

However, this means that multithreading would help (a lot).

[Sunbather]

2 hours ago, luigim said:

No difference for me with a SSD... it's mainly clock speed related and I own a i5 2500k 4.4ghz... but it uses mainly one core

Well, I have a Ryzen 3600 with ~3950 Mhz. However, clock speed is not everything which is why my processor is much faster than yours (comes down to IPC and how fast your memory is etc.).

That being said, it would be the very first time that loading into a game wouldn't depend on the speed of your storage.

Anywho, I have no problems with loading times which is why I think there could be a solution for the problem.

[Erwin]

SSD's are great for fast loading the game.  Fast memory is also helpful.  But even with a fast CPU many of the largest scenarios still take a minute or two to load(!).  My understanding is that CM is an "obsolete" software that only can utilize a single core.  Multiple cores do not speed things up.

[Redwolf]

1 hour ago, Erwin said:

SSD's are great for fast loading the game.  Fast memory is also helpful.

No, neither is actually the case for CMx2. Even the fastest per-core speed processors are limited on CPU time, not disk throughput, for CMx2. Don't give people bogus purchase advise.

DCS for example is the other way round. Without a (particularly fast) SSD you want to strangle it. So SSDs are useful in the general case, just not for CMx2.

[Artkin]

5 hours ago, luigim said:

No difference for me with a SSD... it's mainly clock speed related and I own a i5 2500k 4.4ghz... but it uses mainly one core

2500k can easily do 4.9, try that, your fps will get even better. I had that chip from 2011-2020 and it was amazing. One of the best chips intel ever made. 

[Erwin]

1 hour ago, Redwolf said:

No, neither is actually the case for CMx2. Even the fastest per-core speed processors are limited on CPU time, not disk throughput, for CMx2. Don't give people bogus purchase advise.

Well, that is based on my own experience when I replaced my old HD's with SSD's.   Faster loading was immediately noticeable.

Edited March 13, 2022 by Erwin

[Kevin2k]

5 hours ago, Redwolf said:

Yes, loading time is mostly CPU time. Storage speed plays almost no role.

However, this means that multithreading would help (a lot).

I benchmarked it:

Loading time om the same system (i5-3550), at same settings (Graphics Balanced/Balanced)
CM Black Sea v2.16 Scenario 'Ambush'
HDD 3,5" WD Caviar Blue 7200 rpm 500GB = 50 seconds loading time
SSD Crucial M4 MX500 500GB = 40 seconds loading time

Edit: A laptop 2,5" HDD may perform worse then this desktop HDD.

Edited March 13, 2022 by Kevin2k

[sgt.longbow]

scavenge from vehicles that have not been blown up or set on fire.

[Codreanu]

42 minutes ago, sgt.longbow said:

scavenge from vehicles that have not been blown up or set on fire.

This would be a nice feature. I believe in most tanks at least one of the machine guns usually comes with a bipod stowed away somewhere so if you have to bail you have some extra firepower. I bet typically it would just be left in the tank because nobody is gonna want to take the time to yank it out of it's mount and grab the bipod when they're being shot at but maybe it could be an option for tank crew to be able to go back and retrieve it, or even a friendly infantry squad.

[HerrTom]

This is a small thing (hopefully) but I'd really like some extra knobs to play with particle effects in the game. Perhaps a way to configure explosions and smoke effects (while keeping the core gameplay effects, naturally) with things like:

1. Multiple variants of smoke or explosions. Right now we have 1 explosion (explosiona) and 4 types of smoke used in different contexts (smoke black, smoke grey, smoke white, smoke dust). I'd like to be able to make multiple explosion animations or multiple variants of a single smoke texture to give some more variety to the effects.
2. Ability to set explosions to render at the proper z-level. Currently explosions render on top of the transparency pass, so you see them clear as day through smoke, trees, glass, etc. I'd like to be able to have them look properly obscured by smoke and dust.'
3. Define explosion animations for different calibre rounds. This would be like #1 above, but like we have explosion sounds for small/medium/large etc. the possibility of making different animations, for example, for autocannon hits, for tank gun hits, and for aircraft bombs would be pretty cool.
4. Ability to define the orientation of explosions. This would be best combined with #1 again, but if we could create animations that are oriented normal to the surface of whatever the object is striking we could make some very realistic looking explosions.
5. Ability to make explosion animations for specific materials. Like how impacts can cause different sounds depending on the material hit, I'd like to be able to make a different explosion for dirt, concrete, metal, etc.
6. Longer explosion animations! To the best of my knowledge we're limited to less than 30 frames. I'd love to be able to make something just a little bit longer to really blend for example smoke to fade out.

So... "small" ask right?

[kr0114]

i agree for performance issues. this is a proof that devs are not efficiently using their textures and 3d model resources 

[Alchenar]

Yeah not being a programmer I accept that this is a bit of a 'things that you don't understand sound easy' but performance is the big one.   The game engine isn't leveraging multi-threading, modern RAM expectations, or anyone's GPU integrated or otherwise nearly to the extent that it could.  I can accept that it might just be too much work to make happen, but as a user I'm just not going to get excited about anything in an engine update that isn't 'the game no longer runs like ass'.

 

There is one QOL update though that I'd like and that's the option to have artillery/air fire missions where I can pick multiple point targets in order. Or an area target with prioritised point targets.  

I should be able to tell a paladin battery of 3 guns 'I want you to precision strike these three points in one salvo'.  Or an attack helicopter 'strike this tank specifically and then go after targets of opportunity in this area' as a single order.  

e; oh and this isn't quite an 'engine upgrade' but get Steam Workshop set up.  That's really not much work at all and would be fantastic for the community.

Edited March 19, 2022 by Alchenar

[Codreanu]

6 hours ago, Alchenar said:

oh and this isn't quite an 'engine upgrade' but get Steam Workshop set up.  That's really not much work at all and would be fantastic for the community.

Steam Workshop support would be huge. I can see the modding community getting a second renaissance if there was a central repository like the workshop where people could just one click install new mods and scenarios, coupled with a new, more user-friendly scenario designer and opening the game up to more expansive mods a little bit more.

[Erwin]

1 hour ago, Codreanu said:

if there was a central repository like the workshop where people could just one click install new mods and scenarios, coupled with a new, more user-friendly scenario designer and opening the game up to more expansive mods a little bit more.

It's called CMMODS at Few Good Men site.

[Codreanu]

15 minutes ago, Erwin said:

It's called CMMODS at Few Good Men site.

Not everything is on there, there's a lot of stuff you can only find on these forums or other places. I'm sure it was a pain for people like 37mm to compile their scenario packs hunting through the scenario depot and Battlefront forums trying to find old scenarios, the most up to date version of those old scenarios, and any accompanying files that came with them, Steam Workshop would literally just be 1 click to install it and would install any new version automatically.

[Erwin]

A year or so ago, I supplied Bootie with an ext HD with everything that had been created since 2007.  Problem is that it's such a huge amount of content (approx half a TB) that it's been an overwhelming amount of work for Bootie to publish it all on CMMODS.  It's a full-time job if one thinks about it.  

[Redwolf]

5 hours ago, Codreanu said:

Steam Workshop support would be huge. I can see the modding community getting a second renaissance if there was a central repository like the workshop where people could just one click install new mods and scenarios, coupled with a new, more user-friendly scenario designer and opening the game up to more expansive mods a little bit more.

I don't think that is a realistic hope since the Steam work is done by Matrix, not BFC, and they don't seem to be willing to put any -well- steam behind their efforts. Also, Mac users would be out as long as nobody pushes Steam some more than currently.

[sgt.longbow]

add medics and ambulance apc's

add physical destruction of vehicles when blown up [tank turrets popping off]

add ability  to have more then on faction for each side [american+ german  against  terrorist+syrian]

add  the whole calendar year not just some months [some of these games are hypothetical like black sea, so the  battle or war could go longer as we have seen]

[The Great White North]

Greetings all! 
 

1- I would love to see Engineers be able to place mines in game, maybe also build defensive structures? = Awesome! Perhaps it could be done with their own supply vehicles, and a time factor for construction....

 

2- Ability for supply dumps offloaded from vehicles.

 

3- Would be nice to mix up force selection in CMBN for the Germans as in Airborne with the other options like the Allied force can.

4- I’m just getting started with video AAR’s I know this is a huge ask but I’ll throw it out there... If we could screen record in game I think the amount of people posting videos would increase a lot and perhaps increase this awesome games presence. Maybe a Combat Mission film festival once a year would be fun! I’d be happy to help organize that.

Absolutely adore this series of simulators I appreciate the work and efforts many have done to make it what it is...

Best!

The Great White North

Aka Manitoba Martin

[weapon2010]

On 3/14/2022 at 12:52 PM, HerrTom said:

This is a small thing (hopefully) but I'd really like some extra knobs to play with particle effects in the game. Perhaps a way to configure explosions and smoke effects (while keeping the core gameplay effects, naturally) with things like:

1. Multiple variants of smoke or explosions. Right now we have 1 explosion (explosiona) and 4 types of smoke used in different contexts (smoke black, smoke grey, smoke white, smoke dust). I'd like to be able to make multiple explosion animations or multiple variants of a single smoke texture to give some more variety to the effects.
2. Ability to set explosions to render at the proper z-level. Currently explosions render on top of the transparency pass, so you see them clear as day through smoke, trees, glass, etc. I'd like to be able to have them look properly obscured by smoke and dust.'
3. Define explosion animations for different calibre rounds. This would be like #1 above, but like we have explosion sounds for small/medium/large etc. the possibility of making different animations, for example, for autocannon hits, for tank gun hits, and for aircraft bombs would be pretty cool.
4. Ability to define the orientation of explosions. This would be best combined with #1 again, but if we could create animations that are oriented normal to the surface of whatever the object is striking we could make some very realistic looking explosions.
5. Ability to make explosion animations for specific materials. Like how impacts can cause different sounds depending on the material hit, I'd like to be able to make a different explosion for dirt, concrete, metal, etc.
6. Longer explosion animations! To the best of my knowledge we're limited to less than 30 frames. I'd love to be able to make something just a little bit longer to really blend for example smoke to fade out.

So... "small" ask right?

you really love explosions

[HerrTom]

7 hours ago, weapon2010 said:

you really love explosions

Between modeling artillery shell fragmentation and making explosion mods, can you blame me? Kaboom!

[Rake]

I've not read the entire thread, so I could easily have missed this:

More translucent colors for setup zones and target arcs,or a toggle to turn them off.

 

[Whiterider]

1-A customizable random map generator. For sure, this option will attract QB lovers, CMX1 geeks and casual players. It´s a win-win for both developers and customers.

2-Very tiny quick battles (half points of the minimun). Since many people enjoy small battles (actually "tiny battles" are not so tiny)  it should be a nice addition and not difficult to make.

 

[Pericles]

As was mentioned on the first page of this thread: Pre-configurable fallback point to be used when a unit retreats.

I'm surprised this isn't one of the priorities for most of those commenting here. Honestly, every second or third scenario I play, I end up with panicked units rushing towards the enemy rather than away. Just the other day I was playing CMSF2 and a Syrian BMP decided after detecting an AT unit to speed forward towards the AT unit rather than back a couple meters to get out of its line of fire. Do I have a different copy of the game?