Little Gems of ideas for CM2 thread

[Culex Pipiens]

i don't kow if it is possible, but i think that it is not possible to cover all the type of building that were present in east front:

church, more story building, industry, silos ecc

why not an editor only for building

you can make them in the shape you like, with internalwall ecc

[Grobdeutschland]

A shadeing tool would be great...something like...put a "LOS" marker on a spot & the whole map is shaded to that spot! COOL Idea! I like all the others ideas as well, but this will really speed up setup times.

So would having unit info on the buy screen.

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"Far better it is

To dare mighty things...

Then to take rank with

Those poor, timid spirits

Who know neither

Victory nor defeat."

Theodore Roosevelt 1899

[Samhain]

The stuff I wrote here: http://www.battlefront.com/discuss/Forum1/HTML/013888.html

Also, full movie playback and the advanced QB features mentioned by others, particularly the ability to play them on designed maps (either ones that ship with the game or third-party).

Plus, graphics that are competitive with the best of the best of today's 3D games, be they shooters, flight sims, or RTS's. E.g., depicting all soldiers in a squad, dynamic lighting, deformable terrain, vastly higher poly counts on troop models, lens flares--the usual that we've come to expect. Since I hear the 3D engine won't be revised (substantially) for CM2, I guess this applies to CM 3 and 4.

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I rode a tank, held a general's rank

When the blitzkrieg raged, and the bodies stank.

--Rolling Stones

[This message has been edited by Samhain (edited 12-21-2000).]

[Chupacabra]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Samhain:

Plus, graphics that are competitive with the best of the best of today's 3D games, be they shooters, flight sims, or RTS's. E.g., depicting all soldiers in a squad, dynamic lighting, deformable terrain, vastly higher poly counts on troop models, lens flares--the usual that we've come to expect. Since I hear the 3D engine won't be revised (substantially) for CM2, I guess this applies to CM 3 and 4.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

To be blunt, that's not going to happen. Take Q3A - how many polygons do you reckon it has to display on screen at a time? I bet CM has just as many, if not more. I can run the original Unreal (which still looks pretty spiffy, IMO) on my computer with all the bells and whistles without any slowdown, whereas with anything over 2000 pt. battles CM turns into quicksand.

BTS has stated before that today's fastest computers wouldn't be able to handle a 1:1 representation of men without an unacceptable slowdown. That's fine with me.

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Soy super bien soy super super bien soy bien bien super bien bien bien super super

[Henri]

*Stackable standard operating procedures as in TACOPS.

*Pause command in the middle of a waypoint set

*Follow command on roads

*AI vs AI play to balance scenario design and to study scenarios

*Order of battle display

*Standard equipment types for Quick battle choices: not everyone knows what a normal understrength German Panzer Battalion is supposed to look like.A wider choice than "armored" or balanced" would be nice.

*Unit info on the purchase screen; how many newbies know what a kangaroo vehicle is, or whether a Sherman V is better than a Sherman III (not much...)?

*Full game movies viewable from either side.

*The ability to insert user maps into the random map generator, that could be chosen at random. This could yield better maps for quick battles.Or perhaps an option to have the random map generator choose ANY map at random among all the maps available.

[Samhain]

Chupacabra, there are proven techniques to render vast numbers of units/creatures/men/whatever on the screen at once using variable level of detail that reduces rendered poly counts and/or texture detail as an object recedes in the distance. I'm sure support for on-board T&L would make a big difference too, as the games I've played that support it run substantially faster with extremely high detail. Check the Jan '01 issue of Maximum PC, for instance, for an idea of what 3D engines (current or to be released in 2001) can do. Remember too, that entry-level bargain OEM computers now feature 800 MHz procs, with higher-end systems featuring up to 1.4 GHz procs. By the time the next iterations of CM come out, those figures will be higher, and of course video cards will be even more outrageously powerful than today's inexpensive and widely owned GeForce2 chipsets.

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I rode a tank, held a general's rank

When the blitzkrieg raged, and the bodies stank.

--Rolling Stones

[This message has been edited by Samhain (edited 12-21-2000).]

[deanco]

Ability to remap the keys.

Assuming there is to be no "roster", a button that lets you jump to T-1 and V-1 (and W-1, see below) quickly. At the moment I do this by finding a team, any team, on the map and then using the + and - buttons. This way I would hit the button, then just +. Crews should be given a "W" classification so we can keep them seperate from whatever class they're mixed in with now (teams, I think).

A keypress animation for the 'keyboard' button. A rollover animation for the GO button (and only there) to alert people they're getting ready to click it. That can save us an "are you sure" dialog box already!

A keyboard equivalent to the GO button, the Play button, rewind, start, etc.

OK, I am emboldened here. You know the buttons to zoom in and out the 3D map? Plus and minus on the numpad? Well...they're backwards. Plus should be zoom in!! After 7 months of making mistakes with it, I'm throwing caution to the wind and saying it. It's probably too late to change it as everybody has been indoctrinated by now, but really. Plus is zoom in, and has been since the beginning of time.

DYNAMIC LIGHTING, oh pretty please with sugar on top BTS! I can live with CM2 looking like CM1, and I don't need more polygons really, I'm happy with the number you have now. But, oh my god sakes alive, would that look ever so cool to have a night battle with dynamic lighting, and seeing the flashes of gunfire in the distance, or at dusk with the tanks casting shadows and the light glinting off their hulls...

(Ooops, forgot one. A 'lock and drop' button that does a macro of Tab and a user defined level (or hardcode it to level 1) all at once.)

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DeanCo--

CM interface mods: http://mapage.cybercable.fr/deanco/

[This message has been edited by deanco (edited 12-21-2000).]

[mensch]

one thing for now.. cool thread PeterNzer =)

light refraction.. heres my meaning.. I was walking to work on monday and there was a fine light fog.. I was walking into the sun and I could not see a thing over about 300m and naturaly CM came to thought. but looking away from the sun I could see about 700m.. or my best guess double the distance.. would suck (but fun) if the sun or light source had a direction.. fighting into the light (DONT GO INTO THE LIGHT!.. er sorry I had to say that heh) would be harder in visual contact as if the lightsource was to your back.

second point is.. Starburst for night fighting! and or spotlights.. I know they were not so successful but I have read often the allies in normady used seachlights to assist in night fighting.

on the point of night fighting.. tanks with nightsights... or so.. hmmm.

shadows for houses.. they are ok and all but for the feel like they are "stuck to the grass" they do not.. they kinda float there. (sorry a graphic designer quirk)

on the subject about houses.. look at a house.. does the grass realy go flush to the wall? (ok sometimes) but mostly they have dark areas like a border (am I making sence on this???)

weather: SNOW STORMS.. not just heavy snow a real storm! wind thick snow.. like visuals down to single digit meters!! heh eek! and you thought thick fog was bad.

tanks allowed to drive over iced rivers with the problem naturaly of that ice breaking if you get my drift..heh. (drive over at own risk)

hmm worth the idea.. anti-tank guns.. (no not the big ones.. those 14.5mm humungo rifles the russians used)

Civillians.. (ok ok don't flame me but house to house fighting sometimes scares off villagers hiding in the house or celler) its definatly a distraction to your troops if you have civies running over the place.

Cars, wagons, civie vehicles. I have seen endless pictures of officers in cars and not kübelwagens.. hey Schwimmwagen!! ya that too! Calvery or horse drawn wagons for arty or onboard AT guns.

the barbed wire that is not fixed in size.. different lengths of wire (btw did they have razor wire then?? nasty stuff, worse then barbedwire)

troops with skis!! did'nt the russians and fins use ski troops often to move faster in snow??

new buildings.. you want a list.. I can make a long one.. but some humble suggestions: Train stations (and trains and cars would be cool to for a train yard battle) boats, ships and harbor stuff for harbor fighting (the ships would be non combat but could be destroyed)

Farm animals (cow anyone? - no mad ones please)

hmm with the appropriate mods or items one could make a "fire base" for a scenario to attack (maybe a dumb idea)

well thats all for now.. toodles

[Grisha]

Wow, lots of neat ideas here! My favorite are:<UL TYPE=SQUARE>

<LI> Ambush fire lanes.

<LI> C&C for vehicles.

<LI> multi-roomed buildings.

<LI> molitov cocktails.

<LI> hastily prepared positions.

<LI> Pre-turn bombardments.

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Best regards,

Greg Leon Guerrero

[TexasToast]

Some graphical ideas:

1) Building walls transparent from the inside - currently your view from a unit inside a building is a gray wall.

2) Option for full-screen graphics mode - drop the unit info and controls and run it from the keyboard/mouse.

3) Camera presets - store and recall frequently used camera positions, maybe on function keys?

[Jeff Duquette]

Trees: More trees on woods and forest tiles.

Foxholes: Make entrenchments look like entrenchments (i.e. the holes actual dip below the surrounding terrain elevation)

Trenches: You gots' to have trenches for the Ruskie Front.

Brush: Actually have bushes that look like small tree *.bmps. These little fellers stick up from the brush tiles.

Multiple Slots for Vehicle Graphics: For common tank types like the T34 or MkIV have multiple slots for both summer and winter paint schemes. Three of four different vehicle representations of the same tank could be on the map at the same time. That way the MOD folks can go hog wild and create tanks with different ID numbers or nicknames painted on the sides of vehicles.

Tank Gun Accuracy: A more accurate representation of bracketing abilities.

Replay Ability to store a whole game on video and replay it at the end.

[This message has been edited by Jeff Duquette (edited 12-21-2000).]

[GeoffP]

I'd like to be able to place a marker on the ground like an ambush marker, then tell my tank to move in the direction I specify until it achieves a hull down position relative to that spot.

How about giving US Infantry squads a random, limited-ammo bazooka that they would use independantly at ranges under 75m. Rationale (based only on what I've read) being that most units scrounged bazookas and used them in close quarters as the first option before close assault.

Allow spotters, mortars and fixed guns to dig in for all types of scenarios.

[OsinO]

How could you all forget!? :

Holes in the tanks that get penetrated. MWUAHAH

[Snoop]

Well all of the above

1. Hunt command for INF

2.Full Battle playback

3.Option to switch between English and native language.

4. A campaign (remember no flame}

5. To see all the kills for the units on both sides after the battle is over.

6. To sometimes see the turret or tracks of a tank get knocked off when hit hard.

7.I'd like the option to import user designed maps into a QB also.

[Mace]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Culex Pipiens:

i don't kow if it is possible, but i think that it is not possible to cover all the type of building that were present in east front<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'd like to see all 3d wire frames and attributes as seperate files (as per Panzer Elite), rather than hard coded within the .exe file itself.

This would allow mod makers to actually edit the shape of a vehicle or buidling, or replace it completely with something different (eg. JS2s replaced by actual Hamsters).

Mace

[saru3000]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Multiple Slots for Vehicle Graphics: For common tank types like the T34 or MkIV have multiple slots for both summer and winter paint schemes. Three of four different vehicle representations of the same tank could be on the map at the same time. That way the MOD folks can go hog wild and create tanks with different ID numbers or nicknames painted on the sides of vehicles.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I really like that one.

1)Reduce the sharing of bmps between vehicles and no more using one bmp for both sides of a vehicle.

2)More faces.With at least 2 faces that are unique to each side.

3)Allow battles to be continued after they end.Declare a winner and a loser ,and just give me the option slugging it out for as long as I want.

4)I want the game to make me better looking.I want it to freshen as it whitens.I want it to remove stains in seconds.I want it to give me firmer abs in just minutes a day.I want it to be fortified with vitamins.I want it to put me in the lap of luxury.

I'm willing to wait until CM3 for those last ones.

[saru3000]

Double post.My apologies

[This message has been edited by saru3000 (edited 12-21-2000).]

[Lah]

1. To have mortars stop firing when the target unit is destroyed or moves off, they stop immediatly when smoke is in the way or a building is destroyed...!

2. Fix annoying traffic jams in convoys.

3. Be able to target a vehicle with infantry and have them move to it rather than the spot it occupied.

4. Not have fires on hard roads which currently makes them impassable.

5. Be able to use own maps for QB's.

6. Have certain mounted units firing on the move.

7. Be able to have some arty spotters call strikes from vehicles, maybe they could be purchased with the vehicle.

8. Be able to set Armour/artilley unit point limits for QB's, so people could not purchase units more than say 130pts. This would lead to games free of the 'superheavy' weapons.

9. Be able to purchase armour as platoons.

10. Be able to purchase other support units as platoons.

<will be checking stocking hopefully>

btw, best game even with my niggles!

[ASL Veteran]

A wish list? A flame free zone?

1. Night combat with flare pistols, mortars that fire flares, gunflashes, and non reciprocal LOS between lighted areas and non lighted areas.

2. Fords that vehicles can pass through

3. Trenches and other types of fortifications

4. Larger buildings and steeples

5. A more comprehensive ROF model that varies with range to target and vehicle type

6. A more comprehensive accuracy model that highlights the distinctions between specific guns (more detailed than currently modeled)

7. Fortified buildings

8. Cellars

9. Cemetary and gully terrain tiles

10. CM 5: The Rising Sun

Well, we can always dream can't we? Remember, flame free zone!

[USGrant]

My top 5:

1. Unit roster

2. C&C for vehicles

3. Improved modeling of large buildings

4. Hunt or advance-to-contact for all units

5. Many more options on QBs.

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USGrant

When the game is over, the kings and pawns go in the same box. - Old Italian Saying

[Forever Babra]

My wishlist is short.

What's the Russian word for "cesspool"?

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"The whole of Scotland will rejoice if the commanding officer of the Canadian Army could see fit that the taking of Saint-Valery is accomplished by the Highland Division. I am sure that the 2nd Canadian Division will attend to Dieppe satisfactorily."

-- General Sir Bernard Law Montgomery, Aug. 20, 1944

[Mike Oberly]

Besides some of the suggestions others have mentioned,I'd really like to see a building damage model that is less punishing to the men inside the buildings.As of now,it's a great tactic to level buildings,even if there are no enemies spotted in them,because the peanlties are so harsh to the inhabitants once they're rubbled.This was *not* a viable tactic in real life,mainly because it wasn't this effective.

I would hope that with a more detailed building model in CM2 that this will be toned down a lot.

Mike

[Galland0]

Wishing for:

A)Enhanced lighting, picture a night advance into/thru a burning village or city. The glow of burning buildings in the night sky. Probably means T/L 3D code but I'm wishing.

B)Love that flare idea too. Russians probing German defensive positions at night and...

pop! a salvo of flares and a company of MG42s

ruins a night of recon!

C)Love those multi turreted Russian tanks. What was it?...T35 I think with the 76mm and two 45mms. What a target!

D)Dreaming...Russian mine dogs anyone? LOL well I'm sure a few were successful.

E)A stand fast option, or something depicting

the political units behind the Russian lines

insuring no retreats. Commissar machine gunnners that actually shoot retreating Russian troops.

F)Railway stations, a larger set of buildings overall.

G)Better yet, a building editor. I think someone else mentioned this earlier.

H)A way of grabbing a convoy of vehicles on a road and getting them to move no faster than the slowest vehicles top speed, and follow the road. Yea I know add more math to the code.

Oh well, it is a wishing thread...

Merry Xmas all

Galland0

[Vanir]

Lot's of great ideas here. Let's see if I can add a few.

1. When the game ends, the kills section of each unit shows the actual kills the unit had, not just the confirmed ones.

2. Random terrain option; just like random weather.

3. Generally smarter AI, especially in larger games.

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You mean my Java coded Real Time Bar Fight Simulator Madmatt Mission: Beyond BiteMe ISN'T going to be published?!?

Madmatt

[Reckall]

- The ability to install CM2 and CM1 together, so to have a unified database of vehicles and buildings to fish from when you create scenarios (this ability could be extended to CM3 and CM4 too... it would be the logical transposition of Squad Leader's interconnectivity).

- City fightning, city fightning, city fightning!! (detailed buildings, demolition charges, tanks destroying walls...)

- Snow of different depths.

- Terrain which gives cover but little protection (sunflower fields...)

- Animation of infantry attacking tanks!!