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German Combat Mission Review


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"The many different units carry all kinds of weapons, each with their own ammunition."

No ****.

He obviously got to the bottom of this one.

But CM is a tough nut to crack for your average reviewer. They try to rate it using classic criteria such as graphics, sound and gameplay (oh yes). I think many will agree with me that CM can hardly be described adequately in those terms.

If he was confronted today with the unprecedented world of mods, scenariodesign, tournaments and campaigns, discussion forums and web sites that has sprung up around the game, I think he would sing a different tune.

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In all fairness, apart from Tom's HQ, the mod sites are all in English, the scenario sites are too, and there simply is not that much that you can recommend to non- or poorly English speaking buyers of the game at this time, which makes it difficult for them to upgrade the game. There is also the bandwith issue - while Germany is not as much a 3rd World country as the UK WRT net connections, not everyone has ADSL or even ISDN, or a second phone-line. Access is also metered, so getting the mods (provided you can find the sites and read them) is a problem, and can be costly, both in terms of money and time.

At Der Kessel we have had inquiries about why the site was not available in German, and I am contemplating to start writing bi-lingual scenario briefings quite seriously.

Honestly, it went straight into the Top 20 there, and most of the games they have in there seem to be FPS and stuff like that, so I think it is a fair review.

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<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Germanboy:

At Der Kessel we have had inquiries about why the site was not available in German, and I am contemplating to start writing bi-lingual scenario briefings quite seriously.<hr></blockquote>

Sorry :(

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<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>But CM is a tough nut to crack for your average reviewer. They try to rate it using classic criteria such as graphics, sound and gameplay (oh yes). I think many will agree with me that CM can hardly be described adequately in those terms.<hr></blockquote>

Not entirely, but CM is a computer game after all, and it shares a vast amount in common with its brethren. It does use sights and sounds to help recreate battles and provide players with vital info. Those things are important and should be reviewed along with other aspects of the game. Part of what sets CM apart from other wargames, after all, is the 3D terrain and units. Because of LOS alone, the former is a vital part of the game design and not some added eye candy.

Either way, just because CM is an outstanding game doesn't mean it should be exempted from tough critical judgement all around. Most would agree CM's graphics (even with mods) don't compare to most games released today. That fact certainly doesn't ruin the game by any stretch, but it's still something to consider.

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>If he was confronted today with the unprecedented world of mods, scenariodesign, tournaments and campaigns, discussion forums and web sites that has sprung up around the game, I think he would sing a different tune.<hr></blockquote>

Reviewers should review games out of the box (or the shrinkwrap in this case) without regard to third-party addons. Not everyone who purchases a game will know about or have access to those things. As someone else noted, downloading MB after MB of mods isn't easy for everyone, assuming they even know they exist and know where to get them.

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<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by mensch:

Sorry :( <hr></blockquote>

Nothing to be sorry about - when the site was set up the German version was not even a twinkle in the eye, and most of the regulars are not even able to speak German. But somefink to fink aboot :D

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Quoted from the review: <blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Beliebte Schwachstellen sind Panzerfahrer, die man von ihrem "Thron" schiessen kann, sofern sie nicht rechtzeitig die Luke dicht kriegen. So einen Panzer kann man daraufhin bemannen und für eigene Zwecke benutzen.<hr></blockquote>translates to ...

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Weak points are the tank commanders, who can be shot if they do not button up in time. Such tanks can be manned and used for own purposes.<hr></blockquote>

When was this feature added :confused:

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<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Offwhite:

Does the reviewer mean it's a weak point in the game, or a vulnerability that your opponent can exploit? I hope the latter...<hr></blockquote>

The latter - to my reading.

Another quote 'I quickly realised that was missing in the graphics department can be found in the AI'. I think it is quite a nice review, really.

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