New to CM. Couple of Questions.

[SlyBelle]

I've just placed my order for CM and in the meanwhile, I've been playing the demo version. I have a couple of questions that I'm hoping somebody can help me with:

1) In preparation in playing the game, I've noticed many posts about downloading MODS to make the game better. After reviewing several sites, it appears that there are MODS in HI-RES and LOW-RES. Before I begin downloading these large files, which ones should I use? What kind of hardware should you have to run HI-RES? Any other considerations? Does it slow down performance? My system is a P450 with 128MB of RAM. My video card has 16MB of RAM.

2) When giving orders, I can't figure out how to string multiple orders together in one turn. For example, how would I make a squad go kinda do the following:

a) Go to a waypoint

Kneel down

c) Check the area and fire at a target, if necessary, maybe pause

d) stand-up and go to the next way point

e) Get in the prone position.

The key is that I want this to occur within a 60-second turn (of course assuming I have enough action points available).

3) Any hints on how to manage your forces. For example, since the battlefields tend to be somewhat large, how do you keep a handle on what's going on with all of your units? How can you globally see the results of a turn without checking each unit?

Any help would be appreciated.

[SlyBelle]

Whoops! I forgot to ask how do you tell Combat Mission to use High-Res or Low-Res graphics? Is this automatic or is there a setting? If a setting, is this available in the demo version.

Thanks again.

[Guest ckoharik]

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

Whoops! I forgot to ask how do you tell Combat Mission to use High-Res or Low-Res graphics? Is this automatic or is there a setting? If a setting, is this available in the demo version.

Thanks again.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

It's automatic based upon the bitmap file that is in place. Your system should be able to handle most hi-res mods but will slow down on a large battles.

[Ron]

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

I've just placed my order for CM and in the meanwhile, I've been playing the demo version. I have a couple of questions that I'm hoping somebody can help me with:

1) In preparation in playing the game, I've noticed many posts about downloading MODS to make the game better. After reviewing several sites, it appears that there are MODS in HI-RES and LOW-RES. Before I begin downloading these large files, which ones should I use? What kind of hardware should you have to run HI-RES? Any other considerations? Does it slow down performance? My system is a P450 with 128MB of RAM. My video card has 16MB of RAM.

2) When giving orders, I can't figure out how to string multiple orders together in one turn. For example, how would I make a squad go kinda do the following:

a) Go to a waypoint

Kneel down

c) Check the area and fire at a target, if necessary, maybe pause

d) stand-up and go to the next way point

e) Get in the prone position.

The key is that I want this to occur within a 60-second turn (of course assuming I have enough action points available).

3) Any hints on how to manage your forces. For example, since the battlefields tend to be somewhat large, how do you keep a handle on what's going on with all of your units? How can you globally see the results of a turn without checking each unit?

Any help would be appreciated.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

1 - The game will determine whether to use Hi or Low Res graphics on its own depending on your system. I guess you would have to experiment to find out exactly when/if any slowdowns occur, however Hi-res grass is a real hog.

2 - You aren't able to give that type of detailed order, per your example, in one 60s turn. You are able to string together different movement waypoints in a turn, and from experience you will learn how much you can do in 60s. I have noticed many people try to do too much in the 60s turn, what you described is entirely possible over 2 - 3 'turns'.

3 - There are audio and visual cues that alert you to enemy sightings, your troops being shot etc., I find that's how I gather most of my info without having to click on each and every unit. As for managing your forces, well that depends on your style, I usually mentally assign platoons/companys and support certain tasks so the map is broken up that way. If you are talking of some sort of roster then I suggest you search that topic first as it has been discussed in depth.

Hope that helps...

Ron

[lcm1947]

I think most of your questions were already answered but since I have the same machine you have thought I'd comment on that. Now, I do have a 32 Viper card so mine is a little better in that area but everything else sounds the same. And yes, if you download a lot of mods ( and if you get into looking at mods you will. Actually, you won't be able to stop yourself - really!! ) anyway yes you will slow this P450 down quite a lot. If I were you I'd not worry about mods until the game starts getting a little old and then if you start looking and getting mods the game will come to life again for you. I know you won't listen but I had to at least warn you. Enjoy the game first then look at the mods. Plus you'll then be able to tell how much the mods affect your overall speed. And DO NOT DOWNLOAD ANY GRASS MODS!!!!! They will really slow you down to the point you'll just turn around and delete them. But you are about to get the game that will spoil all other games for you. Hey, save you a ton of money. Enjoy you lucky guy. and Welcome aboard.

[kmead]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>

1) In preparation in playing the game, I've noticed many posts about downloading MODS to make the game better. After reviewing several sites, it appears that there are MODS in HI-RES and LOW-RES. Before I begin downloading these large files, which ones should I use? What kind of hardware should you have to run HI-RES? Any other considerations? Does it slow down performance? My system is a P450 with 128MB of RAM. My video card has 16MB of RAM.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Given your low Vram I would stay with lores as you will quicly max out your video card, to the point where it will default to a lower resolution (800x 600 or even 640x480). A faster processor and video card with more vram would allow you to run most anything you want. Some people here run 64 Mb video cards so they can run hires antialiased on large monitors. I am sure a person with a PC will be along shortly to cover this in more detail (I tend to run on a Mac with much less vram than you have).

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>

2) When giving orders, I can't figure out how to string multiple orders together in one turn. For example, how would I make a squad go kinda do the following:

a) Go to a waypoint

Kneel down

c) Check the area and fire at a target, if necessary, maybe pause

d) stand-up and go to the next way point

e) Get in the prone position.

The key is that I want this to occur within a 60-second turn (of course assuming I have enough action points available).

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

You can't micromanage your units to the degree that you are describing, this game relies on the AI to perform many of those functions. As you play the game more you will learn how far a unit can get in a turn doing different things. You can use the commands available to do what you describe in a sense. You can issue an order to Run to a place, then Sneak for a bit and then Move. You can only use Pause at the beginning of a turn, it doesn't work in the midst of a series of commands although you do tend to get a command pause as a function of how far you are from the unit's comander. This may seem limiting, but in my experience it has not been. Think about what you really can achieve in 60 seconds, you are unlikely to need that many commands in a single minute. Another thing to keep in mind is that what you see is an abstraction, you may see three guys walking blithely across an open area but what is occuring is the men in the section are actually performing the different functions you are describing (in effect doing overwatch, using available cover and so on). Also the faster you have them go, Run for example, the less of this they do. So in effect you can run into a ambush situation (because you can't see as much when you are running) when if you had given the move command they might have seen the ambushing units and attacked before getting anihilated. You can give as many orders as you want in sequence to each unit. Be careful of giving too many orders that take more than one turn as you can inadvertantly order your units into a bad position that had developed in the course of a turn (I did precisely this in a PBEM game I am embroiled in right now).

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>

3) Any hints on how to manage your forces. For example, since the battlefields tend to be somewhat large, how do you keep a handle on what's going on with all of your units? How can you globally see the results of a turn without checking each unit?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

If you are playing the AI or an opponent by PBEM you can take as long as you want to issue orders and watch the movie as many times as you want to see what happens with each unit. Once you have played a few (hundred) times you can get the gist of what is occuring by keeping an eye on the activity level around each unit (tracers, targetting lines, your unit moving to a new position without you ordering it to and so on). Given the viewing options you can get a viewpoint that allows you to Gods eye the action and then you can get the units view by hitting tab to lock the view to the unit and zooming in or control clicking to go to a particular point and zooming appropriately. In a TCPIP game you and your opponent choose how long you are allowed for each turn, so this can eat into your viewing time considerably (or order time if you are not careful ). It also doesn't take too long to check each unit, all you need to do is click on each unit and you will see its current condition. I know other games do this differently, this is the nature of CM.

I hope you enjoy the game, I have been since the Beta demo in Nov 1999. CM has become the only game I play (pretty much) as I don't have alot of time for gaming anymore. Others will be chiming in to correct and add to my statements so you will learn alot by reading what you immediately see and by doing searches of the stupendous number of past threads on every possible subject of this game. Good luck and good choice on buying.

[ 04-08-2001: Message edited by: kmead ]

[SlyBelle]

I wanted to thank each of you for your responses. It seems like I made the right choice in buying this game. Seems like this community will be very helpful as I begin to play. I'll take each of your suggestions and see what works for me.

Now if the game will just get here....

[lcm1947]

Yeah the game itself is the best there is. I never dreamed that I would use a forum in my life, just not interested. I just wanted to play the game, that was until this one. I have to, just have to come here everyday and sometimes several times daily to just see what's going on (My fix) for the day. There are so many helpful and nice guys ( some jerks too ) here that it's like a family. And you can learn so much about history and WWII. I don't know if we should thank BF or the mod makers or us, but all together it's unbeatable. You'll probably spend as much time here as you will playing the game, at least after awhile.