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How about Dynamic scenery generation for CM 2?


Zamo

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I was driving home tonight and thinking about the "gamey" tactic of skirting up the side of the map, and thought, "well, flight sims use Dynamic scenery generation, why can't CM?"

What I mean is, for the previously "off-map" areas of a scenario. Sure, the guy who makes a scenario sets up his map "just so", but how often have we all had to resort to tactics that would have worked much differently if we could have executed a major flanking maneuver? The scenery generating code is already there...all that would need to be coded would be a procedure to "just generate a rolling topography around the edges of the map". Sure, this might lead to rolling battles that end up far from the original scenario, in terrain very unlike the original, but would that be worse than the way it is now? Just some food for thought. I'd like to hear your comments on the idea...

Zamo

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Ever play one of my massive scenarios? I can make the fastest computer crawl on its knees. Now, imagine that with scrolling terrain. You would lock up almost anyone's computer. Why can't the window just scroll, you think? because I may still have units all over. If you think it is easier just to show the terrain in the window and scroll, won't work cause it still has to be in the video memory. Why does it work on flight simulators? Cause they don't push the graphics as much as CM. Play B17 2, see how much memory the system takes. 256 meg of memory and an absolute pig on swap space, and it still stutters.

Great idea....but won't work yet.

Rune

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It's a great idea. But aside from dynamic terrain (and bear in mind, units did assign boundaries in real life too, which are represented by the board's edge) you would need a dynamic force generator - try and take a platoon 200 metres to the right to circle around a bunker, you must might end up in a swamp, a river, or in the midst of a Tiger tank platoon.

I think if a player is gamey enough to use the board edge creep, he might be gamey enough to drag out a simple scenario into a romp across 3 kilometers and 300 turns in order to get around behind you...

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...or to get away from you. Good points. I still think it might be viable and should be implemented as an option. Some changes to the engine need to be done to hold the interest. Remember how droll Steel Panthers got after several games were produced without any "new" glitz? Yes, yes, I know there was some, but by the time SP III had come out, the interface just seemed dated to me and I lost interest. I would hate to see the same thing happen with CM. Surprise me guys! Make me hoot again!

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Hi all

ahh the infamous 'edge of the world' tactics a problem for all wargames be it PC Board or Miniatures smile.gif

Best solution I came across was from a set of Miniatures rules.

Basically a zone of 50m or thereabouts along both table edges was declared as a 'danger zone' ie your units could most certainly enter this area but ran the risk of casualties from off-table enemy or off-table friendly fire. Risk was quite small but made players think before committing units to sneaking along the edge.

With CM I dont know how doable something like this would be or even if its desirable but food for thought.

Cheers

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Sgt Steiner

Belfast

NI UK

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Maybe I'm getting a bit OT here but....

Zamo said:

Remember how droll Steel Panthers got after several games were produced without any "new" glitz? Yes, yes, I know there was some, but by the time SP III had come out, the interface just seemed dated to me and I lost interest.

Go to www.matrixgames.net and look for the free game Steel Panthers: World At War or go to www.thegamers.net and click on The Camo Workshop and look for the free game Steel Panthers: World War 2 version 4.0. The truth is that these and CM fill my WW2 ground combat needs period!! Both games take different approaches to the old SP game (SPWW2 uses basically the SP2 engine and has become more Windows friendly where SPW@W uses the SP3 engine in a Windows based rewrite of the game and both sport new graphics, sounds and features and are moving to the next step even as I write this!) and showed me what a gaming community can do for itself and others before CM came onto the scene. I think you'll find many of the same people are involved in all these games on the community side and the 3 games together have jaded me so badly in what I expect from other games and communities!!

Sorry, let me get down off this soapbox before I embarrass myself anymore!

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NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition! Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency.... Our *three* weapons are fear, surprise, and ruthless efficiency...and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope.... Our *four*...no... *Amongst* our weapons.... Amongst our weaponry...are such elements as fear, surprise.... I'll come in again.

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