Feature suggestion with engine rewrite.

[Seahawk-vfa201]

Originally posted by vbfg:

I like the idea of an interface for selecting units riding on vehicles too. Just today it took me five minutes to select a HQ inside a German half trac

That is there already: ctrl-V and the vehicles disappear making all passengers easily selectable

as a total noob' I often lost some units through not being able to find them.

Well, if you click + and - you will jump back and forward to all you units. I can't see how one can possibly *lose* a unit in CM.

Oh ya: you said you were a noob

[vbfg]

I don't do it now. I'm just not going to say I've never done it.

Thanks for the tip btw. I didn't know that.

[ January 31, 2003, 04:02 PM: Message edited by: vbfg ]

[Xenophile]

LOS is probably the single most important element in CM. Elevation is generally the single most important element in determining LOS. Although the LOS tool is essential for plotting placement and movement for individual units, forming an overall plan requires an overview of the terrain.

There are already subtle hints as to relative elevation from elevated viewpoints - but especially on flatttish terrain, it is difficult to clearly see shallow depressions and gullies. I'd like ideally to see lighting and shadow used to indicate more clearly diferences in elevation, or if that's techically too involved, to at least be able to emphasise the colouration differences that exist.

[Dschugaschwili]

Originally posted by yunfat:

[...]

10) The ability of ricochets to kill

[...]

I'm quite sure that this is already in CM since CMBO. The problem is that most ricochets go upwards, so they only come down a couple of kilometers behind the map where they hit nothing.

Dschugaschwili

[Incognito]

No exactly a feature butt....

I want hear my mens saying (when taking very heavy fire) "we are all gonna die because of this poor leadership".

Now wouldn't that be awesome!

[Schoerner]

Inspired by Bellator, posting how Wittman handled it, to knock out 3 T34 out of 12 with his StuG, two ideas for the engine rewrite came into my mind:

1. Tank Commanders can leave the tank for spotting

2. hit accuracy is influenced by the time a crew has to aim at the target.

Maybe also an additional option for the kind of firing, would be an improvement: the TC can give order to aim and fire very carefully or as fast as possible (no order leaves things untouched).

This could also give additional opportunities for wider and more selective differentiation between the experience/skill levels of the tank-crews.

[kipanderson]

Hi,

Lots of good stuff has been mentioned. May number one vote, after the end to Borg Spotting which is scheduled anyway, is a terrain grid that can be toggled on and off.

The major problem in terms of the perception of the real world that one gets in CMBO/ CMBB is the ability to spot undulations in the terrain. There is a huge gap between the ability to do this in CMBB, and in the real world. I do not wish for any changes that would spoil the look of the game in movie mode. I watch all the movies, first time round, with all the settings at their most realistic. However, if there was a grid that could be toggled on and off, then in the orders phase, I would use it to judge the undulations in the terrain.

In terms of the human to computer interface, for my, this is the one missing element.

It is currently unrealistically difficult to spot undulations. This is not the fault of the graphics; it is just that the human eye, when observing the real world, is so good at judging such matters, that we need some form of artificial help/aid to replicate that ability. In my view.

All the best,

Kip.

[Belaja smert]

kipanderson,

That is a good idea. I don't think that would be too hard to implement and it would make it a lot easier to "understand" the terrain.

[Uedel]

Similar to the follow command it would be also nice to have a "Formation" command for Tank Platoons, ala line, collum, vee, line abreast left etc etc, with the Tanks then automaticly choose the Turret Facing with SOP´s (I.E. 1st Tank face forward 2nd 45° to the left 3rd 45° to the right 4th secures the rear in a collum).

It also would be nice to have "General Firing Rules" I.E. a ingame setting that allows you to set infantry vs infantry fire starts at 150meters (rules for your site only) counter fire if attacker is within 250 meters for example, this way you could have de facto firing arcs for all units at one setting, without haveing to set a cover for every unit......

(this was a possible setting in Talonsofts EastFront and it was a good option)

[kipanderson]

Belaja smert,

Thanks for the support, always helps in these matters.

There are some grid grass Mods out there, but one cannot toggle them away in the action movie. For me, it is a must, that in the action movie, all looks as realistic as possible.

All the best,

Kip.

[WarDog]

How about a scounge command in the unit orders menu for infantry. Perhaps if ordered to scounge,the unit would have a possibility of increasing their small arms ammo,granades, etc.

This could take the amount of previously suffered

casualties into effect.The units scrounging would also suffer an increased exposure penalty.

Just a thought, as I have no idea of the difficulties involved

[Jack Carr]

Put the CMBB engine in the CMBO game.

[ianc]

Yeah, but would be even more handy if we could get a clicable OOB up on the screen.

Steve has solemnly promised me that this will be in the next rewrite.

1. Tank Commanders can leave the tank for spotting

2. hit accuracy is influenced by the time a crew has to aim at the target.

Maybe also an additional option for the kind of firing, would be an improvement: the TC can give order to aim and fire very carefully or as fast as possible (no order leaves things untouched).

This could also give additional opportunities for wider and more selective differentiation between the experience/skill levels of the tank-crews.

Really like these ideas of Schoerner's too...

ianc

[White Phosphorus]

1. How about different artillery patterns. Line square circle etc.

2. Clickable OOB would be great.

3. Shaded LOS tool ala Steel Panthers, East Front.

4. New strafing model. Maybe set strafing lines, or make the airplane target multiple units depending on their proximity to the path of the plane. It looks ridiculous when it picks only one unit out of a mass. Also how about having multiple airplanes carrying out attacks at the same time.

5. More vehicle damage options. Such as suspension, tranny, optics, turret, machinegun. As well as rare critical hits, like penetration at vision slit etc.

6. More small arms for the infantry. Semi autos for the Germans, automatic riffles instead of LMGs for the Russians, PPS and MP-38 SMGs, upgraded versions of RPDs etc.

7. This is probably too much to ask, but an armor model where the shells hit actual models would solve the T-34 issue once and for all.

8. Oh yes, and more formations to choose from. Id like to see tank battalions, companies, etc. Larger artillery units.

9. Also an ability for the player to make his own formations. Simply have a make custom formation screen, where you would purchase units and assign HQs to them, label them, and then save. Then that formation would be purchasable on the screen. You could have an option for PBM to toggle custom formation availability on/off. This way you could purchase units like anti-tank riffle companies, tank destruction battalions etc without having to make them from scratch every time.

10. And how about letting the player make his own infantry squads (for scenario purposes). You could have a man counter, then you'd add weapons.

[ February 03, 2003, 07:08 PM: Message edited by: White Phosphorus ]

[Schoerner]

SuperMultiplayerMode: more than 2 players (4?) can play on the same battlefield (in combination with friendly fire due to misidentification this could become quite funny ).

To keep the interface as slim as possible (like it is now):

possible additional/advanced orders are put into submenus, only appearing after a certain amount of time, when cursor is over the main-order (i.e. target -> target carefully/target fast; withdraw -> withdraw if contact; withdraw if under fire).

[ February 03, 2003, 08:32 PM: Message edited by: Schoerner ]

[walpurgis nacht]

A way to "lock" units from running off the edges of the map. It's a really drag when your *brave* IS-2 by a map edge decides to "run" from a Stug, right off the map.

[Wisbech_lad]

Multi turreted tanks.

More flexibility to choose sheaf pattern of arty fire.

Communication trenches.

And let us not forget

HORSES!

[Dschugaschwili]

- Per-weapon ammo tracking for infantry squads.

- Add the ability to stop projectiles in flight to get rid of the over-time at the end of turns.

- Collision detection for all projectiles, even those that are supposed to hit. (To make killing moving tanks through a hill impossible) Just be careful when lining up your tanks behind each other.

- Better modeling of night visibility.

- And what about a chance for gun shells to hit a tree and explode when passing through scattered trees/woods/tall pines, creating a treeburst. That should make you think twice about firing through some scattered trees occupied by your own troops with your Hummel.

Dschugaschwili

[Nik]

I would like to have new or better ability´s of the upper HQ. Mentioned theat in a topic a few weaks ago.

[Wisbech_lad]

Homoerotic bonding in trenches by soldiers far from home.

Or am I misunderstanding the reason behind the SS/uber german fetishes?

[c3k]

My list, some/most of which have been posted:

1) Drop down OOB menu, tranparent, right 1/4 of screen or so, upon which you can select a unit and the screen centers on that unit with the status bar on the bottom.

2) More accurate tank models, as far as in-game calculations go. That would require actual sizes of various parts to be included. Each piece of plating would need to be taken into account, given its slope, thickness, and size. (Tiger II turret has large oblique areas, giving better protection, when viewed head-on, as one example.)

3) Forward Observers should do their job autonomously if rounds go astray. As others noted, I don't/can't tell a tank gunner how to aim, why should I have to correct an artillery strike?

4) The ability to save units/formations from one game and import them into another, with access to the editor in-between. (This would enable long-term operations to track the same units as desired.)

5) Grid terrain overlay, hot-switchable on and off. As noted, the limitations of a 2-D computer monitor restrict the human ability to detect subtle variations in terrain elevations. This would be huge.

6) Larger formations available in editor.

Thanks,

Ken

[c3k]

A couple more (I'd have added them to my previous post, but I seem to've forgotten how to EDIT things!)

7) Dynamic lighting sources for night visibility. Burning buildings lighting up a village are a must have!

8) Allow crews to abandon and re-man their weapons.

Ken

[Edited, just because I wanted to see if I could!]

[ February 04, 2003, 09:01 AM: Message edited by: c3k ]

[Ace Pilot]

1. Vehicles that block LOS all the time, not just when they are burning. This is strictly for the benefit of other players, as I find my own vehicles start burning shortly after contact is made with the enemy...

2. Use different shaped bases for different types of units to make it easier to distinguish them. For instance, keep the square bases for infantry squads, make support weapons triangular, and give HQs circular bases.

[kipanderson]

Hi,

Lots of good suggestions. Just to add support to one of them

Ken posted,

“The ability to save units/formations from one game and import them into another, with access to the editor in-between. (This would enable long-term operations to track the same units as desired.)”

This is a very smart and simple idea. One element that is missing from CM is the ability to set CM battles in their context. This is in no way a criticism of Operations as they are in CMBB. I feel Static Operations are a very realistic way to model many, one could say most, WWII battles. However, the ability to construct a system more along lines of the more common definition of Operations, stringing battles together over different locations and times, would be fun.

Add the above feature to the new add on from Leland, the Mapping Mission, in which one will eventually be able to scan in 20km by 20km topographical maps and then “place” CMBB tiles on top of the scanned map, and you have your very own historically accurate operation.

All the best,

Kip.

[SgtMuhammed]

More movement options. As it is everyone is either bebopping through the woods or running or crawling. Real infantry are capable of walking while keeping security.