Colonel J Lee Posted March 23, 2004 Share Posted March 23, 2004 Sorry to bring this up again. I read all the threads (about 8) on this web site and they only answer one of my questions satisfactorily. The others are as follows: 1) do ambush markers need to be targeted by the units using them? 2) will moving or firing the unit that has assigned or that has targeted an ambush marker cancel the ambush marker? (in other words, is there anyway to cancel an ambush marker). THanks, guys. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slappy Posted March 24, 2004 Share Posted March 24, 2004 1. Yes. 2. Stop targeting it and it will go away. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philippe Posted March 24, 2004 Share Posted March 24, 2004 On a related note, if you're as befuddled as I am and tend to leave the battlefield cluttered with ambush markers and hate the way it looks, a useful trick is to make an invisible ambush marker bmp: a small square using the invisible background color. You can still find the marker easily enough when you pass a target or a line of sight line over it, as long as you remember where you left it. I find it looks much better. (I'm not sure using the same trick on TRP's is such a good idea, though). 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colonel J Lee Posted March 24, 2004 Author Share Posted March 24, 2004 Dear Slappy: I know that, if a platoon HQ sets an ambush, hte units under its command have to target the ambush marker, BUT does a lone tank that set its own ambush marker have to also target that marker? (in other words, is it a two-step process for the tank, too...setting the marker, and targeting it?). Need to make sure. I experimented last night and it seems that the Sherman I had target a German A/C ignored the first ambush marker I set but fired on the A/C when it crossed the SECOND ambush marker just about 20 meters beyond the first. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slappy Posted March 24, 2004 Share Posted March 24, 2004 I don't remember the exact answer to the first part of the question (I haven't played BO since BB came out) about whether you have to target the marker with the tank, but I believe the answer is yes. What you also seem to be implying is that a unit has more than one ambush marker. This cannot happen. A unit can only have one active ambush at a time. My guess is that the game ignored the first after you set the second (ambush markers only disappear after a turn without any unit targeting them). 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colonel J Lee Posted March 25, 2004 Author Share Posted March 25, 2004 THanks. Good answer. Yes, the first ambush marker WAS ignored. The Sherman opened fire on the 2nd though, as you explain. It's helpful to know that a non-targeted ambush marker disappears after one turn too. Does that mean if you have only one AND it's targeted that to make it disappear, you'd have to "cancel target" for the unit, and wait a turn? THANKS. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slappy Posted March 25, 2004 Share Posted March 25, 2004 That's exactly what I mean. On a broader note, ambushes in CMBO are pretty lame. I actually gave up on them in almost all cases. The 10m radius ambush marker is just too restrictive for most cases. Unless you have a clear cut case like a vehicle coming down a road, it is just too prone to error and misinterpritation. Cover arc commands in BB/AK much better represent the reality of commands that you want to give around conditional engagement. They have some limitations themselves, but are far better than the CMBO system. Overall, I find hiding and popping up to engage between turns a better strategy in most CMBO situations. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CombinedArms Posted March 25, 2004 Share Posted March 25, 2004 Slappy has it right. The poor Ambush function in CMBO is just one of the many, many reasons to progress to CMBB and CMAK. Both of these games feature the much improved cover arc command to replace the admittedly lame ambush command. If you want to play the west front get CMAK. It's really not just for North Africa and Italy. You can fight your way through northern France and Germany as well. The only reason I can conceive of to still be playing CMBO is if your computer lacks the muscle to run the newer games. But if it does, you deserve a new computer. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colonel J Lee Posted March 26, 2004 Author Share Posted March 26, 2004 What do you guys mean by saying that you can play almost any CMBO scenario on CMAK? Do you move files from CMBO, or are you talking about the QB function with NW European parameters available, or what? Does it take "work" to recreate a Bastogne battle during the Bulge fro example? I am only 3 months into CM and started with CMBO (which I love); I also have CMBB on the shelf and will get to it when I finish eating the CMBO candy. Now, CMAK....it doesn't make sense for me to buy it YET, unless the CMBO scenarios are there on the disc already. PLEASE EXPLAIN GENTS. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slappy Posted March 26, 2004 Share Posted March 26, 2004 The scenarios are not on the disk already, but some sites like Boots and Tracks and other have them available for AK. Here's what I mean. Let's say you want a Bastogne scenario for AK. Go into the editor, set the date to 12/44, make a map. All the terrain tiles from BO (and quite a few others) are available. No problem there. Snow (and the new light snow) are available, no problem there. Pick your units. Just about everything you need is in the purchase screen for both sides. Let's say that you want US paras though. No US paras in Italy in 12/44. Why? They were all pulled out to fight in France silly. OK, change the scenario date to '43 when there were paras then change it back. Viola! They're still in the scenario. CMAK even has a 'tall hedge' terrain which behaves curiously like bocage in CMBO (aside: I hate bocage in CMBO and think it is terribly modeled. It is, in my opinion, even worse than ambush markers but that's another story) including the ability to be crossed by allied vehicles after some point in '44. You can really recreate just about any battle in CMBO with the CMAK editor. Caveats, exclusions, limitations: QBs are less flexible and so you can't get quite the matchups. The date workaround is obviously unavailable in QBs so you'll have to have the regular army holding the approaches to Bastogne, but if you're looking for historical realism, QBs probably aren't what you're playing. Some vehicles are unavailable in AK that were in BO (King Tiger, Pershing and some of the more obscure Shermans notably) because they never saw service in the Med. For me, that's fine. I always found it a little strange that all 3 of the King Tigers in France always seem to show up against my little company. If you're an ubertank fan, you may miss them, but I find my 75mm Sherman v. PzIV battles interesting enough. Other Thoughts: A lot of other things changed from BO to BB. Many more in fact than from BB to AK in terms of gameplay. When you get around to BB, don't be surprised if you have a hard time. Have you ever wondered why a squad in CMBO can run 80m across open terrain while being fired on by a MG 200m away and not break? Well wonder not in CMBB. That's the biggest difference. Infantry is far more brittle and MGs far more effective both as they should be. Oddly enough, BB and AK will improve your BO play, but the reverse is not true. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colonel J Lee Posted March 30, 2004 Author Share Posted March 30, 2004 Good answer. Good info! THANKS. Yeah, the King Tiger thing is overrated unless it's CMBB and they're duking with JS-2s, as in "Death Ride of the 424th" which I stumbled upon two days ago. They're nice to look at, but if CMAK has the Tiger Is, which were slightly more prevalent in France, then that's sufficient. It's just too bad you have to spend all that time making maps, but I guess you can't have everything. I've started playing CMBB against two people now. I know what you mean about MG effectiveness. Turn 1 of Gefechtsaufklarung found my platoon in the staging area for 2 seconds, for on turn 1, a Maxim opened up and they ALL hit the ground. Now I've got to use a STUG IIIB to blast them out of trouble by blasting the MG position. Wow. Chaos on turn 1!! So much for sending scouts out, etc. Thus, it seems that it's harder to advance and coordinate your units smoothly in CMBB. I still can't get over CMBO though; it's great. However, I can sense what's going to happen as I continue to play CMBB (I'll be saying, "it's greater"). CMAK is already in the mail. These games are unbelieveable. A gamer's dream come true with no "stacks" to knock over on a table top, if you know what I mean. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Probert Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 The Death Ride scenario is absurdly easy if you are the Russians, and does more to prove that the old ambush thingee from CMBO is better off lost. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colonel J Lee Posted April 1, 2004 Author Share Posted April 1, 2004 I tried it as the Germans but only got a few turns in before I was losing interest. I just hate playing the computer is all armor battles.... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryInk Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 Combined Arms.... I played CMBB until I had to give back my work laptop. Now I'm back at home minding the kids and pushing 'it uphill on a decrepit iMac that can only run CMBO. Will you send me a new computer? Respond and I'll email you my address. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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