What do we want in the next Combat Mission game

[Sloth]

A comment on battlefield effectiveness - from memory WW2 studies tended to show units gained effectiveness during their first 30 days or so in the line and then lost effectiveness from about 40-50 days (burnout etc). Modelling this with a operational layer to the game would be pretty tricky I imagine - It's not quite the same as experience in any event.

My only wish (and I'm sure many others have same) is for flares and other battlefield illumination at night. When I did my officer training getting the timing right for sending up / calling in your scarce illumination assets was a key issue in any night defence. Anyone have a view on illumination availability in WW2?

[yacinator]

flares used by infantry or packed in artilery shells would be nice. incendinary tank shells would be good. also if the game is happening in or after vietnam night vision would be good. like an hq unit can have a has starlight(i think thats what they called it) or not option that can be set in the editor. there also should be a night sniper with a starlight scope on his gun.a starligh equiped unit would of course have it's point value doubled or tripled. a plain spotlight mounted on a vehicle would do the trick really nicely too.

[PS]

A few more ideas:

1)An unit editor so WE can correct all those little mistakes rather than wait for that patch that never comes.

2)Tank ramming. It would have made CMBB ace. The first time the British encounted the King Tiger it was rammed by a sherman and this was then burnt out to burn the Tiger!

3)Crews returning to abandoned tanks or a member left inside to fire back after a couple of turns. This would keep you on your toes and make sure you either kill all the crew or set the tank on fire.

4)No LOS behind vehicles so the PBI can hide behind them. They have no cover value.

[ April 19, 2004, 06:44 PM: Message edited by: PS ]

[yacinator]

2)Tank ramming. It would have made CMBB ace. The first time the British encounted the King Tiger it was rammed by a sherman and this was then burnt out to burn the Tiger!

i already mentioned vehicles crashing into eachother. i wonder how much damage a sentex loaded jeep would do against a main battle tank...

[flamingknives]

Originally posted by PS:

A few more ideas:

1)An unit editor so WE can correct all those little mistakes rather than wait for that patch that never comes.

Hmm, this won't be abused at all.

[JonS]

Originally posted by flamingknives:

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

1)An unit editor so WE can correct all those little mistakes rather than wait for that patch that never comes.

Hmm, this won't be abused at all. </font>

[flamingknives]

I was thinking of a level more detailed - like someone deciding that a particular gun needs more firepower, range, effect etc. or that an armour plate should be thicker.

Perhaps as a scenario editor tool only would be acceptable - editing OoBs would be very useful, I have to agree.

It would still be abused though, so my initial sarcastic comment was correct. (I love equivocation)

[Jaws]

Ammo dump system.

[imported_no_one]

The ability to make an evil smilie face( > ) appear over my opponents knocked out AFVs :mad: :mad:

GRGRGHAHAHGRRHAHAHHGRRHAHHGRRG :mad:

[PseudoSimonds]

Originally posted by no_one:

The ability to make an evil smilie face( > ) appear over my opponents knocked out AFVs :mad: :mad:

GRGRGHAHAHGRRHAHAHHGRRHAHHGRRG :mad:

[_Axe_]

Originally posted by no_one:

The ability to make an evil smilie face( > ) appear over my opponents knocked out AFVs

Why do you want a feature you will never get to use? :confused: :confused:

[Schoerner]

Originally posted by JonS:

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

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

1)An unit editor so WE can correct all those little mistakes rather than wait for that patch that never comes.

Hmm, this won't be abused at all. </font>

[yacinator]

Originally posted by flamingknives:

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

A few more ideas:

1)An unit editor so WE can correct all those little mistakes rather than wait for that patch that never comes.

Hmm, this won't be abused at all. </font>

[Herr Kruger]

Not sure if it has been mentioned, but I'd like to add as low as possible system requirements. Please continue with and expand the ability to make the game perform better, things like having different levels of tree coverage are very helpful. CMAK would be near unplayable for me if I tried to issue orders with all detail on at the moment.

Thank you!

J Kruger

[PS]

Other games have good eds (SPWAW) or tool-sets (Close Combat)to allow mods without abuse. If you lot want to cheat thats your problem. Isn't bad data (2-pdr HE rounds in N.Africa) cheating anyway, as it gives an advantage when there wasn't one. Make it only work in single player mode then. No I don't expect BFC to get everything right but as they don't then an ed is needed.

Sorry for repeating tank ramming but there are too many ideas to keep looking at everytime.

A few more ideas:

5) Gun emplacements like the trenches to give a higher cover valve than a quick foxhole. Tanks could drive into these for hull-down as well.

6)Picking up weapons when your men run out of ammo. Yes this is from Close Combat.

7)There is more but I should make a list before I start.

8)A better campaign mode of serveral interlinking scenarios. This one has prob been posted.

[Other Means]

i no particular order.

1) ammo re-supply.

2) the ability to save games that can be-reimported. possibly by entering both passwords. maybe passphrase to stop dictionary attacks.

3) toggle-able contour maps. possibly have a Y axis mulitiplier in the setup phase so you can expand the differences in terrain while you get a grip of it.

4) men depicted in squad, candy i know but good. also useful for seeing where not to run them.

5) death to the borg

6) burst firing for AFV's higher.

7) mix n match sides in QB's etc.

8) indirect fire into dead ground. it seems daft to me that a mortar man would not know how to drop a round at a certain range.

8A) same for arty.

9) more flexible fire orders. "sarn't!" "sah?" "5 rounds harrassing over that hill" FOOOM.

10) multi-multi-player.

11) exportation of all assets into a spreadsheet. before & after battle.

12) depiction of time passing over battlefield. i'm playing a truly huge game now & it would be fun to see the shadows move....ok put this at the bottom of the list but while we're wishin'.

13) ability to give standing orders.

14) as the borg is gone replace it with communication. if a squad starts taking fire and a mortar can see where abouts from, it should drop some HE onto it.

[flamingknives]

Originally posted by PS:

Other games have good eds (SPWAW) or tool-sets (Close Combat)to allow mods without abuse. If you lot want to cheat thats your problem. Isn't bad data (2-pdr HE rounds in N.Africa) cheating anyway, as it gives an advantage when there wasn't one. Make it only work in single player mode then. No I don't expect BFC to get everything right but as they don't then an ed is needed.

Assuming that it is bad data. I can see the mother of all grog-fights kicking off over over dates of availability and performance. The current game allows you to edit out stuff like HE rounds if you don't want them.

[yacinator]

i was thinking about bunkers. u can tell infantry to "embark" in a bunker and fight from it and u can also tell them to get out. another very important thing (to me at least) is having sandbags as a purchasable units instead of terrain type. it really pisses me off when i'm playing a quick battle and i don't have the benefit of sandbags becouse the random map generator isn't made to put 'em on the map. and even if they were put on the map i would have to stick to putting my troops there. besides enemy knows where the sandbags are and can drop some he on them. this needs to be fixed in the next cm game AND in the next patch for cmak

[Thompson]

What I want, in no order whatsoever (and repeating previous posts somewhat):

1. Individual spotting (death to Borg spotting!).

2. Campaigns and Operations -

2a. Campaigns, even if they'd only be sets of connected operations (on different battle/operation maps with resupply/replacements in between), but preferably more elaborate with a separate campaign map, multiple campaign units etc.

2b. Fix the operations. I hate ops where the second battle starts with enemy tanks set-up 100m from my set-up zone with AT guns having clear LOS to them and hundreds of meters of open plains behind them (i.e. the tanks just teleported across the plains in front of my ATGs). Also, a possibility to have new briefings in between battles would be nice.

3. Enhanced C&C with a possibility to attach/detach units to/from a certain HQ, more variation in command delays and *no* accurate-to-a-second command delay info (an estimate only, especially if out of C&C). If you'd want coordinated actions, you'd have to issue your orders through the HQ (with long lags for larger formations). In a simple form it'd be much like an enhanced version of "formation move" now, but a more advanced version would be appreciated. And make those out of command units less responsive (especially lower quality troops), to make the HQs matter more. Also, make cancelling orders suffer from command lag as well.

4. Unit roster (OOB screen) which shows at least the general status of your units and that gives the option to select units from that screen and jump to them.

5. Movement -

5a.Pathfinding units. I know this was *not* what the CMBO playtesters wanted, but please, do I have to lead each squad by the hand?! Why can't they at least avoid obstacles and other units more intelligently. It'd be nice if I could just issue a movement order to a certain point and have the unit find the best path to it (within reason, no detours around the map etc.).

5b. Limit the reverse movement ability of buttoned-up tanks (e.g. straight backwards only). Free reverse movement should be possible only when unbuttoned.

6. Fixed routing; most importantly, where the unit routs. (This has been done to death already, so I won't elaborate)

7. Separate ammo expenditure for different "weapon slots" (rifles, SMGs, LMGs).

8. No more volley fire for small arms (this is something that "reeks" of turn-based play, it has no place in CM, IMHO).

Um, ran out of steam. I guess that's enough for now.

Oh, of course, lots of extra eye- and ear-candy!

[Lucho]

I add to it:

-Seeable planes (not only their shadows);

-more focus on infantry tactics;

-a better strategic AI, adjustable (agressive or

cool or head lost or green etc.);

- more men shown in units (at least half the

real number) and on vehicles;

[BDW]

My top request is to have a better vehicle column waypoint/navigation system.

I've figured out how to finess this by being aware of pause times and top speed of vehicle, by staggering start times and movement speeds. But it is a pain, and inevitabley one vehicle holds up the whole column and creates chaos.

I think a "column move" command would be fantastic!

[dieseltaylor]

i cnt quit dcide to goto th lowst lvl of riting cos im lzy n let pple that reed it desifer it.i kan wast thr time insted of krrecting my tiepin.

i no they wll tek myideas mor cerously as Ive masterd th kybored.

REVS

I see you say that the Allies do not have great vehicle choice -- I am think the allies - particularly the Brits has a huge range to choose from. Perhaps its hte people you play? : )

Game Requirements

My numero uno is the ability to have fire for effect orders!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please, please

[...................................]

One new option which I would prefer to see above all others is for rolling artillery barrages.

Restricting batteries to continually pound the same point of the map during pre-planned bombardments is frustrating. I'm sure most people here know how important rolling barrages became during the war.

Shouldn't be that difficult to do, strike one preset area on turn one, lift and move to the next preset area on turn two etc.

[tar]

Why can't you implement rolling barrages now by using the adjust fire mechanism? Normally adjusting fire doesn't introduce much of a delay in round arrival.

[flamingknives]

Because you can't adjust a prep barrage.