BFC has now real competitors.

[Battlefront.com]

Yeah, the race thing presented problems for us. The code was set up way back when VRAM was way too small. So all soldiers used one hand texture and they shared common faces between them all (all, meaning regardless of nationality). Therefore, to have an Asian face meant it popping up in German or Italian troops as well as Russian. Having black faces (African or Afro American) meant having white hands AND having them popping up as Germans and Italians. And that obviously ain't right With the new engine this isn't a problem.

Steve

[M1A1TC]

Thats great to hear. What about having different shoulder patches according to the unit in the mission? Also, will the infantry use mirror textures for both arms/legs? Id like to be able to place combat patches, drop-leg platforms and such in more realistic fashion( not having the same texture on both sides)

Also will the trenches (if used) be 3-D? Will the urban combat be improved? Id like to see better entering/exiting of buildings, stairs, etc

Lights on vehicles? Civilian population? Civilian vehicles? Can the new engine handle that?

[kipanderson]

Hi,

I agree with those who say that CM still has no real competitors.

I almost desperately search the net, and throw my money at any game that may turn out to be a real wargame, as opposed to a PC game in a war setting, and nothing has yet equalled CMX1. I also track all the up and coming games and am not holding my breath. My guess is they will all turn out to be “PC games in a war setting”, as opposed to real wargames that could be used to illustrate real world tactics.

Having said all of the above, Civil War Bull Run is a very fine wargame and models muzzle loaders to a standard in the same ballpark to that which CM reaches with WWII. Highway to the Reich is also a fine operational game with potential.

Apart from the graphics it is interesting to note how other games struggle to meet the standards of the current, five year old, CMX1 engine.

For real tactical, WWII wargames that could be used as a form of military history it is still CM or nothing, sadly, as BFC may get over confident if someone does not soon challenge them .

Now where is that Quicktime movie clip illustrating all the new features in CMX2 .

All good fun,

All the best,

Kip.

[WineCape]

Originally posted by Battlefront.com:

Yeah, the race thing presented problems for us. The code was set up way back when VRAM was way too small. So all soldiers used one hand texture and they shared common faces between them all (all, meaning regardless of nationality). Therefore, to have an Asian face meant it popping up in German or Italian troops as well as Russian. Having black faces (African or Afro American) meant having white hands AND having them popping up as Germans and Italians. And that obviously ain't right With the new engine this isn't a problem.

Steve

Technological advances in computer programming. It's great, 'aint it?

[aka_tom_w]

I agree completely with Kip

NOTHING else plays or "feels" like simulated tactical combat like the CMx1 series. (especially with regard to suppresion of incoming small arms for one thing!)

I have been playing a little CMAK with the CMETO mods and scenario's and so far it is the only video game I play.

(the only other game I "dabble" in is Sim City because it is a little like juggling and I find balancing all the resources and demands and budgets and things sort of fun sometimes but that does not have anything to do with wargaming)

The ONLY good wargame on a computer as far as I am concerned is CMBO CMBB and CMAK.

Right now CMAK with the CMETO conversion and scenarios is my favourite game.

So far I would say of all the games allegedly on the gaming horizon, none look to come close to the thrill I expect to have when I play CMx2 for the first time. IMHO

-tom w

Originally posted by kipanderson:

Hi,

I agree with those who say that CM still has no real competitors.

I almost desperately search the net, and throw my money at any game that may turn out to be a real wargame, as opposed to a PC game in a war setting, and nothing has yet equalled CMX1. I also track all the up and coming games and am not holding my breath. My guess is they will all turn out to be “PC games in a war setting”, as opposed to real wargames that could be used to illustrate real world tactics.

Having said all of the above, Civil War Bull Run is a very fine wargame and models muzzle loaders to a standard in the same ballpark to that which CM reaches with WWII. Highway to the Reich is also a fine operational game with potential.

Apart from the graphics it is interesting to note how other games struggle to meet the standards of the current, five year old, CMX1 engine.

For real tactical, WWII wargames that could be used as a form of military history it is still CM or nothing, sadly, as BFC may get over confident if someone does not soon challenge them .

Now where is that Quicktime movie clip illustrating all the new features in CMX2 .

All good fun,

All the best,

Kip.

[inff]

The most hardest and importatnt thing in 1:1 is a collective(mass) AI.

I would say this is the main core of properly done 1:1.

Sadly nobody done it properly yet in any kind of game.

So you must have god-like programers if you want do this well.

One of the most hardest thing in this AI is advanced mass patch tracing.

The second is "share in situation" issue.

Sadly CMx1 doesnt have this...

Will CMx2?

[Battlefront.com]

Thats great to hear. What about having different shoulder patches according to the unit in the mission? Also, will the infantry use mirror textures for both arms/legs? Id like to be able to place combat patches, drop-leg platforms and such in more realistic fashion( not having the same texture on both sides)

Also will the trenches (if used) be 3-D? Will the urban combat be improved? Id like to see better entering/exiting of buildings, stairs, etc

Lights on vehicles? Civilian population? Civilian vehicles? Can the new engine handle that?

Hehe... someone needs to read through the massive "Bone" thread that Tom W started up Seriously, a lot of answers are in there. As for the graphical improvements... in theory we can do anything we want. In reality, we won't be able to because it all takes time, VRAM, and in some cases computing power. All of these things are limited resources so we need to be careful about how we spend them. But needless to say that thing in CMx2 will be a LOT more detailed than CMx1 in every way.

Steve

[M1A1TC]

Thank you very much for info. "Goes to finish reading "bone" thread"...CM2 is one game Ill buy without playing the demo first, no matter what it is about. Well, except if it about space lobsters

[jeffsmith]

OK a Question on Scale/Unit view

unless you play the current CM series at #1 zoom level

it often is necessary to use a larger "scale" to see/control units

my hope is that with 1:1

(and maybe a smaller Scale of Battle)

the Battlefield view will be tight enough allow use of realistic unit size

and stll be able to see and control the units adequately

[jwxspoon]

Beer is really good.

[jeffsmith]

that wasn't just the Beer talking

[Berlichtingen]

Originally posted by Seanachai:

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

I think it will be even more deep than CM with its "rpg system".

"RPG System"? A tactically deep game with an 'RPG System'? Sounds a bit strange. </font>

[stikkypixie]

Originally posted by jeffsmith:

OK a Question on Scale/Unit view

unless you play the current CM series at #1 zoom level

it often is necessary to use a larger "scale" to see/control units

my hope is that with 1:1

(and maybe a smaller Scale of Battle)

the Battlefield view will be tight enough allow use of realistic unit size

and stll be able to see and control the units adequately

My hope is that when you zoom out enough, the units gets replaced by icons. I've always found that a very elegant solution.

[Dirtweasle]

Originally posted by Gromit:

Gotta love the purple helmets...

more grist for the mill

Gromit

They're too damn bright and shiny even if the color is off.

[Joe Shaw]

Seanachai, unless you've actually HAD a live weasel introduced to your colon I don't think you can make a valid comparision.

Second ... STOP PIMPING DAMNIT ... we've enough SSNs wandering in on their own.

Joe

[Seanachai]

Originally posted by Joe Shaw:

Seanachai, unless you've actually HAD a live weasel introduced to your colon I don't think you can make a valid comparision.

I think, dear Justicar, that it would be better if you take 'my colon' off your lips. Do not let concern for, with, or about 'my colon' again leap forward into the BFC community. Lock all such behind your shiny white teeth.

Originally posted by Joe Shaw:

Second ... STOP PIMPING DAMNIT ... we've enough SSNs wandering in on their own.

Joe

Shaw, my little man, there are times when I feel the need to take my light out into the world, much the way your average pyromaniac does, and for much the same reasons, and with very similar results.

[Lawyer]

Just make sure the next CM plays well on Mac OSX. I've abandoned Win XP for everything except CM, but I can't postpone the inevitable forever. Now that I've learned to enjoy a consumer-friendly computer, I won't be going back for any game in the future.

Originally posted by Moon:

inff, the wargamer in me is looking forward to check out the titles you mentioned when they're out. It would be great to finally get something good to play other than what we made or published

Competition is good for business. It makes you avoid stagnation and keeps you on your toes. Nothing to be afraid of. Like Sergei says, I'd wish there was more.

The games you mentioned are classic RTS games, and I think that Close Combat game is an FPS (and in any case the Close Combat name is just that by now - a trademark sold from one company to another), so it's quite something different than what CM is, and CMX2 is going to be. Like most RTS and FPS games that I bought in the past couple of years or so, many look very good, but that's about it. Nothing I saw from the games you mentioned makes me think that these will be any different than the typical RTS out there, although the hope is there (it always is, isn't it? As if the tons of good looking crap made in the past by the mass market types suddenly don't count anymore when you see new screenshots and read new feature lists and dream of what that new game could be... only to be disappointed again)

CMX2 is going to look good, too, but looks is not where our core focus lies in terms of development. Which is why we don't think of these other games as much of a competition - at least not more than from pretty much any other game out there - and in fact, perhaps some of these games will in fact make more people interested in "deeper" tactical gameplay, which would be a plus for us, not a minus.

But you know, even if this would change and the mass market suddenly produced something really decent after so many failed attempts (at least when you define "decent" by more than graphics), I think that most people will have space on their harddrive for another game if ours is really good. And it will be. And it will look good, too. Future will be good, as game makers and as game players.

Martin