Memories of your first CM game (VoT/CE/LD/Reis)

[Gen. Sosaboski]

I remember the Beta Demo.

The sight of a bazooka round killing a Tiger as it rolled by made me realize this would be THE game. (From Last Defense).

I was also hooked when I used the 105mm spotter in Riesberg, and when I did flanking movements around 88s with my infantry, panicking the enemy. I went down to level one (closest to ground) view. It looked SO COOL! I was addicted, hopelessly.

[Graaf Spee]

Originally posted by jeffsmith:

Am I the only one who played Riesberg in the Beta Demo ? :confused:

No, you were not the only one I remember downloading the beta to a ZIP disc then going home to install it. Started it on my old trusty 166Mhz machine with the increadible 2M VRAM (which I still play on, but now with a 3Dcard. Anything faster is cheating =). I took the german side and started. After a few turns one of my 88's got a clear shot and I heard what must be the most beautiful sound ever. One of the enemys tanks being knocked out I actually phoned my brother to let him hear it. Didn't even tell him what it was, just listen I said. But he understood

/Kristian

[Colin]

I remember downloading the beta demo about 11 seconds after it was released.

Reisberg was my first fight but I was hooked after LD. I remember bagging the tiger with a zook (Cpl Matsuoka, I believe).

My god that was a long time ago isn't it?

Preordered as soon as I quit the beta demo for the first time.

[aka_tom_w]

I think it was Last defence

How could you forget how FAST those Hellcats were and how accurate they were on the FAST move.

Yes, there I was Racing them down that hill like the cavalry sent to the rescue the infantry and then I had a hellcat NAIL that tiger and KO it with one shot, and at that all my (ooh Smithers, I love those fancy-ass big German UberTank) friends said NO-Way the game is obviously made by Yanks for Yanks, and promptly dismissed it as proganda.

-tom w

[CMsoldier]

guess i should post my memory....

I downloaded the demo after looking at all the POTDs, I first played VoT as the Allies. I stupidly ran the tanks into the open only to get blown away. It was awww inspiring seening my tanks explode into pieces. I played CE and VoT over many times then ordered the game.

[Mr. Johnson--]

Mid to late April 2000. Wake up, turn on computer and check in at Gonegold.com to see whats new. There is a patch for a game called combat mission. Which I vaguely remember hearing about 6 months before, but its graphics did not look very good and the description of the game did not sound all that great. Plus how could anyone pull of a 3D WW2 Tactical simulator properly?

Anyways the list of fixes for 1.03 was long and detailed, then I relized that these Combat Mission creators were serious about their game. So I downloaded the VOT/CE demo and checked out the forums for the first time. Played 2 quick games as the Americans against the Germans at VOT, then I ordered the game. Then went back to VOT and played until I killed every german on the map. As soon as the full game showed up it diddn't leave my hard drive for 2 years.

[CMsoldier]

bump

[Thermopylae]

I played chance encounter...was amazed to see all my shiny stugs die, and without killign anything either..fortunately, one of my favorite tactics called "Hiding in the woods and shooting things when they get too close" was born of this...that and an epic struggle lasting five turns on the wooded hill VF...charge and countercharge...and grenades, so many grenades...

Then having ordered the gmae, I played 4 scenarios and stopped. Until the TCP/IP beta.

Then, literally, a friday night would start with tcp/ip at 4 PM, and end around 5:30, 6 Am the next day..

[Michael Dorosh]

I only vaguely remember this, but some dude emailed me after visiting my Canuck site and wanted some information about the Canadian Army, because there was a cool new game that even let you play as the Canadians (!) and he wanted to make some scenarios.

I downloaded the demo, and I kid you not thought that the interface was too confusing. There was no help button, no instructions to read, and the three guys looked dorky sitting on the back of the tank. I thought it was a nice attempt, but it just looked silly.

I may have played a couple of turns but eventually I deleted the demo, frustrated at the lack of documentation and with no idea of how to play, or even order guys to move. Right clicking wasn't intuitive enough, I guess.... Never visited the forum, or thought twice about it.

Not sure what convinced me; a second look, a review online, maybe? I never did play the Chance Encounter scenario all the way through until I got the full version, IIRC.

I started my first PBEM in January 2001 - never did finish it. Didn't get my first real PBEM win until March, in my 11th PBEM game, in the Not So Super Bowl tourney.

I've revisited Chance Encounter for the reason everyone plays Scenario 1 of Squad Leader every so often - memories. The original poster in this thread knows what he's talking about.

But it's a bit funny to see Chance Encounter played out on Magua's Normandy terrain...

I also remember my first post here being "how do you take a screenshot"!

[ June 03, 2002, 11:21 PM: Message edited by: Michael Dorosh ]

[CMsoldier]

I think i might go play a game of VoT, jsut to bring back those memories again.....

[CMsoldier]

dont let this topic die!! i wanna know you first experiences with CM!!!!!

[Stormin Norman]

I read a lot of the forum's, which pretty much pre-sold me on the game. I then downloaded the demo. Playing (forget name, one with German pill boxes and shermans, is that VoT?) I was blown away. I preordered.

CMBO made me forever lose interest in almost all other wargames (computer or paper) e.g. I use to spend hours playing games like the V for Victory series. I try to play them now and just can't keep interested past a few turns. They just seem so arbitary and 'fake'.

things like these

-the vehicle gets KO'd and keeps rolling thing, that was the very first 'drop my jaw' thing that I remember.

-tab/lock view at ground lvl to my tank rolling down the hill/road, rotating and shooting everywhich way (recoil & camera shake make me cry with joy), then 'plink, plink' (small arms / button up). For 10-15min I replayed that sequence from many angles. I still replay my tank/gun kills from my tank at TC view/max zoom and from the victims point of view. God, I love that.

-(this might have been my second or third try, actually I think it was my first PBEM) Being able to smoke a pillbox and flank some infantry and a tank around the back to take it out.

-Accidently having a platoon within 20m of were the German reinforcements show up (a panther and a platoon). Thinking my guys are toast. Then having one of my squads KO the tank with a rifle grenade during replay

-the 'tac AI' concept is just freakin brilliant and revolutionary.

-later on... I'm still just amazed at how many real world tactics are applicaple and 'work' in CM.

come out with CMBB already!

norm

[edgars]

I read a review on insidemacgames.com about some new wargame and downloaded a demo.

First battle was Last Defense as Americans against AI.

Loaded up scenario, the first view was Battalion HQ sitting in the top floor. Some five minutes were spent to figure out how to move around.

I think i lost it, but not terribly. Tiger got into town and Battalion HQ unit started to throw grenades from top floor, i thought it soooo cool.

[Ales Dvorak]

In june 2000 I bought Macworld magazine. And there it was CM demo (VoT, CE ). CE was my first game ( I lost). And then.....OMG

Ups, two years, hmmm...

[ June 04, 2002, 06:40 AM: Message edited by: Ales Dvorak ]

[von Murrin]

Oh boy... I remember stumbling on Battlefront a few times way back in 2000 while looking for ASL stuff. Downloaded the demo, and didn't touch it (I was way too busy). About a month later, I wiped my drive. No more demo.

Something like six months to a year later, I again found BFC while looking for VASL stuff. I downloaded the demo again, and fired it up.

My first game was CE, playing as the Germans. I remember I spent at least 30mins just scrolling around the map and changing the view angles. I think I spent another hour just playing the first few turns. I don't think I'll ever forget watching the replays over and over, zooming in on all the little guys, and trying to set up a credible defence (really having no idea how).

Well, I finally got my StuG's in play, and I thought I'd be sneaky and hide them just behind that little ridge that runs toward the church, and then pop up and nail the Shermans. That was what set up the defining point for me. I'd moved them a little too far, and the Sherms started firing at them! I think I spent another hour watching this replay. You see, I'd accidentally discovered that the game acounts for hull-down positions.

Somehow, I actually won that game. So, thinking I was the greatest gamer to ever live, I promptly sat back down (I had gotten up to cheer when I won ) and proceeded to get my arse kicked inside out in the dozen or so games that followed.

[Herr Oberst]

Last Defense. After all, who could resist riding along at View 1 with the Tiger commander?

All was going well. Halfracks, Stugs and troops advancing quickly down the left. Support weapons (HMG & Mortars) filtering through the woods in the middle, escorted lightly by a few split squads. Additional troops filtering through the right to turn the corner of that building by the wheat field.

The Tiger was parked behind that little stone house by the wheat field, having successfully hosed the Amis who died fleeing towards town through the wheat. I was leap frogging the Stugs and tracks on the left, supporting the infantry as they took house after house.

"Sweet!" I thought to my self.

Then, over the course of turn 10 (with a strange mixture of anger and awe), I watched the Ami reinforcements quickly leave a line of burning wrecks in the place of my armor support.

I found myself down to 1 Stug on the left (fortunately concealed from the hilltop by a building) and my Tiger. It took me about 10 minutes to plan out turn 11.

Aah, those were the days...

[ June 04, 2002, 08:34 AM: Message edited by: Herr Oberst ]

[The_Capt]

I actually played the Alpha Demo or whatever it was called. I thought it was interesting but unfinished. So I walked away and went back to playing other stuff.

Then I saw some reviews in CGW and Gamespot and went back to try the Gold Demo, Valley of Trouble. My sweet Jebus!! The difference was tremendous!!

I was sold at that point and ordered my copy then and there..never looked back.

[Bakker@home]

I remember I was getting bored at work one day (waiting for a BIG build to finish) and stroled around some old links. One was a forum about tanks and someone mentioned a new game coming out soon and posted a link.

There I was on some 'old' site (sorry BTS) and found a beta demo. Downloaded it and started it up. Fought the controls for awhile, stuck in one viewmode scrolling the map and wondered about the crude graphics.

Then the build finished, finished work and went home.

Three days later I remembered the demo, put it on a zip an took it home. Installed it, read the readme (or whatever) played it went 'ooh' 'i get it''cool' etc. I thought it was smart to race my armor and tracks right into town and unload there to take it by storm. One sad slaughter commensed and i quickly quit the game in shame.

Restarted, much more carefull now. Infantry leading with armor following behind for suppression fire. Then all hell broke loose.

Cursed as halftracks got nocked out by some explosions from nowhere and strongly remember zigzagging them like crazy along a woodline.

Then when i thought i won ... the great surprise .... :eek: my wonderfull invunerable ubertiger knocked out by a lousy yank tank from hell !

Restarted, played as the americans. ect.

I think I played last defence for about 10 times that night and fell asleep dreaming about mega-tank battles. And when the riesberg and chance encounter came I was hooked and pre-ordered

Alas, and the rest is history. Although the magic is gone I still play it now and then. I can safely say it's the only game I still play reguraly after two years.

Grtz, Sbakker

PS: excuse my rusty english .......

[Walker]

I read a tiny paragraph about CM in a German computer games mag, had a look at the screenshots on the website, ordered the game and forgot about it. What looked like a manual duly appeared in the post box and was placed, unopened, on a bookshelf between The Other Side Of The Hill and a bookend, where it spent the next 3 months or so. Then, on one of those rare days when one seems to have nothing to do it caught my eye so I installed it and played the tutorial. ‘This is not bad at all,’ I remember thinking at the time. The very next day I met the young lady who is now my wife, so CM remained on the shelf for a further 6 months (courting can, if taken seriously, be a time-consuming process…) until she went off on a college project in Denmark for 3 weeks.

CM filled the gap most admirably. My very first QB was a 2000 pts defence against the AI, the ‘enemy’ turned out to be the French, who never turned up. I clearly remember waiting and waiting and waiting, and thinking, ‘Hmm, this game seems to harness national characteristics quite nicely…’

To cut a long story short, I ordered 2 more copies for friends, spent increasing amounts of time playing the AI, moved on to PBEM, joined the board, asked her to marry me, got married, joined Ted’s tournament…and lived happily ever after .

[ June 04, 2002, 04:58 PM: Message edited by: Walker ]

[Gpig]

I played VoT and sent my Engineer platoon all the way over on the left side of the map. On the road, leading to the large wooden building and wheatfields.

I mounted up a 60mm mortar crew on the back of one of my 105mm Shermans and put the Engineers in the Woods and Pines with a mind to hoof em' through the cover into the little ravine, dead ahead.

Set-up done, I hit GO.

I selected my Sherman 105 on the road and clicked TAB so I could watch the tank roll down the road.

Suddenly, a yellow targetting line painted the sherman. WHAT!! I thought I set up out of enemy LOS!?!?

The 75mm Pillbox on top of the far hill could see into that clearing where the road ran through. RATS!!

As the Sherman TC calmly passed his orders onto his crew (13 sec delay) I watched the Pillbox let loose a round. INCOMING!!!

The shot missed, but hit the woods right next to the road and lit up a whole tile in flames. Including the road where the tank was parked!!

Flames EVERYWHERE (from my down low view).

My Tank buttons up and rolls out of the inferno. I see the mortar crew heading for cover, into the ditch. PANKICKED!!

My Sherman continues with it's planned orders, all the way up to the "safe" side of the tall building at the end of the road. This is where it blows up because the A.I. has placed AT mines there.

With stunned disbelief, I hear the escape hatch clang open on the 105. The crew stumbles out and lies face down in the grass.

What a start!!! I could NOT believe my eyes.

Ordered my copy next breath.

Best game EVER.

Gpig

[Das Reich]

I don't remember my first game against the AI, think it was something by Wild Bill...

But I do remember my first TCP/IP game, Aachen, against my brother. I beat him thanks to a miracle shot by a schrek, running out of cover to nail a tank from 100m. He was then gunned down by a .50, but he recieved the Knights Cross posthumously.

[Das Reich]

Originally posted by Walker:

I read a tiny paragraph about CM in a German computer games mag, had a look at the screenshots on the website, ordered the game and forgot about it. What looked like a manual duly appeared in the post box and was placed, unopened, on a bookshelf between The Other Side Of The Hill and a bookend, where it spent the next 3 months or so. Then, on one of those rare days when one seems to have nothing to do it caught my eye so I installed it and played the tutorial. ‘This is not bad at all,’ I remember thinking at the time. The very next day I met the young lady who is now my wife, so CM remained on the shelf for a further 6 months (courting can, if taken seriously, be a time-consuming process…) until she went off on a college project in Denmark for 3 weeks.

CM filled the gap most admirably. My very first QB was a 2000 pts defence against the AI, the ‘enemy’ turned out to be the French, who never turned up. I clearly remember waiting and waiting and waiting, and thinking, ‘Hmm, the game seems harness the national characteristics quite nicely…’

To cut a long story short, I ordered 2 more copies for friends, spent increasing amounts of time playing the AI, moved on to PBEM, joined the board, asked her to marry me, got married, joined Ted’s tournament…and lived happily ever after .

Same type of thing happened to me. I saw the screenshots for CM and thought "this is the future" promptly ordered it, and when it arrived, I did not open the package for about 3 weeks. Once I did, I was hooked.

I still remember showing it to my brother for the first time. He gasped at the low angle view of a Tiger getting knocked out and exploding...

He, too, is hooked.