Stuff I'd like to see in CM II

[The ol one eye.]

I was thinking of all the cool stuff that would be possible in CM II, and thought people might like to add thier ideas.

TANKS

Hatches that open and close. Give you that 'Mickey Mouse' effect for T-34s.

Machine guns mounted on the turret and in ball mountings could be fully moddeled and animated.

Exhaust. These things were NOT up to California emmisions.

DESTROYED tanks. I mean turrets-a-poppin, twisted full-on death throes for tanks. Maybe like a dozen 'types' of AFV death.

AIR SUPPORT

Stukas, Mustangs, Spitfires, IL-2s, and other winged terrors fully moddeled ( and MODifyable!) to sweep down, strafe, rocket and bomb your poor opponent. These things flew LOW, and it would be a kick to see one shot down mid strafing run.

ENVIRONMENT

Dozens of building types.

That fancy 'dynamic lighting' thing.

Trees and other natural objects could be movable. Tanks could mow down saplings, bushes and fences. Imagine the possibilities.

Craters would actually be hollowed out, making a thrifty TC a good hull down position.

INFANTRY

Im divided on how this could be done. On one hand, it would be cool to see every individual soldier on the field. But on the other hand, micro-managing isnt always fun, so maybe a middle ground should be sought.

I was thinking that every soldier could be shown individually, but you order them by squad, as you do now. Perhaps you could tell them a rough formation, but other than that it would work as CM:BO does now. That way, when they are killed\wounded, you still see that individual soldier go down, but your not telling every grunt in the battalion where to go.

Ditch out orders. Tell your HMG\mortar\AT guncrew to ditch his weapon. This would be nice and realistic.

I've thought of a million things that could be in the rewrite, but now that Im actually listing them, I cant remember them all....

What would YOU like to see?

[Herr Kruger]

For Infantry, even if you could see every soldier you would still order them around as a squad, not as individuals.

Hmm... all awesome ideas we'll probably have in five years or so haha...

How about random forces on the map edges... say a tank friendly to you makes an appearance on one map side for two turns and then drives off or something.... might make the edges more interesting.. hehe

[Capitalistdoginchina]

"How about random forces on the map edges... say a tank friendly to you makes an appearance on one map side for two turns and then drives off or something.... might make the edges more interesting.. hehe"

End Quote

You can already simulate this by arranging a King Tiger to appear as reinforcements on turn 7 on the extreme left flank. Then, after 2 turns you can reverse him back off again

CDIC

[ January 30, 2002, 11:57 PM: Message edited by: Captitalistdoginchina ]

[dalem]

Exhaust? Hatches? Lighting?

Dream big, boyo. For CMII I personally want to see Salma Hayek and Odalys Garcia having a drunken tickle fight while dressed in getups that would be considered 'too risque' for a Frederick's of Hollywood catalog.

Lighting. Sheesh!

-dale

[PVLLVS MAXIMVS]

Originally posted by dalem:

Exhaust? Hatches? Lighting?

Dream big, boyo. For CMII I personally want to see Salma Hayek and Odalys Garcia having a drunken tickle fight while dressed in getups that would be considered 'too risque' for a Frederick's of Hollywood catalog.

Lighting. Sheesh!

-dale

What Id like to see from CMII :

Its residence on my hard drive.

[Boris Balaban]

What I would like is:

A unit that is a foward observer "FO"?

Tanks that look blown up. I had a tank that was bombed by a plane and all men were killed but the tank looks like new. :eek:

Path ways for solders to walk on through forests, brush and anything else.

[Sock Monkey]

I'd like to see something fairly simple: the ability to play a nationality against any other nationality (so German vs. German or American vs. British, for instance)...

And don't tell me that's gamey

[hellfish]

Or any time period against any time period.. like taking Panzer Is against JS-3s, if I felt like it. I think CMBB won't allow that. If Elefants were only on the Eastern Front from X to Y, then you don't get to use them at any other time. What if that timeline doesn't coincide with what I want to play against?

Petty request, I know. But still...

[The ol one eye.]

I think it would be cool of BTS to 'open up' the code on CMBO, so you can design your own 3D models and give them whatever properties you wish.

The amount of amazing games that could be made. It wouldnt just be WWII any way you like it, it could be D&D tactical battles! Design castles, knights, whatever crazy thing.

Sci-Fi, fantasy, hell, even robotech-style games could be made. Imagine all the ideas of RTS( I mean the *good* ones ) with the tactical GOODNESS that is CMBO.

It could really be huge. My poor little modem would burn up D\L all the newest games. You think searching for mods is cool, what if there were a bunch of full conversions to learn and master? Imagination and time is all someone would need. Look at all the crazy stuff for the ol rusty HL engine.

I love this game, if they did every theater of war over and over, I would buy them all. Im sure BTS has a dozen good reasons to not release the engine, but this would blow open the market, when people finally see they've been led astray, things will change.

I do not by any means expect it to happen, but what about 10 years from now?

[hellfish]

Originally posted by The ol one eye.:

I think it would be cool of BTS to 'open up' the code on CMBO, so you can design your own 3D models and give them whatever properties you wish.

...and so on...

I do not by any means expect it to happen, but what about 10 years from now?

Eh. I like the way BTS is doing things now. The last thing in the world wanna see is more uber-grogs debating "tweaked" armor values and such. Of course, I'd love it if BTS could expand a bit and develop two games at once.. or liscence their CM engine to another developer so I don't have to wait ten years to see a modern CM. Mmmmmm... Abrams and Bradleys and Challengers. Yummy. Or with the onset of the CMII game engine, allowing someone to go back with CMI and give us CM:Korea. I mean.. most of the units are already or will be there after CMBB. Just a few mods here and there, take away the Axis powers.. viola!

[Dschugaschwili]

Originally posted by fytinghellfish:

Or any time period against any time period.. like taking Panzer Is against JS-3s, if I felt like it. I think CMBB won't allow that. If Elefants were only on the Eastern Front from X to Y, then you don't get to use them at any other time. What if that timeline doesn't coincide with what I want to play against?

Petty request, I know. But still...

You just have to design a scenario to do this. You can even try this now in CMBO. Create a scenario, set the date to 6/44, include a 14" spotter. Then, change the date to 5/45 and select a Pershing. Then choose whatever date you like and take more units. It's that easy.

So you'll get your request, but probably not for QBs.

Dschugaschwili

[Yaphank]

Muzzle flashes for machineguns would be cool. And better lookin' tracer rounds. Those things look like ****e!

[Radar]

I'd like to see buildings with deviant setbacks from the roadway. There is nothing more unbelievable than looking down a 300 meter street lined with buildings and see them line up in a perfect row. I'd like to see bush dodads to be included to the tiles also.

[hellfish]

Originally posted by Dschugaschwili:

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

Or any time period against any time period.. like taking Panzer Is against JS-3s, if I felt like it. I think CMBB won't allow that. If Elefants were only on the Eastern Front from X to Y, then you don't get to use them at any other time. What if that timeline doesn't coincide with what I want to play against?

Petty request, I know. But still...

You just have to design a scenario to do this. You can even try this now in CMBO. Create a scenario, set the date to 6/44, include a 14" spotter. Then, change the date to 5/45 and select a Pershing. Then choose whatever date you like and take more units. It's that easy.

So you'll get your request, but probably not for QBs.

Dschugaschwili</font>

[Madmatt]

Bush doodads ARE included. Most of the other stuff mentioned is on the list for CMII but not CMBB...By the way, we need to get that naming convention correct.

CMII (or what is sometimes called CM2) is the what we are calling the NEXT GENERATION CODE BASE GAME. Be a while (years?) before this begins...

CMBB (often also mistakenly called CM2)is the sequel to CMBO and is the project currently in devolopment. People seem to sometimes get the two confused. Just trying to set the record straight on this.

Just like 'Star Wars' is now considered the series of all 6 movies (should have been 9 damnit!), Combat Mission is now the series name with each game being given a specific title (i.e. Beyond Overlord or Barbarossa to Berlin).

Madmatt

[MikeyD]

If the CMII rewrite is "years away" (perhaps because CMBB is going to be sooooo cool WITHOUT the big changes?) does that mean we're likely to see a desert war version sooner rather than later?

You will have no doubt covered the majority of all the Axis polygons with CMBB, and the Italian campaingn looks to be a shoe-in. Only vehicles to worry about are the odd early Brits and what to do with the Lee/Grant double cannons.

I can see you now, holding onto your pouding head thinking "That's right, once we're done with CMBB, we have to start doing this ALL OVER AGAIN!"

[Abn_Ranger87]

I would like to see the role of TRPs expanded to be more realistic and useful. Prior to any sort of action, even the most dense of butter-bars will at least look at his map and pre-plot grids to key terrain and likely enemy locations. I can't believe the CO of a combined arms team wouldn't do the same and provide a fire plan before conducting a movement to contact (ie. meeting engagement...) We should be able to get a few TRPs in every situation, regardless of side or mission.

On-map mortars are crippled by the neccesity of being babysat by a HQ element in order to perform their mission of providing INDIRECT fire support and the suppression of suspected enemy positions, the availability of TRPs would offset this tremendously.

While on the subject of mortars. In real life, a good section with LOS can drop round one in your lap and can practically choose which testical they wish to remove. Once registered, the same team can easily put a round onto a 10 digit grid coordinate (within 1 meter) anywhere within the range of their system. Now, how about modeling this ability by... say... having a mortar considered to be registered if they haven't moved for 10 turns?

[Eric Alkema]

Originally posted by Yaphank:

Muzzle flashes for machineguns would be cool. And better lookin' tracer rounds. Those things look like ****e!

Worse than that, they are going backwards! They look like muzzle flashes that fly through the air. I always have to remind myself that in CM, the head of the comet is at the back. Otherwise it gets confusing when looking at a still.

[MikeyD]

Tracers must be tricky to reproduce. After all in real life they're just dots of light, the elongated 'smear' on film is basically the distance the tracer travelled while the shutter was open.

I'm afraid to suggest new stuff for CM2 because:

1. BTS is MUCH cleverer than I am in making up cool stuff.

2. If they do as I ask the game';; be too big to run on my mac!

But file this under "Impossible Dreams".

How about having a "gunner" camera view option for tanks. The terraIn viewed inside a circle at x4(?) magnification with appropriate sight reticle and range gradiants overlaying the picture. I'm not asking for a shooter game, just an alternate 'lock to unit' view.

[The ol one eye.]

I thought of the gunners view idea too, it would be cool to see the *actual view* of a selected unit, not above and behind like it is now. It would add even more to the immersion factor.

Just for the record, I intended this to be about CM2, The Rewrite, there are already plenty of CMBB threads.

I love this game.

[Mord]

I have thought of that view also. Just as you said a lock on view. I also thought about a helmet view for the soldiers. LOL! I like to zoom right down next to my men when they are in a heated firefight it gives me a sense of fear and exilhiration, especially when you see some enemies running across your LOS way off in the distance.

Something I am hoping for in the rewrite is a little less abstraction with infantry. Alot more animations and positions when they are firing while stopped, instead of everyone kneeling.

Maybe some standing, kneeling, lying down whatever. And actual hand to hand fighting would be cool. I'd also like to see crew animations on guns, loading and firing and such.

I am much more into the infantry aspects when the fighting starts. I love that close quarters stuff. Don't get me wrong I dig the armor and am very glad it is as detailed as it is but I'd like to see the infantry get the same treatment.

[Abn_Ranger87]

MikeyD, tracers from small arms and machine guns are not "dots of light" in real life. Because the human eye cannot follow at such speed they appear to be a solid line of light, kinda like a hollywood laser. Because they are so efficient at letting the enemy know your location, use of such ammunition by riflemen is very rare (as the old Murphy's laws of combat state, tracers work both ways...) Matter of fact, in the US Army only SAW and M60 gunners (now M240) use tracers, mainly because belted ammunition comes with it...

There are some practical uses for tracers, enabling team leaders to mark areas for their men to focus their fire on for example. I have been in units where the SOP for having your support shift fires from an objective was a couple bursts of all tracers at a 45 degree angle. Worked better than a lot of other techniques because the darn things were so noticable.