Maps/Contours

[Clogger]

I have a lot of difficulty at the beginning of a battle assessing the terrain. That is checking out the lie of the land. Also planning the strategy and tactics for the game is difficult for me without been able to study the units available and the map without having it on paper.

Is there a way of printing off the map and the scenario briefing? And is there a way of assessing the contours of the land more easily?

[athkatla]

Originally posted by Clogger:

I have a lot of difficulty at the beginning of a battle assessing the terrain. That is checking out the lie of the land. Also planning the strategy and tactics for the game is difficult for me without been able to study the units available and the map without having it on paper.

Is there a way of printing off the map and the scenario briefing? And is there a way of assessing the contours of the land more easily?

You can put the grid feature on, not sure which hot key it is off the top of my head, that helps a bit

[athkatla]

Ooops, double post

[ December 08, 2002, 07:19 AM: Message edited by: athkatla ]

[Lou2000]

Lots of people have different methods ... these are a few (but not all) that I often use ... and think most others use similar methods...You probably already use most of these !

You may find using one of the gridded terrain mods helps and also viewing your intended route from level 1,2 or 3.

Then try viewing the map from the other guys side ...... ask yourself ... what is he likely to see if you use that route ?

During the setup phase use your unit LOS ... if you can see that hill top then an artillery spotter up there could probably see you !

If it is a meeting engagement ... what are his (and your) most probable approach routes.

If you are attacking ... where would you defend if you were in his position ?

If defending try viewing the map from level 8 (overhead) and you'll see any obvious approaches like woods/forest that could give his infantry good cover right up to your front door. Can your mortars / artillery hit him if/when he does.

What is the best route for his armour ? can your guns & armour cover those routes.

Can you use mines (if you have them) to bottlneck his approaches and make him attack you where you want him. Or use them to protect your flank .... well at least provide some warning and slow him down

The best tactics are born from common sense and experience ! Sometimes I seem to be lacking in both

Lou2000

[Leit]

Terrain gains very subjective substance . Correct placing of your battle units strognly depend on your battle style and a knolage of partner's (enemy) standart tips&tricks ...

It will come in some time.

After several contacts you get ideas to place units with care acording your style: support cautionus or agressive battle.

[ December 08, 2002, 08:53 AM: Message edited by: Leit ]

[aka_tom_w]

Originally posted by Clogger:

I have a lot of difficulty at the beginning of a battle assessing the terrain. That is checking out the lie of the land. Also planning the strategy and tactics for the game is difficult for me without been able to study the units available and the map without having it on paper.

Is there a way of printing off the map and the scenario briefing? And is there a way of assessing the contours of the land more easily?

This is particularily tricky on heavily wooded maps.

Woods and trees don't show elevation differences with lighter and darker shades. Same goes for grain tiles (no elevation difference for lighter and darker shades, mostly grain fields are flat though)

I avoid playing with snow on the ground for one BIG reason, I can't determine the elevation, the lighter and darker shades of snow make it VERY hard to determine. If it is a snowy map and I am playing against the AI and the scnenario looks like I might enjoy it, I open up the scenario in the map editor and I remove the snow and make it so I can see the the grass.

Grass and Steppe seems to be easier to see elevation. From view 8 or 9 on a map of ALL steppe the light and dark shades actually look like a contour lines on a standard topo map. I have lobbied hard for contour lines on all maps since the CMBO Gold Demo, but the response has been, the contour lines are there (sort of) if you look at the shades of colour in in the grass/steppe/snow from a view 8 or 9.

Use a terrain mod for the best effect, grass a steppe terrain mods with good contrast will show elevation with nicely shaded colours from darker to lighter. Lighter colours are higher and darker colours are lower.

I agree with your point.

GOOD tactics and planning should be based on accurate determination of elevation and LOS. Studying the playing field and checking LOS ALL over the map and determining anvenues of approach are critical to good tactical planning before your first move (and thereafter when all that goes to hell after first contact )

Anyways..... Heres to contour lines on Topo maps for CMII

-tom w

[ December 08, 2002, 08:50 AM: Message edited by: aka_tom_w ]

[peckham]

I have lobbied hard for contour lines on all maps since the CMBO Gold Demo, but the response has been, the contour lines are there (sort of) if you look at the shades of colour in in the grass/steppe/snow from a view 8 or 9.

Still not good enough. How hard would it be to have a hotkey to enable a nice light-brown contour line to make this less gamey? There's nothing that makes it more "realistic" to have the designer's arbitrary color-codings be the "challenge" vs. just handing over a concrete contour-line function. Whenever a game builds, as part of a specific feature challenge, its own limitations into the equation, the result is usually problematic. I'm not as certain about the nations covered in CMBB, but at least in the Normandy campaign, both sides had access to topographical maps which laid out contour lines for strategic planning. The Squad Battles series, which is very roughly the same scale as CMBB, has a contour-lines option.

[ December 08, 2002, 09:52 AM: Message edited by: peckham ]

[Alkiviadis]

RE: contouring terrain

Aussie Jeff's Summer/Winter grass mods approaches the problem by increasing the lightness of the tile in direct proportion to it's altitude, thus giving a subtle contour effect.

[aka_tom_w]

Originally posted by Stalins Organ:

RE: contouring terrain

Aussie Jeff's Summer/Winter grass mods approaches the problem by increasing the lightness of the tile in direct proportion to it's altitude, thus giving a subtle contour effect.

is there a link or web site where I can see screen shots of this effect before I try to download and install the files?

I am curious.

I am using the standard/default steppe and grass that came with the game so I would like to know what is better?

What is the BEST terrain mod to show elevation?

thanks

-tom w

[Alkiviadis]

RE:SCREENSHOT

I believe there's one at the CM Outpost.