Louie the Toad Posted October 1, 2002 Share Posted October 1, 2002 It seems that I cannot have it both ways. Either I can see the enemy in the distance using level 3 or 4 but am not able to identify my own units because they are too small.... OR I use level 1 or 2 and can ID my units but cannot see enough of the map to sight the enemy. Upping the camera angle (shift A) helps but it does not stick when selecting a different unit. What do you do? Blind in one eye, can't see out of the other.. Toad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Harrison Posted October 1, 2002 Share Posted October 1, 2002 I float around the battlefield at level 4 zoom (I think, its the highest one before you go top down perspective) with a scale of +2 on the units. I watch the movie once that way, see how many tanks I just lost, then I go down to levels 1 or 2 and watch the movie again. Worked for me 2 years ago, and still works for me. Chad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busboy Posted October 1, 2002 Share Posted October 1, 2002 Don't rely on seeing the enemy unit in detail. Crank up your scale if you like. I personally only play with historical scale. But I do play with bases on at all times, unless I want to just watch a particularly jucy part of the replay as "realistically" as possible. Also, remember that you can replay the turn time after time. Watch it from the enemy lines a few times and you'll get a feel for what's over there. I personally never do this. In addition to it being ahistorical, I don't have the patience. I usually watch each movie once from "altitude" and replay only small sections time in only the most confused of places. At the end of a turn, before pressing done, I might get straight down view and just highlight the field. With bases on, this shows where all of my units are, and places a highlight around active (non-routed) units. This serves as a great indication of where my lines are. With targeting/move lines on, you also see where your firepower is directed, and where your movement is cycling. In general though, once the battle is joined I get a blood lust and I want to win. 30 turns=30 minutes of movies if you only watch them once, and then you add on your ordering time...CM is a time consuming game. A mission in "Close Combat" might last 10 minutes if you prolong it, but in CM most people probably take at least an hour and a half for just your average game. Not me personally. I like to fight it fast, and try to win it fast. To me, this is most accurate (what commander in real life gets to pause the battle every minuite, replay the last one over and over in his head before taking his time in finetuning precice orders...) and also squeezes in the most CM in the smallest time. (and with my life, time can be brief for games.) Now whether I "appreciate" CM as much as others is debatable. The eyecandy and drama certianly isn't lost on me, though, thats for sure. I love making myself a combat photographer in CM...THAT is what the replay really rocks for! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CC_Brad Posted October 1, 2002 Share Posted October 1, 2002 This is my 1st experience with CM and i am very pleased with CMBB. For me one of the most overlooked aspects is LOS. By that i mean getting down to level 1 and moving the camera around. Looking at opposing units at levels 3 and 4 you would swear each unit would have a clear LOS, however Battlefront has done a great job with land contours in how complex they can be.What looks like flat land is really not at all flat in many cases. You cant take for granted when you will or will not have clear LOS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louie the Toad Posted October 1, 2002 Author Share Posted October 1, 2002 I see that I must clarify my question. In BO I could use level 3 and 4 most of the time and still be able to ID my units AND see the enemy in enough detail so I could plot my moves and fires without a lot of moving and magnifying . I play at realistic or + 1 . In BB I have to change back and forth to different view levels, sometimes magnify or go to + 2 or + 3 in order to plot my moves and fires. And do this on each turn. THEN If I want to view an entire developing battle in a 60 sec turn the units seem so tiny at the view from which I can see the battle that I can't appreciate the units ! If others are experiencing this problem please speak up. A few have stated there should be a camera level of 2.5 . Maybe a change can be made. Hopeful.... Toad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busboy Posted October 1, 2002 Share Posted October 1, 2002 I guess I don't understand what you mean by "ID." To me, ID means you just have to be able to see enough of the unit to click it. In this regard, CMBB is unchanged from BO. If you mean some other type of identification (tank types by sight only) then you have a different matter. Agreed on looking at the map on level 1 too, in addition to giving you the best appreciation for a particular piece of land, its also very historical. I'd like to see a battle where you get a "command post" at the top of a hill that overlooks the entire field, and you have to use level one combined with use of magnification and level change to give your units their orders and observe the battle. Want to move your perspective, gotta move your "unit" (an HQ unit in a jeep, perhaps.) I know CM isn't ment to simulate this specifically, and trying to do so really wouldn't be accurate to life, but it would still be a lot of fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louie the Toad Posted October 1, 2002 Author Share Posted October 1, 2002 busboy, Have you ever tried using Franko's True Combat Rules. You can only play at level 2 if you are in a second story building. (ok level 3 if you are in a church by the steeple). Otherwise its level 1 down and dirty. As you said, the view really gives you an appreciation of terrain. But try playing at that level. A very small scenario is the least frustrating. A reinforced platoon at most. Ok I will try my explanation from a different tack. At lower camera levels I can't see enough of the battlefield and the enemy to conduct a good battle. At higher camera levels I cannot distinguish (by sight) between my units ie, HQ, MG and squads or between tank types or halftracks. NEVER had this problem in BO. There I could use level 3 or 4 and see everything. I want to still be able to do that in BB. Missing the fun.... Toad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Galanti Posted October 1, 2002 Share Posted October 1, 2002 Why not just bump up the unit size a bit. That will make it easy to ID the units... Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louie the Toad Posted October 1, 2002 Author Share Posted October 1, 2002 I dont like to change the ratio of unit to terrain, especially building, size. + 1 Toad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busboy Posted October 1, 2002 Share Posted October 1, 2002 Ahh, I think I am beginning to see. You need the elevation to plot a more strategic usage of movement, but at that useful level you begin to lose grasp of your units. At first thought, I'd suggest experience. Now obviously you've been at CMBB as long as anyone, and I bet you've been at BO longer than me, so this is not a suggestion that "you're a n00b." Rather, I think it might have to do with getting used to the new game, and its new look. For one, in CMBO you probably had it MODed just so. Now in CMBB, you have very few MODs yet, and vehicles may tend to look alike, and for sure you are getting used to new looks for them. I think time is the only cure for this. Time on the short term...the longer you play a battle, the more farmilliar you will become with who is where, ect. And time in the long term...the more unique your graphics look, the more you'll "feel" with the game. That will likely play a part. I suppose I have the same "problem" as you if you will, but I just never thought of it as a problem. From height, I just remember who is what. Infantry squads have bigger bases than support or command units, they're easy to tell apart, and then the "little" infantry bases I just start to remember which is which based on placement as the battle goes on. As I advance, I guess I just sort of have a cateloug of "where that MG is going" and so forth. The same is true for vehicles, especially. I just keep a tally of which is where, and that settles any confusion I might have. If there is any doubt, its put to rest when I click on the unit to give its orders and I get its status. I guess it doesn't bug me, but I do now see where you're comming from. In your case, i guess the best thing to do would be to always play with bases on (as it sounds like you do) and when you're giving orders, switch your unit scale every so often momentarily. Finally, relating to how this problem is CMBB specific...see if the problem doesn't fade as time goes by. And thanks for the heads up about the rules! I think I'll try that if I ever have the chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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