Is the AI Improved over origional CM?

[Sgt Joch]

a straight answer from me would have included that TAC ai is compareable to CMx1 and STRAT AI is improved compared to CMx1, all in one sentence.

There. Fixed that for you.

[Ranger33]

I would have to say that this forum has a bit different tone than most and new posters should tread lightly, but then again these games are definitely not targeted at your average internet forum crowd. A mature, polite post will work out, even if everyone disagrees with you. Silly insults and a hostile attitude will not get you very far.

Just my observations as a long time lurker, newly switched to active poster mode.

[dieseltaylor]

I think Pandur has actually read the entire posting rather than seeing how it unfolded. By the end SOD and actually clarified exactly what he meant rather than a string of questions that he started with.

SO to argue we were wrong in the advice we were giving when SOD has not even established his level of interest/expertise in CM is asking too much.

I actually find it is very refreshing to remind ourselves how fortunate we are and how few tossers are here - and they mainly stay on the Peng threads anyway.

: )

[WineCape]

"SODs" Law. I get it: He's LEWIS !! Shoo fly, don't boooother usss. Shoo fly, don't booother usss.

I actually find it is very refreshing to remind ourselves how fortunate we are and how few tossers are here - and they mainly stay on the Peng threads anyway.

Sacrilege! Slandering and besmirching their names. Utterly unforgivable..... But I agree: They are all tossers. The whole lot.

[MikeyD]

Its amusing that the original poster seemed to be worried that random unit quickbattles on random maps with one-size-fits-all AI orders and generic objectives might not, in every instance, be an entirely faithful recreation of the intricacies of small unit combat in Normandy. Well, d'uh. A more useful question might be whether or not they're fun. If you already imagine yourself disappointed then you're probably going to be disappointed. CM:BN is not being manufactured by Willy Wonka and will not be imbued with magical properties like Everlasting Gobstoppers.

[ChrisND]

CM:BN is not being manufactured by Willy Wonka and will not be imbued with magical properties like Everlasting Gobstoppers.

The oompa loompas, on the other hand, are real.

They don't like New England weather much, I'm told.

[WineCape]

I came here talking about Battlefronts Combat Mission series. If this game doesn't have random battle map creators fine it won't be bought by me and many more players that I'm aquainted with. I also could care less about your stupid karma statements since I don't believe in that stupidity or superstitions.

Ohh dear,

The point is being missed, as well as my subtle warning. SOD, you have a right to not buy anything, including CMBN. As well as those you want to convince with your stance, given your assertion some here all just fanbois.

You also have the right to leave this forum on your own free will. Heck, some would say no loss if you decide to leave, given your lurking status/post count. It's not that you're a Dorosch with 10,000+ post counts to your name and we'll remember you fondly for dressing in Nazi mannequins...

However, since you obviously lack courtesy to a man, Mc George, that was trying to answer to the best of his ability, your question posted, while valid questions, implies disdain towards a kind act, however he might have wrongly answered your questions -perceived or de facto. It's not what you ask, it's the way you stated your case. Some took umbrage to your manner with humorous quotes, some not.

Please reconsider leaving the forum, because believe you me, you will be pleasantly surprised by CMBN. I am, at this very moment, and I love CMx1. You will miss out in being enlightened, not because I'm a fanbois, but because I realize again, at this moment, no company has such a good tactical game on the market.

It's not perfect. But it is, in its class, still the best product out there. Give it a try, and then make up your mind. If you don't want to give it a try, then in the good words of Pengville...

SOD OFF.

[Barkhorn1x]

I want to come back to this point made by SoD:

And yes there are malicious modders out there if you believe there aren't then you're pretty dumb.

Really? It's an objective given then that these exist.

OOOOOKKK.

Two points:

1. Again, I have d/l'd literally THOUSANDS of files for such heavily modded games like:

CM

Total War series

Silent Hunter series

IL-2

...and I have NEVER run across a virus. Never. Perhaps SoD is hanging out with the wrong crowd then?

2. If you open - for example - a skin file and find anything in it that has a strange file extension unrelated to a games skin file format I suggest you don't click on it genuis.

Really, this guy was a bit much and got the flames he deserved.

[Fetchez la Vache]

Random maps are fun (if you roll a good one) in their own way. I think it is a shame they can't be supported in the CMx2 engine. It's an upshot of the way the game has developed.

In fact I did (and do) wonder if CMx2 has moved away from what I liked so much in CMBO/BB/AK. I never got into CMSF. Initially I thought it was the setting, which is still a factor I must admit. But later on I realized I didn't really need 1:1 soldiers, or improved graphics or a super C&C structure. I just wanted to play ASL-type games on my computer while hovering 100m above the battlefield. A 'counters with graphics' type game suits me fine, although I always appreciate a proper shot-penetration physics engine going on underneath the hood. Dive rolls are so 80's don't cha know dahling?

So I have sympathy for the OP in his disappointed, although not the delivery style.

I am looking forward to CMBN very much. However I also suspect that I will have a twinge of dissatisfaction in that it's no longer exactly what I need. TOW and the Men at War series of games have scratched my itch for games played at eye level. I hope I'm still itchy...

[George MC]

Jings!!! I go away for a few hours and look what happens! Ach weel... Cheers for the support there chaps Each to their own eh?

Not sure I did answer it wrong though - TAC AI is much improved on the old CMX1 tac AI; Strategic AI in CMX2 is scenario designer created using AI Plans; QB OOBs are picked by the QB picker thingy (don't play many of em so not to sure of how that beasty works).

I'd no idea what the chaps background was so rather than make assumptions I spelt it out. Funny old world eh when you get kicked for giving too much information.

And no, triggers are not in CMX2 - yet

Off to blow up tanks and drink beer now

[sfhand]

Ohh dear,

The point is being missed, as well as my subtle warning. SOD, you have a right to not buy anything, including CMBN. As well as those you want to convince with your stance, given your assertion some here all just fanbois.

You also have the right to leave this forum on your own free will. Heck, some would say no loss if you decide to leave, given your lurking status/post count. It's not that you're a Dorosch with 10,000+ post counts to your name and we'll remember you fondly for dressing in Nazi mannequins...

However, since you obviously lack courtesy to a man, Mc George, that was trying to answer to the best of his ability, your question posted, while valid questions, implies disdain towards a kind act, however he might have wrongly answered your questions -perceived or de facto. It's not what you ask, it's the way you stated your case. Some took umbrage to your manner with humorous quotes, some not.

Please reconsider leaving the forum, because believe you me, you will be pleasantly surprised by CMBN. I am, at this very moment, and I love CMx1. You will miss out in being enlightened, not because I'm a fanbois, but because I realize again, at this moment, no company has such a good tactical game on the market.

It's not perfect. But it is, in its class, still the best product out there. Give it a try, and then make up your mind.

Thanks for posting this...

[Rocky Balboa]

Random maps are fun (if you roll a good one) in their own way. I think it is a shame they can't be supported in the CMx2 engine. It's an upshot of the way the game has developed.

In fact I did (and do) wonder if CMx2 has moved away from what I liked so much in CMBO/BB/AK. I never got into CMSF. Initially I thought it was the setting, which is still a factor I must admit. But later on I realized I didn't really need 1:1 soldiers, or improved graphics or a super C&C structure. I just wanted to play ASL-type games on my computer while hovering 100m above the battlefield. A 'counters with graphics' type game suits me fine,

.........................

I am looking forward to CMBN very much. However I also suspect that I will have a twinge of dissatisfaction in that it's no longer exactly what I need. TOW and the Men at War series of games have scratched my itch for games played at eye level. I hope I'm still itchy...

We'll spoken and this just highlights the fact that just like CMBO and its descendants wasn't for everyone, CMBN won't be either. As Steve has mentioned on many occasions, BF will never be able to make a game that will please 100% of the players 100% of the time. There will always be other games that might fit your style better and that's Ok.

I personally think everyone should give the demo a try before writing it off completely but no one is forcing anyone to buy and play this game.

[Barkhorn1x]

Not sure I did answer it wrong though - TAC AI is much improved on the old CMX1 tac AI; Strategic AI in CMX2 is scenario designer created using AI Plans; QB OOBs are picked by the QB picker thingy (don't play many of em so not to sure of how that beasty works).

FWIW, I don't believe you did. It's not up to you to devine his poorly worded OP. And the subsequent path this thread took would have been avoided if his second post was something like;

"Perhaps I was unclear, what I was asking was...."

But no, he had to get all uppity.

[George MC]

FWIW, I don't believe you did. It's not up to you to devine his poorly worded OP. And the subsequent path this thread took would have been avoided if his second post was something like;

"Perhaps I was unclear, what I was asking was...."

But no, he had to get all uppity.

Thank you

[dieseltaylor]

Fetchez - I like random maps also. But I am hoping in the fullness of time a vast library of maps wfrom which can be plucked at random. So QB's on "random" maps will still be here. An dwith the benefit of human smarts to make them a little more logical.

God knows what an AI generated map would look like if it had 250,000 physical points to consider!! : )

[Fetchez la Vache]

I have every faith in the ability of the CM Community to throw up a huge numbers of skins, maps and grass mods.

Given the lack of a random map generator, I might even feel obliged to contribute myself this time around. :-)

[Medex]

I was never a big fan of the CM1 computer generated maps. Later in my PBEM career I leaned towards custom maps.

So no biggie for me that their is no computer generated maps.

[Barkhorn1x]

Grass mods rule.

[Sixxkiller]

Well you guys can thank MarkEzra for compiling and making sure the maps are better in the QB component when you get them. Not sure how many he made personally, but whomever made some of them have done a better job than any random map maker would ever have done.

As for the AI, sometimes it really does a fantastic job and makes even better decisions than you will. Sometimes its less than that to be honest, but on average I think it does a good job.

As far as SonofDiablo. Man you need a hug or to get laid or something. If CM is all you've got in the world then even Charles isnt talented enough to program what you require. I especially laughed when you likened Steel Panthers random maps with random maps of CM games haha. If it was that easy then even I could program that. Thats like comparing a tree to an aircraft carrier.

[Vein]

Thats like comparing a tree to an aircraft carrier.

Which, funnily enough, is what we will be using for aircraft carriers in the not too distant future.

[George MC]

Which, funnily enough, is what we will be using for aircraft carriers in the not too distant future.

I don't know - a few oil drums, some rope and some wooden spars. You could land a Harrier on that... Oh. Yeah. We got rid of em too...

[Michael Emrys]

Random maps are fun (if you roll a good one) in their own way.

I agree and am a little surprised at the level of disdain I've been seeing for them here. I played at least 95% of my CMx1 games as QBs on random maps and mostly found them quite satisfactory. Sometimes I wasn't satisfied with the first one that the engine threw up for me, so I would tell it to have another go. But generally, I didn't find them inferior for my purposes to designer-built maps. As it was, I quickly gave up on strictly "historical" scenarios as CM simply wasn't up to rigorously reproducing historical incidents. Instead, I would try for a model that was of the same "type" as a historical incident I was interested in, and for that a random map was just as effective as a designed map. And a lot less bother to produce too.

Michael

[Michael Emrys]

You could land a Harrier on that... Oh. Yeah. We got rid of em too...

Fortunately, we haven't...yet. Although I fear that their time is drawing nigh. Pity, as I feel that as of this date they represent the last truly great product of British aeronautical design. Don't get me wrong, you Brits still turn out good stuff. But the Harrier was in a class by itself.

Michael

[Vark]

To SOD, most of the posters here have NOT played the game yet, how can we make an honest evaluation if the only information we have is vicariously, through DAR and AAR's, or subjectively, from the designers themselves? If you had done some basic research on this company you will know they are very receptive to criticism of CMBN (hint, look up the trenches/foxholes will visible thread), just don't think you can stroll in with a cocky adolescent attitude and expect people here not to object.

[Blackcat]

... Don't get me wrong, you Brits still turn out good stuff....

You want to to give an example? Leaving the Navy on one side, I stuggle to think of a serious bit of world class kit we Bris have produced in recent years (Challenger 2 was probably the last and that was designed in the 1980s).