How do I blow bridges up ? (staf&testers Q)

[Andrew H.]

That river looks more like a drainage ditch. And the water looks more like concrete. (Just to throw in a grumpy note.)

Michael

Just because you can't blow up bridges doesn't mean you can't blow up cement factories. And if the flowing cement from the factory happens to catch some tigers trying to cross a ditch - all the better.

But I really want to be able to blow up dams and flood the fields - maybe the water level would increase by 2" per turn or something.

[GhostRider3/3]

Well, it was just an example to show that you can put a destroyed bridge on the map, I picked a bridge completely randomly, don't lose your sleep or jump out of the window.

If you prefer, here is the same map with another type of bridge. I don't want a wave of mass suicide among the forumers ^^

Thanks Ding.... I feel much better now... LOL great picture. I think some of us have ran out of drool, and paper bags from hyperventilating.

Cant wait! But I have no choice..LOL

[Dingchavez]

Well, Mark, This is not one of my "creations", I just picked a random mission and opened it with the editor and then replaced the brand new bridge by a destroyed one.

And for those complaining about the width of the river, just try to imagine that the creator may wanted to represent a little stream, but you'll be free to create a 50 tile-wide Amazon-like river if you want to.

And FYI, I've been playing CM for 10 years, including CMSF, so I am not so "newbee" as you could believe (but thanks for your support Mark).

Michael, I can't wait to play your future creations though, as they will be flawless it's gonna be a real pleasure, yummy !

:-p

[MarkEzra]

I recognize the map... One of my maps... Last defense (CMBO Original recreated for CMBN ). So I checked it out. The water tile was apparently lost when the original bridge was removed and the destroyed bridge was placed.

The Steep banks were a design choice and is not necessary when making streams/rivers. 8 meters width water tile would hopefully leave the impression of a small stream.

Some pics are worth a 1000 words, others need a 1000 words to explain...

[Michael Emrys]

And for those complaining about the width of the river...

What I was actually whining about was the contour of the river bed. It has a V shape, whereas most of the ones I have seen are nearly flat on the bottom with nearly vertical sides—allowing for irregularities in both. The size is actually quite appropriate for Normandy SFAIK from looking at photographs.

Michael

[MikeyD]

There's lots of game screenshots with rivers in them. Most of them look like broad rivers with rounded banks, some have sloping marshy margins, the fords have gravel banks. I'm right now putting the finishing touches on a sandy stretch of oceanfront property (no, not that oceanfront property ). So there's not many river/riverbank types you can't reprodiuce in the editor.

[LongLeftFlank]

The slope of the banks depends on the seasonal flood pattern of the river, the surrounding terrain (flat or hills?) and the soil it's flowing through/carrying (mud/silt? gravel? sand? rocks?). In midsummer (even though June was particularly rainy), rivers could well have a dried (and well vegetated) flood plain on each side several times the actual width of the water. The bridge and its adjacent abutments would usually be built to keep the entire road above maximum flood stage.

[Erik Springelkamp]

And of course there are a lot of actual drainage ditches in the field, especially in the neighbourhood of towns. War is not fought just in nature reservations and remote farmland.

[Michael Emrys]

True enough. And in some critical locations there were also anti-tank ditches that have a very similar profile. They tended not to have paved roads and bridges crossing them very often however.

Michael

[Dingchavez]

I recognize the map... One of my maps... Last defense (CMBO Original recreated for CMBN ). So I checked it out. The water tile was apparently lost when the original bridge was removed and the destroyed bridge was placed.

ooops, unmasked ^^

This is a really nice map btw.

I removed the water tile on purpose because this is a small stream so I figured that a blown up bridge would clog it with debris. But you're right, at this point and with everybody waiting for the game, it may not be a good idea to post more screenshots as they would certainly lead to more questions and funny statements :-)

My apologies.

[womble]

ooops, unmasked ^^

This is a really nice map btw.

I removed the water tile on purpose because this is a small stream so I figured that a blown up bridge would clog it with debris. But you're right, at this point and with everybody waiting for the game, it may not be a good idea to post more screenshots as they would certainly lead to more questions and funny statements :-)

My apologies.

I was wondering whether (and by what) that clogging debris pile would be navigable. Looks like infantry could scurry across pretty unhindered, but it's pretty lumpy, so vehicles might fail... Is the lumpiness the only factor, or is it marked 'impassable'? If it is 'attemptabel', does the nature of the ground (loosely heaped rubble) make it more likely that vehicles will bog/slide off into the water?

[runs round in circles, too excited to type more]

[acrashb]

Last defense (CMBO Original recreated for CMBN ). So I checked it out.

That seals it. If I can play Last Defense again, I must buy the game. Thanks for that!

Blowing bridges with artillery, when it works, can decisively change a game (in last defence - spoiler alert - it would completely neutralize the armour) - but uses a lot of shells that are most often better put to use against infantry.

[Dingchavez]

I remodeled my mission to include an AO, and I must say that blowing bridges is a funny sport !

If some of the beta testers want to try it for fun (and help me improve it), send me a PM.

[Michael Emrys]

If it is 'attemptabel', does the nature of the ground (loosely heaped rubble) make it more likely that vehicles will bog/slide off into the water?

I can't see vehicles trying to cross over bridge rubble. If the water is shallow enough and the bed firm enough, they might try fording nearby, but the rubble itself would make a pretty effective obstacle.

Michael

[McMortison]

Press version, no worries

Answer is you can't blow bridges. In real life this would take hours and a truck of explosives. Not something done under combat conditions.

Steve

Here in Switzerland, most of the bridges were mined with TNT. We started this during the 2nd WW to halt advancing armys if they should cross the border.

A few years ago was a comment in the newspaper saying that they startet defusing the charges in the brigdes (more then 70 years later), because new the cold war is over.

[Michael Emrys]

Here in Switzerland, most of the bridges were mined with TNT. We started this during the 2nd WW to halt advancing armys if they should cross the border.

A few years ago was a comment in the newspaper saying that they startet defusing the charges in the brigdes (more then 70 years later), because new the cold war is over.

I must admit that would have made me a trifle tense every time I crossed a bridge, even though I've heard of no reports of one accidentally going off.

Michael

[MarkEzra]

you're right, at this point and with everybody waiting for the game, it may not be a good idea to post more screenshots as they would certainly lead to more questions and funny statements :-)

My apologies.

Rabid Jackals to be sure... and I'm just talking about the Beta Testers!

[MarkEzra]

That seals it. If I can play Last Defense again, I must buy the game. Thanks for that!

Blowing bridges with artillery, when it works, can decisively change a game (in last defense - spoiler alert - it would completely neutralize the armour) - but uses a lot of shells that are most often better put to use against infantry.

I loved that Scen. I'll do Riesberg and Chance Encounter with the appropriate Late War Module. You know, I've made these maps so often that I can build them from memory.... (but I always go back to the originals anyway) But with CMX2 I used it's scen editor tools and advantages to build the kind of map I think we saw in our heads when playing CMBO... or at least I tried too. Soon you will get to judge.

[Dingchavez]

I just finished "last defense", got wiped by the german player, my GIs kept withdrawing at the first shot, weird...