Needed Implements: what do you feel is lacking, is missing, is buggy?

[imij0607]

I think lines like in the old CM for C2 would be really cool --

More flavorful AI - example: patrols for AI on the defense -- seems very static --

Random campaign generator -- creates a campaign file from drop down selections made by the user. I looked at the campaign text file example - seems like there might be a few shortcuts to creating something like this (i.e. setting up reinforcement points, repair points etc. from drop down)

dedicated game lobby for people to chat it up, talk smack, play in real time or meet people for pbem games --

pbem game tracker application built into original application --

the ability for CMBN to do my luandry, pick my kids up from school, and walk the dog =)

[Michael Emrys]

A few battles later I can say I'm not used to this C2 thing: in CMX1 we had these lines connected to the units in command to one HQ, so visually you were able to move them in command, or easily detect when one unit was out of reach...

Yeah, but there were problems with that one too and it wasn't very realistic. The new system is better in that regard, but it's not very transparent and it's very clunky to use in its present form. It's basically sound, but badly needs refinement in the UI realm.

Michael

[Gen Von Television]

About the C2: I'm not saying it's less efficient; maybe it's just because I'm not used to it, but I move my units without paying much attention to the icons in the low bar; I wasn't really looking at them in CMX1 too, but there you had those connecting lines that were more evident for the player, and helped to retrace what units belonged to which HQ; I've seen now you can see the belonging group using the floating icons as they light up and that may be a good substitution, but it would be better to have them colored (black?) to indicate absence of contact with their parent units.

Besides to really know where is the HQ tank of a platoon is more difficult, since there are no special floating icons for that, so I have to examine each one of them to find out...

[Blackcat]

Some weeks ago some kind soul (and I embarassed to admit I have forgeotten his name) produced a rule of thumb for keeping infantry units in C2. My memory is not what it was but think that in open terrain, when hand signals can be seen, you were OK up to about 100 yards, but in close terrain, when the plaoon commander needs to rely on voice, the distance was much shorter - 40 something metres. When I care about this stuff, which I don't always, I now tend to work on seventy and thirty respectively (thats come down a bit since I started). One click and a look shows me which units are going to be in C2 of a platoon commander and the platoon HQ to Company HQ is easily seen in the bottom left display.

As for armour, well I only play the US troops (so far) and as every AFV has a radio, where is the problem? If they are not always within C2, assuming, the HQ is still alive, I can't say I have noticed.

Lines would clog up the display and not tell me anything I didn't know on 99.9% of occasions. As for the Icons, I only find them useful in the setup phase - to make sure I have got the dreadful mess we are usually presented with untangled.

[Gen Von Television]

First of all I still find hard to assess the distances; it's also very easy to activate/deactivate the floating icons, so IMO that would be a very good implement adding the C2 colors there: indeed the floating icons would be much better then the connecting lines to check this aspect.

As for the tanks, it isn't just a matter of keeping radio contact, but you still have to preserve your HQ tank so to get the fighting bonus of a leader, if any. And the same goes for the Infantry.

[akd]

About the C2: I'm not saying it's less efficient; maybe it's just because I'm not used to it, but I move my units without paying much attention to the icons in the low bar; I wasn't really looking at them in CMX1 too, but there you had those connecting lines that were more evident for the player, and helped to retrace what units belonged to which HQ; I've seen now you can see the belonging group using the floating icons as they light up and that may be a good substitution, but it would be better to have them colored (black?) to indicate absence of contact with their parent units.

Besides to really know where is the HQ tank of a platoon is more difficult, since there are no special floating icons for that, so I have to examine each one of them to find out...

If you click on any tank other than the HQ, you can jump selection directly to the HQ by clicking on it in the command chain list in the lower left, or by clicking on the selected unit's C2 icon above the suppression meter (assuming the unit is currently in C2). You do not have to examine every tank in the platoon.

[Blackcat]

"First of all I still find hard to assess the distances"

Practice makes perfect, but working out 30 metres as looks like is surely not hard.

"it's also very easy to activate/deactivate the floating icons"

Is it? I have never done it by accident or design, so I'll take your word for it. If having different coloured icons for units that are out of C2 would help, then I would be happy as long as the programing time spent on producing this effect is less than, say, one hour otherwise I think there are more immediate problems to be solved.

"you still have to preserve your HQ tank so to get the fighting bonus of a leader, if any. And the same goes for the Infantry."

Well, yes if you let your leaders get killed you will lose C2 and, quite possibly, the fight. Not sure how command lines or multicoloured icons affect this though.

Tell me, just out of interest, do you mainly play RT or WEGO?

[Gen. J-sun]

Ad-hoc units. When two units take 50% casualties I just as soon merge them together and act as one. Not looking for a super merge of two squads but say a support team takes a hit I'd rather put them back with the HQ rather than have a 1 man bazooka team running around.

[Mr.X]

It would be nice, if it were possible to rotate barbwire and trenches while creating a scenario - and it would be nice if one could make single foxholes...

[Gen Von Television]

If you click on any tank other than the HQ, you can jump selection directly to the HQ by clicking on it in the command chain list in the lower left, or by clicking on the selected unit's C2 icon above the suppression meter (assuming the unit is currently in C2). You do not have to examine every tank in the platoon.

That is good info, thanks! I apologize for my ineptitude at reading the whole manual: I hope this has been included somewhere...

[Gen Von Television]

Practice makes perfect, but working out 30 metres as looks like is surely not hard.

Practice, practice, practice... I was/am spoiled by the use of the stringed tools for reading distances... Besides you can change aspect ratios (Normal Wide, or even screen resolution) and camera position, so the practice thing should go exponential to conform to any view combination...

Is it? I have never done it by accident or design, so I'll take your word for it. If having different colored icons for units that are out of C2 would help, then I would be happy as long as the programing time spent on producing this effect is less than, say, one hour otherwise I think there are more immediate problems to be solved.

Alt-I Toggle Floating Icons

I agree there may be more important simulation aspects to consider, but CM IMO has always been the direct and most effective heir (computer wise) of SL/ASL where the chain of command is a most important element of game-play and simulation.

This aspect I deem has to be made evident to the player, and I have the impression I'm not really as careful as I was in CMX1 for the above cited reasons.

I'm sure even in CMX2 this factor is most relevant...

Well, yes if you let your leaders get killed you will lose C2 and, quite possibly, the fight. Not sure how command lines or multicoloured icons affect this though.

Tell me, just out of interest, do you mainly play RT or WEGO?

Absolutely WEGO only: if I want an RT game, I play Call of Duty (sheesh)... I hate clicking/keying away double time!

Code colored icons would be a nice implementation and substitute to the CMX1 strings and would help the game player keep track of the units.

Cheerio

[TheBlackHand]

I know it's been mentioned a million times . . . but I'm just gonna say it again and again until it gets fixed.

I would really like more control over my AT assets. I'm tired of my zookers opening up from much too far away . . . and consequently, wasting their only means to actually approach and kill a tank, not to mention, bringing unwanted attention upon themselves.

The game also needs a "armor only" target arc.

. . . and this thing about tanks shooting on the move with deadly accuracy has just got to stop. How they let this IN-accuracy slip into the game is perplexing.

Other than that, I'm really enjoying things. I expect that after a few patches, it'll be as good as all the fanboys already think it is.

[Scipio]

When I click the 'ready' button to end the order phase of a PBEM turn, a 'save file' dialog shows up. I often notice in that moment that I have forgotten something important (I'm aged 40+). An additional 'Cancel' button in the save file dialog would be really great.

[Gen Von Television]

I would really like more control over my AT assets. I'm tired of my zookers opening up from much too far away . . . and consequently, wasting their only means to actually approach and kill a tank, not to mention, bringing unwanted attention upon themselves.

... if they don't open up using their darn carbines!

[Statisoris]

Here are twelve, hopefully new changes I feel might improve the game. I tried to avoid listing any major unit additions and/or drastic game changes such as adding tank riding.

1) Add some rifle and hand grenades to vehicle ammo stashes.

2) Create a true solo Sniper unit with a base concealment bonus, not just a marksman. Make it rare and cost a lot to offset their general effectiveness.

3) Add some canister shot to all applicable weapon platforms.

4) Allow "on map" Priest SP guns to be called for indirect artillery fire if map range/LOF allows.

5) Change the unit base for land mines from bearclaw to a more intuitive minefield coverage square.

6) Add specific "damage states" to vehicles in scenario designer such as Main Gun Damaged, Radio Inoperable, Optics Damaged and so on.

7) Show ammo bearer teams on the TOE unit roster and allow their removal. Sometimes these guys aren't even carrying extra ammo and are somewhat useless.

8) Smoke artillery round damage to buildings needs to be toned down. I just saw a building destroyed by a few rounds of medium mortar WP smoke shells.

9) Add occasional grenade bundles to German infantry squad loadouts where historically accurate.

10) Add a "Force Adjustment" drop menu to the defender side for quick battles.

11) Improve concealment bonus for hiding, non-moving, smaller AT guns. I've had small Pak50s spotted very quickly from far away even when hiding behind bocage.

12) Get rid of the "under vehicle craters" created by large secondary explosions/ammo cooking off. This just doesn't seem realistic.

[Michael Emrys]

I'd like to comment on a couple of these.

1) Add some rifle and hand grenades to vehicle ammo stashes.

Aside from the occasional truck driver, the assigned weapon, in addition to pistols was usually carbines or SMGs. Inside an AFV, a rifle would have been awfully unhandy due to limited interior space and awkwardness in case of a hasty exit.

7) Show ammo bearer teams on the TOE unit roster and allow their removal. Sometimes these guys aren't even carrying extra ammo and are somewhat useless.

I use them as scouts. They are also useful for performing buddy aid.

Michael

[womble]

Aside from the occasional truck driver, the assigned weapon, in addition to pistols was usually carbines or SMGs. Inside an AFV, a rifle would have been awfully unhandy due to limited interior space and awkwardness in case of a hasty exit.

He said "rifle and hand grenades" as in, "rifle grenades and hand grenades", and was talking, I believe, about the stashes in trucks and jeeps and halftracks, rather than the weapons for AFV (or other vehicle, indeed) crews.

[LJFHutch]

* Ability to multi-select items in the editor (shift + click?) and have the game randomly choose. You could place forests much more easily this way, and ground tiles as well.

* Agreed on armour cover-arc.

* Have the elevation points show up when you toggle on the show elevation when placing ground/foliage tiles. The elevation is useful but it's often hard to tell based on numbers alone whereas the points really improve awareness.

* Road textures (the dirt ones, including paved) seem too dark?

* Automatic formation adjustments when ordering multiple units similar to how a single squad operates currently - if you have 5 squads and you order them to move to a line of bocage they should stack up behind it according to initial orientation.

* A "spray-can" brush option, it would really help placing terrain and trees realistically without having to switch down to the 1x1 brush all the time.

* Separate wind option in QB's - right now it's default to what weather you choose, it would be good if you could change it also, it could even change to the default when you choose a new weather setting.

[Statisoris]

He said "rifle and hand grenades" as in, "rifle grenades and hand grenades", and was talking, I believe, about the stashes in trucks and jeeps and halftracks, rather than the weapons for AFV (or other vehicle, indeed) crews.

You are correct Womble, I would like those items to be acquirable from vehicles like regular ammo.

[Statisoris]

* Separate wind option in QB's - right now it's default to what weather you choose, it would be good if you could change it also, it could even change to the default when you choose a new weather setting.

Agreed, I hate it when you end up in a quick battle where the wind is howling like crazy the entire time. I don't mind it actually being windy in a game but the sound just gets really obnoxious after a while.

[ruutana]

Dunno if these are suggested before:

1. Make Alt+S binding work with option "Ambient off"

2. Make Alt+T binding work with option "Remove all treetops"

3. Where is our Hand to Hand?

Did Allied or Axis use flamethrowers in normandy? I want some barbeque! Yes, it is brutal, but if we wanna go to maxium realism, as you BF developers indeed do, let´s roast them!

I remember when i played H&H in CMBB and we fought in medium sized map, a dense forested area. Combined arms meeting engagement with no armor and the primary objective was in the centre of the map, on narrow dirt road inside large, dense forest.

I played as axis, and we engaged ourselves near the primary objective. Firefight was dense, but both of us did not take the first step to assault towards the road.

I sneaked my flamethrowers under the firefight near the end of the forest, just few meters from the road, gave them firing arc to road and hid them. Also had one hidden heavy 42 waiting proper moment.

As you can quess, my friend launched massive sovjet assault towards the road and my flammieboys did as they were told to. You can guess what impact it made to the attacker. Mg nailed the escapers. So many dead...

There was much more happening also, but the flamethrowers were turning point in the fight.

Yea, you got the point.

[RockinHarry]

I´d wish for CMN "lighting/shading" main parameters beeing externalized, so they could be tweaked by players to their liking. Either something in the "Options" screen, or command line parameters. This way, nights could be made realistically darker, as well as shadow strength or ambient light shading tweaked to something looking better, as is now.

[bab]

Binding the 'Delete' key to deleting items during the Quick Battle buying phase would be nice.

[womble]

Binding the 'Delete' key to deleting items during the Quick Battle buying phase would be nice.

Amen.

And doubleclick to choose from the scenario/savegame menu.

[Michael Emrys]

Command+S to save a game/turn.

Command+Q to quit.

Michael