Questions about AI/quick battles/editor

[Mo74]

Hey,

I recently had a great response here when I asked some questions about picking this title up.

Anyway, I had another about the replayability of CMBN, particularly the quick battles. Do they always play out differently or do they feel quite static with canned AI?

I don't know if anyone here has played Arma 2 but one great feature was being able to come up with your own scenarios fairly easily and without too much fiddling around or scripting (although you could do that too). You could choose a map, some units and set some waypoints and off you went.

I read the old CM titles had random battles, but I can't see anything here to say CMBN has this feature.

I think I'll check out Youtube for any CMBN quick battle/editor tutorials to give me an idea of this game's longevity but would appreciate any answers in the meantime.

Thanks,

Mo.

[RockinHarry]

Hey,

I recently had a great response here when I asked some questions about picking this title up.

Anyway, I had another about the replayability of CMBN, particularly the quick battles. Do they always play out differently or do they feel quite static with canned AI?

I don't know if anyone here has played Arma 2 but one great feature was being able to come up with your own scenarios fairly easily and without too much fiddling around or scripting (although you could do that too). You could choose a map, some units and set some waypoints and off you went.

I read the old CM titles had random battles, but I can't see anything here to say CMBN has this feature.

I think I'll check out Youtube for any CMBN quick battle/editor tutorials to give me an idea of this game's longevity but would appreciate any answers in the meantime.

Thanks,

Mo.

I can´t tell much about playing QB´s, as my focus is more on scenario making, but from that point of view I´d say QB replayability and quality depends much on the particular QB original creators. Not all maps are equal, with regard to quality and having most eventualities on individual force selections and AI plans considered. That´s the inherent limitations, when compared to fully worked out and tested scenarios & campaigns.

From my play testing with self made scenarios, I can say that there´s enough variability in the AI´s behavior, as well as general game play, even when just one basic AI plan is included and executed. Same then counts for QB´s, which also have the additional option to play with different forces each time. If you find QB maps of your taste and you find them playing well, you could also ask friends/community members to alter AI plans, to suite your playing style. Sooner or later, you´ll launch up the editor and do the "fixes" on prefered QB maps yourself, as it´s rather easy.

I´m also ARMA2 player (...i44) and it offers many great options when it comes to rather quick scenario making on premade maps, just as you say. Map making though is a rather time consuming and not quite so easy affair, as well as thorough scripting, with the many possibilities offered. CMBN gives an overall better and quicker access to map/scenario making tools and thus results are way quicker. You can also limit yourself quick editing of user made scenarios and make your own QBs or even scenarios out of them.

Guess you found it yet, but to get a good idea about the editors capabilities, this one would be quite helpful:

http://www.battlefront.com/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=314&func=fileinfo&id=1194

The game manual can also be read online here:

http://www.battlefront.com/index.php?option=com_flippingbook&book_id=19

CMX1 series random battles partly depended on same features as offered by CMBN, although auto generated maps are not included in CMBN. Anyway, auto generated maps seldomnly yielded good looking or playable results, so there was also the option to pick from user made maps instead, just like in CMBN, where it´s the only map selection feature now.

When it comes to "longevity", I´d say with oncoming modules and further developments, you should be busy...say, the next decade coming. :cool:

[Mo74]

Hi RockinHarry,

Thanks so much for taking the time out to reply so comprehensively.

Regards,

Mo.