CM: Black Sea Strategy Discussion Thread

[MikeGER]

By the way, can the UAV in observation mission help in plotting artillery? I read it in the manual but I don't know how to actually do it?

thats there main task!  O0
they work like a normal unit and their spotting information is distributed through the network, so a Observer, a HQ or who ever has access to the Support without LOS can order a fire mission ....you will probably use the new Point Target plus precision type shells, to take out spotted vehicles

when you are to exhausted to play/explore yourself the sim anymore on a days ending, maybe then take a look at ChirsND's videos (playthroughs) on YT.... they really hepled me to get into the groove for the new setting and toys :D

[Great Ajax]

8 minutes or more is reasonable.  it's not the gun battery's responsiveness that is the issue, it's the queue of missions that is probably in backlog.  Your unit may not have fire priority of fire within the brigade which means you are going to have to wait for fire or get your request denied all together. 

Trey

Thanks MikeGer...I might just do that. I presume that's not a problem for campaign missions? Also, how do I know what missions to change? I don't want to load the campaign, then the scenario and then go out to change it to log back in again...especially as it takes between 5 and 10 minutes to load my game.

What I would love (and I know I'm probably in a minority because people like to know how they won) is the removal of the scoring aspect. I would like to see me presented with my objectives in the briefing. Even have some of them be given importance (primary, secondary). Then at the end of the battle, not being shown the stats and the points given, but a more general an military style debriefing where I'm told a good job was done and we've received our next mission. The stats for me ruin the military feel. You of course need to know your casualties.

Overall - this is turning out to be a superb experience. As someone mentioned, stock graphics are a high standard. The terrain especially seems to be very undulating - at least in my attempt to secure a crossing at the Dnieper.

One thing I don't get is the time delay. So I have a couple of 120mm mortars and a couple of bad ass self propelled guns waiting. I get my spotters into a position and order a barrage of linear smoke...and I'm told it'll take 8 minutes. 8 MINUTES? I was never a spotter or had to call arty irl, but I did know a gunnery sergeant and I'm pretty sure, the way he explained receiving orders, laying spotting lines and firing that he'd be chewing serious arse if his team were taking 8 minutes to lay down smoke.

And this kind of thing ties in with the above mention on the time...what exactly do you do for 8 minutes. That's a long time to sit and twiddle your thumbs. You can't really move. The whole point of the smoke is to give your troops a chance to cross open ground. So you are literally sitting there holding your troops back

BUT - this is a huge thumbs up. I need to check a couple of things - but overall, superb gameplay.

And I play either Elite or Veteran...never anything else.

[jomni]

By the way, can the UAV in observation mission help in plotting artillery? I read it in the manual but I don't know how to actually do it?

thats there main task!  O0
they work like a normal unit and their spotting information is distributed through the network, so a Observer, a HQ or who ever has access to the Support without LOS can order a fire mission ....you will probably use the new Point Target plus precision type shells, to take out spotted vehicles

when you are to exhausted to play/explore yourself the sim anymore on a days ending, maybe then take a look at ChirsND's videos (playthroughs) on YT.... they really hepled me to get into the groove for the new setting and toys :D

Do they work with on map mortars?  I don't have enough money to buy off map biggies.

[MikeGER]

yes they do.... the mortars must have  to be in commnand range of a HQ (access to the network) to show up in the support menu so

[Grim.Reaper]

Non-strategy question, but game related.....

I see a lot of screenshots for the game that really look impressive and capture some cool action, with that in mind....

1)  I have a pretty decent video card ATI R9 270x, but my graphics never seem to look as good as other people even with maximum graphic options turned on.  Does anybody have a similar video card or have tips on what settings (either in the game or on the card itself) could be made to further improve the graphics?  Don't get me wrong, they are certainly good and acceptable as is, but it just always seems I see people with better.

2)  Using WeGo and replaying a turn minute.....it doesn't seem like you have the ability to slow down the replay speed extensively.  I know the buttons exist to fast forward and such, but is there any more granular control that I am missing?  In some cases would like to view some of the action in super slow-mo/frame-by-frame but haven't figure out how to do that, if even possible.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[Grim.Reaper]

Thanks MikeGer...I might just do that. I presume that's not a problem for campaign missions? Also, how do I know what missions to change? I don't want to load the campaign, then the scenario and then go out to change it to log back in again...especially as it takes between 5 and 10 minutes to load my game.

I also suggested the same thing about editing the time for the scenarios, but now I realize that may not be easily possible for campaign missions.  You certainly can do it easily for the stand alone missions, but from what I read it is not immediately available within the game to alter the missions with the campaigns.  My understanding is that you would need to use a third-party tool like the one linked below to uncompile the campaign and make the changes.  However, doesn't appear it is compatible yet with CMBS.

http://cmmods.greenasjade.net/mods/5426/details

[jomni]

yes they do.... the mortars must have  to be in commnand range of a HQ (access to the network) to show up in the support menu so

Ok.  Just watched the video tutorial.  I think I'm good to go.  O0

[Zulu1966]

yes they do.... the mortars must have  to be in commnand range of a HQ (access to the network) to show up in the support menu so

Yep they do ... and the combination of the new precision artillery strikes with an HQ and a drone are absolutely lethal. Probably the single biggest game changer I have seen so far.
Drones are huge in the game.
The only thing I would comment on so far is that I haven't seen any AA fire at them yet.

[Zulu1966]

Non-strategy question, but game related.....

I see a lot of screenshots for the game that really look impressive and capture some cool action, with that in mind....

1)  I have a pretty decent video card ATI R9 270x, but my graphics never seem to look as good as other people even with maximum graphic options turned on.  Does anybody have a similar video card or have tips on what settings (either in the game or on the card itself) could be made to further improve the graphics?  Don't get me wrong, they are certainly good and acceptable as is, but it just always seems I see people with better.

2)  Using WeGo and replaying a turn minute.....it doesn't seem like you have the ability to slow down the replay speed extensively.  I know the buttons exist to fast forward and such, but is there any more granular control that I am missing?  In some cases would like to view some of the action in super slow-mo/frame-by-frame but haven't figure out how to do that, if even possible.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

1. May help if you explain in what way you have seen better. Some videos out there use post processing - and of course there is the movie lighting option - which I liked at first but got tired of later.

2. No - no way to do that.

[Grim.Reaper]

Non-strategy question, but game related.....

I see a lot of screenshots for the game that really look impressive and capture some cool action, with that in mind....

1)  I have a pretty decent video card ATI R9 270x, but my graphics never seem to look as good as other people even with maximum graphic options turned on.  Does anybody have a similar video card or have tips on what settings (either in the game or on the card itself) could be made to further improve the graphics?  Don't get me wrong, they are certainly good and acceptable as is, but it just always seems I see people with better.

2)  Using WeGo and replaying a turn minute.....it doesn't seem like you have the ability to slow down the replay speed extensively.  I know the buttons exist to fast forward and such, but is there any more granular control that I am missing?  In some cases would like to view some of the action in super slow-mo/frame-by-frame but haven't figure out how to do that, if even possible.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

1. May help if you explain in what way you have seen better. Some videos out there use post processing - and of course there is the movie lighting option - which I liked at first but got tired of later.

2. No - no way to do that.

1)  Graphics just seem sharper and more crisp...hard to explain but maybe they look better because they are screenshots versus actual in game footage.  I'll have to watch some videos instead to see if any major differences.

2)  Just curious if this doesn't exist, how do people create those screenshots where you clearly see the missiles and such in mid flight and right before impact?  Maybe they actually record the video and then use screenshots from it.

[JudgeDredd]

I get the impression there's a fault or two with the game - I have ordered two Soviet squads to assault and for five impulses (so 5 whole, very long minutes) they've sat there and done nothing. They are in command...the HQ unit is with meters of them...and they aren't pinned...just sitting there.

There just doesn't seem any reason for them not to be obeying the command. There's very little going on around them.

[Zulu1966]

Non-strategy question, but game related.....

I see a lot of screenshots for the game that really look impressive and capture some cool action, with that in mind....

1)  I have a pretty decent video card ATI R9 270x, but my graphics never seem to look as good as other people even with maximum graphic options turned on.  Does anybody have a similar video card or have tips on what settings (either in the game or on the card itself) could be made to further improve the graphics?  Don't get me wrong, they are certainly good and acceptable as is, but it just always seems I see people with better.

2)  Using WeGo and replaying a turn minute.....it doesn't seem like you have the ability to slow down the replay speed extensively.  I know the buttons exist to fast forward and such, but is there any more granular control that I am missing?  In some cases would like to view some of the action in super slow-mo/frame-by-frame but haven't figure out how to do that, if even possible.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

1. May help if you explain in what way you have seen better. Some videos out there use post processing - and of course there is the movie lighting option - which I liked at first but got tired of later.

2. No - no way to do that.

1)  Graphics just seem sharper and more crisp...hard to explain but maybe they look better because they are screenshots versus actual in game footage.  I'll have to watch some videos instead to see if any major differences.

2)  Just curious if this doesn't exist, how do people create those screenshots where you clearly see the missiles and such in mid flight and right before impact?  Maybe they actually record the video and then use screenshots from it.

1. You will need to set options for Anti Aliasing and anisotropic filtering in your Graphics card control panel - and then set the game to use anti aliasing. Just doing one or the other wont work. If you haven't set AA or AF up in you graphics card then you are missing a whole world of difference in what the game will look like as standard. For example gun barrels that don't have jaggies etc  - those two are the most important things to set AA I usually just set to 4x and AF to 2X - that gives me the result I Like.

2. they use the pause button - takes a little practice - especially with something flying as fast as a missile - but that's what they do. I do it far too much on some turns and it takes me half an hour to complete a one minute turn cause I am skipping round the battlefield looking at all the little incidents which is one of the things I love about the game.

[JudgeDredd]

I thought having AA set in a game AND on the graphics card setting caused a slowdown because they fought against each other?

[jomni]

yes they do.... the mortars must have  to be in commnand range of a HQ (access to the network) to show up in the support menu so

Yep they do ... and the combination of the new precision artillery strikes with an HQ and a drone are absolutely lethal. Probably the single biggest game changer I have seen so far.
Drones are huge in the game.
The only thing I would comment on so far is that I haven't seen any AA fire at them yet.

My drone was destroyed by a manpad. :(
Finally won by first total victory in QB as Russian Mech vs Ukrainian Mech. 

[Zulu1966]

I thought having AA set in a game AND on the graphics card setting caused a slowdown because they fought against each other?

Not at all for me. In fact I thought you had to set in the game and on your card. Its always been that way. The options inside the game don't have any way to assign the settings - just tells it to use them - that you have to do in the card. Never had any issues doing it that way and the games looks excellent.