The Campaign Series: Middle East 1948-1985

[berto]

Jason & Crossroads, you guys have really ruined me. I fired up WF the other night because I wanted to play an Arracourt scenario, and WF is about the only option.

I couldn't play it. I'm too used to the changes and improvements in CS:ME now...

+1

I can't bear to play anymore Rising Sun, my favorite JTCS title.

I need my hot keys!  Also the new zoomed-in 2D!

[panzerde]

Jason & Crossroads, you guys have really ruined me. I fired up WF the other night because I wanted to play an Arracourt scenario, and WF is about the only option.

I couldn't play it. I'm too used to the changes and improvements in CS:ME now...

+1

I can't bear to play anymore Rising Sun, my favorite JTCS title.

I need my hot keys!  Also the new zoomed-in 2D!

Didn't mean to leave you out, berto! But that's exactly right - the improvements make the game so much easier and nicer to play.

[Crossroads]

^^ Even a silly little thing such as CS:ME limiting the LOS sighting with Extreme Fog-of-War to hexes only having a friendly unit is something I am missing on the previous titles. 

[panzerde]

One thing I am finding that I'm really hoping for some improvement on in future titles is how elevation is depicted on the maps. I think the way it's done in the Panzer Battles games or Flashpoint Campaigns is a lot more useful than the current 2D maps. Most of thime it's really pretty difficult to read the terrain, particularly on the desert maps.


I'm also starting to have serious doubts about the 1982+ OOBs, but I need to experiment a bit more.

[panzerde]

Let me also throw in there that armor facing effects at this scale as a default optional rule are a horrible idea. At 250m to the hex it's absurd to assume by default that all vehicles are facing the same direction. That rule isn't on by default in the original CS games; I find it odd that it's considered standard for CS:ME. It leads to extremely gamey behavior.

[Crossroads]

One thing I am finding that I'm really hoping for some improvement on in future titles is how elevation is depicted on the maps. I think the way it's done in the Panzer Battles games or Flashpoint Campaigns is a lot more useful than the current 2D maps. Most of thime it's really pretty difficult to read the terrain, particularly on the desert maps.

Duly noted, and something we are aware as well. When we upped the available elevation levels from 20 to 50 one of the drawback obviously is that there's less difference in coloring from one elevation to another.

I've entered a wishlist item to have separate tiles for slopes so then there'd be a visible element to depict a change that would no doubt be helpful. It is not a top priority item atm so I can't tell when it would be available if at all.

What I do I hit the '.' (dot) hotkey to see the elevation values at times when the terrain is not obvious. It is a workaround though, I agree with your observation. Meanwhile, for 1.02 update, I've redone all the basic clear terrain tiles that have the elevation coloring in a manner that the higher you go, not only the color changes but so does desaturation. I hope it helps a bit.

Here's a Vietnam map snippet of an area where all 50 elevation levels were used.   



And here's the same map with Elevation values turned ON ('.' hot key)

I'm also starting to have serious doubts about the 1982+ OOBs, but I need to experiment a bit more.

Do you mean Unit weapon values, or high level formations? Sure, anything you find let us know!

[Crossroads]

Let me also throw in there that armor facing effects at this scale as a default optional rule are a horrible idea. At 250m to the hex it's absurd to assume by default that all vehicles are facing the same direction. That rule isn't on by default in the original CS games; I find it odd that it's considered standard for CS:ME. It leads to extremely gamey behavior.

Armor Facing as such has been around as an Optional Rule with Campaign Series for ages. It's got it fans, for instance at The Blitz PBEM Ladder I'd say a slight majority of players would actually prefer it.

As for realism, I've read many accounts where maneuvering even at platoon / section levels has a meaning, therefore supporting the rule.

I know many of the CS:ME scenario descriptions suggest to have it on, especially as Jason likes it and uses it and he's done many of them. I personally don't prefer it and switch it off, and then on the other hands the scenarios I've designed suggest it should be OFF instead  ;)

For 2D without facings it is much preferred OFF as well. There is another wish list item in place to have facing pips visible when AF is ON, but I don't have a time line for that being implemented either. So many things we want to add!

So at the end of the day, I'd just say always switch it OFF if that is how you like it. I'll see if I manage to convince the others the default for it should be OFF as well, but I might be on the minority on that one so might not happen

[panzerde]

Turning it off works for solo gaming, but it's almost impossible to do for PBEM. Even players who don't know about it or particularly care will have it on, since it's on by default.

Unfortunately it's stuff like that and the elevation issue that is causing me to always decide to play Panzer Battles over Campaign Series at this point.

[panzerde]

BTW, I'm noticing a very weird set of visual artifacts with helicopters and the 1.02 open beta. I had a helo unit that my opponent moved an anti-air unit into the same hex. At the end of the turn, my helo and the AA unit disappeared from the map. I assumed he shot the helo unit down and I'd just missed the message. The location was such that the AA unit would have been out of LOS from anything else, so I figured that was why I didn't see it any more.

Two turns go by. Every time he moves his helos, I see partial counter "ghosts" left behind in the hexes he's moved through until I change views of exit the game. At the end of the two turns, he moves his AA unit and *poof!* There's my helo unit, safe and sound. My opponent said that he also had it disappear, which is why he didn't shoot at it.

[Crossroads]

Turning it off works for solo gaming, but it's almost impossible to do for PBEM. Even players who don't know about it or particularly care will have it on, since it's on by default.

Unfortunately it's stuff like that and the elevation issue that is causing me to always decide to play Panzer Battles over Campaign Series at this point.

What I do before starting a PBEM is agree with my opponent on Rules Of Engagement, which for most part is about agreeing on the Optional Rules. I quite strongly prefer AF OFF as well, for several reasons.

As for elevations, they are what they are, nothing that can be done at the moment. We'll try to figure out additional ways to enhance the differences on elevations. But for now, toggling the Contours ('C') and Elevation Lables ('.') ON once and a while is the available workaround for this.  :-\

[Crossroads]

BTW, I'm noticing a very weird set of visual artifacts with helicopters and the 1.02 open beta. I had a helo unit that my opponent moved an anti-air unit into the same hex. At the end of the turn, my helo and the AA unit disappeared from the map. I assumed he shot the helo unit down and I'd just missed the message. The location was such that the AA unit would have been out of LOS from anything else, so I figured that was why I didn't see it any more.

Two turns go by. Every time he moves his helos, I see partial counter "ghosts" left behind in the hexes he's moved through until I change views of exit the game. At the end of the two turns, he moves his AA unit and *poof!* There's my helo unit, safe and sound. My opponent said that he also had it disappear, which is why he didn't shoot at it.

Thanks for reporting this. There were some issues with friendly and hostile units in the same hex, and I thought we had squashed the bug(s) there.

Given how fixing one thing might lead to some unwanted side effects, do you think you could email me the BTE files with your password so I can have a look? My addie is krazykat dot theblitz at gmail dot com.

[berto]

As for elevations, they are what they are, nothing that can be done at the moment. We'll try to figure out additional ways to enhance the differences on elevations. But for now, toggling the Contours ('C') and Elevation Lables ('.') ON once and a while is the available workaround for this.  :-\

Or switch to 3D.

[Rayfer]

Earlier I saw screenies that had Avalon Hills Arab Israeli Wars counters....is this in the game or a separate mod available to download?

[Crossroads]

Earlier I saw screenies that had Avalon Hills Arab Israeli Wars counters....is this in the game or a separate mod available to download?

It is a separate mod, available HERE.  O0

[panzerde]

Thanks for reporting this. There were some issues with friendly and hostile units in the same hex, and I thought we had squashed the bug(s) there.

Given how fixing one thing might lead to some unwanted side effects, do you think you could email me the BTE files with your password so I can have a look? My addie is krazykat dot theblitz at gmail dot com.

Sent to your Blitz address.