No thread on Combat Mission Italy Being Released?

[Nefaro]

Why don't they just announce what the plan is in advance, so we can know which modules we will have to buy? Unless, of course, they don't know themselves?

That's easy enough to answer.

People will buy all the latest stuff because they won't know when the next new shiny stuff will come along, or if they should wait for the next one that they'd enjoy more, that would soon be out.  Why would they purchase CMFI if there's a whole new standalone product coming out in 12 months for a theater they'd enjoy more - and then have to pay to update the current one to the same version, in addition.

Considering you don't enjoy the Italian campaign, and decided not to purchase this one, I suppose you already know this so your question was rhetorical.

[Bison]

Why am I not surprised the dorosh chimes in with some of his ax to grind with battle front posting.   I thought I was bad in regard to their patch proposal.  Man you need to just let it go.  It's become quite apparent that you just troll combat mission threads.

[Michael Dorosh]

I know that I will in the end I will breakdown and purchase it, but it still rubs me the wrong way.  Especially if a game expansion REQUIRES it to play since your base product fails to support itself without it.

The alternative is for BFC not to provide backwards compatibility, so I'm not sure what your issue is.

The issue I raised is a genuine one.

There are two game "families" for the Second World War now running concurrently - Normandy, and Italy. There was talk, I believe, of a third, set in the Ardennes. If I had some sense of when that one was going to be released, I would have a better idea of how much money I wanted to expend on the Italian campaign. If I knew that the Bulge stuff was off the table for two or three years, it might be easier to commit to the Italy stuff, even if it really doesn't interest me much.

As it is, charging for the patch doesn't seem unreasonable, given that I will likely have no interest in Italy and they will not be getting any more cash otherwise - yet are still expending development time in making the engine upgrades backwards compatible to a game released last year. It's not great from a marketing standpoint - but one can live with the idea.

[TheCommandTent]

I haven't picked up CM:BN so please correct me if I am wrong.  I seem to remember when CM:BN came out some people were upset by the lack of damage models for the different vehicles/tanks.  Is this the case or has this been rectified?

[Bismarck]

I think not.

[TheCommandTent]

I think not.

As in it was not the case or it has not been rectified?

[Bismarck]

I'm not sure but I think it's been rectified. Shermans go up in smoke, MK IVs frontal armor is tough and you can hit a Tiger all day and hope a sprocket falls off.

[mikeck]

I really don't understand what all the hubbub is about this game. If you are interested in fighting battles and campaigns in Italy with the best tactical ww2 simulator, then its worth $55. That simple. For the record, its more than.yellow shermans and scout cars....the best addition is the terrain. Real big hills.and heavily wooded river valleys make for some interesting small unit scraps.

If you are happy with CM:N and you dont care about the Italian campaign, then its not worth $55. For me, endless hours of pixel combat is worth the price of dinner at Carrabas with Mrs Mikeck.

[Bison]

I'm with you mikeck.  I just hate the buying a patch concept.  Charge me on the next expansion; it's easier to accept in my mind.

[JudgeDredd]

I really don't understand what all the hubbub is about this game. If you are interested in fighting battles and campaigns in Italy with the best tactical ww2 simulator, then its worth $55. That simple. For the record, its more than.yellow shermans and scout cars....the best addition is the terrain. Real big hills.and heavily wooded river valleys make for some interesting small unit scraps.

If you are happy with CM:N and you dont care about the Italian campaign, then its not worth $55. For me, endless hours of pixel combat is worth the price of dinner at Carrabas with Mrs Mikeck.

+1

I remember thinking how great Combat Mission:Beyond Overlord and Barbarossa to Berlin were (CM:BO and CM:BB for the uninitiated) but wishing - oh the times I wished - for nicer graphics...it was the one thing that let the series down...and now I have it. Fantastic looking soldiers, equipment, movement, terrain.

The Combat Mission:Shock Force "engine" (CM2?) is my dream come true. I love it. There are some aspects I don't like - but in general it's a massive leap into what I had always hoped for in CM:BO and CM:BB all those years ago.

On a side not (but still about the CM2 engine)
Meant to say the one thing that really, really has me tearing what little hair I have left out is the different hedges and levels and no indication of whether you are able to move through or not BUT being able to place a movement point there. This is rather frustrating when moving armour. As an example I moved some armour pieces into a field and moved them into another field - only to go back and see them coming back the way they entered the first field and going down a route I had no intention of them travelling! And it wasn't bocage.

Another slight annoyance with CM:N is trying to determine where there are holes in bocage for troops to move through. They are way too small and very difficult to see.

Any tips to help with this I would be over the moon!

Like I said - great game series, great engine but not without it's faults.

[undercovergeek]

the suggestions on the BF forum have been to edit the 'bocage with gap' graphic to be pink, or blue, or even just a different shade of green - im sure someone actually did this for a colour blind guy - its out there if you look

[JudgeDredd]

ta ucg

[undercovergeek]

if i can find a link ill post it

[JudgeDredd]

It's ok UGC. Thanks for the heads up. Now I know something is out there, I'll have a browse myself.

It is still a pain though not knowing whether your tanks/mech are going to be able to go through a hedge (not bocage - which you understand they cannot go through without help).

But I'll look around. I was just venting.

As I was blowing smoke up BFs arses by saying how much I enjoyed their game and the engine - and I do - it seemed only fair I pointed out the couple of things in the engine (that stuck in my head from my game last night) that annoyed me.

Thx

[undercovergeek]

lol - you are right tho, as a map maker and player, i realise if you havent made a map its very difficult at first glance to know what scenery youre facing and what can and cant go in, over or thru it - what would be nice is an interactive cursor like Civs that says - heavy forest, no AFV, slow for infantry - each piece of scenery is a tile, its only a question of that tile saying what it is - im not a programmer, this might as well be as hard as finding the cure for cancer - i dont know