No thread on Combat Mission Italy Being Released?

[Michael Dorosh]

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.

You have all of the terrain you just mentioned in CMBN. If you don't believe me, open up the scenario editor sometime. You can build Mount Everest in there if you want to. At least one of the stock scenarios takes place in ... a heavily wooded river valley.

Like you say....don't understand what all the hubbub is about...

Not telling people what to buy or not buy here, just saying - if you think you need to buy CM:FI just to get 'big hills' - I'm here to tell you, you've already got them with your first purchase. Ditto "lots of trees."

If you are interested in fighting battles and campaigns in Italy with the best tactical ww2 simulator

It's not generally considered a huge accomplishment to be first in a field of one, but then again, I grew up in an age where they only gave ribbons to the kids that came in first, second and third in the races. "Participants" got sent home with the advice that they try harder next time - not prizes.

[Bison]

So do you buy the games Micheal?

[Michael Dorosh]

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.

General misconceptions about how tank combat worked have been around since gamers started recreating it. Tank armour is only as good, or bad, as the gun trying to defeat it. The late models of the PzKpfw IV that the U.S. Army fought against in 1944-45 were not especially well-armoured, but they did have an advantage in that the American 75mm gun had a relatively weak armour piercing round. At that, the gun enabled the Sherman to go toe to toe with the PzKpfw IV. The Sherman's armour protection, and poor ammunition stowage, made it more vulnerable to return fire, a problem rectified in later production models. The Sherman suffered from not having a high-velocity gun able to penetrate the thicker armour of PzKpfw V and VI tanks, and even the 76mm guns that were increasingly common from D-Day on were often of little help. The addition of specialized ammunition into the inventory helped, and the fielding of the M26 Pershing, too late in the war, helped bring some balance to the situation.

One of the Sherman's potential advantages - the gyrostabilizer - may or may not be depicted in CM. If so, it is abstracted into the hit chance calculations. Some units disengaged the equipment because of crew unfamiliarity. The actual advantage it provided in combat is open to debate - it only stabilized the gun in the vertical plane, not horizontally, and different historians seem to differ on how useful it really was in action.

Other factors like turret speed come into play also, but again, its not clear how accurately these factors have been duplicated in CM. The developers insist there is a lot going on under the hood - the disadvantage of a computer game like CM over a boardgame like, say, ASL, with its richly detailed "miniatures" style approach, is that much of that data is hidden and one can't gain an appreciation for how the data has been assembled or what factors are in play.

[Bison]

So are you playing the game or not?

[Michael Dorosh]

So are you playing the game or not?

You can download any number of my CM:BN scenarios from BFC's repository. My overall rating is 4.27 out of 5, including both mods and scenarios.

I'm not sure I understand the purpose of your question. Jim Dunnigan designed and sold hundreds of games yet claims never to have played any of them.

[Bison]

Well link some of your scenarios.  I'll give them a go.

The question is becasue often times the loudest critics don't actually play the game.  Nothing more.  Nothing less.

[Michael Dorosh]

They're listed with the prefix "TWC" under the Commonwealth scenarios section. Any constructive feedback is welcome. "TWC: Sudden Fury" seems to have been most popular, it is also the smallest - a solo with German Jagdpanthers against a British armoured squadron. To me, it highlights what I don't particularly like about CM:BN, but others have received it more favourably than I would have. If you do 'give it a go', you can be the judge.

[Bison]

Good lord.  I'm struggling with the first battle.  A meeting engagement between the US and Itallians.  I think I might be pushing too hard, before my reenforcements get on scene.  It'll be take three here shortly.  I need to be more patient playing turned based than I am play rts.  Its much, much harder to correct poor decisions.   I just get to sit and watch the madness of a poor plan play out.

[mikeck]

In that scenario, its important to not do too much too quickly....you have plenty of time. Also, make sure you keep your postpone close together so they can support one another. One platoon and your machinegun covers while another platoon moves in for an assault. When you get your half tracks, keep them back to support infantry attacks. Clear one part of the map at a time....then another. I started with the southeast, then moved north through that hill top house thing.....then swung left. Finally, keep a platoon fresh and in reserve just in case.

[bayonetbrant]

bounding mutually supporting platoons?

a solid force in reserve?

stable base of fire for support?

terrain-based segmentation of the battlefield for localized force-ratio overmatch?



what tactical madness is this?!

;D

[Bison]

Complete madness!  Except that every Italian soldier has 15/20 vision, can see through foilage at distances of up to 500 yards and has immaculate Kentucky windage gauging ablilities.

Thank Mikeck.  The first go I didn't pay attention to the re-enforcement note, so I just push without taking them into consideration.  I played the first 20 minutes again last night and got a decent foothold into the right side of the map.  LOS issue put a serious hamper on my MMG support.  I need to locate better next go.

[mikeck]

You have a 60 mm mortar team as well. I keep them behind a small hill but close to the commander for indirect fire. Fire as I begin the assauly to pin down the enemy.

Also, "slow move" and "hunt" are your friends for moving without being detected by the enemy.

[Bison]

I think it's the transtition from playing RTS to TBS that is messing with me most right now.  I'm still trying to learn how to time actions between my squads to maximum effect.

[LongBlade]

I think it's the transtition from playing RTS to TBS that is messing with me most right now.  I'm still trying to learn how to time actions between my squads to maximum effect.

Personally, I found the new CM engines to be easier to play in real-time. Unfortunately, my copy of Fortress Italy was installed on my gaming laptop, which just died, so I haven't been able to get to it like I'd want.

[Bison]

LB I humbly submit that perhaps its time to move onto a new rig.  That thing seems to have given you nothing but troubles.