Close Combat-the blood first

[PipFromSlitherine]

A review from Rock/Paper/Shotgun. Starts out with some positive comments then near the middle to the end rips it apart. Spotting and line of sight, among other issues, dominates the negativity.  https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/10/04/wot-i-think-close-combat-the-bloody-first/

The team has posted some details in response to the article.

https://steamcommunity.com/app/811880/discussions/0/1631916887494491717/

TLDR; There are definitely some issues we need to fix, but there is no LOS limitation/bubble in the game, and the while the AI does know the general strength of the player's forces going into a battle that is the extent of its knowledge (and mirrors the information the player has).

Cheers

Pip

[-budd-]

Been playing the game a bunch today, enjoying it. It does give me the old Close combat feeling. infantry seems more hearty in this version, haven't played with armor much yet so the little i've played with the armored cars i've seen no issues. I tested out the LOS thing myself, didn't see any limitations on the spotting in the open.  I adjusted the zoom via the text file, think i'm happy with the settings now.  They were right, the models don't look real good and sharp when you zoom down close, but i was expecting that from the videos i've seen. I like the lower zoom to read the terrain, you can certainly have infantry use the terrain in this version better than any of the others. I was never married to the top down only view of the old close combat games, i like the 3d. The map could use some visual improvements, needs some more saturation in my opinion, it looks kinda washed out. Kind of strange the left out skyboxes and ambient sounds, those are nice touches of chrome, i wonder why. I haven't explored all the maps yet but i sure would like bigger maps, i wonder if the map size is an AI helper. You start in contact or pretty close to contact in all the battles i've played so far, i'd like some room to maneuver.

Think i'll setup an armor heavy scenario in the bocage and see whats up with the armor stuff.

[Destraex]

Budd did you find in he first scenario of the campaign that your heavy machine guns could see and fire at the enemy but 99% of the time would hit minor hills that were between them and the target?


I really gooe modders go for gold on this game. Surely the map terrain can be tightened up.

A few of you here have convinced me the game might be worth hanging on to. Especially since knowing matrix games, there will be no more discounts for years to come. Hell even the old gsmes are obscenely expensive - by old I mean latest iterations of the 1995 engine.

[-budd-]

Well you can't really go armor heavy, locked at 3 support units. Think the editor needs some unlocking or something, i know CC games are infantry focused but if i want to go into the editor and setup a 10 vs 10 armor battle i should be able too.....come on man  :) Editor needs more freedom, especially in force allocation.......release the Kracken.


I setup a meeting engagement with the VP's at the crossroads. The AI came from up top and me from the bottom of the screen. Saw a few good things from the AI, initially The PZIV came from the left fork, took a shot to the front grill and reversed back out of sight, that was encouraging. The AI did move towards the crossroads, but led with the armor with the foot troops following. Traded shots at around 500 meters all misses, but to be fair it was through trees and down that road alley. Traded shots again at 200 meters, i bounced a shot off of frontal armor and the AI tracked one of my tanks, otherwise a lot of misses. All the kills were 70 meters or less, my M10 took out 2 of the 3 and i worked a bazooka around to take out that tank in the center of the crossroad with a rear shot from around 35 meters.


one thing i need to test is units firing from buildings, a couple of times my troops in buildings couldn't see enemies pretty close by and i don't remember seeing any of my units firing from buildings. also have a question about why two bazookas fired 2 shots each at the side of the PZIV, missing or no damage, then all they would say when i tried to fire again is "we cant hurt that" distance was 60 meters.

[-budd-]

Budd did you find in he first scenario of the campaign that your heavy machine guns could see and fire at the enemy but 99% of the time would hit minor hills that were between them and the target?


I really gooe modders go for gold on this game. Surely the map terrain can be tightened up.

A few of you here have convinced me the game might be worth hanging on to. Especially since knowing matrix games, there will be no more discounts for years to come. Hell even the old gsmes are obscenely expensive - by old I mean latest iterations of the 1995 engine.

I did play that one and remember kicking up dust with the 30 cal's but don't remember being disturbed by it. what was the range? I would think it would happen more often at greater ranges. I'm using the editor a lot testing stuff out. So far i think if you use good infantry tactics , fire superiority , pin, flank, annihilate, it works out pretty well. I've always played as the attacker, going to setup where i defend to see how the AI does.

[Destraex]

Yeah. I just played some more and it is growing on me. But the models in game are just horrible. It is funny. Still screenshots make it look better than it looks in game.

Here is a PAK 38. Spin it around a bit and you get the armour plate showing.



Here is the view when you press CTRL. I like it. But these Italian hills are hard to defend.


Mortars are all you need to win. Small arms are highly ineffective.

[SirAndrewD]

I'm having a blast with it so far. 

But yeah, some odd accuracy issues. 

Still, it's very enjoyable coming back to Close Combat again.  I remember the first CC game had some growing pains.  High hopes they keep building the system forward.

[Destraex]

SirAndrew do you think the new 3D engine was worth it? Or a detractor?

[-budd-]

Yea, I'm enjoying it more than I thought i would. I went back and played Gateway to Caen today for a little bit, man I prefer the 3d maps . 

I've been finding small arms fire pretty effective, fire superiority at the right range has been pretty effective for me. Sometimes I forget I have mortars  L:-).
There defiantly some niggles with the game but the feeling is there of some old time C&C.  There's a whole lot that could and should be improved on, the accuracy , the game pauses, armor going through buildings, infantry spinning in circles, no ambient sounds, no skyboxes, AI leading with armor, AI armor facing the wrong way.
The sound effects sound good, but man can I get a toggle for the speech. Don't know how many times I can hear, " I can't take it anymore" . The LOS toggle is a fps killer , drops my fps by 20-30 frames while active, I l like it though.
All that said and I'm still having a lot of fun with it. I'm sure improvements will be made, and hopefully some talented modders will improve the units and maps.

[-budd-]

SirAndrew do you think the new 3D engine was worth it? Or a detractor?

For myself , don't think I would of bought it without the 3D maps.

[Destraex]

I would have left CC in the past if it was not for the 3D aspect. But man the 3D aspect should have made it look modern and feel amazing. It does not. But man we have to really hope like hell that modders can make it look and feel amazing without needing a quantum computer.

[SirAndrewD]

SirAndrew do you think the new 3D engine was worth it? Or a detractor?

For me, worth it so far. 

It's going to need a bit of work, but I'm experiencing a lot of the old CC1 feeling. 

Not as refined as the later CC games, but it's better than the original CC at start.

[Destraex]

I remember the original CC game coming out and working perfectly. In those days patches were hard to circulate.

[Rayfer]

Why does budd's screenshot look so awesome in detail and clarity while destraex's look disappointingly different? The contrast makes it look almost like two different games?

[-budd-]

Why does budd's screenshot look so awesome in detail and clarity while destraex's look disappointingly different? The contrast makes it look almost like two different games?

Probably because desert vs Normandy map, angle of screenshot, and maybe difference in compression to reduce size for posting.

Some game moments make you forgot/forgive games current problems, sneaking a bazooka team around behind that tank for the killing ass shot was one of those moments.