Combat Mission:Battle for Normandy question

Redwolf · April 12, 2016, 08:01:27 PM

Quote from: Grim.Reaper on April 09, 2016, 04:12:06 PM
Probably as good as thread as any to ask this question....when you are trying to position your troops, what is the best way to know you are putting them in a good area? How do you know how concealed they are and/or how well the enemy might be able to detect them? I know visually you can see their surroundings such as in woods, but sometimes I am very amazed that my troops are discovered, when I think they are concealed? Is there some kind of indicator that I am over looking?

You are overlooking it because it was removed between CMx1 and CMx2.

RyanE · April 13, 2016, 04:09:56 AM

The most difficult part for me is positioning units around trees. Trees within an action spot randomly reposition themselves with the action spot when a game is reloaded. It makes it almost impossible to set up units with LOS when set back a little in the woods. I don't know if that changed in 3.0, but it was like that up to 2.0.

Sir Slash · June 30, 2016, 03:59:36 PM

Did Battlefront sneak in a patch or something for CMFI? I'm playing Conrath's Counterattack campaign and now I can't get my tanks to stay open-up. The ones way at the back, 1000m back, on top of a hill, yes. But the tanks close to the action just close-up on their on and stay that way now. Two Mk IV's plus 2 Mk. III's vs 2 American Stuarts at about 500m-- I give all 4 tanks orders to open-up to be able to see the enemy but as soon as the action starts, they all 4 open, then slam their hatches shut. :o Of course only one spots the enemy and engages it. The others right next to it see nothing and don't even fire. Maybe Battlefront tried to fix the crews getting killed so easily and changed something? I'm not saying it's broken, but it is different. Anybody else had this happen?

Boggit · June 30, 2016, 04:07:35 PM

I've played that campaign, but don't recall too much of a problem with that. I have played QB games with it that has had the problem, but only after close fire forced the commander's to button up. What's their morale status?

My biggest bitch with CMFI atm is US scout teams carrying hardly any ammo for their M1's and sniper rifles. In a recent game (Beyond the Belice, IIRC) each scout team was carrying about 4 rounds (IIRC) for their M1's. Not even a clip! I very much doubt US scouts would go out on combat patrols with such 'lavish' supplies... :o ::)

Sir Slash · June 30, 2016, 09:45:32 PM

That's probably it Boggit. Most of the German units in this fight, Piano Lupo, are pretty gut-less to begin with and when a couple of arty rounds land close by they get real jittery. Still all 4 tanks in the description had 'Regular' or +1 morale and were either 'Veteran' or 'Regular' in their experience level. It seems out of the ordinary compared to the way the game plays usually. Playing 3.0 too.

Boggit · July 01, 2016, 11:45:55 PM

Quote from: Sir Slash on June 30, 2016, 09:45:32 PM
That's probably it Boggit. Most of the German units in this fight, Piano Lupo, are pretty gut-less to begin with and when a couple of arty rounds land close by they get real jittery. Still all 4 tanks in the description had 'Regular' or +1 morale and were either 'Veteran' or 'Regular' in their experience level. It seems out of the ordinary compared to the way the game plays usually. Playing 3.0 too.

That seems a little strange. I'm playing 3.0 too. Regulars get jittery, but not so much the veterans. Give it another go as a test. If I get time I'll try to set up a test QB game and see if the same thing happens. Were you near much close terrain that might have had the tank commanders worried about being shot?

jomni · July 02, 2016, 12:09:24 AM

There was a debate about this a while back.

http://thetacticalwargamer.blogspot.sg/2016/04/tank-commander-exposure-in-combat.html

Boggit · July 02, 2016, 12:13:43 PM

Quote from: Boggit on July 01, 2016, 11:45:55 PM
Quote from: Sir Slash on June 30, 2016, 09:45:32 PM
That's probably it Boggit. Most of the German units in this fight, Piano Lupo, are pretty gut-less to begin with and when a couple of arty rounds land close by they get real jittery. Still all 4 tanks in the description had 'Regular' or +1 morale and were either 'Veteran' or 'Regular' in their experience level. It seems out of the ordinary compared to the way the game plays usually. Playing 3.0 too.
That seems a little strange. I'm playing 3.0 too. Regulars get jittery, but not so much the veterans. Give it another go as a test. If I get time I'll try to set up a test QB game and see if the same thing happens. Were you near much close terrain that might have had the tank commanders worried about being shot?

I did a test game as promised to test it out. I played a Ger vs US QB with a mountain town (to the left on the 1st pic) - 5 Pz IV's + an infantry Pltn, vs 5 Shermans + an Infantry Pltn. I played Germany. At long-medium range I kept all the PzIVs unbuttoned, but at close range buttoned. During the longer range engagement, a couple of tanks got hit by light small arms fire, and one glancing shell hit, but remained unbuttoned. They were a regular 0 and a regular +1. After the close range fire fight cooled down I set up the Pz IV's on overwatch unbuttoned to cover the infantry taking the buildings.

Again I've forgotten how to embed a picture so send 2 pics as attachments. Not a bad result for the game, but it proves that the behaviour is about right.

@Jomni. Nice find. O0 I agree that CM tends to be quite vicious to exposed crew. I typically button up or not as per the situation - i.e. close to infantry/close terrain button up. At range stay unbuttoned unless under heavy fire/arty.

Sir Slash · July 04, 2016, 10:46:35 PM

I'm still thinking it was just an effect of the arty landing nearby that caused the whole refusal to obey my 'Open-Up' commands. You know how the troops will sometimes yell, "Incoming" before the artillery begins to fall? I think the commanders knew the arty was on it's way and reacted to keep their hatches closed. It just seemed odd because I hadn't encountered it that blatantly before.

Boggit · July 05, 2016, 11:10:50 AM

Quote from: Sir Slash on July 04, 2016, 10:46:35 PM
I'm still thinking it was just an effect of the arty landing nearby that caused the whole refusal to obey my 'Open-Up' commands. You know how the troops will sometimes yell, "Incoming" before the artillery begins to fall? I think the commanders knew the arty was on it's way and reacted to keep their hatches closed. It just seemed odd because I hadn't encountered it that blatantly before.

Oh, I have had tank commanders button up to nearby artillery plenty of times.