How editable or moddable is Command Ops is?

[Rising-Sun]

Been looking for good ground combat simulation for my gaming experiences to carry out different battle scenarios. Wasnt sure if this one will carry out what i am aiming for. Need ground combat simulation, would like air supports as well for Pacific Campaign. Are there or can be added data for new units and customize maps as well?

Not interesting in Europe Campaign though, trying to recreate battle scenarios in the Pacific into more details than War in the Pacific: Admiral Edition.

After reviewing the features that Command Ops has to offer, it said can be •Full construction set includes editors to make units ( EstabEditor ), maps ( MapMaker ) and scenarios ( ScenMaker ) for any battle. Mod various aspects of the game, including map patterns and victory messages. Just want to make sure it will be modable and adding new units and terrians for map making. I already bought few games from Matrix and wasnt happy with it at all and didnt want to make another wrong turn here. Once you buy it, cant get refund or nothing back, sale are final!

Also would like to know if both sides can fight it automatically without having human playing one side. Another word AIs fighting each others with giving orders to attack/defend situations.

[Arjuna]

Re editors. With the MapMaker you can create your own maps from scratch. So yes you can create maps from the Pacific. With the Estab Editor you can create your own equipment, and force estabs. Not that an estab force is a generic - eg you may creata an infantry company with certain equipment. In the ScenMaker you link to a map and an estab file and you use these to create the actual forces - eg 1st Inf coy, 2nd Inf Coy etc. In the ScenMaker you set objectives and other paramters for the scenario, including reinforcements, resupply, weather etc. You then save the scenario file. You use the actual Game application to launch the scernario and play it.

Re Modelling the Pacific. If you are wanting to model naval actions and amphibious invasions then Command Ops as it stands won't do this. You can model an amphibious invasion from the drop off on the beach but not the run in - ie you simply have reinforcements appear on the beach. There is a limited air support model but its fairly abstract. Otherwise I see no problems.

re Automation. The AI is powerful enough to manage subordinates without any human interaction. You can plan Human v AI or Human v Human. You cannot play AI v AI.

[Rising-Sun]

ORIGINAL: Arjuna

Re editors. With the MapMaker you can create your own maps from scratch. So yes you can create maps from the Pacific. With the Estab Editor you can create your own equipment, and force estabs. Not that an estab force is a generic - eg you may creata an infantry company with certain equipment. In the ScenMaker you link to a map and an estab file and you use these to create the actual forces - eg 1st Inf coy, 2nd Inf Coy etc. In the ScenMaker you set objectives and other paramters for the scenario, including reinforcements, resupply, weather etc. You then save the scenario file. You use the actual Game application to launch the scernario and play it.

Re Modelling the Pacific. If you are wanting to model naval actions and amphibious invasions then Command Ops as it stands won't do this. You can model an amphibious invasion from the drop off on the beach but not the run in - ie you simply have reinforcements appear on the beach. There is a limited air support model but its fairly abstract. Otherwise I see no problems.

re Automation. The AI is powerful enough to manage subordinates without any human interaction. You can plan Human v AI or Human v Human. You cannot play AI v AI.

Thank you Arjuna, yeah i didnt think it would have much naval actions involved here. I got that covered already unless i can find a suitable simulation compare to this one for naval actions. Couple more questions, i havent download the demo yet and wondering does it give me the full combat reports when the battle is over or time up? And how big is that map??

What i am trying to do is to rewrite this table top board game i bought from ebay awhile back. War in the Pacific 2nd Edition (DG), yeah its expensive but lame combat systems for all sides. I use to play Dungeon and Dragons when i was a kid with books and pen and papers. I made a naval encounter system that can be drawn on a piece of paper and going by modifiers that effect weathers, type of units, etcs. I test it and it is pretty accurate and interesting simulation i made here. Its almost remind me of Gary Grisby's Warship that was release back in late 80's.

Was trying to make a good wargame here based on the pacific that have complex rules and details. Who knows, if i can manage to put all this together and get it running, might get it publish for others to play it for fun. Of course it wouldnt cost two hundred to four hundred dollars like War in the Pacific 2nd Edition, that alot of money for that wargame, i was expecting alot more from it.

[Arjuna]

Command Ops is not turn based. It uses pausable continuous time ( ie continuous time with pauses ). Combat occurs over time as a series of events. FIre events will be displayed as coloured lines moving from firer to target. If you havea unit selected and it suffers losses you will see its strength go down. There are also LED lights on the unit icon that indicate if the unit is fiing, receiving fire or taking casualties. But generally during the game you have to pay attention. From time to time as units react they may send you a message which appears as text on the screen and is also viewable in the unit's log. At the end of a scenario there will be an After Action Review. This displays a swag of statistical data.

As to how big a map you can have, this is limited at the moment to 2500 sq km. This represents an area of say 50 x 50km or 100 x 25km. The amount of forces is not limited per se but the game will slow down as you approach 400 units - eg 300 v 100 or 200 v 200.

[Rising-Sun]

ORIGINAL: Arjuna

Command Ops is not turn based. It uses pausable continuous time ( ie continuous time with pauses ). Combat occurs over time as a series of events. FIre events will be displayed as coloured lines moving from firer to target. If you havea unit selected and it suffers losses you will see its strength go down. There are also LED lights on the unit icon that indicate if the unit is fiing, receiving fire or taking casualties. But generally during the game you have to pay attention. From time to time as units react they may send you a message which appears as text on the screen and is also viewable in the unit's log. At the end of a scenario there will be an After Action Review. This displays a swag of statistical data.

As to how big a map you can have, this is limited at the moment to 2500 sq km. This represents an area of say 50 x 50km or 100 x 25km. The amount of forces is not limited per se but the game will slow down as you approach 400 units - eg 300 v 100 or 200 v 200.

Thats good, i am aware that isnt turn based. Infact i like real time strategy into combat situations. I saw some videos on youtube on the combat actions, look good. As long i can get combat reports on what units got damage and destroyed, this simulation will work for me. Just alot of maps to make to carry out in the Pacific Operations though.

[wodin]

Rising Sun..something I've wanted in CO for ages is where you can check a unit and see what it has killed..what units surrendered to it and how many have been killed within the unit..this isn't actually in game..you do get an overall AAR at the end which has been expanded recently and you can see through a coloured bar how much of the force has been killed..

You get a cross when a unit is destroyed\surrenderd and can click on it and it will say what the unit was.

More detailed combat reporting is something I've like to see though at some point.

[Rising-Sun]

ORIGINAL: wodin

Rising Sun..something I've wanted in CO for ages is where you can check a unit and see what it has killed..what units surrendered to it and how many have been killed within the unit..this isn't actually in game..you do get an overall AAR at the end which has been expanded recently and you can see through a coloured bar how much of the force has been killed..

You get a cross when a unit is destroyed\surrenderd and can click on it and it will say what the unit was.

More detailed combat reporting is something I've like to see though at some point.

Hmm it would be hard to for me to keep track of everything that has been damage and destroyed on the fields if it doesnt have combat reports. I would have to try out the demo and see if this will work for my project.

Thanks for your inputs wodin
btw like your facebook on tactical wargames. do you know where i can look up some good rulesets on WWII battlefields that involved in air, land and seas? I got this one on naval, its okay and i manage to change some details around.

http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/9 ... leet-lists

[wodin]

Are you looking for mini's or chit\counter based wargame rules?

[Rising-Sun]

ORIGINAL: wodin

Are you looking for mini's or chit\counter based wargame rules?

Counters, the game have alot, lot of counters in it. Believe almost 9,000 of them lol. I though about making grid map or hexagons. That way i can lay down buildings and terrain features. The naval map would be measure in inches breaking down to 1/16 of an inch, 1/8 is 1,000 yards. Not sure what scale can use in ground situations.

[wodin]

Have you any idea on scale? Squad,Platoon,Coy, Reg etc?

GMT Games normally have the rule books up for download, they might be a place to start..Panzer and Fighting Formations are two popular ones I can think of. For Coy or Battalion level The Battle for Normandy is a monster game with easy low amount of rules.

For the air war how abstract will it be? Fighting Wings (Whistling Death is set in the Pacific) series is the most detailed out there..but I doubt using a system that detailed with a detailed land and Naval aspect would take you a couple of days just to play out a turn!

Next war:Korea has a great set of rules for you to look at I know it's modern but still worth a read to see how detailed they go into the air combat phase..the advanced rules go into the air aspect alot more (alot more than other games aswell)..

Again go to GMT games and check them out..download the rules of any you like the sound off and have a read.

http://www.gmtgames.com/m-2-gmt-games.aspx

I also suggest with that amount of counters to get a VASSAL module up and running for it...

As for Naval I'm not a Naval gamer really...I will have a look around for you..

[Rising-Sun]

ORIGINAL: wodin

Have you any idea on scale? Squad,Platoon,Coy, Reg etc?

GMT Games normally have the rule books up for download, they might be a place to start..Panzer and Fighting Formations are two popular ones I can think of. For Coy or Battalion level The Battle for Normandy is a monster game with easy low amount of rules.

For the air war how abstract will it be? Fighting Wings (Whistling Death is set in the Pacific) series is the most detailed out there..but I doubt using a system that detailed with a detailed land and Naval aspect would take you a couple of days just to play out a turn!

Next war:Korea has a great set of rules for you to look at I know it's modern but still worth a read to see how detailed they go into the air combat phase..the advanced rules go into the air aspect alot more (alot more than other games aswell)..

Again go to GMT games and check them out..download the rules of any you like the sound off and have a read.

http://www.gmtgames.com/m-2-gmt-games.aspx

I also suggest with that amount of counters to get a VASSAL module up and running for it...

As for Naval I'm not a Naval gamer really...I will have a look around for you..

Thank you, i would have to check into that when i get a chance. Believe battalion is the small units, not sure about air group combat, it can be just plain simply rules.

[wodin]

Battalion check out The Battle for Normandy..I have it here but haven't got around to playing it.