Things I wish were different

[hank]

I downloaded it last night but not played yet due to some 'puter problems on my end.

But, I did noticed one thing that's become a peeve to me. The startup menu does not have a minimize feature (button).

Its totally inconsequential to the game itself but I wonder why some games get the minimize button on the startup menu and others don't.

HttR's start menu can be minimize ... but BiN can't. ... and I know I can detour around that thing by making my own icon pointing to the game exe itself.

Like I said ... its my peeve. [;)]

... and what I saw of the game before my 'puter probs, looked great ... can't wait for this weekend. Lots of new stuff to do.

hank

[HomeFries]

I just downloaded the game last night and immediately fell in love with it! I especially like the WEGO and the doctrinal approach to unit actions. To me that makes this like Combat Mission but without the planning tedium.

Keeping in mind that I have gone through Tutorial #1 and one scenario (and haven't dug into the manual), I propose the following enhancements:

1) Using LOS, it isn't immediately obvious if a unit is in the LOS block because the color of the unit icon doesn't change. Perhaps (for example) making the USSR units go bright red or allowing for transparency when in LOS would be a great way to make this obvious.

2) Use of elevation and cover is essential, but again there is no way to tell how much cover/elevation exists on the terrain where the unit you are targeting resides. Again, perhaps the option of transparency for units would be a big help here.

3) To me, it is fairly intuitive to determine cover based on terrain graphics, but elevation is another story. I would love to see a relief shader when the E key is selected; this is much easier for evaluating elevation and slope at a glance, rather than scanning numbers. This would be great because sometimes the graphics are counterintuitive to the elevation (e.g. forests on either side of fields/orchards would make you believe that the fields are in a valley, when in fact the opposite is the case).

4) I would love to get some ingame music; even if it meant only providing mp3 support for our own tunes (Courage Under Fire comes readily to mind). Hearts of Iron did this well.

5) I would like to reiterate the idea of having a platform dependent global doctrine, so you don't have to tweak each unit every time. This would also prevent inadvertent actions due to one unit slipping through the cracks.


Great stuff overall. I look forward to the evolution of this series.

[Poliorcetes]

You CAN see the enemy square's elevation/cover, you just have to turn OFF unit icons. Which is annoying when you are trying to analyze a square.

As for SOP, I see in the manual that Dug In overrides the SOP. There are also some situatins where you get partial overriding of the SOP, but I haven't seen enough of the the game to comment on that.

I have found something frustrating about HQ units. I keep them on Move to try to save them from counterbattery fire. But I find that after artillary strikes, the WP HQ units switch to "on call" and lose the movement orders. So I have to reissue them, which raises the radio profile . . .

Poliorcetes

[Catgh_MatrixForum]

Poliorcetes,

When giving different commands, the SOP does get changed. For example issuing an assualt command will set the distance to enemy to a lower value.

Perhaps the SOP that is set should be for "normal" movement and when the unit goes to "screen".

I would be curious to hear others thoughts.

[iberian]

Another thing I'd like to see treated different:

- The endurance of helicopter units. I'm yet new to the game system, but by reading the manual, and playing the "Clash of Titans" scenario, I've found that helicopter units have as much endurance as the rest of the ground units. I've had a flight of two helos stick with me during a battle that raged through several hours. I don't find that realistic.

I would prefer to have the helicopter units be automatically recalled after a given number of turns, much as reinforcement units can appear after a number of turns. The present helo system lends itself to "gamey" tactics. For the moment I'd stick with scenarios without them.

Regards.

[Siljanus]

ORIGINAL: iberian

Another thing I'd like to see treated different:

- The endurance of helicopter units. I'm yet new to the game system, but by reading the manual, and playing the "Clash of Titans" scenario, I've found that helicopter units have as much endurance as the rest of the ground units. I've had a flight of two helos stick with me during a battle that raged through several hours. I don't find that realistic.

I would prefer to have the helicopter units be automatically recalled after a given number of turns, much as reinforcement units can appear after a number of turns. The present helo system lends itself to "gamey" tactics. For the moment I'd stick with scenarios without them.

Regards.

I found the helo units to be quite powerful up until the point they ran out of ammo. Their resupply, I thought, took longer than what I was seeing for ground units. Longer resupply times would be a good way to give some balance, forcing you to ground them more often to keep them supplied or if you used it all up you have to park them somewhere safe and just wait for them to be replenished.

What's the loiter time for a combat helicopter anyway under battlefield conditions?

[iberian]

ORIGINAL: Siljanus

I found the helo units to be quite powerful up until the point they ran out of ammo. Their resupply, I thought, took longer than what I was seeing for ground units. Longer resupply times would be a good way to give some balance, forcing you to ground them more often to keep them supplied or if you used it all up you have to park them somewhere safe and just wait for them to be replenished.

What's the loiter time for a combat helicopter anyway under battlefield conditions?

Loiter time for a combat helicopter of the kind we are dealing with (AH-1, AH-64, etc.), taking into account weapon load and flight time to a FARP, should be around 2.5-3 hours at most. Even less if we take into account nap of the earth flight.

I don't believe longer resupply times would help. After expending the ammo, you can just have them fly around as an extremely long-endurance UAV, a la Predator, and have a constant peak on the "other side of the hill".

I think the only way out of this is having an automatic recall after 5-6 turns. Anything else, is not realistic. (that's not a problem "per se", but it can lend to "gamey" use).

[Black Cat]

Initial Thoughts:


Playing "Tank Rush" as the WP I noticed two things.

As others have commented on, the AI player it is waaaay too fond of doing a "Light Brigade " charge irregardless of the tactical sitution ( they are in defensive mode ) or numbers against them. It "seems" they "key" toward the the player HQ units.

Perhaps I`ve not played enough, but a fire and fall back mode AI routine is needed when the Allies AI are playing against the attacking WP numbers. Or have them some ( AI units) dig in.

The 30% chance of " Shooting & Scooting" is not enough and needs a default setting of making that routine. ( or lowering the rather too deadly and waaaay too accurate off map Arty for the U.S. VS the WP HQ`s and Arty. Units ) IMHO of course.

I had a Tank Company shoot off all it`s Ammo by turn 3, I pulled it back for "Rest & Refit" orders, it was never Resupplied by end of game.

So far, the Games fun, hopefully some fine tunning can be made to the AI opps.....

[Siljanus]

ORIGINAL: iberian

ORIGINAL: Siljanus

I found the helo units to be quite powerful up until the point they ran out of ammo. Their resupply, I thought, took longer than what I was seeing for ground units. Longer resupply times would be a good way to give some balance, forcing you to ground them more often to keep them supplied or if you used it all up you have to park them somewhere safe and just wait for them to be replenished.

What's the loiter time for a combat helicopter anyway under battlefield conditions?

Loiter time for a combat helicopter of the kind we are dealing with (AH-1, AH-64, etc.), taking into account weapon load and flight time to a FARP, should be around 2.5-3 hours at most. Even less if we take into account nap of the earth flight.

I don't believe longer resupply times would help. After expending the ammo, you can just have them fly around as an extremely long-endurance UAV, a la Predator, and have a constant peak on the "other side of the hill".

I think the only way out of this is having an automatic recall after 5-6 turns. Anything else, is not realistic. (that's not a problem "per se", but it can lend to "gamey" use).

Yeah, I was avoiding using my helos for permanent recon after they ran out of ammo but I certainly can see that happening. So perhaps they can be withdrawn after a period of time off map for rest and refit but depending on the span of the scenario come back later in the game? Or we can just have them run out of gas and plop down wherever they happen to be at the moment if you don't take the time to rest and refit them...

[Catgh_MatrixForum]

The helicopters being on map is a different thing than the original SimCan. I know Robert will be looking at them and the rules that surround them in depth. So keep up the good brainstorming.

[Rainbow7]

Unless I've missed it, there is no key to shut down an info window you've brought up with f5 or f6. I have to use the mouse. A bit more keyboard functionality would be appreciated.

[Oleg Mastruko]

ORIGINAL: Black Cat

I had a Tank Company shoot off all it`s Ammo by turn 3, I pulled it back for "Rest & Refit" orders, it was never Resupplied by end of game.

Rest and refit always worked OK for me, at least when playing NATO [:D] (WP forces take ages to resupply, oftenly scenario ended before they did so).

Take care to put the unit within command radius of its HQ (explained in the manual), and wait couple of turns (resupply does not happen imediatelly). Do not move them, and do not change their orders (obviously, it's recommended you pull them back to relative safety to resupply at the first place)

O.

[iberian]

ORIGINAL: Siljanus
Yeah, I was avoiding using my helos for permanent recon after they ran out of ammo but I certainly can see that happening. So perhaps they can be withdrawn after a period of time off map for rest and refit but depending on the span of the scenario come back later in the game? Or we can just have them run out of gas and plop down wherever they happen to be at the moment if you don't take the time to rest and refit them...

Yes, that's the idea. Once a given number of turns have elapsed, the helo units should withdraw off-map, and depending on scenario length, be able to return later. It could automatically withdraw in the direction of the highest HQ, out of the user control, and leave the map, or just dissapear with a pop-up message. (I say this because if it returns in a straight line toward the map border, without user control, it may end up going over a concentration of AA defenses, something that no setient being would do, but AI's love to do)

Giving them an order for "Rest and Refit" while on map is somewhat of a stretch. It's not like they are going to refuell and rearm a helo unit in the middle of an open field, with no equipment and no technicians, while T-80's and BMP-2's are roaming 2Km away.

The problem is that in a grand-tactical sim, Helo operations as depicted in the game doesn't fit too well. It would if the game turns woulb be shorter, maybe 1-5 minuted of real times, but 30 minutes turns, while perfect for ground units at this scale, is not good for helo. It's too much time.

I'd really prefer the Helo units to be depected as a Air units, but with a higher offset radius (6 squares, instead of 2). You would set up an initial target point, and let the helo roam around it for a time, then leave automatically.

[Catgh_MatrixForum]

I believe in the original SimCan game, the helos were treated as air units. Robert wanted to bring them to the game board.

[iberian]

ORIGINAL: Catgh

I believe in the original SimCan game, the helos were treated as air units. Robert wanted to bring them to the game board.

I didn't know the original SimCan game, but I believe the original approach of having them work as air units was more suited to the scale/tempo of the game. I hope something can be done about this in a future patch.