CMSF:Marines is out

[JudgeDredd]

I know there are some people here who played Combat Mission Shock Force with varying degrees of pleasure.

I did and still do, and I'll be getting the Marines expansion (module).

Just a heads up.

[Hertston]

Good-o.. thanks for that. I'd have ordered the box version if they had any delivery option other than courier (what's wrong with the good ol' USPS?), but the bloody shipping costs were almost as much as the box.

[Chad Harrison]

Just for those who bought, tried and gave up on CM:SF, they have made a number of big changes to the game. I am the first to admit that there were many problems with the original release. But much to their credit, they have addressed many (certainly not all) of the biggest complaints.
 
I have not played for awhile (isnt work great? [:D]), so I cant give all the details. But I do know that the many changes are being included in a patch for CM:SF whether your buy the expansion or not. The expansion adds units, scenarios and campaigns. The gameplay changes, bug fixes are (will be?) available for both versions.
 
So just a heads up for those looking to get the expansion, and those who are not but own CM:SF.
 
Now we just need to wait for the WWII version . . .
 
Kind of like waiting for WitP:AE [:'(]

[Terminus]

I've been telling you all over and over again that there is no AE! It's a practical joke we've been playing on you!

Why won't anybody listen to me???

[Neilster]

Are you handling Matrix World in Flames too? You're probably watching the AI smash France in May/Jun 1940 right now but you don't even care because you're the only one that can play it. "Mwahahahahha! (pause) Mwahahahahahahaha! Fools! They think if they wait long enough, they too will get to enjoy this monumental wargaming experience!" [:'(]

Cheers, Neilster

[KTNJR]

Before I played WITP all I played was CM. I played all three.
When CMSF came out I bought it. I have played it a couple of times.
At this time I can't play anything unless it WITP and when AE comes out.

[V22 Osprey]

yea,the original version kept crashing and the game looked incomplete.But with the latest update the game runs better,more options and most major bugs are fixed.I highly recommend anyone who bought CM:SF on it's original release to give it another chance.

[JudgeDredd]

Yeah...shipping from BF is a pita. However, I remember the times before they had DD...I couldn't buy anything from them...thank god they got DD.

I'm downloading now. I'll give my initial thoughts when I've played a couple of games.

Oh...and what Chad says is correct....some of the enhancements in Marrines will be in the 1.10 patch for CMSF original.

[pad152]

Still without a fixed/improved quick battle system, I'll pass. [:(]

[Grell]

The first game crashed my comp during a cutscene and I refuse to buy any more battlefront products.

Regards,

Grell

[JudgeDredd]

Little bit disappointed to note that during the campaign, your "battle damage" does not stay. Only played the first mission of the USMC and called in some airstrikes (which sound very cool and support fire now has some dialog for immersion). WHen it progressed to the next mission, I noted that one of the big mosque type buildings I levelled was back and upright.

To be completely honest, I'm not sure what's been improved...apart from the airstrikes (and there are helicopter strikes also I believe) and support fire dialog. I mean, I haven't read any blurb about it, and I'm not disappointed by the apparent lack of features as I was very happy with v1.08 of the original, so it isn't a wasted purchase for me...not by a long shot.

However, for someone looking for "something else" in the game, you may want to read the blurb, 'cos apart from the aforementioned additions, and the USMC equipment, there's nothing obviously extra here as far as I can tell.

If you liked CMSF though, it's got to be worth it...£13 it cost me...brilliant value for money.

[JudgeDredd]

Oh...meant to say, as noted at Battlefront, performance has been optomised. Runs very sweet on my system

AMD Athlon XP3200
2GB DDR2 RAM
Gigabyte nVidia 7950GTX 512MB VRAM

[JudgeDredd]

Oh...and TacAI seems to be improved. In my limited experience with it, I did notice that any battles I engaged in were not intense, quick massacres. Also, I noticed that my men, although fatigued and "walking" to their objective, bolted as soon as the enemy opened up and headed for cover...I'm pretty sure in the past they just carried on and I had to hold their hands and couldn't get them going any faster...that's if they actually did make it.

[JudgeDredd]

And don't forget ammo cook off sounds! I heard some explosions and though "Bugger...where's that coming from"...couldn't find a thing, then I realised it was a tank I had taken out with a Hornet...cooking off some ammo...continued to do so for quite some time.

I know it's a little thing...but immersion is very important to me in a game and it's the little things that take the immersion to the next level in my opinion.

[SwampYankee68]

I believe there will be a large 1.10 patch for the original out soon.  I am waiting to see if that malkes it a better game

[Hertston]

ORIGINAL: Swamp_Yankee

I believe there will be a large 1.10 patch for the original out soon.  I am waiting to see if that malkes it a better game

I don't think there's anything new that would convince you if you are not already convinced. The significant changes were in by 1.07, by when it had at least started behaving as it was supposed to do.

I'd agree with JD on everything except performance optimization; I haven't noticed any difference at all (although previous patches improved things an awful lot). I'm running an Intel Q6600, 4GB and a GeForce 9800 GT and it still noticably slows in places.

[JudgeDredd]

WOW...that's a pretty impressive machine there.

Maybe it's a hardware or driver issue...or, more likely, I may have some lower settings than you. It's been so long since I was in the settings, I can't remember how I left them. I do know I switch off AA as default whenever I buy a game...one of the first things I check and switch off.