CM:BN after a week....

[Der Kuenstler]

Here are my first impressions after playing a week of CM:BN:

1 - You really have to watch your area fire commands! Tanks do not withold their fire if there is a danger of hurting friendly units like in the first CM series. I sort of dislike this - would rather see some kind of warning target line color meaning "friendly units may die if you do this."

2 - The way units follow orders (or DON'T follow orders) is often dumb. For example, I ordered an AFV to pull up to a hedgerow so it could fire through it. I must have clicked too far into the hedgerow so the AFV actually drove around to the front of the hedgerow exposing it's side to enemy fire the whole way and tried to back into it. Another time I ordered some infantry into the back of a building to defend the front. The building had no back door so the infantry went around the front in full view of the enemy to go in.

3 - The lack of choices for fighting units - really pared down compared to the earlier titles. Only three US planes and two german planes to choose from? Where's the Brits, Australians, etc?

4 - I like the 1:1 unit representation.

5 - the attempt to do away with borg spotting is interesting, except since I myself can view an AT gun through one unit who sees it, and then choose a tank that isn't aware of it to area fire it, dampens it somewhat.

6- lack of burning - FT units, buildings, trees - not good.

7 - still no horses?

There are some interesting things in the game and it's a good start for the next series but so far I think it is worth more like $29.00 - not the $75 I paid for it.

 

[mTk]

1- True. However, I don't recall any other CM games that had "warnings" either so we have always had to just deal with the threat in our own way.
2- Sounds like pilot error in both instances. Agree that w/CMN one must be considerably more careful w/movement plot and you can't always get a unit to go exactly where you want it no matter what you do.
3- CMx2 will be coming out with additional modules for years adding more stuff each time rather than releasing an entire front's worth of stuff. That's an intentional marketing/production ploy by BF. "Commonwealth" is next, probably after the first of the year is what I hear.
4- At zoom level 2 it is awesome isn't it?
5- I am sure CMx2 rules for spotting are more realistic, but from a playability pov I find it to be a pain in the ass. Requires lots of extra clicking. Don't get me started on the UI!
6- Lack of FT units was intentional as I understand programming them was not worth the effort.
7- Would horses make the game more fun? Would we have to purchase feed for them as well? I'll buy a truck and move on.

I would be shocked if the future modules weren't substantially less than the initial release.

 

[Der Kuenstler]

7- Would horses make the game more fun? Would we have to purchase feed for them as well? I'll buy a truck and move on.

It would be fun if, for example - make enemy pack horses panic and run off with their ammo during artillery barrages, or you could mount a horse carrying two thompson MGs and yell "fill yor' hands you sobs!!"

 

[Earl of Grey]

Can agree on most of your points, but we have to realize that CMBN is just the first in a (hopefully) line of new WW2 CMs. A lot of features are new and comparatively untested, so it'll take time to get every issue worked out. Let's see what the modules and other base games (Bulge, Eastern Front) bring...

 

[Der Kuenstler]

Yes this is newer ground - I remember the big leap from CMBO to CMBB - there were big improvements. Well I'm glad they are going back to WWII which is my favorite time period.