I like to select tanks by hand instead of buying armored units. If I put all the tanks I bought into one company, will they all still have radio contact and be able to communicate with each other about the location of enemy units? Or do they only work when you select an armored unit? This relates to the WW2 combat mission games.

I bought the complete version of final biltzkrieg (the bundle with the dlc and the base game)on steam and couldn’t use vollsstrum or kriegsmarine, I see their names on the quick battle selection thing, but their in grey and the game won’t let me select them. Thanks

Sorry for the post.

Since it's Fall Sale on Steam and Winter Sale on Matrix Games, I'm planning to get CM:FI with its 2 DLCs. And I have a question about the game. Does the game have the campaign that follows from the start of the Italian Campaign till the end?

I'm looking for non-indie, sort of large/wel-known games that do Italian Campaign, the only 2 games that I know of at this caliber are Company of Heroes 3 and Sniper Elite 4

CM:FI have Italy in its name so I really want to get it but doesn't know if it follows the course of the campaign or not.

Thanks, sorry for the post

To all Combat Mission players!

As we all know Combat Mission is fun, but has epic levels of micromanagement.  The movie file is fun to watch but then you have to plot moves and targets.  All the left-hand keyboarding and mousing around is a chore, especially with large forces.  The old QWERTY scatters the commands all over the place. Think of the move commands Hunt, Quick, Slow on top row, and Fast, Move on the bottom row. Or tucking your thumb under to Alt-T remove trees…looking down at the keys to reset your hand position, then back up at the screen.

I wondered if any controllers existed to help overcome CM's difficult UI and controls.   Custom keypads exist for professional music, graphics and video editing.  Their various knobs and buttons one Youtuber described as “a box of shortcuts” (it's a trip, looking at the hundreds of combinations).   I considered models by NLOFIN (16 buttons, 2 knobs) and Beastron (with 64 buttons!) 

In the end, based on features and reviews,  I chose the 23-button Razer Tartarus V2 (with "Mecha Membrane" keys, *not* the Tartarus Pro which costs more).  Click here for its Amazon link.

https://preview.redd.it/2wr6iw0o9o3e1.jpg?width=763&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=66d9dfaade0d20ed675f26082279d7bcab619f07

It succeeded beyond anything I imagined.  Once you create and master your “keybinds” as they are called, you’ll have the same sensation as I do - orders just flow.  No fumbling at the keys.  I promise everything becomes faster and easier.

This list shows the upsides to getting a keypad. It can be any one you wish, but this is my experience with the V2

• Customizable: The V2’s app lets you program the keys/wheel/pad (the term in vogue today is “keybind”).  A shift button gives a second immediate layer of keybinds,  The creative juices really get flowing as you gradually update these to a setup that works for you. You are pretty much creating your own joystick.

• Ergonomics Some of you are older gentlemen, veterans of decades of gaming.  I’ve read members’ posts of arthritis or injury.  “Zero hand fatigue” is mentioned in the Tartarus V2’s many positive reviews.  My own experience confirms this.  A cushioned wrist pad has two positions for hand size.  Keys are arrayed in a simple square pattern.  It’s easy on the ol’ eyes too because you’re not constantly needing to look up and down.

• Reduced mental effort: I swear, my eyes do not look away from the screen at all as I crank out moves and targets and arcs. Think of whatever you do best - bowling, golfing, coding, playing your favorite instrument.  After a few days you’ll get the same feel - Your left hand barely moves once you know all your keys.  

• Camera angles:  I set a button to jump to Camera angle 3, with a good close view of the unit, and another for Camera angle 7, which is top-down.  This is faster than reaching for the number line on QWERTY.

• Group your commands logically: Set them up any way you want.  I grouped all the move commands together: Slow, Move, Quick, Hunt, Fast, Pause, Face, Reverse. Secondary commands such as Target Light, Target Briefly, Open up, and Smoke Grenade are adjacent keys also. I set the 4-way directional pad for Previous Unit/Next Unit and Target/Clear Target.

• Setting up/ Acquire: Laying starting positions and waypoints for a battalion sized match is time-consuming but a keypad makes it faster.  Another bonus is rotating squads into vehicles to Acquire extra LAWs and RPGs. Menu clicking for this takes time but now my squids begin the battle loaded with rockets!

• LOS, targeting : We know CM has a poor LOS tool.  That may be so, but being able to LOS faster partially compensates for this.  With my D-pad Up set to “T” target, it takes just seconds to test the Hull-Down or Target line, adjust the waypoint, and check again.

• Waypointing:  Edit move markers and change speeds/modes without changing hand position. If you don’t like it, bang the Remove waypoint button and do them over.

• Precise Targeting: I find myself more often using Area fire, Target Light, and Target Briefly simply because they are easier to do now.

• Removing Trees for Map recon:  Get better situational awareness using a key shortcut for toggling trees on/off helps the lay of the land.  This is better than the clumsy Alt + T requiring a funky “thumb-under” movement.

• Time Efficiency: Same amount of play in less time, or more play in same time.  Platoon and Company level combat is fun, but with the V2 you can take on even larger scenarios which  you may have avoided.

• Take a good mouse and make it better: For years I have used a Logitech 720, a middle range mouse, which I customized for LOS, zoom, and targeting.  It works perfectly with the V2. Again, I don't even look at the keyboard any more.

• Scenario designers: I’ve never tried to do this, but the awesome community members who create scenarios and maps could benefit from a specific profile for it.

• Improve your game...?: Yeah right! Not guaranteed! Only study and experience makes a better tactician. The keypad didn’t prevent me from making stupid moves! However you’re no longer “fighting the controls” when making plotting moves and fires.

• Colors: It features "RGB" with those sliding colors.  I have to admit it adds amusement.

• Say “HOTAS!” if you like cool gadgets.  Didn’t know I was a gadget geek until now.  The ergonomic ideal of HOTAS (“Hands on Throttle and Stick”) is not just for MS Flight Sim and DCS nerds.  CM’s many commands all fit in the mouse + keypad combo.  I admit to feeling just a bit “cooler” with this personalized unit. Guitarists have their pedals, compound bow shooters have our mechanical releases. 

• New appreciation for an old game: Many of us have invested years and let's be honest - money into Combat Mission.  Getting a custom pad minimizes many of its drawbacks - it almost feels like a new game and I enjoy it so much more.

Key Setups

My standard keybinds: Move commands are together, in logical order. Making Target Arcs just is with a wave of the first finger, so you can set it, and reset it until perfect. Note - I don't use the "gaming" WASD position with middle finger on W, so my camera move keys are different than what you'd set up. I found only 2 camera jump buttons were needed, not all of 1-9. And

https://preview.redd.it/zj221ywvbo3e1.png?width=739&format=png&auto=webp&s=5df6e428407d9c11e507d832d8dee3c83a831717

"Hypershift" keybinds: Basically, holding down one key allows 19 more keys to receive another use. I assigned the Thumb button (#20) to be that shift key, after experimenting.  It works for me because it allows the four fingers to reach the maximum number of other keys. I have my secondary commands here, especially the Target Light and Brief.  

https://preview.redd.it/c1juwe1edo3e1.png?width=698&format=png&auto=webp&s=7738ad1b19b9f148baec174648ccea04d2bc3393

These pictures below show you the detailed target and move commands.  Currently I don't have time to edit videos and stuff, maybe later. I set up a test "Thunder Run" in the second picture, in which every vehicle in my convoy shot up all the buildings on the route.

Of course you can do these on a regular keyboard , but I can't say this enough - EVERYTHING is faster and easier when you can keep your hands and eyes in one place.

https://preview.redd.it/vxljjebbbo3e1.jpg?width=2560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=759959d3de04df9a7bbdc32462facd310d758f9d

https://preview.redd.it/gmmi6ebbbo3e1.png?width=1456&format=png&auto=webp&s=9c7f8c32d5179abbcb3b7ddcb00199a317a4d13f

Mouse - For years I've used the Logitech 720 Triathalon, it turned out to work perfectly for CM. It has a scroll button which clicks down, and left right, and has a thumb button. Virtually every game command can be distributed between it and the V2. See below the setup which has worked well for years. With it and the V2, I'm totally HOTAS which I was not expecting for a tactical game!

https://preview.redd.it/e7b6ddxlao3e1.png?width=768&format=png&auto=webp&s=40fd954654311f22b12f37cd931a173d465968e0

Remarks

• No advantage for FPS.  For me, Call of Duty was *not* improved by the V2 with its loud click keys.  Your basic keyboard is just fine for twitch gaming.
• Macros: These devices let you run macros with one button.  Maybe not for CM use, but for other programs.
• Tartarus Pro is a different unit with Optical keys.  It features keys with 2 press depths. It had many negative reviews on button problems, and costs $50 more.  
• Other programs: All customizable keypads allow various profiles. Microsoft's Close Combat has far fewer commands than CM.  Ten minutes is all it took me to make a profile. Next year I'll see if it works with DCS.   This guy uses it for Photoshop and Lightroom
• Do not use the D-Pad for camera movement.  The V2 does have some negative reviews, most common seemed that the D-pad gets damaged or less sensitive after time.  My guess is that gamers use it for movement applying hard yanking banking pressure.  One reviewer said it's not a joystick and doesn't "roll" well through its 8-directions.  I simply use it for Target and Next Unit. 
• Get a 2-year warranty.  Fifteen dollars got me a two-year Best Buy warranty.  When it breaks i'll exchange it, and when it expires I'll just buy a new one.
• My favorite V2 review:  The guy gives the clearest explanation of it. See here: Take Your Gaming to the Next Level with Razer Tartarus V2 Gaming Keypad
• Video showing the V2's ergonomics. This guy aimed a camera on his hands to show how the efficient hand movement:   Using the RAZER TARTARUS V2 - Gameplay in World of Warcraft
• I'm writing this on Black Friday 2024: The Tartarus is selling for $64 instead of $80. I bought one a month ago and got another one just now for cheaper.
• Alternative keypads: For comparison, the 60-button unit: Beastron AULA, similarly priced.  Other keypads will have similar or hey, even better results.  Go with your own choice, but I will gladly be an unofficial customer service guy for the V2.  The app for the V2 is called Synapse, not difficult to use.  Feel free to reach out to me for advice, I'm happy to help any of you.

Let me know your thoughts! Thanks! Happy Thanksgiving 2024

-OgrishVet

I really like less units in the battlefield and more infantry then vehicles. actually the best battles to me are 3 tanks for each side and 10 infantry units. Which one do you think comes close to this kind of scenarios?

So the autumn sale is here and my last post was on what to expect with the combat mission series as a newbie but i have a second question . Should i buy shock force two with no dlc or black sea. I can't buy the shock force dlc's for now but i can buy black sea with its battlepack , im not into World War Two at the moment so i wanted to buy a modern CM game . Btw thank you guys for your comments from the last post its been very helpful for my decision to start the series

I own Battle for Normandy, Fortress Italy, and Shock Force 2. I enjoy all of them, but I find myself constantly going back to Shock Force 2. I’m a sucker for the modern setting, and I love the amount of diversity available in the game. I have been eyeballing Black Sea for a long time, but I always just planned on waiting to get it till more content/expansions were available. Clearly that is not going to happen anytime soon if ever with the unfortunate nature of the current ongoing conflict, so I’m wondering if the base games content is worthwhile?

I'm having the old blurry text problem after a recent reinstall, and while I've gotten the game to work before on this computer, it isn't working now. I have FXAA turned off. I don't have any integrated graphics, so my RTX 3080 is the only GPU option. I've got high DPI override set to Application. No change at all. Anybody got any other ideas?

The blessed steam sale is upon us, and as someone with a good chunk of the CM library covered I'm torn between trying the only two games I don't own: Black Sea & Cold War versus expanding out my Normandy DLC to cover the entire range of that game.

What's your vote hive mind? Hobarts Funnies or ATGMs?

Total newbie here.I will hopefully buy Shock Force 2 in the next sale but i don't have a single clue what the game is like? What can i expect in the first 5 to 10 hours of the game?

Hello I have recently found out about this game series and am interested in getting the mac version, yet with the new purchase I cannot seem to get the keys for them, so if anyone knows how to please help.

I was interested in People’s opinions about the game because I’m thinking about buying it but am wondering if it’s worth it.

1. Is there any new types of tanks compared to combat mission Normandy?

2. Is air support accessible and easy to use?

3. What is y’all’s opinion on the maps, is there a good number of large village/town maps to play on?

4. Are infantry able to mount on the back of tanks?

I’m tired of waiting for a sale and want to buy a CM game full price. Out of BFN and FB, which one is more worth spending $60 on? I’m aware of the differences between the two, and I’m fully intending on buying the other game when they come on sale again. I’ve played SF2, BS, and CW, so this will be my first WW2 CM.

first of all i am a bit new to the game series to please excuse my line of questioning

a. what is the difference between light, medium and heavy armaments of fixed and rotary air support? does light mean using only guns whereas medium means rockets and heavy means bombs? or is it the amount of each loadout meaning heavy gets the largest amount of ammunition?

b. can the AT variants attack infantry/buildings? i just think it would be pretty awesome to drive a hellfire through a building to clear a house.

c. can the aircraft perform their own reconnaissance of the target area/outside of it or do they strictly rely on ground force intel?

id appreciate responses relating to all games, i know they all play a bit differently due to the different eras but id love to learn all i can, thanks in advance.

https://reddit.com/link/1gunxxj/video/p3kyiop13s1e1/player

I hope they make campaign editing a lot easier and the ability to access replays along with a more seamless UI.

This is plucked from the CMX3 betting pool thread on the Battlefront forums. I am still kind of struggling with these hints.

Slitherine is a British publisher, so we’ll likely see a British element to the game, and therefore it’s Beyond Normandy/Beyond Overlord 2?

Or, Slitherine is a big publisher that publishes a lot of Eastern Front content, so it’s Barbarossa to Berlin 2?

Or, Slitherine publishes a lot of modern warfare content, so it’s Combat Mission Shock Force 3?

Grognards, I’ve been playing Combat Mission for over 20 years. I miss reading Fionn’s posts (played one game of PBEM with him and he annihilated me back in the day). I have no clue what the hell this hint means. Help me out. What are your thoughts?

It has both the traditional 2d view from the original game, but allows zoom to the level of CM but with *far* greater detail. I never played AB1, but my understanding is the movement controls were similar despite the 2d map. Given this, a 3D game with CM controls (and hopefully detail), are we about to get much of all that we've been begging for from CM for years? Or am I wishfully thinking?

So let's say, hypothetically speaking, for the sake of argument, that one of my platoon commanders got blown up in his APC, and that one platoon now lacks a direct command link with the company HQ, how does this affect the remaining platoon? This is in CM:CW so not everyone has radios and keeping my dismounts with their APC is not always doable.

I’ve tried all of the trucks what veichle can move the towed gun? Or can it only be pushed by its crew

Not sure if this is a feature but every time one of my tanks gets bogged, i’ve bailed the crew out and let them sit for a little. Made them hop back in and then the tank is magically unbogged. Bug? Intended feature?

The download links for the demos. Mac Version.

Fortress Italy: https://battlefront.sharefile.com/d-sc654128e54d4076a

Normandy: https://battlefront.sharefile.com/d-s2f77e30cd1e4f6da

Final Blitzkrieg: https://battlefront.sharefile.com/d-sd9f2640a98141d5a

Shock Force 2: https://battlefront.sharefile.com/d-sf03b551361e40989

Red Thunder: https://battlefront.sharefile.com/d-s80e8b5383c74dff8

Black Sea: https://battlefront.sharefile.com/d-s4bc58f4d3f84bdb8

I enjoy combat mission games having played FI, BS, SF2. And recently come across Combat Mission Afrika corp on gog. Is it worth it always wanted to play a game set in that theater since there are very few men of war and a few old call of duty’s in the setting and less where you get to play as Italy. Wanted to know if its worth it to buy?