Putting the 'role' back in role-playing games since 2002.
Donate to Codex
Good Old Games
  • Welcome to rpgcodex.net, a site dedicated to discussing computer based role-playing games in a free and open fashion. We're less strict than other forums, but please refer to the rules.

    "This message is awaiting moderator approval": All new users must pass through our moderation queue before they will be able to post normally. Until your account has "passed" your posts will only be visible to yourself (and moderators) until they are approved. Give us a week to get around to approving / deleting / ignoring your mundane opinion on crap before hassling us about it. Once you have passed the moderation period (think of it as a test), you will be able to post normally, just like all the other retards.

Game News The golden goose that is Close Combat laid another egg

Trash

Pointing and laughing.
Joined
Dec 12, 2002
Messages
29,683
Location
About 8 meters beneath sea level.
Tags: Close Combat: Panthers in the Fog; Matrix Games

The Close Combat series has been around since the mid 1990's and went through a long and convulted series developers and publishers. The last few years Matrix has been publishing a number of remakes and original titles with Close Combat: Panthers in the Fog being the latest. Check out reviews for it on both Strategy Prime and Real and Simulated Wars.
Fog has played and important role in the real operation. It helped the Germans to move during the early day hours without being targeted by Allied aircraft and it cut short more than one movement to contact. Panthers has implemented fog as part of the game play. In some specific scenarios, the entire 2D battlefield is covered by a milky cover of simulated fog, making it a bit cumbersome to spot not only enemy units (maybe a good thing) but also own forces (huh?). After a few games, the eyes get accustomed to the fog (outlining one's units in black helps a lot) but nonetheless the byproduct is friendly fog of war enforced by eyesight. The amount of information and how it is delivered to the player is one of the biggest assets a war game design has and in my opinion the developers should have thought this feature more thoroughly. A patch is on the works and it will include an option to remove this effect.
Yes, this time the big addition is fog. Oh my. Apart from them still using that tired 90's engine I'm surprised that in the many years since the first two titles noone has markedly improved on the AI. The graphic updates and small gameplay additions are fun but with an AI that can only move towards an objective or stay put that really doesn't matter much. Wonder how long they'll keep milking this one.
 

Dead Guy

Cipher
Joined
Sep 12, 2012
Messages
281
I've always liked the Close Combat series for it's mechanics, but it's very sad that Matrix more or less seem to just be making new maps. I'd love some kind of improvement to be able to determine line of sight for a unit better, and to make sure the bloody machine gunner is actually sitting at the bunker window and not at the freaking back of the bunker rendering the entire squad useless. Making elevation differences more obvious would be another great thing to improve on. The cover outline of soldiers is also strange at times, I'd like to have a better idea of how well a squad can remain hidden at the position I put them. And as said, the AI is sadly predictable on the offense, and usually just stops once it's first push has been stopped, sitting there holding it's cock for 15 minutes until the time is about to run out.
 
In My Safe Space
Joined
Dec 11, 2009
Messages
21,899
Codex 2012
I gave up on Close Combat after my traumatic experiences with the CCMT AI.

Also, that game is practically a zombie. Zero real development.

That's why I have moved to Armored Brigade. It's much more modern and doesn't have shit like attacking with 1/3 of forces normally considered to be proper for even considering an attack which basically makes AI in attack completely useless.
 

Trash

Pointing and laughing.
Joined
Dec 12, 2002
Messages
29,683
Location
About 8 meters beneath sea level.
Also, that game is practically a zombie. Zero real development.

It's pretty obviously nothing but a milkcow for Matrix. Which really is a shame as the first two games were both a fresh breath in the tactical genre and markedly improved over each other. The third is the best for me simply because of the immense amount of content and modability it provided but was in truth already stalling. Since then nothing has happened with the formula. It's become sad to see how they keep squeezing out a few more bucks with every new installment but sooner or later it will just run dry.
 
In My Safe Space
Joined
Dec 11, 2009
Messages
21,899
Codex 2012
It's pretty obviously nothing but a milkcow for Matrix. Which really is a shame as the first two games were both a fresh breath in the tactical genre and markedly improved over each other. The third is the best for me simply because of the immense amount of content and modability it provided but was in truth already stalling. Since then nothing has happened with the formula. It's become sad to see how they keep squeezing out a few more bucks with every new installment but sooner or later it will just run dry.
It died the moment they added the operational level minigame instead of making a new engine or implementing new features on tactical level. Like a working AI for example.
 

Dead Guy

Cipher
Joined
Sep 12, 2012
Messages
281
Incidentally I'm playing Invasion Normandy right now, because I'm in the process of moving to a house and I don't have an internet connection there yet, thus no steam etc.

Last night I fought on one of the harder beach maps as the axis, third round of first day. Had some bad luck before and lost all my machineguns, grenadiers and my single AT gun. Plus I think my morale broke last battle and I lost two VLs, so I start with two VLs with plenty of buildings around them. LAST DITCH DEFENSE!

Axis forces:
Zugtrupp: 4 men.
8cm Granatwerfer: 6 men.

Alled forces:
Full 15 regiment platoon with 2 Sherman DDs, .30 cals and the whole shebang.

Axis casualties: 0
Allied casualties: 6

The first thing that happened was the AI ran it's .30 cal which it had at one of the VLs it gained due to me losing the last battle off toward the beach, I fire one single mortar round and kill 3 guys. Then nothing happens for 25 minutes (battle timer set to 30 minutes). After reading a few chapters of A Canticle for Leibowitz I decide I might as well use up my mortar rounds and randomly fire my mortar at places where the AI might be holding it's dick, kill another guy down on the beach. One or two squads (not sure, only saw 4 separate soldiers or so) finally start moving to the house my Zugtrupp is in, but the mortar squad sees them running across a field and picks off two more, then time runs out.

Nice offensive there, Allies. Guess you were content just holding this beach until the Panzers make it over, good on you.
 
In My Safe Space
Joined
Dec 11, 2009
Messages
21,899
Codex 2012
Incidentally I'm playing Invasion Normandy right now, because I'm in the process of moving to a house and I don't have an internet connection there yet, thus no steam etc.

Last night I fought on one of the harder beach maps as the axis, third round of first day. Had some bad luck before and lost all my machineguns, grenadiers and my single AT gun. Plus I think my morale broke last battle and I lost two VLs, so I start with two VLs with plenty of buildings around them. LAST DITCH DEFENSE!

Axis forces:
Zugtrupp: 4 men.
8cm Granatwerfer: 6 men.

Alled forces:
Full 15 regiment platoon with 2 Sherman DDs, .30 cals and the whole shebang.

Axis casualties: 0
Allied casualties: 6

The first thing that happened was the AI ran it's .30 cal which it had at one of the VLs it gained due to me losing the last battle off toward the beach, I fire one single mortar round and kill 3 guys. Then nothing happens for 25 minutes (battle timer set to 30 minutes). After reading a few chapters of A Canticle for Leibowitz I decide I might as well use up my mortar rounds and randomly fire my mortar at places where the AI might be holding it's dick, kill another guy down on the beach. One or two squads (not sure, only saw 4 separate soldiers or so) finally start moving to the house my Zugtrupp is in, but the mortar squad sees them running across a field and picks off two more, then time runs out.

Nice offensive there, Allies. Guess you were content just holding this beach until the Panzers make it over, good on you.
The single-player in CC series is non-functional. They should be marketed as multi-player only games.
 

As an Amazon Associate, rpgcodex.net earns from qualifying purchases.
Back
Top Bottom