thinkin' 'boutit

[raz_atoth]

Well, i have almost 500 CM pbem games under my belt, but i still consider CMx2 a vastly superior game.

1. CM you get tons of more units to play with in the base games, CM2 you only get a few and then must pay for add on packs which almost cost the same as the base game. With just a single patch and two game packs my $55 game sit at $120 without paying for the latest patch or pack after MG.

That's true. Prepare to spend a lot more money on CMx2 than on CM. So far there are 4 base games released and 3 modules. The base game costs $55, the module $35. On top of it, for CMBN and CMFI you'll need to purchase 'upgrades' (2x$10), to bring the base game to the latest engine version. A lot of money? Most likely. Money well spend? Definitely!

2. CM the combat is more 'game' style and plays well. By this I mean infantry can actually last in a fire fight instead of evaporating under the first burst, also artillery seems to be a bit less lethal is CM which allows you to survive and keep your force intact longer

The part about the arty being more letal it's 100% correct. But then again, arty was the no. 1 infantry killer in WW2. Infantry in my experience doesn't break under fire more than in CM. Unless you're taking CMBO as reference.

3. there doesn't seem to be all the spotting bugs in CM1 as in CM2, mostly talking about PzIV bug here where they seem to be blind, but a quick read of the CM board shows others who have blind tank commanders who can't see the rounds bouncing off their tanks.

The spotting system has it's issues, but it's far from being flawed. I'm not aware of any PzIV spotting bug, although i'm sure Chris will disagree with me on this one and point to the forum thread he wrote. Keep your tank commander unbuttoned, in a good position and don't expect your conscript TC to do wonders and you might do just fine even with a Pz IV ;)

5. AAA is actually AAA in CM1, not AT. I guess the latest pack fixes this, but you have to pay to get that.

Yes, that's no longer the case. AAA can now be used both as AT and AA assets.

7. CM1 a unit coming under fire has equal chance of all units taking casualties, I have found that the first burst on an infantry squad seems to always get the leader, and if a support weapon like MG or AT team it gets the gunner.

Do squad leaders get killed in CMx2? Yes. Are they always the first one to die? No. Are the soldiers carrying the MG always the first to die? No. I think there was a bug in the earlier versions which caused the squad leaders to die more often than they should, but i believe it has long been fixed. Or at least i haven't noticed this being an issue for quite a while.

8. vehicles drive to where you tell them or don't move at all if path is blocked in CM1, CM2 they will spin around in their hex, drive through the enemy lines, or wander off on a route recon to try and get there. My first game with PzIV (there it is) I told my tank to back down the road he was on, instead he turned around in place before trying to back up, but the Shermans didn't let him go.

I've seen this behavior, but very very rarely.

Those are some of my points, my biggest beef is the ever expanding cost of the game, they charge you to apply a patch that fixes an error they missed or created and infantry that vaporize under the first burst of small arms.

Actually, the patches, which consists of bug fixes, are free.The engine 'upgrades' on the other hand, aren't. An upgrade adds new features to the game. This allows CMBN - which is the first game in the serie - to be on par, when it comes to bug fixes & functionality - with CMRT - the last released game. I for one like the policy of 'no game left behind'.

All in one, some of Chris's concerns are valid, but IMHO minor and in no way game-breaking. As i said before, i suggest you head to the Demos Download Page and try both CM and CMx2. Then, after toying with both for a while, you can better decide which one betters suits your playstyle.