Grumblers musing

[The Real Rake]

Yup. Bought it.
I hope enjoyment can eventually come. My two forays into PBEM have been awful.
I hope I did not waste my money.

Disappointing (the one word that comes to mind each time I press the button.)
Tried the boot camps. OK.

I hope PBEM balance will become a priority.

It is easy on the eyes. But, I hope the 2-D crowd does not take it completely over.
Don't care for the LOS rules. Hope they are not ported over to the Campaign Series.

I do hope that ME and the Vietnam releases will stand alone.
In my opinion you should not mess too much with EF/WF/RS. Please. That could suck the fun right out of playing.

Windows 8.1 (turned it into Win10) and now this ... CSME. 

Now I know what Earl felt like. Maybe my time will come sooner than later.

Thanks team!

Ed,

Thanks for sharing...  I've been a bit hesitant about sharing my initial reaction to ME on the Matrix board; most seem giddy regarding the new "features", and my one post about that subject hasn't yet solicited any response.

It sounds as if my results in the "Bootcamp" scenarios was a bit better than yours, managing at least a Minor Victory in all.  In the one scenario that I've played to completion (From Russia With Love), I wound up with an overwhelming Major, although it was barely a minor going into the final turn.  I haven't played PBEM in years, though I've thought lately that it was time to try once again.

I'm... "ok" with the new spotting rules.  It's a big change, and while I certainly prefer the older EF/WF/RS LOS, I can understand the thought process behind the switch.  My major disappointments have to do with the friendly fire "feature" and the incomprehensible (IMO! ) decision to hide damage results in EFOW.

I've had friendly fire affect my troops on a couple of occasions... both were playing in 3D mode where I clicked within the limits of the hex that I intended to target, but evidently, it was close enough to the edge that it targeted the hex that  my guys were in.  This mis-selection of hexes has happened on a couple of other occasions, too.  I've left-clicked on one hex, then right-clicked on the hex to which I intended to move and found the wrong unit moved (i.e., the unit in the adjacent hex). 

The "feature" that really puts me off is the hidden results.  I haven't yet read a solid reason behind this design change, but I cannot fathom why this was done.  I know of no other game where the results of combat are hidden, and this information is, again IMO, necessary to making rational decisions going forward.  Yes, I can click on the enemy unit's hex to see if it's been disrupted, and I can view the damage dialogue to see if any SP's were lost.  I just don't see the point in adding extra steps.

Jason...  if you're listening, please don't misunderstand my post.  I very much appreciate the continued work on the series and a LOT of good things have happened.  I use 2D at least as often as 3D and the new zoom levels are an exceptional enhancement (IMO ).  I too prefer WW II, and am a bit behind the times when it comes to the capabilities of modern equipment and their best tactical uses.  Helicopters look like they'll be a game-changer, though I've only used them in the Bootcamp scenario.  Overall, I think there's a lot to like.

But...  the two things I've mentioned have been off-putting enough that I've probably played EF/WF 2-3 times more often than ME since the latter's release.  They are the reason that I've only played one additional scenario after the bootcamps.  I really hope a FOW slider is in the works, or at least some thought is given to making optional rules out of the friendly fire and hidden damage "features".  Standard FOW is not an option for me...  it gives away a little bit TMI.

Rant over...  Rake out