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All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> Close Combat Series >> Close Combat: Last Stand Arnhem >> Just some impressions and observations.

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Just some impressions and observations. - 7/9/2010 3:12:25 PM

Trash78

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Been playing this game for the past few hours since I'm going to write a review for it on www.tacticularcancer.net. As an old-time fan of the CC series I must say that I was really looking forward to trying a remake to what is easily my most favourite CC so far. So far I've come away with some rather mixed feelings.

Presentation is the best yet in the entire CC series (including the remakes) Nice mission briefings, clear operational and campaign updates and a level of detail and care put into the entire structure which exceeds my expectations. Well done!

Graphics are also clear and crisp. Not only do the maps have the feeling of the old CC2 maps, they also look incredibly good. Little details like smoking and burning vehicles, exhaust fumes, cannon blasts and all look very nice indeed. Not to even mention the care that went into portraying the different vehicles and teams. While the core engine might be ancient by now, this looks very much like a professional product.

Sounds and music are your usual fare. What bothered me with the previous remakes was the rather limited sound set for weapon sounds, soldier sounds and explosions. It got tiresome to hear your troops say the exact same thing everytime a situation repeated itself. I've got the strong impression that a lot of work has been put in adding new voices and sounds. You'll still hear all the old ones but there defenitely seems to have been added quite a few.

Unit diversity was also something which bothered me with the last two remakes. You often saw each battle sport almost the exact same troops, with little variation being possible. Last Stand at Arnhem adds lots of new weapons, unit layouts and vehicles and the like. New toys to play with are always fun!

However I must point out some very niggling things I've noticed so far. Battle map AI seems to perform adequately on the defense but is an incoherent mess while on the offense. The pathfinding for armor seems to have returned to CC2 levels with halftracks being unable to drive along a straight stretch of road without being babysitted with waypoints all the way. This is very puzzling to me concerning just how well the armor behaved ever since the Wacht am Rhein remake. The strategic map AI also seems to be way too timid. I tried to play the last stand at Arnhem operation where a single unit must keep the Arnhem bridges while the AI gets airstrikes, artillery and mortar backup and new units in the areas around it. Imagine my surprise that after trying this op for 4 times now not once did the German AI attack the map with the bridge.

So far I would say the game has everything needed to be the single best remake so far. Unless the AI battle map, pathfinding and campaign map AI issues are solved however I couldn't recommend it over, say, WaR or LD.

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RE: Just some impressions and observations. - 7/9/2010 3:27:32 PM

D.Ilse

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Unit diversity was also something which bothered me with the last two remakes. You often saw each battle sport almost the exact same troops, with little variation being possible. Last Stand at Arnhem adds lots of new weapons, unit layouts and vehicles and the like. New toys to play with are always fun!

Very valid point.

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RE: Just some impressions and observations. - 7/9/2010 4:23:25 PM

Reboot

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Joined: 12/18/2007
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Trash78

However I must point out some very niggling things I've noticed so far. Battle map AI seems to perform adequately on the defense but is an incoherent mess while on the offense. The pathfinding for armor seems to have returned to CC2 levels with halftracks being unable to drive along a straight stretch of road without being babysitted with waypoints all the way. This is very puzzling to me concerning just how well the armor behaved ever since the Wacht am Rhein remake. The strategic map AI also seems to be way too timid. I tried to play the last stand at Arnhem operation where a single unit must keep the Arnhem bridges while the AI gets airstrikes, artillery and mortar backup and new units in the areas around it. Imagine my surprise that after trying this op for 4 times now not once did the German AI attack the map with the bridge.

So far I would say the game has everything needed to be the single best remake so far. Unless the AI battle map, pathfinding and campaign map AI issues are solved however I couldn't recommend it over, say, WaR or LD.

As someone who has been playing CC since the beginning, and as a serious war-gamer for a decade before that, I truly appreciate LSA, as the best CC version ever, by playing it to enjoy it to the max - H2H with a human opponent! Comparatively, playing against the AI is like m*sturbating, while H2H is like being in bed with a gorgeous nymphomaniac. But you know that, right?

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RE: Just some impressions and observations. - 7/9/2010 5:54:54 PM

Knavery

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quote:

Comparatively, playing against the AI is like m*sturbating, while H2H is like being in bed with a gorgeous nymphomaniac. But you know that, right?

Seriously? I've been a gamer since the days of the Commodore 64 and would never compare�multiplayer to being in bed with a gorgeous nymphomaniac. But then I wouldn't admit that I'm that big of a nerd either. I can say this... I'm probably a lot better at multiplayer gaming. :)

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RE: Just some impressions and observations. - 7/9/2010 6:45:52 PM

Kung Karl

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Trash78

So far I would say the game has everything needed to be the single best remake so far. Unless the AI battle map, pathfinding and campaign map AI issues are solved however I couldn't recommend it over, say, WaR or LD.

What make WaR or LD better? Aren't the same issues in those games?

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RE: Just some impressions and observations. - 7/9/2010 7:20:57 PM

Josh

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Joined: 5/9/2000
From: Leeuwarden, Netherlands
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Never mind...

Right, solved it. The link the OP posted is not the right one....

So I thought he was another spammer, apparently not because this is the link he meant to post: http://www.tacticularcancer.com/
(instead of .....NET)

< Message edited by Josh -- 7/9/2010 7:25:24 PM >

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RE: Just some impressions and observations. - 7/9/2010 7:57:59 PM

Trash78

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Joined: 7/9/2010
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Kung Karl

quote:

ORIGINAL: Trash78

So far I would say the game has everything needed to be the single best remake so far. Unless the AI battle map, pathfinding and campaign map AI issues are solved however I couldn't recommend it over, say, WaR or LD.

What make WaR or LD better? Aren't the same issues in those games?

Did I say those games are better? No, I didn't. I just said that as it is I can't recommend LSAA over them. Interestingly enough all of the CC's seem to have their own niggles. Diving troops, deadly mortars, exploding tigers, etc. Crappy armor pathfinding however seemed to have been gone since WAR. Guess it does have that certain CC2 nostalgia factor though.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Josh

Never mind...

Right, solved it. The link the OP posted is not the right one.... So I thought he was another spammer, apparently not because this is the link he meant to post: http://www.tacticularcancer.com/
(instead of .....NET)

Would a spammer put in so much effort trying to detail his impressions? Sorry about the confusion though. Both the rpgcodex.NET and tacticularcancer.COM have the same management. I always mess up the last bit.

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RE: Just some impressions and observations. - 7/9/2010 9:34:04 PM

Andrew Williams

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From: Australia
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Funny... AFAIK

quote:

a lot of work has been put in adding new voices and sounds.

The vox files are the ssame except for new languages.

and

quote:

Little details like smoking and burning vehicles, exhaust fumes, cannon blasts

Are also carry overs from earlier iterations

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RE: Just some impressions and observations. - 7/9/2010 10:36:48 PM

Trash78

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Joined: 7/9/2010
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Interesting. I could swear I heard some new voices and weapon sounds. Guess you've got quite a library of them then. I could also swear that a tank firing its main cannon looked quite a bit more impressive than it did in for instance Iron Cross. Perhaps I just like the new paint job on the vehicles though. Thanks for the reply. Wouldn't want to put false info in the review.

I did however grin a little at the following statement from the product description. "Even more improvements have been made to the AI to reduce some of the more inadequate performance issues, in particular with respect to vehicle pathing, the 'crawl of death', and Team and Unit morale and response in general." I take it the problems with vehicle pathfinding will be dealt with in a patch?

Anyway, been playing a bit more of it. The timid campaign map AI is really quite disappointing. I urge the developers to take a look at the last stand operation to see why. Battles, especially when against a defending AI, are quite a bit harder to win. The seemingly increased size of the maps and the larger mobility of the battle map AI helps here as well.

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RE: Just some impressions and observations. - 7/9/2010 10:45:35 PM

Andrew Williams

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quote:

"Even more improvements have been made to the AI to reduce some of the more inadequate performance issues, in particular with respect to vehicle pathing, the 'crawl of death', and Team and Unit morale and response in general."

made a few people grin... even with gritted teeth.... a well thought through statement don't you think?

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RE: Just some impressions and observations. - 7/9/2010 10:49:33 PM

Trash78

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Well, apart from the shoddy vehicle pathfinding for the player the rest seems to be quite spot on. I'm glad my little men don't dive down to the ground waiting to be picked off one by one as happened in WAR. Still, I do hope vehicle pathfinding will be something the devs look at. Though I'm honestly much more concerned about the axis campaign AI not attacking in many ops atm. Reminds me of the "axis not using artillery" bug from one of the other remakes.

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RE: Just some impressions and observations. - 7/9/2010 10:52:00 PM

Andrew Williams

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Joined: 1/8/2001
From: Australia
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quote:

dive down to the ground waiting to be picked off one by one as happened in WAR.

i believe this has been addressed with the most recently available patch

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Post #: 12

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All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> Close Combat Series >> Close Combat: Last Stand Arnhem >> Just some impressions and observations.

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