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Combat Mission: Shock Force v1.06 All Inclusive Patch Notes

CMSF v1.06 FEATURES

LINE OF SIGHT (LOS) & SPOTTING

? Enhanced LOS system takes into account the dynamically changing heights of soldiers in different stances, and vehicles of varying heights and the height of their crew positions and attached weapons.
? When a squad/team of soldiers is placing a target command, the line to the target is light blue if the LOS is clear, part dark blue and part magenta if it's blocked, and gray if it's mostly clear but not
for every soldier in the squad/team.
? Trees block LOS more strongly.
? Moving vehicles are easier to spot than previously, especially when kicking up large dust clouds.
? Moving units are less likely to move quickly past an enemy and not notice him.
? It's no longer as easy to spot enemy soldiers just because they are standing up (all else being equal).
? Not all the soldiers in an enemy squad/team will necessarily be spotted when some are spotted, even when there is a clear LOS.
? Spotting in extreme-dark moonless night conditions is handled correctly.

INTERFACE

? Command Menu: select a unit and press the SPACE BAR and a popup menu of available commands appears. It's similar to the old CM1 command interface. The menu can be dismissed with another press of the space bar or a mouse click anywhere outside the menu.
? Artillery and air support missions may be targeted without LOS in the setup phase.
? Heavy team weapons display their minimum and maximum ranges in the panel with the name, caliber, etc.
? When an enemy unit is selected, the icons of friendly units that do not currently spot that enemy are darkened. This way it's easy to tell which of your units spots a given enemy.
? Autocannon on the Bradley and BMP-2 are used in "Target Light" commands. This is useful if you want to be certain the vehicle will not use missiles.
? You can give a Hide command to a moving unit without first having to click its final waypoint (the hiding begins when the unit reaches the final waypoint).
? RPG rockets with high-explosive warheads have a new "equipment icon" to differentiate them from the anti-tank types.
? "?" Spot Contact Markers are shown above buildings, not inside them.
? Control-click to "jump" the camera also works in Air/Artillery Support mode.
? Vehicle ammo counts update properly in turn-based playback.
? When placing waypoints for a vehicle and you point the mouse too
close to another vehicle, the correct "prohibited" cursor is displayed.
? Artillery/air spotters do not show target lines for completed missions.
? Group select works correctly when floating icons are switched off.

GRAPHICS

? Roofs and upper floors of occupied buildings are transparent.
? Buildings become transparent when occupied by spotted enemy soldiers too.
? Soldier and vehicle movement animation in turn-based playback is smoother.
? Moon and stars are hidden on nights with thick haze.
? Stryker IR-blocking smoke is colored brown (it was this way in the game originally).
? The 40mm grenade launcher shows a tiny puff of smoke when firing.
? RPG rocket fins don't visually protrude through the launch tube.
? Dead soldiers don't float above craters blown out below them.

VEHICLE BEHAVIOR

? Vehicles have new defensive AI that automatically pops smoke, rotates to face threats, and retreats away from threats.
? "Direct & Exact" vehicle pathfinding when no obstacles are nearby.
? Vehicle movement paths that involve switching to or from reverse movement are smoother .
? TacAI estimates armor penetration probabilities better, improving its selection of ammunition type.
? Vehicle gunners who are also the loaders, are smarter about when to break off a long reloading action (e.g. reloading a missile tube) to take a shot at an enemy unit if another loaded weapon is available
(like on the BRDM-2 ATGM vehicle).
? Tanks are more willing to use main guns versus infantry, especially when given target orders by the player, and also at walls (not just use their MGs).
? The "crew" of vehicles that do not have dedicated crews can acquire any onboard ammunition intended for passengers.
? Vehicles are more likely to fire on the move.

SOLDIER BEHAVIOR

? Marksmen/snipers have significantly improved accuracy but much lower ROF (except at very close range where they behave more like standard riflemen). They also engage at longer ranges.
? Hiding soldiers are more likely to open fire at appropriately serious targets on their own.
? Soldiers are quicker to follow facing orders, if any, at their final waypoint.
? Soldiers are better at shifting positions (very short distances only) to get a clear LOF to a target, or to make better use of cover after a Facing command.
? Soldiers attempt to hug ridgelines for cover.
? Soldiers do a better job positioning themselves behind trees for cover.
? Squad/Team members are less likely to become or remain separated after movement.
? A unit that is moving, and has no explicit combat orders, and has a "hide" order at its destination, is less likely to open fire at intermediate waypoints.
? When splitting off an antitank team from a squad, the antitank specialist is more likely to join it, even if he's not currently armed with an antitank weapon.
? Marksman specialists are less likely to join assault or antitank teams.
? In a squad, teams B and C will not "spread out" into buildings.
? Soldiers are not reluctant to fire into trenches at short range.
? Once a soldier goes prone for any reason, he's more likely to stay prone for at least a little while even if no one is shooting at him.
? Infantry "evade" does not attempt to move to locations that are nearby but blocked by obstacles like high walls.
? Soldiers acting as "medics" will stop and take cover if there is significant incoming fire.
? Soldiers won't exit vehicles onto unsuitable terrain.

SIMULATION

? Small arms accuracy and volume of fire are slightly reduced at medium and long ranges.
? Slightly increased concealment for foxholes, craters, ditches, trenches, trees.
? Slightly increased cover/protection provided by buildings.
? Effect radius of shrapnel from explosions is increased - you'll notice this especially with grenades. Exception: shaped-charge weapons (e.g. RPGs) have a reduced shrapnel effect radius.
? IEDs time their explosions better so the target is closer and more likely to be damaged.
? Smoke deployed by Abrams tanks and Bradley IFVs deploys "instantly" (like the Stryker smoke already does).
? Explosions near, but not touching, buildings do slightly less damage to the buildings.
? Airburst artillery explodes correctly above buildings.
? Improved calculations for the impact location and direction of projectile ricochets off buildings.

DATA

? Bradley, Abrams, and Stryker are less likely to explode when hit internally.
? T-72 TURMS has upgraded commander's optical/night-vision equipment. ? BMP-1 and BMP-2 are better able to spot enemies.
? AT-3 missile minimum range is 500m.
? Syrian armored personnel carriers carry extra small arms ammunition for their infantry squads.
? Stryker armor reduced - the main difference you'll notice is that 30mm rounds from the BMP-2 will usually penetrate.

MISC FEATURES

? Hold down the 'V' key at game startup and the intro video will no longer play when the game loads. This setting will be saved in the preferences
file. On subsequent startups you can press 'V' again to bring the video back.
? The "display size.txt" file in the CMSF directory now uses a third number to state the desired monitor refresh rate. Optionally use this file if you wish to manually select a resolution and refresh rate for CMSF. Exercise caution and only use a resolution and refresh rate supported by your monitor as damage to your monitor or display adapater could occur, especially if you use too high a setting. The format for this file is Horizontal Resolution (in pixels), Vertical Resolution (in pixels) and Refresh Rate (in Hertz). (For example, if you wanted to run the game in 1440x900 @ 75Hz, your "display size.txt" file would look like this: 1440 900 75) Use all 0's to allow the game to use the current desktop resolution and
refresh rate. (example: 0 0 0)

MISC BUG FIXES

? Fixed several "stuck" squad and soldier issues.
? Fixed the "heavy weapon left behind" bug.
? Corrected a camera TAB-lock directional problem in playback mode.
? Corrected a problem that caused some flavor objects to disappear in saved games.
? Quick Battle troops are correctly placed in their setup zones.
? Computer player does a better job setting up vehicles so they're not in unsuitable terrain.
? Fixed a bug that allowed shots to be fired at targets that had disappeared from view a moment earlier.
? Corrected some problems caused by balconies being placed directly over separate buildings.
? Corrected some pathfinding and LOS problems related to "internal" doors and "open" walls between connected buildings.
? No message is displayed when an objective is "touched" by enemy forces.
? IEDs may not use the target command if all friendly soldiers are casualties.
? Corrected a bug where an MG crewman could "fall off the roof" when the MG changes position or facing.
? Fixed a bug that allowed two vehicles to have the same movement destination and "merge together" upon arrival.

This patch also includes all of the various features of previous patches, see the readfile enclosed with the patch for full details.

PREVIOUS SAVE GAME COMPATIBILITY NOTE:
Save games created with earlier versions of the game are NOT compatible with v1.06. Please finish your in-progress games before applying this patch.

MANUAL ADDENDUM:
The manuals reference to the eLicense licensing and game activation system (pages 12-15 and 194) is ONLY applicable to the Battlefront.com version of the game. The Gamersgate and Paradox Interactive versions of the game each use their own licensing/activation/protection systems and you should contact those companies directly if you have problems licensing or activating those versions of the game.

TROUBLESHOOTING INFO:
Included with this patch is the most up to date troubleshooting guide. It is located in the game folder (filename Troubleshooting Guide.html) as well as in the BattlefrontCombat Mission Shock Force Program Group located under the Start Menu).

ONSCREEN UNIT COMMAND MENU:
New to this version of Combat Mission: Shock Force is a selectable Command Menu. In order to view this new onscreen list of clickable commands, select a unit and press the SPACE BAR and a popup menu of available commands will appear. It's similar to the old CM1 command interface. The menu can be dismissed with another press of the space bar or a mouse click anywhere outside the menu.

HOYKEYS CUSTOMIZATION HELP:
Combat Mission has two distinctly different approaches for using unit Commands via the keyboard; Relative and Direct. The Relative system involves a set of 9 keys centered around three rows of three consecutive keys each. These 9 keys match the 9 Command Buttons in the user interface's Command Panel. Each hotkey controls the commands RELATIVE to the position on the screen. For example, by default the U key activates the Top Row Left-Most key which would be FAST, TARGET, and SPLIT depending on which Command Group is visible (Movement, Combat, and Special respectively). The Direct system, on the other hand, assigns a unique hotkey for DIRECT access to each Command. No attention is paid to the graphical representation on the screen. For example, if so assigned, F would issue the FAST command. T would issue the TARGET command, H would control the HIDE command etc... no matter which Command Group is visible on the screen.

There are pros and cons to each system. The Relative system allows the player to keep one hand stationary on the keyboard and does not require any "hunting and pecking" to find the right hotkey. The downside is that when you wish to use two Commands in a row that are in different Command Groups you have to first switch the proper Command Group (now done using the F5-F8 keys). The Direct system allows you to string Commands together without concern for which Command Group they are in, but does have the drawback of requiring the hand to move and locate a specific key, which may or may not be easily memorized. Which is "better" comes down to personal player preference, therefore both are provided.

Whenever possible, the order buttons under the various Command Panels will display the assigned "direct" key in highlighted green text.

Note, we recommend that you decide which system you prefer and then assign the keys as you wish by editing the hotkeys.txt file. The default key assignments have all 9 Relative keys assigned (UIOJKLM,.) as well as a selection of the most commonly used commands mapped to new Direct keys (Move Fast, Move Normal, Reverse, Target, Target Light, Face, Deploy, Pause, Hide, Dismount, Vehicle Open Up and Pop Smoke) to give you an idea of how the two systems work. We have found that using one or the other systems exclusively seems to have the best results and do not recommend mixing the two systems together. While it's possible to do, it could mean getting the worst of both systems and not really getting the benefits. Therefore, if you wish to use the Direct system we advise that you edit the hotkeys.txt file to unassign the 9 Relative hotkeys. Also, be aware to not double assign any keys to multiple functions.

In order to change the hotkey assignments, please see the hotkeys.txt file located in the game DATA folder.

CHANGING GAME RESOLUTION:
By default, the first time the game is launched, the games internal resolution and refresh rate are set to whatever your desktop display is currently set to. We have added two ways to make adjustments to this settings.

From inside the game, go to the Main Menu, then select the Options panel. From there you can select the game to run at the following resolutions:
Desktop = (the game will run at whatever resolution your desktop is set to)
1024x768
1152x864
1280x960

If you want to run the game in a resolution and refresh rate not listed, you can manually configure these settings by editing the "display size.txt" file located in your game directory. Simply change the numbers that you see there with the width (in pioxels) and height (in pixels) and refresh rate (in Hertz) you wish to run the game.

Example: For 1440x900 at 75Hz refresh rate, you would delete the numbers in that file and replace with "1440 900 75" (without quotes).

If you put in all zeroes example: 0 0 0, the game will revert to using your desktop resolution and refresh rate.

Exercise caution and only use a resolution and refresh rate supported by your monitor as damage to your monitor or display adaptor could occur, especially if you use too high a setting.

MULTIPLAYER INFO:
Combat Mission: Shock Force uses the UDP and TCP port 7023 for all multiplayer games. If you are trying to HOST a TCP-IP game make sure and open port 7023 for both UDP and TCP traffic.

GAME LANGUAGE INFO:
You can change between the available languages from within the Options panel however we have only included scenarios and campaigns for English, German, Spanish and French. If you select Italian or Polish languages you may (depending on what version of the game you own) have to copy the scenarios and folders files from inside the Game FilesScenarios and Game FilesCampaigns folders and place them into the appropriately named folders for your selected language.

If you make a change to the language setting, be sure and immediately exit the game and then reload in order for the game to properly prepare the language setting and files.