First impressions

Close Combat: Panthers in the Fog is the first new release (not a re-make of a previous games) in years in the critically acclaimed Close Combat series. It details the desperate German counter-attack at Mortain, the last chance of the Wehrmacht to stave off defeat in Normandy. Can you match the tenacity of the American defenders of Hill 314? Or can you succeed where the Panzers failed, driving through to the sea and changing history? Improved 32-bit graphics and the ability to control more squads than ever bring the Close Combat engine to a new level.
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Redmarkus5
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First impressions

Post by Redmarkus5 »

I DL'd today and played my first campaign battle.

1. Large, lovely maps. Very detailed, high rez and elegant on my 2560x1600 wide screen. These make all the difference for me and make it feel almost like a new game.

2. I removed the fog effects as they were annoying me - big improvement after I did that and it only took 30 seconds to edit the file: (open C:\Matrix Games\Close Combat Panthers in the Fog\DATA\BASE in notepad and then edit this text so that it shows all zeros instead of 4s "# Historical weather for each day (0 = Clear, 1 = overcast, 2 = light overcast, 3 = storm, 4 = morning fog)
0,0,0,0,0,0,0").

3. Unit movement appears essentially unchanged, but the infantry do suffer losses much more rapidly - keep them hidden if you can!

4. The FOW feels much more realistic than before.

5. I like the new unit icons and the campaign map effects.

If you enjoyed the series then you will definitely enjoy this. Looks like it has loads of modding potential as well and we can hope to see a series of mods and campaigns coming from the old CC modders. My first choice would be an East Front mod.

My recommendation is buy if you are OK with the usual wait for mods and patches. There's nothing I've seen so far that would stop me from enjoying this game.
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Tejszd
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RE: First impressions

Post by Tejszd »

Thanks for posting your first impression redmarkus4! Would love to have your monitor, I assume a 27" since that resolution so high?
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Redmarkus5
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RE: First impressions

Post by Redmarkus5 »

Yes. It felt really big when I first got it, but now I wish for a bigger one!
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wodin
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RE: First impressions

Post by wodin »

Damn..Inf die even quicker?! I hope in CC3D they revert back to the Inf of CC2..CC for me stood out because Inf weren't cannon fodder..such a shame.
xambrium
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RE: First impressions

Post by xambrium »

i only wish for an BG unlock mod (vet mod!). i want to control a full company not a squad + support. The maps are way to big for the manpower brougt to the battle..
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Redmarkus5
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RE: First impressions

Post by Redmarkus5 »

Yes, I could do with more units on the map, that's true. I wonder if the AI could handle it though? I suspect not.
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Uxbridge
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RE: First impressions

Post by Uxbridge »

I've played these games on and off since the very first one. If there's anything I wanted - and always were curious about why it wasn't implemented - it was more soldiers commited to the battles. If, as Redmarkus suggest, the AI can't handle that, why not having the possibility to add new units to the empty slots as units are KIA? Reinforcements, sort of. As it is now, and always was, is that the beginning of a battle plays differently to the ending of it. There's a repetitive pattern in the game. Bet I'm not the only one running around the map, trying to gain points with an out-of-ammo mortar team?

But regardless, I always seem to return to CC, whatever anything else.
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Redmarkus5
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RE: First impressions

Post by Redmarkus5 »

ORIGINAL: Uxbridge

I've played these games on and off since the very first one. If there's anything I wanted - and always were curious about why it wasn't implemented - it was more soldiers commited to the battles. If, as Redmarkus suggest, the AI can't handle that, why not having the possibility to add new units to the empty slots as units are KIA? Reinforcements, sort of. As it is now, and always was, is that the beginning of a battle plays differently to the ending of it. There's a repetitive pattern in the game. Bet I'm not the only one running around the map, trying to gain points with an out-of-ammo mortar team?

But regardless, I always seem to return to CC, whatever anything else.

Excellent suggestion. Why didn't I think of that??? :)
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Tejszd
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RE: First impressions

Post by Tejszd »

The reinforcement or later arriving troops as been suggested unfortunately I guess it has never made to the top whatever number to be included it seems....

Unfortunately there always seems to have to be some sort of comprise between the development duration and effort against the feature list no matter who had the code to do the next game.
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RE: First impressions

Post by xe5 »

Unit movement has changed with the ability to mount/dismount vehicles. The chief advantage to this is delivering non-fatigued units to jump-off positions.

The option to remove the game clock and Force Morale displays (F8) increases FOW considerably.


xambrium
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RE: First impressions

Post by xambrium »

i dont understand why the forcepool is mostly blocked to such few units. why should i take opel blitz or kubelwagen/jeeps if i dont have enough man to fight the battle at all? [:(]
Tejszd
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RE: First impressions

Post by Tejszd »

While towing is neat feature to finally have in the game most people will not bother with a taking a truck to tow the gun when they can take a fighting unit. The gun and truck should maybe be a pair???
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RE: First impressions

Post by xe5 »

ORIGINAL: xambrium
why should i take opel blitz or kubelwagen/jeeps if i dont have enough man to fight the battle at all? [:(]
That Opel Blitz might be the only way to move your PaK40 to a postion where it can engage the marauding M4s that are causing you to have even fewer men.
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bairdlander2
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RE: First impressions

Post by bairdlander2 »

Have the unit graphics improved?Are there differant/improved sound effects of weapons and voices or is it the same as previous versions?
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Southern Hunter
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RE: First impressions

Post by Southern Hunter »

ORIGINAL: xambrium

i dont understand why the forcepool is mostly blocked to such few units. why should i take opel blitz or kubelwagen/jeeps if i dont have enough man to fight the battle at all? [:(]

I have to agree that this is a problem.

Because there are only a few 'support' units selectable in each battle, I tend to take the best of them, which might include tanks or AT guns. I can't ever find a real reason to take bazookas, trucks, small guns, etc. 90% of your support assets are never used.
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Redmarkus5
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RE: First impressions

Post by Redmarkus5 »

ORIGINAL: bairdlander

Have the unit graphics improved?Are there differant/improved sound effects of weapons and voices or is it the same as previous versions?

All three of these are unchanged. The main visual change you will see is the maps.
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Redmarkus5
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RE: First impressions

Post by Redmarkus5 »

ORIGINAL: bairdlander

Have the unit graphics improved?Are there differant/improved sound effects of weapons and voices or is it the same as previous versions?

The one CC mystery I never resolved is, who is 'Moorhouse'? LOL
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xe5
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RE: First impressions

Post by xe5 »

Aussie Ross 'Future' Moorhouse, CC modman.

Soldier/vehicle scale is improved by the increase in map scale. Tanks can have 2 paint schemes. Nato style unit icons have replaced the star/cross team info icons on the tactical map and the stylized unit icons on the overview map. Terrain graphics (entrenchments/shellhole/rubble) are new as are the very well done explosion effects.

I expect we'll hear some of the old John Johnson (man of many voices) - Speed of Sound studio sfx in the future 3D CCs :}
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RE: First impressions

Post by Pvt_Grunt »

ORIGINAL: redmarkus4

The one CC mystery I never resolved is, who is 'Moorhouse'? LOL
And former ANZAC clan leader.
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Redmarkus5
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RE: First impressions

Post by Redmarkus5 »

Ah... well now I know. That explains why panicked soldiers call for his help... I had assumed he must be the medic in every platoon.
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