Command: Modern Operations News

Hello everyone, today we have a new Command update for you. Included are numerous bugfixes and minor tweaks. We also have implemented new features for unguided rocket artillery and counter-battery fire. Check out the full changelog below.

* NEW FEATURE: Counter-RAM mechanics (currently only for unguided rockets). Here is some general background information.

Unguided rockets are now no longer auto-detectable, instead they need to be explicitly detected by sensors. Rockets above 100mm in caliber can be detected by general air-search sensors if the physics are right; smaller-caliber rockets can be detected only by CRAM-specialized sensors such as counter-battery radars (e.g. TPQ-36/37, Zoopark-1/2, ARTHUR, COBRA etc.). They can also be engaged by weapons possessing a CRAM capability, such as the Centurion CIWS or Iron Dome.

If a counter-battery optimized sensor detects one or more rockets, it is able to backtrack their trajectory and generate a rough-location contact for the unit that fired them. This allows modelling real-life counter-battery hunting tactics.

* ADDED: [Lua] Added actual roll and pitch to unit wrapper
* ADDED: [Lua] Add the name of the causing event/trigger/etc to generated Lua-error messages

* Numerous performance tweaks on map/UI and simulation engine
* TWEAK: Restored the "Placenames" map layer, using a subset of the Stamen Labels layer (cached on
MG servers, not Stamen's).
* TWEAK: Ballistic missile and RV contacts are marked as "FIREBALL" (instead of MISSILE)
* TWEAK: [Lua] Enhanced CallAdvancedDialog to handle HTML as input and return Lua table of values
* TWEAK: Tweak on aircraft acceleration physics: The accel rate drops due to exponentially-rising drag
as approaching the maximum speed for given alt & throttle (practical effect: planes accelerate really
fast from an initial low speed, but take forever to reach the maximum speed).
* TWEAK: In ABM DLZ checks, consider the interceptor's ceiling when attempting to calculate the
seeker-activation point

* FIXED: #15079: [B1307.2] ToT not working for single unit firing on multiple targets
* FIXED: #15372: TALDs not being rendered on map
* FIXED: #15334: [B1328.10] Weapon allocations by default?
* Fixed: Torpedo contact impact crashing for undefined primary target
* Fixed: Crash when fetching time of day
* FIXED: #15359: Issue with text measurement on info bar
* FIXED: WPN MAX quantity onboard was miscalculated in some occasion + in some cases the unit was
focused on fire against a low priority target
* FIXED: AAW range-ring flickering
* FIXED: ACs not dropping their bombs on the first pass
* FIXED: ACs not dropping their bombs due to altitude
* FIXED: AEGIS ships not auto-firing SAMs
* FIXED: #15365: [B1328.11] SA-21 blocking issue
* Fixed: Wrong behaviour of ground unit slider and Icon zoom not being saved and shown in interface
* FIXED: Climb Time was not calculated correctly for HoldStart and HoldEnd WP 1/X
* Fixed: DLZ failure for ABM intercept
* FIXED: #15314: [1328.9] Intercept Mission
* FIXED: #15338: [CPE 2.2.5] [1328.10] Duplicate row when selecting "preset" in WRA Range
* FIXED: #15355: [1328.10] Copy&Paste a decoy unit add DECOY word every time.
* Fixed: #15357: S-400 Peters out vs. target at medium range
* FIXED: (1328.10a) Naval unit not auto engaging ground mobile
* FIXED: #15361: [1328.10] Priority in land ship weapons
* FIXED: MDSP issues regarding TOTs and Wpn Altitude
* FIXED: Cargo Package not in Pool
* FIXED: [1328.10a] Repeatable Exception Error During Bomb Impacts
* FIXED: [1328.10a] Very Straightforward Strike Mission Errors and not meeting TOT
* FIXED: #15353: [1328.10] AA-12 Tailchase
* FIXED: Allow Ferry missions to use flightplan only in "One Way" Setting
* FIXED: Aircraft Not Following Flight Plan
* FIXED: No MDSP message if the correction if the altitude function is not called from the UI
* FIXED: Logic flaw in determining units stacked under the map-click point
* FIXED: When firing to an incoming weapon if the weapon is within the min range (plus some slack)
drop it + Message feedback for unit not firing
* FIXED: Low-DP but nevertheless "valid" (in terms of armor penetration) hits were not destroying
ground-vehicle units (this can happen frequently with e.g. cluster munitions).
* FIXED: the Turning point Ingress just before weapon release has to follow a different default altitude,
the "strike" one and not the "cruise" one
* FIXED: Taking into account mission template when generating or fixing flightplan altitude

So, this was not the best communication attempt ever...

When we initially set out to explain the situation with the Stamen map layers going away, we referred to them as satellite imagery. This was a mistake, and created a lot of unnecessary confusion and anguish among some users.

So let's try this again.

As we wrote on that piece, we were forced in a hurry to drop support for three map layers externally provided by the kind people at Stamen Maps: "Stamen Terrain" (a topography layer, see sample)
"Stamen Roads and Cities" (a variant of Terrain optimized for displaying road & urban networks) and "Stamen Labels" (a layer dedicated to displaying placenames). These layers are moving to a paid-access system from Oct 31.

As part of our pre-release coverage of CMO, we presented the various map layers included in Command in this article. With the exception of the Stamen layers, all of these layers still remain available as always.

In addition:

1) Beginning with the upcoming v1.06 / Build 1328.11 update, we are restoring the placenames layer. Stamen have kindly provided a very liberal usage license on their map tiles, so we can re-host the placename tiles on our own servers and provide them on-demand to CMO users. So this useful to many map layer is coming back, free of hosting concerns.

To pre-empt the reasonable question of "Why aren't you doing the same with the other two layers": We use only up to the level-10 zoom on placenames, which keeps the number and size of the fileset at fairly small levels. The other two layers go all the way to level-17 zoom, and at that scale the file numbers and sizes are GIGANTIC. Let alone the challenges of hosting such a set; we cannot obtain it from Stamen in the first place.

2) Serendipitously, we recently added support for the third-party OpenTopoMap layer in Command. This is an excellent map set offering both topography and road+urban network data, thus easily rivalling the functionality offered by the retired Stamen layers.

Thus, at the end of the day users of Command still have an excellent, high detail topography layer at their disposal. And as previously noted, all the other existing layers are offered directly by MatrixGames and are not going anywhere.

At the same time, this turn of events has motivated us to start exploring additional map layers & services out there which may be of good value to users of CMO and CPE. We are evaluating some possible candidates but we are also open to suggestions from the user community.

We hope this clarification eases the legitimate concerns of many players caused by our initial announcement.

Dear Command users,

We’re usually here to tell you good news about new features but unfortunately today we have some bad news. For the last 5 years we’ve been using, with permission, a satellite imaging company's map tiles for the inner zoom levels of the satellite imagery in Command. This company has decided to put these map tiles behind a pay wall as of October 31st. We only just became aware of this when the map tiles started disappearing in the game so the short-term solution is to remove these map tiles. This is the course we have elected to take and the team are testing the build before we release it. This will replace the previous higher resolution imagery with lower resolution layers.

An example of the missing map data

We know how much the Command community likes this kind of high res imagery and so we will be looking for an alternative solution for the future. Increasingly, these types of services are behind paywalls so we may be unable to find a free option. For now we just wanted you to know it is something we will be looking in to but we don’t have a plan in place just yet. We were not warned this was going to happen. We’re sorry for any inconvenience this causes and we hope it does not have too great an impact on your enjoyment of the game.

Thanks again for your understanding and support.

The Command Team

Command: Showcase - Operation Desert Falcon is out now
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
The year is 2027 and France's position in the Sahel has become untenable.

A coup d'état in Chad has brought an anti-colonial regime to power. Militant groups are seizing foreign assets and government security forces have gone over to the United Sahel Liberation Front. With militants advancing on Massenya Airfield, the main base being used to evacuate French and foreign nationals, only the French air force can provide the necessary support to prevent a massacre.

The closest fighter squadron equipped to support the evacuation is staged over 2,000 nautical miles away in southern France. Equipped with the Rafale multirole fighter and the A330 tanker, you have the range to reach out from the Metropole to touch the Sahara.

You will need to manage multiple air-to-air refueling's, synchronized multidomain strikes, and the logistics of evacuating Massenya. The 500 civilians the will only be safe once they have landed at Libreville, in Gabon. Operation Desert Falcon uses the Multidomain Strike Planner, Ops Planner, Cargo 2.0, and Palletized Munitions to give you all the tools you need to execute a difficult mission, the evacuation of an airbase under siege.


Features:

• Playable as the French and focused on the Rafale C and the A330 Phenix, along with other supporting platforms like the C-130 and C-17.
  
• Multiple political factors in play. Libya is the most direct route but will you risk flying your strike mission over an active conflict zone?
  
• Plan for zero losses. With Frances position in Africa already teetering, any loss of aircraft or national humiliation will be considered a mission failure.
  
• Plan for the unknown. Chad has an arsenal of MiG-29’s, Su-25’s, and JF-17N’s that could disrupt your plans.
  
• Race against the clock. Militants are closing on the Massenya Airfield and the evacuation must be conducted quickly and with proper security.
  
• Utilizes new Command features like the Ops Planner, Multidomain Strike Planner, Cargo 2.0, and Palletized Munitions. It is highly recommended that the player completes the MDSP tutorials before playing.
  

This operation demands nothing less than perfection.

Bonne chance, Commandant.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2516840/Command_Showcase__Operation_Desert_Falcon/

Hello Command fans, we have two pieces of news for you about our upcoming new Showcase DLC and our 10th anniversary.

First off, the DLC. Command: Showcase - Operation Desert Falcon is now confirmed to go live October 10th, 2023. This near future mission will see you conducting long range airstrikes from the French Metropole into Chad with Rafale's, Phenix's, and C-17's equipped with RAPID DRAGON. This scenario is a great choice for learning how to get the most out of Cargo 2.0, the Mission Planner, and Aerial Refueling.

A flight of Rafale's on the long trip from the Metropole to Chad

A race against the clock as rebels attack French assets

The riskier but more direct route over war-torn Libya

Aerial refueling is key in this long distance strike mission

The future of Françafrique depends on your success. The symbolic value of even a single fighter lost could spell doom for France's future in the Sahel. This challenging mission demands nothing less than perfection. We are looking forward to seeing how our community tackles this Showcase.

And onto the other news we have...



Time flies when you're having fun

Command just passed it's Tenth Anniversary! Over the past ten years we have seen several massive updates and changes to Command.

*New features and improvements like Cargo 2.0, the Multi-Domain Strike Planner, and the Mission Planner.

*Modeling of cutting edge new technology like RAPID DRAGON in our massive database, which just passed over 500 updates and iterations.

*Introducing our 64-bit update and DirectX 11 map render.

I am sure I am forgetting other milestones we passed but the last year alone has been a whirlwind of new features and updates.

We would like to take a moment to thank our fans for joining us on this long journey to make the premier modern military simulator. Your feedback and suggestions have been essential in making Command what it is today.