Command: Modern Operations News

Hello Commanders, a new update has gone live.

The big new feature for this update is water-surface facilities. These are facilities and structures located on the surface of the ocean that can be targeted by both anti-ship and anti-land weapon systems. Examples of this are piers, bridges, and offshore drilling facilities. The full changelog for this patch is listed below.

v1.06.1328.13 – 12th January 2024
• NEW FEATURE: Water-surface facilities (supported only on v504+ DBs). Such facilities are
placed on the water surface (not on the sea bottom) and can be attacked with both land-attack
and anti-ship weapons. Examples of such facilities include bridges (both single-unit and multi-
segment), offshore platforms, piers etc.
• ADDED: Unit Status panel (right column) shows primary target name for selected unit
• ADDED: Display a red X-crosshairs symbol and ETA on the calculated interception point when a
weapon is selected
• ADDED: Added 'Unpack all containers at destination' option for Cargo Transfer Mission
• ADDED: Added aircraft emergency diversion to new host base when fuel is too low
• ADDED: [Lua] Contact wrapper - markedAsDecoy property
• ADDED: [Lua] Add time on target and takeoff time to mission wrapper
• TWEAK: Significant performance improvement on game startup and scenario loading time
• TWEAK: Fixes & enhancements on mine-laying mission
• TWEAK: Losses & expenditures: Don't attempt to show stores with an empty name
• TWEAK: Map appears at slightly higher resolution at lower altitude, reducing OpenTopoMap
pixellation
• TWEAK: OpenTopoMap layer does not stop rendering tiles at very low altitude. Virtual Earth layer
renders tiles at higher resolution at very low altitude.
• TWEAK: When bubbling up message-box messages from sim-core to UI, check if the originator
side is the current side on the UI; if not then don't show them
• TWEAK: Nuclear detonations begin appearing immediately upon detonation instead of after a
slight delay and their circles expand with internal fill that fades out over time.
• TWEAK: Event balloons render properly again with outlines and elliptical background fill around
them.
• TWEAK: Various refinements on the "throttle down to avoid wierd things" logics active during
double-flame time accel
• TWEAK: List Packages in order by name
• FIXED: #15458: Various aircrafts don't have a correct WRA Classification
• FIXED: #15447 : Ballistic missiles erratic trajectories
• FIXED: Comms-jammer was jamming low-frequency radar
• FIXED: Bark for "weapon hold" status and "switching to opportunity targets" were visible even if
the unit was not from the player side
• FIXED: Cached datatables access issue causing DB-Viever and "Add Unit" dialog to not behave
correctly
• FIXED: Decoy icon not being shown for decoy UAVs
• FIXED: [1328.12] OECM jamming other bands
• FIXED: #15468: No Navigation Zones Prevent Flights from Launching
• FIXED: Missiles were handled as air contacts and so they where not always targeted + there was
an hardcoded limitation of 10NM when identifying an incoming weapon as a threat.
• FIXED: #15469: [1328.12] BM detonating into the ground
• FIXED: #15250: Port/dock 'blue area' (pier lane) not working properly
• FIXED: Keep plotted path on map when WP selected
• FIXED: [DX11 renderer] Pier-lanes not being rendered
• FIXED: #15462: [1328.13] Units on inactive missions don't perform manual attack
• FIXED: #15407: [1328.12] SAMs not working against Guided Weapons and BM
• FIXED: #15466: [1328.12] HAAWC from Osprey not seen
• FIXED: Non-Functional Air-to-Air Missiles in Helicopters, CMO v1.06 Build 1328.12
• FIXED: Suicide craft not auto-attacking water-surface facilities, also manual suicide attacks do not
generate damage
• FIXED: Various fixes on submarine damage from shaped-charge torpedoes:
o The secondary-explosion damage of such torpedoes was not affecting the target sub
o The explosion standoff was too small for all types of ASW torpedo impacts (generated too
high shock factor)
o Fire/flood effects are now cumulative (e.g. major + major --> step up to "severe")
• FIXED: "ASW optimized" warheads not producing secondary blast effect
• FIXED: ASW-optimized torpedo warheads were not getting their designed penetration & flooding
bonus
• FIXED: Unit assigned to cargo mission waits for pending cargo when it won't be able to load it
• FIXED: #15396: (1328.11) Illumination and targeting vectors not appearing properly
• FIXED: Weapon losses not recorded
• FIXED: Unit icons "parallaxing" against map layer at extremely close zoom
• FIXED: QuickSink-fused weapon was impacting non-ship target and the impact logics had not
accounted for this case (fallback to normal impact)
• FIXED: Weapon ETA calculator did not consider carried-dispenser weapons (JP233, MW-1 etc.)
• FIXED: in some cases Aircrafts where circling around WP 6
• FIXED: #15310: CEZ Terrain Pathfinding Bug?
• FIXED: Explosion crater only damaging the first hit unit
• FIXED: #15253: [B1328.8] 64-bit slowdown when launching mass amount of bombs
• FIXED: Calculation of ABM intercept point did not take into account max weapon altitude
• FIXED: Tanker-to-tanker aerial refueling issue
• FIXED: #15440: Diesel/electric submarine extremely loud if electric engine is destroyed
• FIXED: #15414: [B1328.12] Aircraft not following flight plan speed
• FIXED: #15077: The DISPLAY of Flight Plan Paths seems off
• FIXED: #15402: [1328.11] Prosecution Area not working
• FIXED: (Double-flame mode rudder behaviour) Wobbling ships, boats and submarines
• FIXED: Broken ESM for negative altitude
• FIXED: (Double flame mode) Some weapons type overshooting targets
• FIXED: #15415: [B1328.12] Aircraft not firing all their standoff weapons
• FIXED: #15127: [B1307.14] MDSP & WRA Issues
• FIXED: Some ACs where not RTB
• FIXED: #14926: [1307.9] ATO does not show all packages under a task pool when the pool is
selected
• FIXED: Units with a phased-array radar boresighted well away from the unit's heading (e.g.
SLAR) incorrectly suffered the "phased array degradation due to off-boresight angle"
• Fixed/Tweaked: Effectively decayed satellite (moving along a decayed orbit) will destroy it
• FIXED: #15431: AOU miscalculates for very high altitudes and sensor range (e.g. GEO SIGINT
satellites)
• FIXED: #14925: [1307.9] Sorting ATO by mission/package greys out all buttons except "Create
flight"
• FIXED: #15374: [1328.11] Can't assignt a ship from a group to a Strike mission
• FIXED: Group leash transparency
• FIXED: 0014882: [B1303] Extreme wingman separation
• FIXED: Leftover UI-only code (from the pre-CMO days) stating that HGVs & D-EMP weapons
could only be used in CPE
• FIXED: ABM interceptor activation point too low vs. ascending target
• FIXED: #15430: [1328.12] Command Blocked with Error
• FIXED: UAVs visual/icon classification fix
• FIXED: #15418: [1328.12] DB viewer exception Log
• FIXED: #15413: [B1328.12] Aircraft taking off to0 soon
• FIXED: Issue with the new HPM weapon type that doesn't let you attack an UAV if it's a weapon
(ie. loitering munition) but if it's an aircraft you can attack it
• FIXED: #15410: [B1328.12] Aircraft flying off into space (point 1)
• FIXED: #14923: [1307.9] Cloning missions with generated flightplans messes up some references
in ATO
• FIXED: #15406: Parabolic trajectory on guided projectiles wasn't taking into account altitude delta
• FIXED: [Operation Planner] UI is more responsive for H and L initial mission dropdown when
adding a mission concurrently
• Numerous general fixes
• Numerous sim-performance tweaks
• Includes the new v504 release of the DB3000 and CWDB databases.
o DB3000 v504 additions:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1InvoyJJJnRGfCpDJgU9cNOAxMNCCw1P9/view?usp=sharing

o CWDB v504 additions:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ip8AM2y1EZbQgQusUC6BFPzlKwxU6Cgt/view?usp=sharing

Today we are announcing our newest piece of Command DLC. Showcase - Icebreakers will take you to the arctic circle, commanding a naval task force in a F.O.N. exercise gone hot. Icebreakers will be out February 1st, 2024.

Hypersonic missiles are launched to attack Russian surface units

As the globe warms Arctic ice retracts, turning the frozen Siberian coastline into the worlds next great shipping lane. Ships transiting the Northern Sea Route (NSR) from Shanghai to Copenhagen travel only 1/3rd of the old distance, and avoid strategic bottlenecks like the Suez Canal and strait of Gibraltar. It is in this new, thawing theater that the Russian President and MoD see an avenue of restoring national pride, a theater which most in the west feel comfortable cropping out of their maps. Investments and military constructions are initiated turning this barren sea lane into an arctic kill-zone, emboldening the Russian parliament to declare that their laws regarding this new waterway supersede the United Nations Law of the Sea. In response, the U.S. President and Canadian Prime Minister decide to challenge Russia’s claims in the region.

The Polar Star smashes it's way through an ice flow, creating a corridor for the fleet

In Showcase: Icebreakers it's up to you to lead a Freedom of Navigation operation in one of the most inhospitable climates on earth, the Arctic circle. Leading the fleet is the Polar Star, an icebreaker capable of plowing through the sheets of sea ice. Following behind her are several allied surface action groups including Zumwalt and Arleigh Burke Destroyers, along with Harry DeWolf patrol ships, and more. While there is no carrier as a part of the fleet, you will have the support of Air Force units stationed in Alaska.

Russian units harass the combined Canadian/U.S. fleet as they make their way through this new northern passage

Information is ammunition, and with Russian satellites active you will need all the help you can get to control the flow of information. US CYBERCOM has prepared an attack package code named “Widowmaker" which will help deal with the Russian satellites.

With Alaska and Siberia nearby, land-based missiles and aircraft become a major factor in operations

War has not been declared, but hostilities could begin at any moment. The Russian response to your actions will dynamically change according to the level of hostility you display. This is made possible by our new "Road to War" script that models gradual escalations from harassment and skirmishing, to outright warfare.

In brutal Arctic conditions, personnel won't survive long in the water without a rescue

Good luck Commander, control of this new sea lane is crucial.

Icebreakers will be out on Steam February 1st, 2024

Hello everyone, we have a Command: MO update for you today with several tweaks and bugfixes along with new UI options.

v1.06.1328.12 – 6th December 2023

• ADDED: New map display option (Game Options window): Draw black outlines on icons & text to make them easier to stand out against background map (ON by default; disable if it is slowing down rendering)
  
• ADDED: [Lua] Added target property to unit wrapper
  
• TWEAK: Map appears at slightly higher resolution on average by loading higher zoom levels at higher altitudes.
  
• TWEAK: Updated built-in callsigns list
  
• FIXED: Crash issue on startup
  
• FIXED: #15340: [Lua] Sensor mounts were not being attached to parent platforms when added by Lua - SE_UpdateUnit; this led to incorrect illumination-arc calculation
  
• FIXED: #15335: [B1328.10] Palletized munitions with Nan altitude and other issues
  
• FIXED: [B1238.11] Rapid Dragon weapons pallets transcending altitude, accelerating infinitely, and migrating to North Pole
  
• FIXED: [Lua] Exception error in weapon wrapper
  
• FIXED: [B1328.11] Strikers and Escorts Not Working Together
  
• FIXED: Lofted ASW weapon (SS-N-15) was considering the target altitude (underwater) instead of the desired impact altitude (water surface) for the lofted trajectory calculation
  
• FIXED: [B1328.11] Aircraft egressing off flight plan to the east and west for some distance
  
• FIXED: #15386: [B1328.11] Aircraft selected not transfer to Target list on air strike mission
  
• FIXED: Missiles where not splashing on water
  
• PARTIALLY FIXED: #15375: [B1328.11] DF-26 No altitude and weird behavior
  
• FIXED: #15304: [1328.9] Air Intercept, low altitude in transit
  
• FIXED: Escorts flying in circle ignoring the escorted unit
  
• FIXED: Setting sub/ship throttle causes sonar signature to increase even if vessel doesn't move
  
• FIXED: #15377: Speed override causes Sub to keep moving after course is cleared
  
• Numerous general fixes
  
• Numerous sim-performance tweaks
  

Includes the new v503 release of the DB3000 and CWDB databases.

• DB3000 v503 additions https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CfqVLnl4pR1oSHbD4hUOYPzPLzgyx7Ou/view
• CWDB v503 additions: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CgAWCjDxyugeB609KRSldtq9scUnTFkA/view

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.