<s>
Combat	B-Application
Mission	I-Application
:	I-Application
Beyond	I-Application
Overlord	I-Application
is	O
a	O
2000	O
computer	B-Application
wargame	I-Application
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Big	O
Time	O
Software	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Combat	B-Application
Mission	I-Application
began	O
development	O
at	O
Big	O
Time	O
Software	O
as	O
Computer	O
Squad	O
Leader	O
,	O
an	O
adaptation	O
of	O
the	O
board	O
wargame	B-Application
Advanced	O
Squad	O
Leader	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Big	O
Time	O
and	O
Avalon	O
parted	O
ways	O
shortly	O
before	O
the	O
publisher	O
's	O
closure	O
by	O
Hasbro	O
,	O
and	O
Big	O
Time	O
continued	O
development	O
independently	O
,	O
under	O
the	O
new	O
title	O
Combat	B-Application
Mission	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Combat	B-Application
Mission	I-Application
was	O
a	O
commercial	O
and	O
critical	O
hit	O
,	O
and	O
began	O
the	O
Combat	B-Application
Mission	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rather	O
than	O
a	O
purely	O
turn-based	O
system	O
,	O
Combat	B-Application
Mission	I-Application
uses	O
the	O
"	O
WeGo	O
"	O
structure	O
for	O
handling	O
player	O
turns	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
1997	O
,	O
Avalon	O
Hill	O
contracted	O
Big	O
Time	O
Software	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
computer	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
publisher	O
's	O
board	O
wargame	B-Application
Advanced	O
Squad	O
Leader	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Earlier	O
collaborations	O
between	O
the	O
two	O
included	O
Flight	B-Application
Commander	I-Application
2	I-Application
and	O
Over	B-Application
the	I-Application
Reich	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
it	O
ultimately	O
attempted	O
the	O
project	O
with	O
Atomic	O
Games	O
,	O
this	O
version	O
fell	O
through	O
and	O
became	O
the	O
unrelated	O
Close	B-Application
Combat	I-Application
in	O
1996	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Discussing	O
the	O
new	O
effort	O
in	O
early	O
1997	O
,	O
Bill	O
Levay	O
of	O
Avalon	O
forecast	O
a	O
release	O
date	O
of	O
late	O
1998	O
or	O
potentially	O
1999	O
for	O
Big	O
Time	O
's	O
version	O
,	O
as	O
the	O
developer	O
was	O
slated	O
to	O
create	O
Achtung	B-Application
Spitfire	I-Application
!	I-Application
</s>
<s>
Despite	O
the	O
shakeup	O
,	O
Computer	O
Squad	O
Leaders	O
lack	O
of	O
copyrighted	O
material	O
allowed	O
Big	O
Time	O
to	O
continue	O
development	O
independently	O
and	O
without	O
any	O
delays	O
,	O
under	O
the	O
new	O
title	O
Combat	B-Application
Mission	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
inspiration	O
for	O
the	O
WeGo	O
system	O
came	O
from	O
the	O
wargame	B-Application
TacOps	B-Application
,	O
and	O
was	O
an	O
attempt	O
to	O
merge	O
the	O
strategic	O
depth	O
of	O
turn-based	O
gameplay	O
with	O
the	O
intensity	O
and	O
realism	O
of	O
real-time	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
the	O
split	O
from	O
Avalon	O
Hill	O
,	O
Moylan	O
continued	O
work	O
on	O
Combat	B-Application
Mission	I-Application
as	O
Big	O
Time	O
Software	O
's	O
sole	O
employee	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
began	O
meeting	O
with	O
Impressions	O
Games	O
 '	O
Steve	O
Grammont	O
—	O
who	O
had	O
worked	O
on	O
Robert	B-Application
E	I-Application
.	I-Application
Lee	I-Application
:	I-Application
Civil	I-Application
War	I-Application
General	I-Application
and	O
Lords	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Realm	I-Application
2	I-Application
—	O
to	O
complete	O
Combat	B-Application
Missions	I-Application
core	O
design	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Moylan	O
later	O
said	O
that	O
his	O
core	O
goal	O
with	O
Combat	B-Application
Mission	I-Application
was	O
to	O
create	O
"	O
the	O
first	O
strategy/war	O
game	O
to	O
combine	O
serious	O
simulation	O
with	O
compelling	O
3D	O
graphics	O
and	O
sound	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
to	O
match	O
the	O
technological	O
advances	O
of	O
first-person	O
shooters	O
and	O
flight	B-Application
simulators	I-Application
that	O
he	O
believed	O
had	O
outpaced	O
wargames	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Combat	B-Application
Mission	I-Application
was	O
released	O
on	O
May	O
31	O
,	O
2000	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Chance	O
Encounter	O
has	O
remained	O
a	O
popular	O
scenario	O
and	O
versions	O
of	O
this	O
battle	O
have	O
been	O
recreated	O
by	O
third	O
parties	O
in	O
Combat	B-Application
Mission	I-Application
:	I-Application
Afrika	I-Application
Korps	I-Application
and	O
even	O
Combat	B-Application
Mission	I-Application
:	I-Application
Shock	I-Application
Force	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Moylan	O
,	O
Combat	B-Application
Mission	I-Application
was	O
a	O
hit	O
for	O
Big	O
Time	O
Software	O
,	O
and	O
accrued	O
"	O
good	O
sales	O
"	O
in	O
its	O
first	O
two	O
months	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
simultaneous	O
launch	O
for	O
Mac	B-Device
OS	O
brought	O
a	O
20%	O
increase	O
in	O
purchases	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Writer	O
T	O
.	O
Liam	O
McDonald	O
highlighted	O
Combat	B-Application
Missions	I-Application
online	O
distribution	O
model	O
as	O
an	O
element	O
of	O
its	O
success	O
,	O
since	O
word	O
of	O
mouth	O
would	O
allow	O
its	O
audience	O
to	O
grow	O
indefinitely	O
,	O
while	O
wargames	B-Application
sold	O
at	O
brick	O
and	O
mortar	O
retailers	O
had	O
limited	O
shelf	O
lives	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
writer	O
for	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
considered	O
this	O
proof	O
"	O
that	O
a	O
developer	O
can	O
sell	O
its	O
games	O
exclusively	O
over	O
the	O
Internet	O
and	O
make	O
money	O
"	O
,	O
after	O
the	O
relative	O
failure	O
of	O
Sid	B-Application
Meier	I-Application
's	I-Application
Antietam	I-Application
!	I-Application
</s>
<s>
McDonald	O
similarly	O
called	O
Battlefront.com	O
and	O
Combat	B-Application
Mission	I-Application
positive	O
signs	O
for	O
the	O
future	O
of	O
computer	B-Application
wargames	I-Application
,	O
after	O
mainstream	O
publishers	O
had	O
lost	O
interest	O
in	O
the	O
genre	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
GameSpot	O
proceeded	O
to	O
nominate	O
Combat	B-Application
Mission	I-Application
for	O
its	O
2000	O
"	O
Best	O
Game	O
No	O
One	O
Played	O
"	O
award	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Combat	B-Application
Mission	I-Application
received	O
"	O
favorable	O
"	O
reviews	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
review	B-Application
aggregation	I-Application
website	O
GameRankings	O
;	O
McDonald	O
noted	O
in	O
2000	O
that	O
it	O
received	O
"	O
the	O
most	O
positive	O
reviews	O
of	O
any	O
wargame	B-Application
in	O
recent	O
memory	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
editors	O
of	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
named	O
Combat	B-Application
Mission	I-Application
the	O
best	O
wargame	B-Application
of	O
2000	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
argued	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
"	O
altered	O
the	O
basic	O
idea	O
of	O
what	O
a	O
wargame	B-Application
can	O
be	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
revolutionized	O
wargames	B-Application
"	O
the	O
way	O
Doom	B-Application
changed	O
first-person	O
shooters.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
PC	O
Gamer	O
US	O
named	O
it	O
the	O
best	O
turn-based	O
strategy	O
game	O
of	O
2000	O
,	O
The	O
Electric	O
Playground	O
named	O
it	O
2000	O
's	O
"	O
Best	O
Independent	O
PC	O
Game	O
"	O
and	O
the	O
editors	O
of	O
Computer	O
Games	O
Magazine	O
nominated	O
it	O
for	O
their	O
2000	O
"	O
Wargame	B-Application
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
award	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Combat	B-Application
Mission	I-Application
was	O
also	O
a	O
nominee	O
for	O
GameSpot	O
's	O
"	O
Strategy	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
and	O
Electric	O
Playgrounds	O
"	O
Best	O
Strategy	O
Game	O
for	O
PC	O
"	O
awards	O
,	O
which	O
went	O
to	O
Shogun	B-Application
:	I-Application
Total	I-Application
War	I-Application
and	O
Sacrifice	B-Application
,	O
respectively	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2010	O
,	O
the	O
editors	O
of	O
PC	O
Gamer	O
US	O
named	O
Combat	B-Application
Mission	I-Application
the	O
53rd	O
best	O
computer	O
game	O
ever	O
,	O
and	O
wrote	O
,	O
"	O
Before	O
CMBO	B-Application
,	O
PC	O
wargames	B-Application
were	O
dusty	O
,	O
hexagon-littered	O
creatures	O
.	O
</s>
