J2D, I hope all is well in the PCO camp and we can expect to see that game released soon!
I don't want to get into too much detail in comparing C2 between CMBN, CMx1, and PCO. First of all I think CMx1 is irrlevant and obselete, at least to me. I know some of you still play it, but I don;t and haven't for years, so I would not be able to give a valid point of view.
CMBN has a more nebulous C2 system than PCO I believe.. what I mean is that in CMBN if you have a unit that is out of C2 then it becomes very fragile and pressing home an attack, or sticking to a defense becomes very difficult. A unit out on a limb is very fragile in CMBN. I think this has a very realistic feel to me, at least when commanding at the Company command level, which IMO is the ideal battle size for a CMBN scenario. I've played battalion sized games in CMBN and though it works, it's not as clean and fun to me as the Company level.
PCO on the other hand is more strict in it's aplication of C2, especially with its Platoon orders. It is harder to break off a section, an individual vehilcle, team, or squad in PCO than in CMBN. This is a good approach if you want to simulate combat a higher echelon and I think that PCO is best palyed at the battlaion level.
CMBN requires you to get down in the weeds with your units and be careful with unit placement, carefully moving into hull down positions and being aware of all threats to every vehicle, squad, gun, and team in your command. PCO on the other hand is best played a at higher level and does not require that amount of micro management. That is one of the things I liked about PC when I first saw it.
I like both approaches actually.. in CMBN it is fun to get down to the weeds and place every vehicle. It is also fun IMO, in PCO, to pull back and give orders at the Platoon level and the game handle the minutia. It all depends on what you feel like that day.
I like both games and will be playing them both.