Wicky

This article on training future 'brains in jars' using retro puters cropped up today

Tech Know: BBC Micros used in retro programming class

Set game weather to foggy - crank the central heating up to max and play with Vasaline smeared on glasses and wearing thick gloves*.
Recently watched a video where a buch of geeks rebuilt an old Apollo lunar lander computer - connected it to a laptop and joystick and recreated a simulation of a lunar landing. 
The youngster who pulled it off was modest enough to say it was a lot easier not having to wear thick gloves like Neil Armstrong!
 

Hi all, really looking forward to this module. I served in BAOR from 1983 - 1988, so a little after this initial release. From my time at least i would say one of the main concerns was NBC warfare, not so much Nuclear at this stage but definitely Biological and Gas. I would estimate we spent about 80% of the time whilst on Exercise in our NBC suits.
Nobody really knew what was going to happen, but initially there would of been a big fear of Chemical warfare, it would be good if this could be simulated somehow. i know at the time that any smoke, cloud, mist etc i saw and i would of had my mask on pronto.
Training in NBC gear was extremely tiring and cumbersome, especially in the Summer months so even if reduced visibility, higher exhaustion etc could be modelled.
I'm on the right in the picture below, taken about 85, with a typical bit of squaddie humour 😉. I see if i can find anything more relevant, i think i still have the old 'Survive To Fight' pamphlet in the loft.
cheers all 
 
 

https://99battalion.org
The 99th infantry Battalion (Separate) was activated at Camp Ripley, Minnesota on August 15, 1942 as per written instructions by the War Department.  This unique elite unit was to consist only of Norwegians and Americans with direct Norwegian descent.  Soldiers picked out for this elite unit had to have a working knowledge of the Norwegian language and preferably already knowing how to ski.

Subject pops from time to time through recent history, when ingrained cultural norms are put to one side in exceptional and desperate survival situations.
I remember reading as a young teen Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors -about the rugby team who chomped their travel mates 
Later on Julian Barnes A History of the World in 10 ½ Chapters exploring the story behind Theodore Geriault's Raft of the Medusa 
French Royal Navy frigate the Medusa, which ran aground off the coast of Senegal. Because of a shortage of lifeboats, some 150 survivors embarked on a raft and were decimated by starvation during a 13-day ordeal, which descended into murder and cannibalism. Only a handful remained when they were rescued at sea.
And recently Franklin's lost expedition to find the NW passage which also likely resorted to cannibalism.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/franklins-doomed-arctic-expedition-ended-gruesome-cannibalism-180956054/
 

https://99battalion.org
The 99th infantry Battalion (Separate) was activated at Camp Ripley, Minnesota on August 15, 1942 as per written instructions by the War Department.  This unique elite unit was to consist only of Norwegians and Americans with direct Norwegian descent.  Soldiers picked out for this elite unit had to have a working knowledge of the Norwegian language and preferably already knowing how to ski.

This is how I did it.
 
 

The shockwaves conveyed the violence of the explosion so well!
They must have the code lying around somewhere. Just throw it in and make it optional.
Just one example I found. You really can feel the force. What I would do, though, is to not render the whole hemisphere, but only a ring in the horizontal plane which becomes more and more transparent with increasing height. This way, you get the impression of the shockwave racing outwards while not obscurating the debris in the middle.
 
Ohhh, CMx1: How full of excellent design choices it was!
 
Best regards
Thomm

This all means nothing unless shockwaves make their comeback!

On 11th Feb (two days before the post on 13th Feb)

 
https://twitter.com/hashtag/PAAF206

https://99battalion.org
The 99th infantry Battalion (Separate) was activated at Camp Ripley, Minnesota on August 15, 1942 as per written instructions by the War Department.  This unique elite unit was to consist only of Norwegians and Americans with direct Norwegian descent.  Soldiers picked out for this elite unit had to have a working knowledge of the Norwegian language and preferably already knowing how to ski.

Jingle Jangle...

Give the halftrack an Open Up order.

Slowly circling over soviet troops in a cargo plane would be a real short flight. 

First Three Minutes!
 “Perception is strong and sight weak. In strategy it is important to see distant things as if they were close and to take a distanced view of close things.”
A Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi
 
The initial phase of this action will be me positioning my units to get eyes on the most likely enemy avenues of approach, especially EAA1 (NAI 1). 
After two minutes of action:
M113A2s and Scouts: Reached their drop off points and the two Scout teams have dismounted and are continuing on foot in order to get into positions where they can look into EAA1.  The Platoon Leader will stay mounted in his M113 for now.

M-60A1 (Rise+) Section 1:  Arrived in hull down positions with views of NAI 2 and 3. M-60A1 (Rise+) Section 2:  Arrived in hull down positions with views of NAI 2 and 3. Tank Section 1 moves into position:


M150 TOW Tank Hunters:  Both now in hull down positions overlooking NAIs 2 and 3.
Artillery Smoke Screen:  After two minutes I have cancelled the fire from both batteries.  Mainly because I want them available once my Scouts start to see into NAI 1.  The screen should build for a few more turns as laid then should last for several more.  It’ll be interesting to see how effective it is at messing with the Soviet spotting-targeting cycle.
FIRST ENEMY INDICATOR:  In the third minute M150 1/5 (1st Platoon, 5th Vehicle)) noticed some movement in the woods between NAIs 1 and 2.  Nothing is known about this contact other than that it is a light armored vehicle, suspected BMP from the Recon Company.

Now to place this image in context... in case you ever wondered what a Hull Down M-150 Tank Hunter looks like from the Soviet perspective:

Bil

It should be noted that with the editor you can still do this if you really really want. Set the date to post introduction of <insert dream equipment here> select forces that use it and get them all happy in your scenario then set the date back to <insert date way to early for dream equipment here> and wallah you have M1s rolling across the plans in 1979. Just as an example.

In the late 70s when I was a young teen I used to go with my step dad who was a civvy recovery driver for REME in his big ol' slow scammel truck to pick up all he broken vehicles at Harwich returning from exercises on the continent on commandeered ferries. I used to scavange for combo rations to help feed the family, and kit hidden in the depths of the vehicles.  Kit i.e. sleeping bags, NBC, combat jackets trousers etc, whatever the condition could be exchanged at the garrison quartermasters stores for new! quite a racket. I remember he was on old bloke who enjoyed camp coffee with condensed milk. and as an air cadet at the time we were quite well equipped paramilitary force of teens.
Later on in early 80s when in the 6th form volunteered for Royal Observer Corps and had a cushty command bunker and snazzy RAF type uniform and practiced aircraft identifcation esp the types that dropped big bombs, learnt how to stick a roll of paper up a tube hight above to detect the direction any nuclear bomb might go off, and use a teletype to report such events up the chain.   Soon realised that Colchester, Harwich and surrounding US airbases were likely targets if things went up, so enjoyed the parties where I was introduced to spirits! It beat protesting against the bomb...

So welcome to our Beta AAR.  Introductions, I am The_Capt...hello.  Some old timers may remember me from back in the day but for the newbies (and hopefully there are a lot of you) I am the Simon to Bil's Garfunkel.  While Bil is detailed, deliberate and cool all resting on a foundation of real talent; I am erratic, insecure and hot-headed resting on very occasional unpredictable sparks.  Between the two of us we try to make wonderful music.
So first the obvious, what is CM Cold War and where did it come from?  Well the game is our brainchild, not that it took a serious leap of imagination as people had been talking about a Cold War game for years.  Bil and I had been looking for a title to cut our designer-teeth on for years as well, and after a few false starts we approached BFC with the idea about 7-8 years ago, to which Steve sagely looked at two complete amateurs and said "uh, sure...why don't you guys go pull some stuff together and we will do lunch".  So we did up all the boring and work-like stuff most of you never see; project documents, historical research, backstories, TO&Es (pouring over things like Senate Arms Committee records and back issues of the US Army magazines), and campaign designs.  Once we did all this we came back to Steve like proud children that had just performed surgery on the family cat.  Steve's eyes went a little wider and very Bruce Willis-like said, "ok let's give these kids a shot".  I am pretty sure we were to remain a weird side project in the basement - that is where the older Beta Testers go in the end - but last year things accelerated and we found ourselves suddenly thrust into the rock and roll lifestyle of computer wargame designers...without the groupies, cocaine or leather pants.
So with a very small team, a tight timeline and another look from Steve that was somewhere between "ya, there is no way these guys are going to make it" and "but if they do...?" (seriously, support from the BFC guys has been outstanding) we started the journey.  So when you play the game on release (it is no secret we are on track for Apr, after Easter) you know who to curse when something either does not look quite right or you are getting beat up on a campaign (the Soviet one is particularly brutal).  If you love the game, praise the entire team, if you are angry that the Soviet officer holster does not look right, feel free to vent at either Bil or I, mostly Bil.
Onto the AAR.  Ok in the proudest tradition of this thing, Bil will wow you all with dazzling intelligence products that would make an ASIC weep.  I, on the other hand, prefer a  more tactile and coffee-stained approach...I also tend to lose these fights.  This map comes from the US campaign, a scenario called Dollbach Heights, but do not worry the scenario is completely different so no spoilers.  This whole thing is occurring in the backdrop of a Cold War-gone-hot strategic situation set in summer of 1982, which may seem quaint today but back in '83 we actually came pretty close.  The Soviets are basically making a break for the Rhine as fast as possible before reserves can be called up and fly-overs conducted.  The US forces are the tripwire forces of V Corp with units like the 11 ACR and 3rd Armd Div (for this AAR we do not assign particular units) as the game centers on the Fulda corridor (between the West German border and Frankfurt).  So the strategic game is simple, Soviets have to move fast as possible to get in close to the major urban areas, knock France out and put the UK into close range.  The bet back in Moscow is that at this point NATO will fracture as half of them sue for peace...we will see how that works out.
A couple points on force balance and doctrine.  So this is 1980, the beginning of a vapid and synthesizer-infested decade (trust me I was there). The US forces are still recovering from the entire Vietnam experience.  Goldwater-Nicols has not happened so we are still talking about conventional service competition in the US military, which was unhealthy (still is) and a US Army that was slowly coming out of the old ROADs models and heading towards AirLand Battle.  The TO&Es are based on the '77 force structures (you will note US tank platoons have 5 tanks).  The "so what?" is that US forces are pretty much at their most vulnerable point in this era.  They lack mass and are moving to active defense and maneuver warfare but the equipment has not caught up.  It is going to feel weird to some but this is a modern (well semi-modern) title where US forces do not dominate the battlefield.  They have to be played carefully to achieve parity.  For example the T62 can kill an M60A3 in the front from about 1500m, so the US player must be elegant and clever...like the gentle fox.
The Soviets on the other hand are the bear that eats said gentle fox and then poops him out, barely breaking stride.  The Soviets at this point are pretty much near the top of their game.  Their equipment is solid, if a little blind, and they have mountains of it. Soviet operational doctrine is actually very good, it uses mass much like it did in WW2, and frankly Genghis would be proud at how well the Soviet can throw MRRs at a problem and simply keep going.  The T64 is a beast, probably the best Soviet tank in the game (particularly the B versions), the T80 can throw a punch too.  The Soviet use of ATGM is frankly terrifying.  First, they literally put those things on just about everything, and the AT 5 feels like the modern day Javelin in that, if it can hit, it will kill.  In testing one scenario of the US Campaign, I played sloppy and watched an BMP MRB shred all the US armor in about 5 mins...so there is that.   
At a tactical level the Soviet are all about lining up the punch.  They were not mindless hordes, they would prepare and shape with recon but when they decided to throw that punch...oh, my.  First they would drop the sky on top of you using massed artillery.  Then they would advance en masse  along multiple axis projecting dilemma everywhere for an opponent.  They would then trade shots until your armor is gone and finally they might dismount and clean up any poor infantry you have left.  I say 'might' because they would often simply bypass those huddle GIs and just keep going.
So for this AAR, I will try to emulate the soviet approach as much as possible.  Stay tuned and see how it turns out.       

'8' Engined PAF C-130 4153

Hopefully noddy suits are included and all that entails with wearing them. Grew up in a Garrison town watching infantry regiments running around in squads all year round / hot or cold getting use to them


 

Hopefully noddy suits are included and all that entails with wearing them. Grew up in a Garrison town watching infantry regiments running around in squads all year round / hot or cold getting use to them


 

"Off-map naval support, including battleships with their massive guns"
Must have some range to hit Fulda, Eiterfield and Alsfeld areas!
 

If you don't like the rules.. don't use them.
Any argument you may have to make is just getting lost in the noise of your rudeness.
Bil