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Combatintman

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  1. Upvote
    Combatintman reacted to Bubba883XL in 2022 Mid Year Update   
    so, hang on.(talking of being fair) if you didn't own it then, why post the negative comments about said item? how would you know?
  2. Like
    Combatintman got a reaction from Phantom Captain in 2022 Mid Year Update   
    You're full of Christmas cheer aren't you.  Der Ring der 5 Panzer you got for free in the first place as @George MCreleased that as a community scenario .  So let's say 30% is 'old content.'  Looks like you're owed $3.  Let me know where to send the money to or maybe we'll set up a crowdfund.
  3. Like
    Combatintman got a reaction from A Canadian Cat - was IanL in 2022 Mid Year Update   
    No I don't.  Der Ring der 5 Panzer was not previous Battlefront content so it is new and adding 700m to an existing map = new content.  I am prepared to concede that if one map is a cut out as you assert then 13 of 14 only are new content.  So let's crowd fund a reduced target of $1 shall we?
  4. Upvote
    Combatintman got a reaction from Fizou in 2022 Mid Year Update   
    You're full of Christmas cheer aren't you.  Der Ring der 5 Panzer you got for free in the first place as @George MCreleased that as a community scenario .  So let's say 30% is 'old content.'  Looks like you're owed $3.  Let me know where to send the money to or maybe we'll set up a crowdfund.
  5. Like
    Combatintman got a reaction from quakerparrot67 in 2022 Mid Year Update   
    You're full of Christmas cheer aren't you.  Der Ring der 5 Panzer you got for free in the first place as @George MCreleased that as a community scenario .  So let's say 30% is 'old content.'  Looks like you're owed $3.  Let me know where to send the money to or maybe we'll set up a crowdfund.
  6. Upvote
    Combatintman got a reaction from Aragorn2002 in 2022 Mid Year Update   
    You're full of Christmas cheer aren't you.  Der Ring der 5 Panzer you got for free in the first place as @George MCreleased that as a community scenario .  So let's say 30% is 'old content.'  Looks like you're owed $3.  Let me know where to send the money to or maybe we'll set up a crowdfund.
  7. Like
    Combatintman got a reaction from Bubba883XL in 2022 Mid Year Update   
    You're full of Christmas cheer aren't you.  Der Ring der 5 Panzer you got for free in the first place as @George MCreleased that as a community scenario .  So let's say 30% is 'old content.'  Looks like you're owed $3.  Let me know where to send the money to or maybe we'll set up a crowdfund.
  8. Like
    Combatintman got a reaction from PIATpunk in 2022 Mid Year Update   
    You're full of Christmas cheer aren't you.  Der Ring der 5 Panzer you got for free in the first place as @George MCreleased that as a community scenario .  So let's say 30% is 'old content.'  Looks like you're owed $3.  Let me know where to send the money to or maybe we'll set up a crowdfund.
  9. Upvote
    Combatintman got a reaction from Butschi in 2022 Mid Year Update   
    You're full of Christmas cheer aren't you.  Der Ring der 5 Panzer you got for free in the first place as @George MCreleased that as a community scenario .  So let's say 30% is 'old content.'  Looks like you're owed $3.  Let me know where to send the money to or maybe we'll set up a crowdfund.
  10. Upvote
    Combatintman got a reaction from IICptMillerII in 2022 Mid Year Update   
    You're full of Christmas cheer aren't you.  Der Ring der 5 Panzer you got for free in the first place as @George MCreleased that as a community scenario .  So let's say 30% is 'old content.'  Looks like you're owed $3.  Let me know where to send the money to or maybe we'll set up a crowdfund.
  11. Like
    Combatintman got a reaction from ratdeath in 2022 Mid Year Update   
    You're full of Christmas cheer aren't you.  Der Ring der 5 Panzer you got for free in the first place as @George MCreleased that as a community scenario .  So let's say 30% is 'old content.'  Looks like you're owed $3.  Let me know where to send the money to or maybe we'll set up a crowdfund.
  12. Upvote
    Combatintman got a reaction from IdontknowhowtodoX in What do you consider "acceptable" casualties?   
    If the mission statement or tasks require a threshold then anything above that is a fail as it is inherent to the mission or is a specified task.  Otherwise my benchmark is to maintain above 75% CE which by many professional standards is one at which your unit does not need to be pulled from the line to rest/refit.
    Trying to achieve zero casualties or ridiculously low levels of casualties is unrealistic and unprofessional.  I recall reading something in one of the Australian Army's professional journals which made the observation that practically every junior officer prior to a deployment in response to a question along the lines of 'what do you hope to achieve during your operational tour to Afghanistan' said 'to bring everyone back.'  While laudable the correct answer, as pointed out in the journal, should have been 'to achieve my mission.'
     
  13. Upvote
    Combatintman got a reaction from George MC in Cold War Holiday Tournament!!!   
    Nope.
  14. Upvote
    Combatintman got a reaction from Aragorn2002 in Help With Map Overlay   
    The key thing before doing anything in the scenario editor is to have an idea of what it is you're trying to portray.  Is this a historical action?  In which case you use what happened as your starting point and then compromise along the way if you have to because of the constraints of the scenario editor.  Is it going to be playable both sides?  In which case the map has to give both players sufficient room to manoeuvre to allow them to come up with alternate plans.  Even if it is only single player vs the AI, there needs to be room for the AI plans to play out.  What are the force sizes and will there be enough room for them to be employed realistically and effectively?  I'd start with a slightly larger map and sketch out the schemes of manoeuvre first so that you get an idea of how it is going to play out.  From there you can work out where exactly your map boundaries need to be and what the key features are on that map.  You can then either increase or decrease the size of the area you think your'e going to need, or maybe move the map up or down by 500m (or whatever) or left or right by 1km (or whatever).  Once you're happy ... then create the Special Editor Overlay and start making your map.
    You also have to think about setup zones and making the thing big enough if terrain isn't blocking LOS between the setup zones for both sides to setup safe in the knowledge that they're not going to massacre each other on turn one.
    If you leap in using the overlay you've got you may find that the moment you start putting troops on it that:
    There isn't enough room for the attacker setup zone. Both sides kill each other on turn one. You have to change the battle/your concept to fit the map. Your scenario is unappealing because there's really only one course of action. Mortar setup zones and the area in which you want the rounds to fall are either within minimum range or beyond maximum range. The attacking player (or AI) can be easily hemmed into their setup zone because of either short ranges or terrain factors that give the defender an unassailable advantage. The defender has limited options in siting the defence.  There's a reason the military does a ground appreciation first which neatly translates to the art/science of scenario making.
  15. Like
    Combatintman got a reaction from benpark in How Hot is Ukraine Gonna Get?   
    What looks to be a pretty good article on Russian Cyber Operations from the Carnegie Institute came out a couple of days ago.  I confess I haven't read all of it due to personal bandwidth issues but their stuff is pretty good.  From the bits I did read, the deduction that stuck out for me in my line of work is that Russia struggles with intelligence-led planning/decision-making - certainly not an earth-shattering revelation to either myself or followers of this thread but always good to have confirmation.  I'm sure the more analytical types on this thread will draw out a hell of a lot more than that:
    https://carnegieendowment.org/2022/12/16/russia-s-wartime-cyber-operations-in-ukraine-military-impacts-influences-and-implications-pub-88657
     
  16. Upvote
    Combatintman got a reaction from Kinophile in How Hot is Ukraine Gonna Get?   
    What looks to be a pretty good article on Russian Cyber Operations from the Carnegie Institute came out a couple of days ago.  I confess I haven't read all of it due to personal bandwidth issues but their stuff is pretty good.  From the bits I did read, the deduction that stuck out for me in my line of work is that Russia struggles with intelligence-led planning/decision-making - certainly not an earth-shattering revelation to either myself or followers of this thread but always good to have confirmation.  I'm sure the more analytical types on this thread will draw out a hell of a lot more than that:
    https://carnegieendowment.org/2022/12/16/russia-s-wartime-cyber-operations-in-ukraine-military-impacts-influences-and-implications-pub-88657
     
  17. Like
    Combatintman got a reaction from Bannon in How Hot is Ukraine Gonna Get?   
    The Eyes on Russia Map produced by the Centre for Information Resilience has been updated.  For those not aware of it, it claims to show verified open source data.  For fans of geolocation, it looks a pretty good resource:
    Eyes on Russia Map
     
     
  18. Like
    Combatintman got a reaction from Kinophile in How Hot is Ukraine Gonna Get?   
    The Eyes on Russia Map produced by the Centre for Information Resilience has been updated.  For those not aware of it, it claims to show verified open source data.  For fans of geolocation, it looks a pretty good resource:
    Eyes on Russia Map
     
     
  19. Like
    Combatintman got a reaction from benpark in How Hot is Ukraine Gonna Get?   
    The Eyes on Russia Map produced by the Centre for Information Resilience has been updated.  For those not aware of it, it claims to show verified open source data.  For fans of geolocation, it looks a pretty good resource:
    Eyes on Russia Map
     
     
  20. Like
    Combatintman got a reaction from FlammenwerferX in Need some help with map making   
    @Aragorn2002 Have a look at the attached which might nudge you along the way for the groundwork required to get your map started.
    This is the WW2 Era map overlaid on to Google Earth using the Add Image Overlay tool:
    Lochstadt Map.kmz
    This is the area of the map that I want to create in CM using the Add Polygon tool.
    Lochstadt Overlay.kmz
    Note that when I make this, as @Pete Wenmansays, you use the Google Earth measuring tool to get the dimensions.  These are the dimensions you need to resize the mapping area to in the CM editor.
    I just used one overlay as my Special Editor Overlay in CM which was the map - sometimes I also use a screenshot of the aerial view but in this case I just had that view on my second screen:
    Special Editor Overlay.bmp  
    This is the CM map created from it:
    Lochstadt.btt
    Load up the kmz files in Google Earth and just have a look around which might help you to figure out how I've done it. Stick the Special Editor Overlay into your Z folder and then load the btt file and see how it looks in relation to the overlay to get a feel as to how I've put the thing together.
  21. Thanks
    Combatintman got a reaction from Aragorn2002 in Need some help with map making   
    @Aragorn2002 Have a look at the attached which might nudge you along the way for the groundwork required to get your map started.
    This is the WW2 Era map overlaid on to Google Earth using the Add Image Overlay tool:
    Lochstadt Map.kmz
    This is the area of the map that I want to create in CM using the Add Polygon tool.
    Lochstadt Overlay.kmz
    Note that when I make this, as @Pete Wenmansays, you use the Google Earth measuring tool to get the dimensions.  These are the dimensions you need to resize the mapping area to in the CM editor.
    I just used one overlay as my Special Editor Overlay in CM which was the map - sometimes I also use a screenshot of the aerial view but in this case I just had that view on my second screen:
    Special Editor Overlay.bmp  
    This is the CM map created from it:
    Lochstadt.btt
    Load up the kmz files in Google Earth and just have a look around which might help you to figure out how I've done it. Stick the Special Editor Overlay into your Z folder and then load the btt file and see how it looks in relation to the overlay to get a feel as to how I've put the thing together.
  22. Upvote
    Combatintman reacted to DougPhresh in 2022 Mid Year Update   
    As a Professional user in my day job and what feels like a lifelong fan, I do think they've done a good job balancing development with a small team. War gamers and staff officers are a tough crowd to please, but their passion comes through in their work and their adaptation of Steam after years and years of discussion shows a willingness to be responsive, listen to the community and reach new fans. 
     
    I imagine the Professional orders have taken up a large amount of time, in part because we're a demanding bunch, and also because of the nature of government procurement and contracting. Beyond that, current events sunk a Black Sea module that seems to have had a fair bit of work invested in it. The important thing to me is that they're communicating with the community here, and have remained committed to it even when people are disappointed. This has often been a point of contention, and again shows a lot of positive development. I don't want all that to get lost. 
     
    In terms of specifics, of course I would like to see Partisans, Co-Belligerents and RSI in Fortress Italy, and a fully developed TOE and OOB for Italian forces in Sicily which right now are lacking a lot. I'd love to see Brigade Piron and the Princess Irene's in Battle for Normandy/Final Blitzkrieg, and the Scheldt and Rhine Crossings for the Commonwealth in Final Blitzkrieg. Finally, as with it seems everyone else, minor Axis / new Allies for Red Thunder, particularly the Poles and Romanians who played a huge role in critical operations. 
     
    This is my "Christmas list" every year, and I want to point out again that in Fire and Rubble, we got partisans. That's a major item was on the list addressed, just as Rome to Victory crossed off nearly all of my wishes for Allied forces in that title. These aren't small things, and I just want to take the time to show that they don't go unnoticed. 
     
    The new year is sure to be marked with some  frustration, disappointment and delay, like every year, but there will be high points too, and sometimes that gets lost in the moment. Merry Christmas everyone. 
  23. Upvote
    Combatintman got a reaction from Lucky_Strike in Kohlenklau Test Dummy Log for learning Butschi's New Map Elevation Tool   
    Of the two that I know you're looking at - I'd do Schirwindt first.  As someone who's made a map or two, I don't fancy Goldap at all.  You've got a whole bunch of closely spaced contours in your built up area plus what at a very quick look appear to be some quite tricky changes of elevation to get right.  Your problem there - even if you use the elevation script is doorways and windows sunk into the ground in the town and all sorts of other shenanigans.  Also, I find built-up areas quite a chore to do and Goldap has more of that type of terrain than Schirwindt.  Schirwindt, elevation-wise is a doddle by comparison and is a neat and compact town.
    I'm sure you've sort of looked at this already but here are the two side-by-side to illustrate the ugghhhh factor for Goldap vs Schirwindt:

    If I was to do Schirwindt, I'd rotate it like this so that you've got the main streets in the town in vaguely straight lines:

  24. Thanks
    Combatintman got a reaction from Aragorn2002 in Kohlenklau Test Dummy Log for learning Butschi's New Map Elevation Tool   
    Of the two that I know you're looking at - I'd do Schirwindt first.  As someone who's made a map or two, I don't fancy Goldap at all.  You've got a whole bunch of closely spaced contours in your built up area plus what at a very quick look appear to be some quite tricky changes of elevation to get right.  Your problem there - even if you use the elevation script is doorways and windows sunk into the ground in the town and all sorts of other shenanigans.  Also, I find built-up areas quite a chore to do and Goldap has more of that type of terrain than Schirwindt.  Schirwindt, elevation-wise is a doddle by comparison and is a neat and compact town.
    I'm sure you've sort of looked at this already but here are the two side-by-side to illustrate the ugghhhh factor for Goldap vs Schirwindt:

    If I was to do Schirwindt, I'd rotate it like this so that you've got the main streets in the town in vaguely straight lines:

  25. Like
    Combatintman got a reaction from benpark in Kohlenklau Test Dummy Log for learning Butschi's New Map Elevation Tool   
    Of the two that I know you're looking at - I'd do Schirwindt first.  As someone who's made a map or two, I don't fancy Goldap at all.  You've got a whole bunch of closely spaced contours in your built up area plus what at a very quick look appear to be some quite tricky changes of elevation to get right.  Your problem there - even if you use the elevation script is doorways and windows sunk into the ground in the town and all sorts of other shenanigans.  Also, I find built-up areas quite a chore to do and Goldap has more of that type of terrain than Schirwindt.  Schirwindt, elevation-wise is a doddle by comparison and is a neat and compact town.
    I'm sure you've sort of looked at this already but here are the two side-by-side to illustrate the ugghhhh factor for Goldap vs Schirwindt:

    If I was to do Schirwindt, I'd rotate it like this so that you've got the main streets in the town in vaguely straight lines:

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