Bil Hardenberger

Not a bug. Check your LOS with the LOS tool provided on your orders menu. For FO's the TOT will change upwards depending on how far you click away from your initial target location. Each time you click on a target location like this, it represents the FO sending a radio message to his Battery, thus they have to calculate a new firing solution. So when you go back to the original target location, you can't start from where you began, they have to re-calculate. Does that help?

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Oh and I got to kill a King Tiger with a Sherman 75 firing at a range of 30 metres into its side turret YES ! They said it couldn't be done but those guys just earned themselves the CMOH<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> And the next turn this same damned Sherman crew knocks out my prize Panther crew that had 3 kills > Lucky bastards... [This message has been edited by Bil Hardenberger (edited 11-20-99).]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>The way to defeat firepower is to apply more firepower AT THAT POINT IN TIME AND SPACE.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Of course Fionn. Having superior firepower in a place and time other than where it's needed doesn't do you any good does it? I think Patton would have said.. "...%&$@* that was a *$%# given, you &@^$^%( $&^(#@!" Would you not say that I had superior firepower.. (let's see, how did you put it?)"AT THAT POINT IN TIME AND SPACE" I believe I understand the concept. note: that was Patton talking not me [This message has been edited by Bil Hardenberger (edited 11-06-99).]

Paraphrasing Patton: ...the way to defeat firepower is with superior firepower...

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>I'm PBEMing this as a German defender so I'm not going to go into more detail... MY opponent reads the board.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Come on Fionn, let us in on some of your secret "..best defense is an offense.." techniques. I'd love to hear them.

I'm afraid you are going to have to wait for CM2 to fight the Russians. Personally I can wait

Use your terrain, for ALL troop movement, HT, Armor, Infantry, etc. I often mask my HT movements against a treeline, etc. or use smoke to cover a dash across an open space. Then I use them to support my dismounted Infantry. I will move them behind my Infantry and insure that nothing can get an LOS to a flank. Again use trees, smoke or buildings for this. Use their MG's to suppress any opposition so the Infantry can assault. I often keep them together as a unit, so they can mass their fire, and cover each other. Splitting them up is asking for trouble. Or have I given too much away to my PBEM opponents? I have yet to lose more than 2 HT's in a battle, and then only to Mortar fire. They do not need to close with the enemy Infantry to be effective.

Scott, Yes you have misinterpreted. I was a tactical analyst. We did real time analysis in the midst of a battle, in fact in exactly a CM sized battle (Battalion v Battalion). Sometimes these battles would last 30 minutes. Sometimes several hours. But usually once units were engaged the battle finished pretty quickly... just as in CM. We were able to track OPFOR units in real time from SPOT reports and from from other sources. We would sit in the TOC plotting the battle and make our analysis as it developed. The old (perhaps minutes) contacts that we had posted were immensely valuable to us in ascertaining the intent of the enemy commander. Our analysis would be forwarded to the Battalion (usually Brigade) Commander and he would either accept them and implement them in his plans, or he would ignore them and just go on. Though usually this would cost him. You would be surprised how much you can ascertain about an enemy force using some wise analysis and with a little knowledge.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>We do not allow more than one symbol per unit because the screen would VERY quickly become filled with all sorts of junk that means nothing. It would be confusing to say the least. Unrealistically so. Imagine a unit ducking in and out of a house three times. Each time it went back in a symbol would be positioned there, even though you know darned well it is the same unit. But until you cleared the house you would have to deal with a bunch of obviously false info.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Not as unrealistic as you might think Steve. I remember several times sitting in the TOC in front of my SITMAP with several OPFOR units posted that obviously we had no further information on. After a time we would take them off the map but often we wouldn't see that unit again for a while so it would stay posted as obviously obselete info for a long time. Some times we would be able to track a unit's movement, and be able to ascertain it's objective by looking at all the old posts. Obviously this can get very confusing, very quickly, but can be a terrific analysis tool. My point is that perhaps you can have old contacts which LOS to has been lost, fade over a couple of minutes, until they disappear completely. This way you would be able to tell at a glance how reliable the info is (faded = not very reliable, bright = reliable). Or you could have the removal of old contacts be under the players control. I would like, I think, a combination of the two.

Los, <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>This reminds of of the post I made a few months back that i want an infantry platoon leader simulator.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Don't you get enough of that in real life? Seriously I like Johnnymo's idea. Only thing I would change is make it an overhead map (as Los suggested) with the HQ units locations identified with color coded status for each of their formations. (i.e. Green = okay, Amber = taken some hits, Red = Danger point, Black = No longer fit for combat). This would be very much like the SITMAP every commander uses, would be something that could be glanced at quickly and then put away (i.e. closed). Much better than a text based interface I believe. Just throwing my 2 cents in

I love it. Would make for an extremely interesting PBEM game. Of course you would have to be playing someone you could trust. Any takers? (John, Madmatt, los)

anim8r@adelphia.net Don't forget SgtRock we have a grudge match scheduled.

Oscar So, are you an HPS sales rep or something? The way you hock their wares I would have to guess that you are perhaps part of the HPS staff. I believe most people would like some reference material that has more information than one paragraph on each weapon system. Here is exactly what HPS says about the book (from their webpage) and a screenshot: <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Scott Hamilton and Gregory "Sturmer" Smith have collaborated on a book which provides historical facts and reference notes on over 1,200 weapons systems used in Tigers on the Prowl II and Panthers in the Shadows. It includes numerous charts and over 400 illustrations.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> , Sounds awfully HPS specific to me. I do not see where it says: Oscar: <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>. HPS claim (and I for one belive them) it covers virtually every single weapon that was used by, or in support of, ground operations in Europe, North Africa, China and the Pacific between 1936-45.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> [This message has been edited by Bil Hardenberger (edited 10-22-99).]

http://www.achtungpanzer.com/panzer.htm

SIMONFOX is right. The search engine is a fantastic invention. Here is the link to the subject you (Thorsten) are discussing. It is an old thread, but relevant to this topic. http://www.battlefront.com/discuss/Forum1/HTML/000298.html

Moon, I think you got me mixed up with M.Hofbauer. No problem though. His knowledge of the subject appears second to none. Thanks for lumping me into the same catagory, even though I cannot lay such a claim!

Sten, I understand your concern. But: Steve said: <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Impossible to do depressions. This would require remaking the entire terrain tile on the fly since the depression requires that a "hole" be poked into the tile. The result would cost a couple dozen polygons per shell hit (some for the depression, some to create the "hole" in the tile). Not on today's computers<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> The LOS question I cannot answer(as I don't have the damned game either!), perhaps Steve, Fionn, or Martin could enlighten you. I think it is perfectly clear though that making a -1 depression(physical)is not going to happen, probably not even for CM2, CM3, or CM4, it would come at too high a cost. If I had to guess, I would say that the Shellhole has a value that goes towards providing cover. Concealment? I don't know. That is a good question.

M.Hofbauer: <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>* Maybe have an option to simply "recon" an area to extend the view of the commander player. This, as in real life, can be immensely helpful to generally scout for the enemy Schwerpunkt<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Even in todays world this type of Air-borne real time Tactical Intelligence is non-existent. All Intel reports have to be sent to a central location(Bde/Reg/Div TOC) then analyzed and disseminated back to the appropriate echelons. Aerial Recon is more a Strategic asset than it is a Tactical one. Real time tactical Intelligence consists primarily of SPOT reports from the soldiers on the ground and Signals Intelligence (SIGINT - intercepted enemy radio transmissions). Even so, the SPOT reports are usually held in suspicion until they can be confirmed by another source. Even SIGINT has a lag time involved that rarely lets it become a player once the enemy has been met. It is at it's best when gathering enemy dispositions and intentions before the battle even begins. I do not think that WW2 armies had anywhere near the SIGINT capability that we have today.

Thanks Ben.

Sten, This has already been discussed and explained by Steve. Go to: http://www.battlefront.com/discuss/Forum1/HTML/000929.html

Marcus, Can we get link to your PF page? Sorry if it has been posted already and I just missed it.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>you would have to make sure that the Allied forces woudln't get to that reinforcement spot BEFORE the 5 minutes passed. Otherwise you would have troops teleporting into a formation<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Wouldn't a better solution be; if an enemy unit has control of a reserves entry location, then the reserves get delayed? Or not come on the map at all? Note: I am not asking for this to be implemented I am just prolonging the argument.

Have to put my vote in for NO smoke trail here. Realism first... Adding the backblast would give the player the required information. BTW I definately see a heavily blurred (i.e. slow shutter speed) PF round in M.Hofbauer's photos. [This message has been edited by Bil Hardenberger (edited 10-21-99).]

Thank you Moon. Now, was that so hard?

Okay, this has gotten way off my main question... which was: Can you save DURING the Orders Phase? Right now I could care less about friendly fog of war, etc. I would be happy with a save feature. Other friendly units would have more information about neighboring friendly units, especially units in the same operation, so I don't see a friendly fog of war as a nessecity. I just want to be able to access the damned orders phase again for additional input. I think this was answered by Fionn to some extent. But can I get a yes or a no please? Thanks