FEBA

Thanks to everyone who posted. Some good ideas I will have to try!

I am playing a PBEM QB as the russian and have gotten behind my opponent's 88mm pillbox. I have tried to attack it for several turns and knock it out, but no luck. The first problem I have is I have a T34 M43 about twelve meters behind it. For orders I tell the T34 to fire at the pillbox, the information when I target reads "Hit: 99%, Kill:Fair" so I target it and finish my turn. However, twice in a row, the first thing that happens on the video replay is the T34 drops the pillbox as a target, does not select a new target (there are none in sight) and sits there for the rest of the turn doing nothing: it never fires a shot. I noticed as the T34 approached from the side several turns before that if I targeted the pillbox, I got a hit chance, but no kill chance indicated in the targetting info, so I assumed that now that the T34 is behind it is firing at an entrance or such. The second problem is I don't seem to know what the right command is to get my infantry to successfully attack. I use "assault" and select the pillbox and get "follow vehicle" on the target. OK, I guess its a kind of vehicle, but even that infantry attacking for two turns from behind have not been able to do anything. They shoot, but nothing seems to happen. This will all be moot soon when my flamethrower team gets into position, but they move slow, and I was hoping to "resolve" the pillbox before the team hauled their slow ass over to the action. Any insight is appreciated.

Thanks for the input redwolf. Back to the beginning. It seems to me that this is a simulation problem trying to balance a macro reality (historical TOE vehicles can mount full platoon) with a micro reality (no more than X or so men can fit in a 1/2 track vehicle). The issue may come down to what is a better simulation: </font> 1) Let a panzer infantry platoon load into the actual vehicle count used by the wehrmacht and incorrectly increase the number of men allowed to mount in some vehicle(s). </font>2) Prevent too many men from loading into a single vehicle and incorrectly prevent a panzer infantry platoon from operating in the way it was actually used by the wehrmacht. </font>To me, choice 1 seems to have less impact on "degrading" reality and is thus a better simulation choice.

That sounds like the solution. I posted in the "patch" thread a request that BFC take a look at changing the 251/10. Do you have any source that indicates the carrying capacity of the 251/10 ?

Any chance the 251/10 will be changed to allow a squad to ride in it rather than just a team ? This would allow a panzer infantry platoon to fit in their provided organic vehicles. Here's a link to a thread discussing it: Insufficient organic transport to mount units

I agree, with the proviso that the personnel strength was even more likely to be less than TO&E. What needs to be done, IMO, is that instead of limiting ridership to a fixed number of units, the program needs to make an actual count of bodies present, with heavy weapons counting as a person. You could make the "body count" a little larger than the official number, as in practice one more person or a little more equipment would often be squeezed in. Michael</font>

Well, in reality, I think an armored platoon would all fit into the halftracks assigned toe. Seems unlikly the germans would design a mobile force and fail to give them enough equipment to fulfill their role. The current situation makes it impossible for me to have the unit transported in the manner it was historically. Sure, an extra 1/2 track could be bought (or assigned in a scenario design), but then the unit would have more stuff than it had historically. I ran into this problem trying to design a scenario with the intent it have historical forces. My design idea is to create a blitzkrieg post-break thru in '41 where a german armored force is pushing fast past soviet rear echelon elements. The german player is fighting the clock by speeding by to cross a long map and subduing only those forces necessary to get by. To accomplish this mobility is necessary. I wanted the german force to be historically correct in terms of equipment. I am worried this is not possible.

Right. The panzer rifle sqd can't load into the 251/10 and only one can load into a 251/1. Neither the hq or mortar can load into a 251/1 that already has a sqd in it. The hq and mortar won't both fit in the 251/10. At least one unit is let "hoofing it".

*bump*

If you play a quick battle and select some armored infantry forces the organic transport provided is not sufficient to load all the foot elements. For example, in June 1941, select a Wehrmacht armored rifle platoon. The toe is: 1 x platoon hq 3 x panzer rifle squads 1 x 50mm mortar team 3 x SPW 251/1 halftrack 1 x SPW 251/10 halftrack There is no combination of mounting the foot units in the vehicles that lets them all be mounted. Very odd. Is this accurate or have I missed something? Maybe an organic truck was historically used to move the 50mm and trucks are not included, just as they are not for 'motorized' units. (Don't think this is the case, because I've never seen this in any other published wargame.) Any ideas? I don't know if this is a bug, but it seems so. (I can't believe no one has noted this before, but I did a search and was unable to find any reference.)

Even bullets flying horizontal go subsonic from air resistance after flying a while. I too doubt they are supersonic when just falling. But a fist is subsonic and can still hurt you. Excerpt from website where the author seems to know what's what: Scroll to section on -COMMENTS ON LONG RANGE SHOOTING- http://www.gunnerynetwork.com

Heard the doorbell ring, went downstairs to find the mailman there. (Heart pumping faster!) He has a package which is obviously not CMBB, but I notice a 'priority mail' large envelope in his other hand. He hands me the package and says: "Got a package for you and here is the rest of your mail." Very polite, but really! He should have said: "Here's CMBB and some other worthless trash including this non-CMBB package." WooHoo ! I see a late night a comin' ! No more work today ! For you other Texans, my town is, as the Marx brothers say: "Dollars, Taxes" (aka "Big D").

Great game! Some units had a zero combat value and were removed from play when attacked. The russian player always dreaded seeing his line crack wide open when a portion that looked solid was in fact a paper tiger. Also, once adjacent to the enemy, it was hard to disengage. Both of those features combined to encourage a defense in depth and maintenance of a reserve to plug holes. On the other hand, every once in a while a super division would be revealed and the german panzers would take a beating.

Don't worry, I can already do that without computer aid. Thanks guys for clearing this up for me. Sounds like EFOW is the way to go.

I don't understand the labeling of the 'fog of war' settings in CMBB. Full implies just that, full fog of war. To me then, 'extreme' implies beyond 'full' or into an unrealistic level. Is extreme intended for those who want more fog of war than is realistic because they like a challenge or is it closer to reality ? I want to play my games as close to reality as possible and am wondering which setting is appropriate. I tried a forum search, but was unable to find a topic discussing this. Also, this question may be answered in the CMBB manual, which, if I am lucky, arrives today.