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Jeff Pattison

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Everything posted by Jeff Pattison

  1. I'm also stuck at the 6.50 version for CM for my Annihilator 2 Ultra running on Asus P3B-F motherboard with and Intel P3 600 Mhz. That cold boot problem really bothers me. It does not necessarily mean that the card is Fubar, because the computer does come up after you have messed with it a bit. More than likely what you have is a situation where there isn't good contact between the card and the card slot. After you try to boot up a couple times the card heats up and makes good contact. That bad contact could be the result of debris in the card slot or a slightly out of tolerance connector due to wear or a poorly manufactured card. I had this kind of thing happen to me with 486 DX2 CPU Chip. Couldn't boot cold. Turn it on, wait one minute, then off, wait two minutes, and reboot; and it boots. So, you can try the following courses of action. One, try removing the card and use canned air to blow debris out of the slot and reinstall the card pushing down on it firmly. Two, return the card and exchange it for a new one. Three, get a new motherboard. [ 04-17-2001: Message edited by: Jeff Pattison ]
  2. For light scratches on CD's, you can use an electric toothbrush and toothpaste to gently buff them out. Toothpaste is an excellent mild abrasive. The Adaptec CD copier is the way to go. I have made back up copies of all three versions of CM that I own(versions 1.0,1.05,1.11)without problems. But then I again, my CD-ROM is a 48x. Besides having problems with CD speed, you can also have problems with HD speed. Both adaptec programs write data into a swap file on the hard drive before sending it out to the CD burner. If the hard drive you've got the swap file on is slow due to low free space and/or fragmentation, the hard drive can cause the CD burner to buffer underrun. This can be particularly nasty, because it isn't always picked up in the test. You'd be surprised how freaking slow in sustained read and write speeds some of the larger hard drives are. Sure, they have 1MB/sec burst speeds, but that's not what counts when your burning cd's. It's just sustained read/write speed. And, it gets worse the more capacity of the hard drive is used. And, even worse when you are sharing the drive with the operating system. So, my suggestion is that you set the Adaptec Easy CD/CD Copier swap file to point to a drive that doesn't have the operating system on it and a lot of free space. Otherwise, you need to clean up and defrag your hard drive. You can also try playing with the write speeds in the programs and the file system settings in the OS. If that fails, get another hard drive, SCSI preferred, and a really fast SCSI controller card. There is a free hard drive sustained read/write speed tester called "echo reporter" available at http://www.echoaudio.com in the downloads section. [This message has been edited by Jeff Pattison (edited 03-27-2001).]
  3. CM2: Baba Yaga kicks Bruhnhilde's ass CM2: The Reeducation of Stalin CM2: Into the Mud and Snow CM2: Fun with Ivan and Fritz
  4. Skorpion, I expanded my response above. Whether they would to trust the radar for IFF is a good question? I think they would trust the radar id, since they can designate fire areas. They also would check with HQ over the datalink to make sure no friendlies were supposed be in the area. As a third fail safe, they could do a visual id or have some other GPS equipted unit do it. But, they only would do that in the case of enemy units in close proximity to friendly forces. Under the concept of deep battle, most of the helicopter action should be going on off map about 8 to 30 klicks ahead of the friendly ground forces as they try to attrit the enemy before they come into direct fire range. Given the battlefield in CM is currently limited to 2.4k(?) depth by 2.4k(?), most of the rotary and fixed wing action will have to be off the map and abstracted. However, there should be a few helicopters available for CAS under direct control and these should be on the map.
  5. For the Longbow Apache, a clear LOS to 8000m maybe not be possible under most circumstances. However, the real power in the 64D's ability is to datalink with other sensors and salvo launch MMW Hellfires into a threat area designated by the D's gunner in Lock-On After Launch(LOAL) mode. The missles then follow a ballistic trajectory to the target area where they go active and hunt for only the types of targets that they are preprogrammed to engage within the target area. Longbows can also control and designate for other helicopters that aren't equipted with MMW radar, so they can also use MMW Hellfires in LOAL mode. So, AH64D support could be modeled as OBA as long as they were only firing MMW Hellfires. Also given the LOS, the Apache's MMW radar can distingush between friend and foe at far greater distances than the TADS. The real question then becomes are 64D's so good that having one completely unbalances a scenario? [This message has been edited by Jeff Pattison (edited 03-19-2001).]
  6. Hey, it's just a game. In games, gamey things happen. I personally won't deliberately use unarmed men to take a VL. But, I'm not going to penalize someone who does. And, I'm not going fight with one hand tied behind my back, because I'm afraid I might do something gamey. [This message has been edited by Jeff Pattison (edited 02-21-2001).]
  7. From another POV, In terms of CM, 'unarmed' means a unit armed with makeshift weapons, not one without weapons. So, the group of apparently 'unarmed' soldiers charging into your VL is a group of soldiers armed with entrenching tools, rocks, clubs, K-bar Knives, Kuk-ri, and anything else they could find. I doubt you could declare any perimeter secured with that kind of rabble roaming around inside it. You can find many examples in the WWII literature, especially in Stalingrad, that detail fights between units that ran out of ammo and resorted to bricks, rocks, and shovels. As far as commanders ordering their men into battle 'unarmed', there also examples of that in the literature too as has been mentioned before in this thread. IMHO, ordering one's men into battle unarmed is a desperate act, not a gamey one. Your orders in CM are essentially, "take and secure objective X and hold at time Y." A last minute charge of 'unarmed' men is a desperate act that is well within the bounds of those orders. So, I do see how that could pass the *realism* filter. What the problem here really is is that CM is not programmed to recognize or deal with more than a limited set of victory conditions. Therefore, it can really not be used to effectively represent all types of situations. CM really needs have a larger set of conditions coded into it. Allowing the user to select random game turn end and/or turn counted victory points are part of that. Other things like, "no unit shall have a LOS/LOF to location X by the end of the game", should also be included. [This message has been edited by Jeff Pattison (edited 02-21-2001).]
  8. Yeah, that's true that ordering the zombies on the last turn to attack is a rather gamey move. But, if the objective is still defended properly by multiple units that still have ammo and can engage the zombies in a crossfire, the last minute charge still won't succeed. Also, those zombies have to assemble somewhere before the last turn. If you get that area under fire, then the attack may never happen. In other words, go find him before he finds you. That's what those 1 or 2 man squads with no ammo are for. You know. Lose sight, lose fight. I seem to recall that the Iranians using mass charges of unarmed fanatics in front of the regular troops in Iran-Iraq war were quite effective against the Iraqis. [This message has been edited by Jeff Pattison (edited 02-20-2001).]
  9. The fact that you have zombies on your VL should give you an indication that you are not defending in depth properly. Some approach path wasn't covered by fire from multiple units or a hole was blasted in your outer defenses that wasn't closed by adjusting your reserves. If this situation happens in a meeting engangement, it means more you haven't advanced far enough to have fully secured the objective. When ever I see that kind of situation, I go back and review tactics. More times than not I find an error has crept into my planning process. [This message has been edited by Jeff Pattison (edited 02-20-2001).]
  10. Hmmmmmm..... I think I've already seen a Jagdpikachu.
  11. I noticed the other day that the AI doesn't setup his infantry platoons together at all when defending in operations when allowed to freely setup. In constrast, in every QB I checked, he does set them up together and in command. What gives? Maybe, there should be flags in operations.
  12. Maybe, they're checking out to see whether their reverse lights still work.
  13. Well, for once I agree with Cav Scout. Find a local supplier that builds and repairs computers on site. That way when you mess up trying to trick up your machine, you'll have some place to get fixed quickly. The other thing that I'd recommend is to buy a computer that can be upgraded. That way you can buy an average machine, save some bucks, and upgrade when the prices of the newest chips fall. Given that the time between generations of CPU chips and graphics boards is about 12-14 months, having an upgrade plan at the time of purchase had years to the life of your computer and be easier on the wallet than paying premium prices for premium hardware. For example, the computer I'm currently using is two years old. It started out as P2 350Mhz with 8 Mb Video card and 128 Mb RAM which I got for about $1800. Certainly not the fastest machine at the time, but right down the middle. Last year, I had it upgraded to PIII 600Mhz(new motherboard) and added 128 Mb RAM to give it 256Mb for $960. This year, I added a GeForce 2 Ultra for $460. In the current configuration, this machine is probably going to be good enough to run the lastest releases for about two years before I have to replace the motherboard again.
  14. The captain of the Cole is just the last link in a long chain of failures. But, the temptation to put a man in the dock is often overwhelming. If the captian is cashiered, then a whole series people up the chain of command should be also. Personally, I thought the decision to allow a port visit in country that has been known to support terrorism in the past during period of open bloodshead between the Palestinians and Israelis was a major fumble. Given the reports I've heard in aftermath of the incident, the crew did an incredible job at damage control. Without their outstanding efforts, the ship would have most certainly sunk.
  15. My favorite computer wargames of the last ten years are: 1. Combat Mission 2. Star Fleet Command II(although its really more for the twitch chrowd) 3. XCOM:Apocalypse(Yes, I know most people think that all the XCOM sequels suck, but I had really think this ones the best. I had lots of fun testing out tactics I borrowed from the SAS in the realtime mode.) 4. Achtung Spitfire 5. Kingmaker(The first multiplayer AI that actually holds a grudge.) 6. Operation Market Garden 7. Panzers in the Shadows 8. Wooden Ships and Iron Men(The 90's version not the 80's one that sucked.) 9. Steel Panthers III 10. Chessmaster 5k,5.5k,6k,7k, and 8k. My favorite wargames that were released in the last 10 years. 1. Hannibal: Rome versus Carthage 2. Phase Line Smash(Great Game, poorly written rules) 3. The Great Campaigns of the Civil War Series. [This message has been edited by Jeff Pattison (edited 01-09-2001).]
  16. Read the article, I think his reactivation costs for battleship reactivation are suspect. Also, he doesn't consider the threat modern diesel submarines and mines pose to ships operating close in shore. While the submarines of Iranian Navy may not be a threat, the Chinese diesels are. The North Carolina and South Dakota Classes had weaknesses in the stern and particularly the underbottom. The Iowa classes underwater protection was derived from both these previous classes. It is possible that the Iowas also possess these design flaws, but details of underwater protection systems are still classified. [This message has been edited by Jeff Pattison (edited 01-09-2001).]
  17. While I agree that the Iowa Class battleships are impressive from a fire support point of view, the Iowa's are obsolete and should remain mothballed for the following reasons. First, high maintainance costs. Because the ships are more than 60 years old, many replacement parts required are not available and would have to remanufactured. While powerplant parts may be available from other ships, the real problem is the acquistion of parts for the 16" gun turrets. All the Iowa's, particularly the New Jersey, are into the end portion of barrel life on the 16 inchers and need to be refurbished. Second, old ammunition stocks. While new ICM, subcaliber, and precision rounds have been tested, most of the ammunition specifically the powder charges date from 60's and before. Old powder may have been a factor in the cold bore explosion on the Iowa. The question of whether or not existing powder stocks are still safe will have to be answered. If they aren't, new powdered and shells will have to be manufactured. Third, compared to ships of today, these ships were designed during a period when pollution of the worlds oceans was not a concern like it is today. These ships all leak oil and their waste disposal systems dump sewage straight to the ocean with no preprocessing.
  18. Hmmmmm... According to the rules of thumb for armor design on capital ships of that time, the main armor should be proof against shell hits of up to 9in at over 20000 yds. I wonder what thickness the deck armor was? There was also a larger tank on the drawing board called the E100. Imagine what an OGRE that would have been? YoHoHo and a bottle of rum.
  19. Maybe you should go for the flank shot instead of dueling head to head. You know how the AI loves to duel.
  20. It's not the quanity that counts, it's the quality. Alot of the people also were posting on combat mission before this BB existed, their posts were never counted.
  21. What we are talking about is poor sportsmanship. Sometimes, I wonder what happened to all the good sports. Don't they teach that anymore in school or at home? The media seems to be highlighting all the bad conduct and none of the good. rant off The main reason I haven't been playing PBEM or TCPIP is that until very recently I haven't the time to finish a game. And, I will not start something I can't finish, because my reputation or lack thereof is dependent on my actions.
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