Joachim

Which cost do you suggest? Would you use a section of them if they came at 600pts each like a Sturmtiger in CMBB? Mobile, armored, fast response times, huge blast, good accuracy (compared to OBA). Would you like to defend vs them if they came at 150 pts? A regular German 105mm spotter with 60 rounds moves slower, reacts slower and has less blast.. Edited to add that they are a cool toy... just like the Sturmtiger, which I tested once. Gruß Joachim [ April 02, 2004, 06:23 PM: Message edited by: Joachim ]

Which cost do you suggest? Would you use a section of them if they came at 600pts each like a Sturmtiger in CMBB? Mobile, armored, fast response times, huge blast, good accuracy (compared to OBA). Would you like to defend vs them if they came at 150 pts? A regular German 105mm spotter with 60 rounds moves slower, reacts slower and has less blast.. Gruß Joachim

Interesting point. The fact is though that a fair number were used in combat in the last two or three months of the war. So far as I know, they were used in the direct fire mode. I haven't heard yet of any that were lost in the manner you describe, but something along those lines could still turn up. Michael </font>

Remind me next year when my current PBEMs are over. Gruß Joachim

AFVs exited in ops are gone forever, but without a points loss. If they remain on map, they might get some repair between battles - or get abandoned and you pay the points. They should get repaired and fielded again with a much higher probability if they exited the map (or got parked close to the map edge). Gruß Joachim

Why were ammo compartments in tanks armored? Why not on the rooftop? Why did T34s drop the external fuel tanks before going into battle? What happens if tracers from a HMG or small HE rounds hit the rockets? I would not like to be in or near that tank with the enemy close. If you are in LOS you risk 60+ rockets exploding - with all their fuel. If you are out of LOS you can as well put the tanks off board and use a spotter. Gruß Joachim

There are other words to empasize your point. Or to be rude Gruß Joachim

Reviewed ath the depot. Recommendations for playing HTH or Allies vs AI based on general experience. Personally I do not care about force balance. I judge success by other factors than points. It was a cakewalk, but my losses were minimal and I used solid tactics. Noted my errors with the Nashorns (I forgot that superior German optics are not part of CM but gyrostabilizers are and Shermans kill Nashorns with one shot but not the other way), learned from them. Gruß Joachim

Ouch! I admit I'm guilty! Ouch! I needed some fun! Ouch! Some cakewalk to beat the AI! Ouch! Did we mention the AI losses vs our own? Ouch! Does this seem balanced? Ouch! Did I mention that I'd replay it with a big bonus for the AI? Ouch! So I can kill even more AI tanks as I doubt it will be balanced then if the Panthers are used correctly. Gruß Joachim

I tested several locations. One is approx the board edge. It is a road with at least 2 tiles of woods on each side. You can not look thru 40m of woods (in this battle). LOS in woods is below 30m. I checked carefully if the road would allow LOS, but it is very long and has a bend blocking LOS. 3 other places where tested before, all had no LOS to enemy setup zone. All were shelled. Gruß Joachim [ April 02, 2004, 04:26 AM: Message edited by: Joachim ]

I get an 88 in battle. It shoots, killing one KV2. I guess its spotted, cause it shoots 5 times. OTOH it hides a few turns till the battle ends. Distance to nearest enemy troops: 400m. Next battle setup: I have two SdKfz 7. The 88 is locked in place. I embark the gun during setup. I can only place it on one of the SdKfz 7, and the SdKfz 7 currently towing the 88 is fixed, too. I can move the other SdKfz, so I can place the 88 all over my setup zone, but it is always loaded. I can not disembark during setup. Turn 1: It receives incoming - probably anything the AI has. Surprise. I thought it was out of LOS as I thought I had carefully checked this. Restart. Put embarked 88 on a clearing with definitely no LOS to the enemy. Guess what. Sent file to Andreas. Your idea is basically what I had in mind. As soon as I find some time I'll create a short operation and test it... With fortifications, an 88 and several artificial ridges to block LOS. Gruß Joachim

Choosing the "wrong" side in scenarios is some fun. The Nashorns are best hehind the river. Maybe I'll replay using +50% for the AI . Worst thing to happen was that a Panther run out of AP ammo. I concentrated its fire on light vehicles afterwards. Gruß Joachim

I'll send mine to support or ask Andreas to do that after he checked it. I thought the special problem of the 88 is that it is locked in place like a bunker and can only be loaded to a truck. Bunkers etc are fixed and IIRC their spotting status remains between battles. so does the 88??? Or maybe it is because there are too many units in this op (spoiler: as hinted in the intro - you have the whole division at your disposal). It would be interesting to look up the unit numer of the spotter - Team no and when using "+". Gruß Joachim

Ops are long battles with supplies and a strange algorithm to decide the frontline. Supplies are good, the algorithm ain't. A 10 battles with 20+ turns each op and limited supplies is usually worse than a 5 battles at 40+ turns (or 6/33+) with average supplies. So I prefer longer battles. 30+ turns per battle allow for decent combat. Supplies might run low if you are trigger-happy, but you need to plan accordingly. Plus you are allowed some scouting/probing before committing your forces. It is no fun to discover an ATG in turn 18, bring along your mortars to deal with it in turn 21 and then it ends.

Damage it. IIRC you can add craters to the map using some numbers keys to select the crater size and clicking the map (check the manual on that). You need big craters do damage bridges. Gruß Joachim

CMBB with an 88 (ghosts of Napoleon). I can move it where I want - it receives incoming like crazy with deadly accuracy. And there is still a KV2 in that op. Savegame available. Gruß Joachim

Double post [ April 01, 2004, 04:10 AM: Message edited by: Joachim ]

As stated above, arty in turn 1 would be a bit unsporting. If you want to play competitive, NFOW is probably not a good idea. It is for a game between gentlemen who agree on certain house rules to get better insight into the game mechanics or to have fun. Winning in CM is not everything - it is more important to me (and many others) to establish good relations with their opponents or even make friends. That's what games are for. What is correct is that once ambushes are gone, you have to plan very good. A sniper will probably kill less TCs, he can't roam the rear areas or hide - but even if visible, he is a constant threat if used with the knowledge that yor opponent can see him. You know exactly what the opponent is bringing up and have time to counter it. You must have a balanced combined arms force which is mutually supporting itself on the battlefield. Just like in chess where a pawn can make a difference if you plan well, a Bazooka will only take out a tank if you outsmart your opponent and force him to move like you dictate. Judging by your choice of words I guess a game with you would be over after turn 1. Gruß Joachim

The fighting in the Viipuri Bay area was successful for the Soviets in the archipelago (deploying defenders onto islands was a mistake in the first place), but they weren't able to gain a bridgehead on the mainland. The German 122nd Infantry Division "Greif" fought there among others. Here's a map. </font>

So what? I regularly attack the AI at +100%. For attacks, this is a simple 1.5:2 or 3:4. I seldom reach every objective then, I win most, but barely total or major. But at least it is a challenge. (No, not pure armor as Germans in '43) It starts getting tough when you have to fight 3.4:1 as a defender with reduced ammo. IMHO this scenario is absolutely necessary to keep players from guessing the opposing reserve by counting what is already there. I've committed to many reserves with the knowledge that I've seen almost anything the enemy can throw at me and thus do not need my reserve any more. Gruß Joachim @Sven, Andreas Jetzt weiß ich, warum ich immer so schlecht gelaunt bin - ich hab' keinen Keller!

Why? There weren't so many besides D-Day in Europe</font>

Why? There weren't so many besides D-Day in Europe Strongpoints? Do you mean sets of bunkers and trenches? I'd be satisfied with trenches with overhead cover and bunkers where the crew can take cover in a 2nd room. Explosions (arty, demo) tearing apart wire would do. Don't need the animation - but morale, fatigue, health, ammo and wpn tracked for every soldier would be great - plus an option to leave tired soldiers behind as casualties. pure eye candy... I want buildings and streets that do not represent Mannheim or Manhattan (ie rectangular city blocks) No! It would be enough if I could have a movie of the full game - even vs. the AI. motorbike and sidecar... the new toy for recce by explosion. Bikes only if borg spotting is removed and runners are allowed to use bikes. Schwimmwagen maybe, the rest is in there or abstracted. Use lots of 300mm+ FOs with little ammo. Rocket are best. Give the enemy a few, too, to simulate friendly fire. Make sure the pre-planned barrage fires 1 round per 100m^2 spread equally across the whole map. Especially with the new minimum morale levels (20% casualties and the attack stops) this will finally give me a chance to play long scenarios in 1 day Do you know how many CDs you need for all those bmps? Ever counted the divisions fielded in WW2? ??? embark/disembark is in the current engine (except for 88) A glider btn landing on a company of infantry... anything landing on map will be shred by MGs before landing. Anything else will be off map. Yes... this is the ultimate addition. There are many more, but they include refinements of current modelling. SOPs would be fine... Gruß Joachim

Mike, change scenario date, buy "unavailable" tanks, change scenario date. Gruß Joachim

I found that the unit info for partially ID'd vehicles show the stats that is the most likely variant of the ID'd vehicle at that time period (e.g. a T34 in '43 is most likely a '43 variant.) ammo selection (Tungsten or AP) is based on that, too. So a PzIIIg might cower from a partially ID'd T34/41 in '43 which it would face in '41. If there is a common Valentine that has very thick armor, the StuG may retreat. Another important question: Have you checked the movie file carfeully? If the Valentine was ID'd as something else when first spotted, the cowering may have been based on the first guess. Gruß Joachim

SdKfz 222 or 251/9 with 20mm Autocannon are AA capable - and they do kill or discourage planes (except for IL2s). So if the opponent has those (in reserve) he doesn't even need additional AA. I'd add to Redwolfs first post: Do not buy air if you have guns in the open and the enemy has guns in trenches or cover. 3 StuKas. 5 bombing runs on enemy territory, IIRC 3 or 4 of them probably on guns, but definitely on trenches. 1 attack on my forces. Ouch. Gun destroyed. Several strafing runs mostly on/near trenches (with guns?). 2 or 3 on mine (no losses). Mostly on guns. My trucks or HTs are ignored. I guess my opponent has no vehicles. Gruß Joachim